6 Gifts for Athletes Who Have Everything

Credit: Alan Cleaver at Flickr

Forerunner? Got it. Triathlon backpack? Have it. New gear? Bought it the minute the old gear started showing wear and tear. Big-name race for next season? Already signed up.

Some people are strapped for cash around the holidays. Others are stumped when it comes to giving gifts to the people on their list who have it all, or buy it before you have a chance to gift it (I was accused of that last week). So stumped that you're still shopping for that special gift with less than a week's worth of shopping days left.

I'm currently in that category. My husband already gifted himself new skis (at least I helped with the ordering, that has to count for something.) I spilled the beans to my dad on some new Adidas shirts, shorts and pants perfect for a workout, and he sent my mom to buy them. Aside from some random stocking stuffer ideas I've had, I was screwed until I devised this list.

Fit-Gear: Orange Mud Transition & Seat Wrap Review

It zips, it clips, it's ingenious...it's the Transition & Seat Wrap

Genius, Orange Mud, Genius. You've made changing after a race loads easier by creating the Transition & Seat Wrap. No wardrobe malfunctions a la Janet Jackson. No slipping towels especially when you're bare under there. No waiting until you get home--even when it's 2.5 hours away--to swap out those damp, sweaty and stinky clothes.

And for anyone who cringes at the sight of damp car upholstery--aka, my mom--you'll appreciate the Seat Wrap component to Orange Mud's dual-purpose towel. It's large enough to completely cover the seat, and one end zips together to create a hood that slips over the seat back to prevent it from sliding when you sit down, a common problem of a basic towel. My mom can attest to that one: She'd have the car equipped with four dry towels, two each for my sister and I, so we'd have one to sit on and one to lean our backs against. I haven't told her about this towel yet, but I can already see her smiling. It's like the Orange Mud developer read her neat-freak brain.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Seat Wrap idea, too. But these days I'm rarely wearing my swimsuit home from the pool or beach, and if I am, I'm walking or riding my bike. I'm just digging the Transition component to the towel more. For a girl who lost her perfection at deck changes 15 years ago (dang, I'm getting old!), this is a welcome addition to my race-day backpack.

Fit-Gear: Ezeefit Ankle Booties Review

No blisters today: my foot is loving Ezeefitsports' Bootie.

To put it simply, I get a lot of foot blisters. Whether it's running shoes, cycling shoes, après-ski boots, or mary janes I'm wearing, I've managed to get blisters somewhere on my feet. In between the toes, on the toes, on the back of my heel...you name it, and I've most likely had a combo of band-aid and first-aid tape covering it. 

So when I heard about Ezeefit Sports' Anti-Friction Ankle Booties, which are said to help protect feet from rubbing and blisters, I was all for seeing if they'd banish my blisters for good. These ankle booties are form-fitting, soft (well, as much as neoprene and lycra can be), and said to be good for any sport where the footwear causes blisters. Plus they're not so thick that they feel weird underfoot--I went with the ultra-thin option, but they're also available in 2mm and 3mm thicknesses.

Win a Summer Running Kit!

Just one of the items in the Ultimate Running Kit.

Now I know why I avoid gear-focused websites like Gear Junkie and The Gear Institute. One visit to Gear Patrol this morning (how have I not stumbled upon it before?) and I'm lusting over sunglasses, shoes and compression socks. What's worse is that Gear Patrol's ultimate summer running kit, complete with a head-to-toe look and all the running accessories one could need, isn't even designed for me, a female runner. It features the best performance gear of the season for guys--it's the gear the guys behind the site are wearing.

But even so, this gear-obsessed gal wants it anyway. Like the 110% compression socks, the Oakley sunglasses, the Timex Ironman trainer, the Ultimate Direction hydration vest, the Strava app--and I'd take the New Balance clothing and K-Swiss shoes if I could get the female version. Good news for me and other gear-obsessed runners out there: We have a chance to win it!

110%, the company that makes the Overdrive Compression Sox featured in the kit, is giving away the items curated by Gear Patrol to one lucky winner. All you have to do is enter here. And even if you don't win the grand prize, 10 entrants can score 110%'s Overdrive Sox, a recovery tool that's great for when you "want to boost circulation and muscle repair," according to Gear Patrol. I'm sold on the Overdrive alone--compression socks are paired with sleeves that can hold ice inserts in all the key spots, arch, toes, ankle, calf and shin.

OK, so our odds can't be great for winning the grand prize (I swear I never win anything involving chance), but the chance of winning is still too good to pass up. Right? Enter to win by clicking here.  

Photo grabbed from 110%.

Sock Savings

You'd think that after running for more than a decade I'd have all the clothing and gear dialed in. But I'm far from it. One area where I fall short: socks.

They're recognized as an essential footwear component for the serious athlete by the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and I know I can't run without them (I've tried but something about bare feet in my shoes only works for walking down the hall to take the garbage out). The wrong sock--or an old sock as I learned at one marathon--can spell failure, blisters and discomfort. The right pair can mean success whether it's a fast time or freeing yourself from blisters.

And while I'd like to think that I've found the perfect pair of running socks, for now, I'm always mixing them up. What worked for one or two races, even if they're the same distance, doesn't always work for the next (and I end up with feet full of blisters). But I really don't need a drawer full of almost-perfect socks, nor do I want to buy socks as often as I buy Shot Bloks.

If there were a sock exchange program I could buy into (try a sock, send it back if it doesn't work, experiment with different brands and styles), I'd be the first to sign up. Until then, I'll try all the free socks I can get my feet into. Like Swiftwick, the company that is giving away pairs of high-performance compression socks. Runners and athletes can score this deal by downloading a coupon and cashing it in at participating Fleet Feet Sports and Runner's High 'n Tri stores.

Swiftwick wants runners and athletes to see the benefits of compression socks first-hand, and the coupon will get you either a free pair or buy-one-get-one free. Their socks offer a patented moisture management feature, a sculptured footbed for maximum comfort and no blisters, and graduated compression, all of which can extend your endurance and performance. The Sustain model is earth-friendly, made from post-industrial recycled nylon (I'm all for reducing carbon footprints especially when it's through something as unintentional as running gear). And my personal favorite: These socks don't stretch all the way up your calves like some socks that bear the "compression" label. I'm all for the calf adornment, especially if it's a cold day, but I'm an ankle-baring runner more than anything.

But like all good things, this deal comes to an end on April 19. Perfect timing for me...my next race isn't until the end of the month, and my regular race socks are starting to show some wear and tear.

Do you have a favorite pair of running socks? Have you tried Swiftwick socks? 

What to Wear Out There

I thought I had my race day outfit figured out. You know, the one I planned to wear during the Bank of America Chicago Marathon--and the one I had practiced many of my long training runs in. After all, we've been dealing with warm temperatures since March, and when I thought back to the races I've run this year, I couldn't name one that warranted more than shorts and a tech tee. That doesn't bode well for Marathon Sunday.

It might be warm-ish outside right now, warm enough to wear that tee and shorts combo I'm so used to. But if you're like me and caught the weather report this morning, you might be shuddering at what's to come later in the week. I've come to grips with losing my summer tan from all the swims, bike rides and runs that had me outside for hours on end. I'm accepting the changing colors of the leaves--and seeing piles of them on the path (even though it's marathon time, I still hate fall). But it's been warm for most of the year, almost to the point where I forgot I lived in Chicago and a spot with milder winters, that I'm not ready to accept the chills. (Did anyone else get used to sweltering all summer that they're actually cold running in what would likely be deemed ideal temperatures?) And I'm most certainly confused about what I'm going to wear Sunday morning to a. be spotted by my cheering section (thanks parents and husband for coming out), b. stay comfortable and relatively chafe free from start to finish, and c. not freeze either from a sharp northerly wind Chicago likes to throw at us or while waiting at the start line. Oh yeah, and have a pocket or two to carry my emergency fuel kit--this girl's always gotta have her tropical punch Shot Bloks stashed away--and a spot to clip my Shuffle without it getting too wet (I've already ruined two this summer).

Fit-Pic: Light Like Flyknit

You know a shoe has to be good--or popular or too cool for words--when there's a special launch party for it. Lines used to form outside Niketown Chicago the night before a major Air Jordan release. Shoes seemed to be flying off the shelves the night the Saucony Kinvara 3's became available. Several runners packed into Fleet Feet Chicago to run at midnight when Under Armour released its first running shoe. It was no different for the release of the Nike Flyknit.

Hooked on Brooks RnR Gear

Dear Brooks, when did you start creating such cool Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series gear? No joke, I wanted at least three of the T-shirts and the navy hoodie I spotted in the 10 minutes I had to spend at the expo. And had the lights not turned off, begging expo goers to exit at 6 p.m., you probably would have gotten a sale out of me.

It doesn’t take much for me to drool (almost) over running gear. Name a race expo—Rock ‘n’ Roll, Boston, Chicago—and I can always find something that’s begging me to take out my wallet and spend, spend, spend. Not necessarily because I want the coveted Boston Marathon jacket or all the gear that sports Chicago running pride, although that tends to be my first inclination. I’m practically the ideal customer, always wanting to buy a T-shirt secondary to the race shirt that every participant receives regardless of how many tees I already have exploding out of the drawers at home. You should have seen me at last week’s Ironman 70.3 expo—sure enough, I had to have the shirt with every participant’s name printed on the back to make the M-Dot logo.

Addicted to the FuelBand

It adds up your steps. It calculates your calories burned. It tells you how much fuel you have, and not the gas-guzzling or calorie-consumption kind but a metric that puts a number on all the movements you do during the day from taking out the garbage and walking the dog, to sweating through P90X video or Zumba and preparing dinner. And if nothing else, The Nike+ FuelBand makes for a pretty sharp-looking watch (hey, those were Nike’s words not mine, and I can’t help but nod in agreement).

When I first heard about the FuelBand, I thought it’d be the perfect exercise tool for my mom to use. She’s had pedometers and they’ve either overestimated her steps or met their demise falling into a toilet. She tried a Polar fitness watch, a variation of one that Liz got me hooked on, but got frustrated when the stick figure spent more time sitting than zooming across the screen (that’s probably more her fault than the machine’s but let’s just say it didn’t motivate her to exercise any more or less). And lately she’s just relied on the digital readouts on the elliptical, or the treadmill, or the stationary bike. And we all know how wrong those can be.

I was convinced that the FuelBand would help track her activity, from running up and down the stairs to the gardening she claims exhausts her more than her treadmill walks. And that it would dispel the elliptical readouts claiming she burned at least 200 calories even though she was barely on the machine for 15 minutes and never broke a sweat.

The Tank That Keeps You Cool

I’ve been dreading today’s high temperature since I saw the forecast Monday morning. Cracking 100 and it’s only early July? I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m actually missing the summer where I whined about wearing fleece.

It doesn’t matter if the temperature breaks 100 or it hovers between 80 and 90, when it’s hot and humid, my runs suffer. I’m hot from the get-go—and that’s true if it’s a race (ahem like the unseasonably hot Chicago Marathons we’ve had recently) or a training run on the lakefront. I can’t stay cool to save my run and I’m so drenched by the time I return home you’d think I walked into Lake Michigan with my clothes on.

But lately I’ve had some help from Pearl Izumi in the keep-cool department. I’ve been sporting the company’s In-R-Cool tank since we first started seeing temperatures in the 80s back in March (and to think I’d welcome a week of that weather right about now). Designed with technology that’s aimed to cool you down more than heat you up, even after you’ve been pavement pounding when the sun is scorching, and fabric that would cool your skin while managing moisture, I figured it’d be my best heat defense, especially in March when I wasn’t even close to accustomed to the warmer weather. But the big question was: would it really work?

My answer: yes. This tank wicks the sweat away from my body, it’ll be drenched but I won’t be. And it’s been acting like that since I first wore it almost four months ago. It has managed to keep me cool—and not just because it’s sleeveless, armed with a white back panel, and incredibly lightweight. I swear it’s that special fabric, which amazingly hasn’t succumbed to my stinky sweat yet. I ran without it on yesterday’s scorcher of the 4th of July—I swear it felt like it was 100 degrees at 8 a.m.—only because I couldn’t find it in my laundry heap. When I went with an old standby, I seriously thought I was melting. Rumor has it that it’s only going to get hotter so I’m hoping that my husband accidentally picked it up in his laundry and I’ll have it for my next run. How could I grow so attached to one tank, I don’t know, but I did.

The funny thing is that until recently, I’d never think of Pearl Izumi has having running gear that I’d like. I’m armed with an arsenal of cycling stuff from arm and toe warmers to jerseys and jackets, and always associated the company with cycling and triathlon. That was a big mistake on my part. Because not only do I miss this tank on hot summer days when I’m not wearing it, but I can’t get through a treadmill workout without wearing the Streak II shoes. It could all be mental—or it’s that the minimal design actually works for my foot more than I thought it would. Whatever the case, I’ll take it.

And to Pearl Izumi: now I know not to skip straight to the cycling gear on my next shopping trip.

What are you wearing to keep cool on your summer runs?

Equinox Lets Freedom Bling

Everyone loves a sale. Credit: ell brown

Stinky workout clothes where the stench won't disappear no matter how many times they toss in the washing machine and get sprayed with Febreze? Exercise gear that's more out-of-fashion than in? Running shorts and shirts that aren't as well-equipped to battle the heat wave that's predicted to happen later this week as you thought they'd be when you bought them? Gear that you wouldn't want to be caught dead in unless you were at home and you knew that Tony Horton and Shawn T wouldn't care what clothes you wore for their workouts?

You know you need some new duds--or you welcome every excuse in the book as a reason to buy more. But the problem is, you're not exactly in the market for buying said gear at full price (it's all about maximizing the dollar, right?). Welcome to the "Let Freedom Bling" sale that runs June 25 through July 8 at The Shop @ Equinox. As a way to celebrate Independence Day, customers can save up to 50 percent off fashion and performance apparel and accessories at all of the Chicago Equinox locations.

The Shop @ Equinox is known for offering top-of-the-line fitness-focused apparel--remember the Nike gear we gushed over? This summer the Shop has new lines available like Mercer & Taylor, an exclusive women's fashion collection that includes breezy woven tanks and blouses in silky, lightweight fabrics; and Bordeaux, another exclusive women's collection that features super-soft tees and tanks great for basics and layering. And there are tons of other designers gracing the shelves, too. The question is: How much can I buy to refresh the closet without breaking the bank? 

Photo grabbed from ell brown at flickr.

Suspension Attention

One of the 300+ TRX moves. Credit: campdarby at flickr

I've been obsessed with TRX for a looong time. Probably since right around the time Fit-Ink started when the suspension training system debuted on The Biggest Loser, and I watched week after week as Bob Harper introduced new routines to the competitors. Not that I fall in love with every piece of fitness equipment seen on the hit TV show--though it might come close. Except now I've used a lot of the equipment--the Spinning bikes, the ViPR tubes, the ropes--before I see it on the show.

But TRX Suspension Training is still one of my favorites. It's challenging in ways I didn't think possible. It's applicable training to several different sports as demonstrated by these workout suggestions. It's still topping the charts as a good workout by training professionals. It's easy to store and doesn't require too much space for set-up--and you can do it just about anywhere. It's not your usual functional fitness and it's tough to get bored. Oh yeah, and it makes me sore and sweaty--and fast. When that happens, I know I'm getting a good workout and that I'm growing stronger in the process.

The funny thing is that I didn't realize until now just how helpful it could be for ski conditioning. I've harped on it a million times: I don't live near the mountains and I'm not about to drop everything and drive up to Wisconsin to ski on glorified hills. My only hope to stay fit for ski season is by doing any and every workout imaginable that can work its magic off the slopes. Except why didn't I think to try TRX sooner? Good question that only has an excuse-filled answer. After reading what I wrote about TRX at buzz.snow.com, I think I better take my own advice. My core, balance and flexibility--for starters--will thank me. I know it.


Photo grabbed from campdarby at flickr.

Make Me Some Magic Legs: CW-X Stabilyx Tights

When running gear gets too technical, I tend to bow out. Sure I'll lust over it, but the chances of it finding its way into my closet is slim. First, and probably foremost thanks to my budget biding, the price tag scares me off. Can you blame me for passing up $90 spandex when I can find something similar for half the price? Then I question how effective said product really is. Do I truly need all those bells and whistles especially when I can dig through my drawers at home, double up on a layer or two--yes, I'm the one who completely overdressed for a 25-degree day run and was soaking wet upon my return, not from falling in the snow--and gain the same benefit? Give me a good pair of shoes and a sports bra and I’m set. I'll piece together the rest: $1 stretchy gloves, a fleece headband I've had since I was 12, the $5 fleece-lined jacket I bought so as not to ruin my favorite, more pricey number. Except after trying the CW-X Stabilyx tights, and their gift of magic legs as I like to call them, I’m eating my words in the gear department. If you can put a price on super powers, here's a case where you can't object to the price and you'd be remiss to pass up the targeted support component.

Magic legs? Stability that starts in the core and works all the way down my calves to keep my muscles in go mode without weakening beneath my flimsy ankles and injury-prone tibias? You can’t compromise that. In November, I ran five miles at a speed I couldn’t match three months prior (when my darn injury finally let me hit the roads again). Last week, I ran intervals until my legs should have fallen off. Yet they didn’t and I’m no worse for the wear. Nope. It's like the ankle brace I'm tempted to wear when my shins ache as I pad around the house masks itself in the tights and holds everything in place when I run. Even while sitting at my desk in my tights--like when yesterday's run ran afoul and landed on the treadmill instead of the trail--I feel locked and loaded. Must be that "harnessing of the midsection" that my mind is embracing. My muscles are digging the compression even though the performance benefits might be minimal—it’s all about psychological wellbeing here, no "glowing review" to appease the peanut gallery from this wear-tester. And when the weather turns cold, I need those magic legs and the running-on-air sensation for as long as I can get--even when I feel like a stuffed sausage. Nah, I'll take the sausage casing look if it makes me faster.


Note: a version of this appeared in a compilation at ffcheer.posterous.com.

Compression Obsession

Sporting my CW-X Stabilyx Tights

When you write about sports and fitness, namely running and triathlon most days, you come to hear a lot (and I mean a lot) about compression gear. In turn, you also get curious…about their effectiveness, how they work and why everyone, especially those darn Ironmaners, are wearing them.

I’ll admit I cracked down for compression sleeves a few years ago and fell so in love with them that I’d wear them in the most unusual of places—um, like under my jeans while at a bar (in my defense, the bar is next door to my house, I had finished a half Ironman hours before and some visiting friends ushered me off my couch) and paired with flip flops and shorts while shopping at the grocery store. If you want to start up a conversation with a Trader Joe’s employee, let me tell you that’ll do it.

But I feared the full-on compression tights. Runners and triathletes might swear by them—or buy them because it seemed like the right thing to do—yet there was something about looking like a stuffed sausage when the compression panels pulled and tugged my muscles into place that turned me off. I’ll never let that happen again. Instead I fell in love with my CW-X Stabilyx Tights, only fitting since I already cherished one of the sports bras the brand made (can I say it’s literally the only one I wear for marathons?). I’m going to chalk it up to the simple fact that the tights dispelled all of my preconceived notions--and then some.

The Myth: Compression tights are hard to pull on and just as hard to pull off.
The Truth: The package warned that these tights wouldn’t be easy to pull up your legs and I expected a fighting match when I wiggled into mine on Thanksgiving morning thanks to a lack of running but flood of food in the last 30 days. I was mistaken. Not hard. Not gut sucking. Not glued to my legs post-run.

Running Gear of the Year: 11 Items to Have from 2011

Nike's Vapor Flash glows in the dark!

I'm the type of person who forgets to write the new year on her checks and paperwork until February. So being that it's only the first week of January, I'm still in 2011 mode, recapping the past year before moving forward into 2012. One such stop: reading old magazines. I unearthed my December copy of Runner's World and realized I never unfolded the pages to look at the gear gifts by Sarah Bowen Shea (p. 100). And then I wanted to pick out my personal favorites from the last 12 months, the running items that found their way into my closet or wish list, even if they were released long before 2011 and my woman-behind-the-times status only recently caught on. Give me some credit, I had to do it before the latest and greatest for 2012 starts to hit the shelves.

Gear can be so subjective, one man's treasure is another man's trash, but here are the items I either craved or carried in 2011:

1. Garmin 310XT. It's old news that this Garmin GPS watch is water-resistant enough to endure a triathlon swim, but it's other bells and whistles left my 305 in the dust. The watch vibrates at every mile of a race (so what if it's sometimes short from the satellites) or training run to tell me my pace per mile, the data uploads quickly online (my 305 data seems stuck on the device, never transferring to the computer program), the swim can produce accurate data when you put it on the right setting, which I did...once. And it's less bulky than its predecessor.

A Customer's Letter of Complaint--and Ski Bag Gear Review

My battered--and taped--Rossignol ski bag

Dear Rossignol,
I love--and I mean love with all my heart--your skis, especially my side-cut 80 Voodoos that travel with me on every ski trip for powder, crud, ice and groomers. But I'm no longer a fan of your gear bags, namely one in particular, the Super Haul 2-Pair Wheelie Ski/Board Bag.

I want to love this bag as affectionately as I love my skis--in fact, I planned to do so when I purchased it. It looked sturdy, it offered plenty of space for all our gear, it featured more bells and whistles than its predecessor, it received good reviews from other purchasers, it was a bargain buy at Sierra Trading Post. 

Top 11 Stocking Stuffers for Triathletes

Source

Are your stockings hung by the chimney with care? Are the triathletes you know waiting for them to be filled courtesy of St. Nick? It's easier to create a triathlon-themed stocking than you might think, even if you're waiting until the last minute to do your shopping. Blame it on the trifecta--where you have the freedom to think about three sports instead of just one.

Following in the footsteps of runners' stocking stuffers, we ran through our picks for filling a triathlete's Christmas stocking. For a sport that's often labeled as expensive, you might be surprised to find several stocking worthy items that won't break the bank.

1. Sport stickers. M dots, 140.6, 70.3, 26.2. You name the number or symbol and chances are you've seen at least as many of these car stickers tacked on the rear as you've read "My child is an honors student at...." You can't wrap a sticker in gift wrap unless you place it in a box, but you can slip it into a stocking.

Top 11 Stocking Stuffers for Runners

Source

Confession: my mom still fills my Christmas stocking. The toothbrush, the calendar, the gum, the handpicked ornament representing some highlight from the last 365 days? It's all still there in some way, shape or form. If we're together for the holiday, the "kids" still have to shut their eyes and wait for the stockings to be filled Christmas morning. If we're not, Mom mails a "stocking in a box:" all the treats that Santa would want in the stocking but delivered, and opened, before the official day (shh, don't tell Mom).

Now I'm all for tradition, and I'm certainly not complaining about the treats that I do get because my mom is creative to no avail when it comes to stuffing these suckers year in and year out. But sometimes I wonder what else could be found in my stocking Christmas morning (I can still act like a kid on December 25, can't I?). What if Mom were to stray from tradition and offer up a stocking with a running theme? A stocking is just a larger version of a sock, after all. And if that's the case, here are some picks to fill a runner's stocking come Christmas--or Secret Santa exchange, White Elephant party or Hanukkah.

1. Feetures! socks. Any socks would fit into a stocking, but I'm currently digging my Feetures pair. They're soft and bright white--even after multiple washings--and they're holding up to the abuse I put most socks through. I'm always losing a sock in the wash, poking holes in their toes, or finding strays in my sock drawer. And what runner couldn't use a new pair of socks? Certainly not me.

What to Love About the Craft PXC Storm Tight

Sometimes blogging just doesn’t go your way. It’s kind of like running when you have a race outcome that you’re not completely satisfied with. You wish you could remember where you went wrong, you wish you could remember the good parts instead of all the bad parts, you wish you could banish the negative energy.

Now transfer those thoughts over to writing and you’ll find my current position. I’m sitting in front of my computer, trying to recount the phrases that ran through my head during last night’s Spinning workout. There’s something about me and biking—and Thursday night, only Thursday—that revs the creative juices in my brain, giving me oodles (yes, oodles) of thoughts to run back home and jot down. Except last night I needed secret powers or magnetic energy, anything, to transfer my thoughts to paper before class ended. By the time I got off the bike, all the phrases I tried so hard to remember as I pedaled through climbs, headwinds and sprints weren’t coming together as well as they had during the sweat session. I can remember keywords like REI fleece pants, snowshoeing, slipping on ice and doubling up, but ask me to connect them all together in carefully crafted prose and I’m stuck in my tracks.

You see, all of those phrases are supposed to explain my affinity for the Craft running pants I modeled at the Fleet Feet Fashion Show last month. I’m practically as clueless as you, reading this for the first time, figuring out how I meshed them together in a cohesive, rational thought, which I swear I did but needed a notebook next to the bike so I could hop off and jot it down. Let this serve as a long-winded introduction to the Craft tights pictured above.

And now onto the review.

Fit-Pic: Reflective on the Run

I'm usually the person who likes to hang in the background, hopefully going unnoticed. That's not going to happen when I wear this Nike jacket. Unveiled at the Fleet Feet Fall Fashion Show last night, the Vapor Flash Jacket has technology that produces 400-candlepower reflectivity. So much for slipping into the background: We had more than 100 LED lights flashing on us to show just how bright these jackets are when it's pitch black.

It's perfect for running in the dark--and I'd contend that it's even better for biking since I always forget to bring my blinky light with me and can only hope that drivers see me pedaling on the roads. It's bright on one side but reverses to a matte fabric with glow accents so you can tone it down where needed. I really wanted to go home with this jacket (Fleet Feet was kind enough to reward the models with one of the running fashions we sported during the show), but this one was such a hot commodity--and it retails for $300--it had to stay at the store. Christmas is coming...can we say wish list?


Photo courtesy of Lauren Matricardi.