Running Mail

What is it with summer and stocking up on all the running gear?!

I swear, it's like when I finally have some time on my hands I realize how much I need want new sports bras, running shoes, and sundry accessories. Luckily I had an Amazon gift card to spend recently because it made my summer purchase a little less painful.

First, I needed sports bras. We're supposed to get new ones every six months and some of mine are literally years old. I'm small-chested, so when bras lose elasticity it's not a huge deal, but I recently had to toss a handful.

I wanted new bras that were cute (because I'm been practicing running without a shirt on - it builds confidence!) and flattering.

I like the lower-cut of the Under Armor Mid Sports Bra, and the colors were fun, so I got two. I also got a Champion Great Divide bra and love the neon green! The fit is very flattering, too.

Oofos recovery sandals have been on my "want" list for months but they're pricey; having a gift card made it easier to finally buy them. They are super ugly but really comfortable; I feel like a granny when I wear them. Comfort over fashion here, folks!

Next, I got myself a second FlipBelt. I seriously love mine for running - it's the first belt I've run in that I literally never have to think about once it's on - and decided to get one for work next year, because I'll be expected to have my cell phone on me at all times. I ordered if off Skirt Sports because I could use my discount, and got one of their new skirts while I was at it. (Don't forget you can use ABK20 for 20% off!)

The Cascade is one of their newer skirts and it is SO cute. I love the pleats!

I originally got my FlipBelt in black because I'd never used one before; now that I'm running without a shirt more often and the belt is visible, I thought getting a fun, vibrant color for my second was the way to go.

Finally, I saw a couple weeks ago that Road ID is now making IDs that slip onto the Apple Watch.  (They also make them for FitBit.) Honestly, we rarely wear our Road ID bracelets because we don't like wearing multiple things on our wrists when working out, and this way we'll always have it on us no matter what.

They both include our name, birth year, and emergency contact numbers. I also listed my allergy and medical information on mine, and still had space to write NO REGRETS across the bottom for motivation.

I told Matt it would be good for me to have at all times in case there's ever an emergency at school and they need to identify my unconscious body but he didn't find that funny.

The IDs come in nice metal boxes and fit perfectly on our watchbands. I paid extra to have Matt's done in black because I wanted him to actually agree to wear it; it blends in perfectly. Now I'll be a little less nervous when he's paddling in rough waters.

Of course, this isn't it. I've been buying, testing, and returning shoes for weeks now as I continue to look for my perfect new sole-mate.

Comparing the fit of my current shoes to the Brooks Ravenna.

But that's a post for a different time!

When's the last time you bought new sports bras?
What's your favorite running-related thing to buy?
What shoes do you wear when you're not wearing running shoes?

ABK

Linking up with Erika for TOTR today!

Gear Report: Bracelets

It's been a long time since I've written a review of new products I'm trying, but over Christmas I received two I immediately wanted to talk about.

(I'll pause here to mention that all my runner friends, IRL and in blog-land, have gotten new Garmins, and I still don't have one! I am just sentimentally married to my Nike+ app, I guess, and a Garmin seems pricey and redundant. But I know if I had one, I'd fall in love. And even though I don't need one...man alive I'm jealous of all you lucky ducks!)

Check out that awesome blackout job I did in Paint.

The first bracelet is my Road ID. If you recall, Matt and I both won raffle prizes of gift certificates for Road IDs at our SUP n Run race. They were waiting for us in the mailbox when we got home from Christmas vacation.

Matt's Road ID is just a precaution because he doesn't have any medical conditions or allergies. Mine is a little more necessary, and it's insane that I haven't had one before now. As you can see, the etching is very clear and easy to read. I was able to list my allergies and chronic illnesses, name, birth year, and emergency contacts without any issues for space.

The packaging in minimal but hugely important.

I got the Wrist ID Slim in a small, and it's tight going over my hand but then fits perfectly on my weirdly tiny wrists.

The best thing about Road ID is the lifetime guarantee. As it states in the "manual" the bracelet comes with:

"If you are not satisfied with our products for any reason, simply return them for a full refund or exchange. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Additionally, the laser engraved, stainless steel ID carries a LIFETIME GUARANTEE. If you are tough enough to wear it out, return it and we'll send you a new one."

To me, this is one of the biggest perks. Their customer service is really unbeatable.

I got the Road ID in red so that it's clearly recognized as a medical bracelet.

The second bracelet I received was a gift from my in-laws. I had mentioned on Thanksgiving, as I flipped through the various sale catalogs around the house, that I was interested in the Fit Bit Flex. Sure enough, Christmas morning rolls around and they had remembered!

I haven't had a chance to use some of the more detailed aspects of the Fit Bit yet, so this review is going to be surface-level. The Fit Bit is basically a glorified pedometer that also links to an app and allows you to track food and water consumption, sleep patterns, and activity levels.

Clearly I haven't really set it up yet, but here are all the features for tracking in the app.

One of the main attractions for me was the "silent alarm" feature. When you wear the Flex to bed, you can set an alarm and it wakes you up by vibrating. This is less jarring than a typical alarm, and allows for a more gradual and natural wake-up.

My favorite feature at this early-date is the "How did you sleep?" menu. Once the Flex has been put into "sleep mode", it tracks how often you move around. There are two settings for this, so you can have it set to "ultra sensitive" or "normal". I kept mine at normal, and this was my result from last night:

You can scroll along the lines to see what times you were "restless" and for how long. Although a normal clock would show that I slept 9 hours last night, the reality is that only 8 of those hours were quality sleep.

I'm hoping this feature really comes in handy when school starts back up, and that I'll begin to see a pattern between what I eat and when I eat and my sleep patterns. (Once I start logging food.) I also haven't taken it for a run yet, and I'm interested to see how it tracks my steps and miles.

My only concern is that the app is so detailed that I (and many women like me) may toe that slippery slope of tracking myself to a point of obsession. The more you use the Fit Bit, the more accurate it is. The biggest "con" I've noticed so far is that you need to go into the app to put in food/water consumption, so in a way it's just as inconvenient as any other calorie-tracking app when it comes to that aspect.

Other cool features: the Fit Bit Flex is 100% water resistant, so it's safe to use in the shower; you can buy bands in different colors; the original bracelet comes with two sizes in the box (I'm wearing the small size); and the app syncs wirelessly using BlueTooth and is designed for both Droid and iPhone.

Have you ever used the Fit Bit before?
Do you wear Road ID or another kind of emergency notification while running? The Road ID app is pretty awesome and free, but I always forget to turn it on before a run!
What fitness gifts did you receive for the holidays?

ABK