My wife doesn’t understand why I need so much gear to run.

Don’t you just need shorts and shoes???

Technically, I suppose that’s all I need, but that won’t get me very far in January.

Also, I (not so secretly) love gear.  After all, this whole running thing started with my brother’s blue running pants.

Here’s my current setup … as time permits, I’ll begin filling in the details with gear reviews on these items.  But tonight, I only have about 11oz left in this Kalamazoo Stout before it’s bedtime.  So we’ll start with a list.

Cheers!

 

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Head:

• Buff – I have two of them, one that’s reflective / black and one that’s green w/trout.  Green is my goto most of the time.  I typically wear this down over my ears and let it hang free in the back.
• Oakley Gascans – Green camo
• Black Diamond Headlamp – I don’t recall the model, but it’s a few years old and waterproof.  Actually, I have two of them – one’s a backup that I carry in the hydration pack.

Core:

• Icebreaker wool t-shirt – I have a couple different lightweight tshirts, I mostly wear my red one – my wife bought it for me as a Christmas present last year.  I wear this all year, even in the summer.  It’s lightweight and seems to wick sweat well.
• Patagonia Air Hoody – This is sweet.  Really sweet.  It’s new as of Christmas 2015 and I ran a 50k in it less than a week later w/o any real miles on it.  I know you’re not supposed to try something new in a race, but … this is awesome.
• Ultimate Direction Ultra Jacket – This is also sweet and was a new Christmas present that made the trip on that same 50k less than a week later.  As it wasn’t super cold, it only made it about 6 miles before being stuffed in my pack, but it’s made multiple winter runs since then.  More to come on this one later too.
• Marmot Down Vest – I don’t typically wear this, unless it’s REALLY cold, but I carry it in my pack in the wintertime in case I break down w/an injury.  I don’t want to freeze to death.

Legs:

• REI running shorts – Nothing fancy, but they work well.  I like the lumbar pocket.  I finally replaced my original pair that had the dog bite hole for over a year.
• REI winter running pants – these aren’t tight, and they’re a bit thicker than normal workout pants.  And they have a bit of stretch.  I don’t think they sell them anymore, but they too have the lumbar pocket that I like.
• Smartwool lightweight long underware – for when it’s really cold.
• Duluth Trading Buck Naked Boxer Briefs – another layer to keep the undercarriage from freezing when it’s really cold out.

Shoes:

• Brooks Glycerin – I’m on my 5th pair.  These are my road shoes and I love them.
• Brooks Cascadia – My trail shoes – also a big fan of these.

Gear:

• Ultimate Direction SJ 2.0 Vest – This vest is awesome, it holds two bottles up front, a hydration back in the back (along with plenty of room for storage) and rides well.
• Garmin Fenix 3 – Awesome most of the time, but a bit frustrating when I have trouble pairing with my phone.  I’m not sure if it’s the watch’s fault or the app on the phone, but when it works, it’s wonderful.  It works most of the time.
• Amphipod reflective singlet – I’m a #darkskyrunner
• Nathan flashing red LEDs – I typically wear two – one on the back of my headlamp and one on the back of my UD vest.

Nutrition:

• Tailwind: This stuff is awesome.  It’s powered me as my only fuel through two 50ks.  I have Crohn’s and this causes me no GI issues.