Wednesday Wonderfulz: Running Gear

This week, I decided to link up with Sarah from How My World Runs and Lynda from Fitness Mom Wine Country for their Wednesday Wonderfulz Link-Up. Today’s theme is running gear, and in keeping with the theme, I’m going to do a head-to-toe running gear rundown.

Now, if I post at all on Wednesdays, I tend to post workouts, but I am BEAT today. I have gotten almost no sleep this week, most likely due to the fact that I’m not sleeping in my own bed thanks to the flooding that occurred in my room last week as a result of a bad storm. (Last night could maybe be attributed to Chopped showing a grandmas episode around 2 a.m. I couldn’t resist…) After my meetings tonight, I’m probably going to just grill some tilapia, eat more of my yummy beet salad, and pass out.

Now, back to the link up. If you’re a regular at Flecks of Lex, you know that I love sharing reviews on different fitness products and gear. I plan to continue conducting these reviews, but the items contained in this list are my current favorites. Stay tuned to see if any other products make it to future lists!

Headgear
I have fallen in love with my new ASICS Dawn-2-Dusk Reflective Cap. While I love wearing my large Aunt Edna sunglasses, this cap is way more comfortable and practical. Before I bought this hat, I was using adidas headbands like these during my runs. I still like to wear them for indoor volleyball, but this hat serves two purposes: protection and crazy hair control!


Now, just because I wear a hat doesn’t mean I skip out on the sunblock! I like to use spray-on sunscreens, but I really like Loreal Sublime Sun. It doesn’t cause a bad reaction with my sensitive skin, and it feels great. Safety first, people! Protect yourselves!

Tops
Running makes my lower back sweat. No need to sugarcoat it, right? My back SWEATS when I’m on a run, which is why I do my best to wear moisture-wicking tops, at the very least as my base layer. They just help keep you much drier than an ordinary t-shirt, and they often have pretty cool designs. I just picked up a pretty cool Marika top that I can’t wait to take on a test run. It has an open lower back, which is way more risque than I would normally wear, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Since I can’t make something my favorite without actually wearing it, I can say that my current favorite tops that fit my needs are the Under Armour Women’s UA Tech Short Sleeve V-Neck. They come in so many different colors every season, and the material is really great. Bonus: As I’ve lost weight, I’ve gone down a size in UA tops, which means I can start scooping up some new ones! Yay! They sell these all over the place, so you can usually find a really good deal on them.

Jackets count as tops as far as this list is concerned, and although I won’t be wearing them on too many runs in the coming weeks, I do have to wear them on weird weather days. Saturday morning (race day), the weather was kind of chilly, so I grabbed my Nike Therma-Fit hoodie before heading out. Now, of course it had warmed up by the time I reached the halfway point of the race, but it still did the trick! While this is definitely more appropriate for cooler weather, I still love this jacket, and it is still my go-to. I’m considering investing in a lightweight jacket for the warmer weather, but I haven’t decided if I actually need one. Maybe for rainy days? I’m not sure. Maybe you guys can offer some suggestions! 🙂

You know what? Sports bras are going to count as tops today too! (I told you, I’m beat.) I can’t even imagine running without one, so I definitely can’t imagine omitting them from this list! My current favorite sports bra is still the Moving Comfort Vixen. I have it in two colors, and have had to resist buying more. It is amazing, and is still on my A-List as the reigning champ.

Bottoms
When I’m running, I prefer to wear leggings. Shorts always ride up on me, especially when I go for longer runs, and I still have not been able to understand the skirt. Nobody will explain it to me! I just want to know if people like it, and why! Is that too much to ask? 🙁

I have two pairs of leggings that are my favorites. My Fabletics Piroutte Leggings (left) and my Under Armour Coldgear Compression Leggings (right). Most days of the past couple of months have been cool enough that neither pair has been too heavy for my runs. I will have to transition to lighter materials as the weather warms up, but these are doing the trick for the time being.

Feet
As I detailed in my most-read post to date, I went and had my first running shoe fitting. I had some problems breaking them in and adjusting to a stability shoe, but once I did, my legs and ankles really appreciated it! I really love my Nike Zoom Structure+ 17s. These shoes have been really spectacular. Soon, I’ll have my pink #SweatPink shoelaces to give them a little touch-up. I’ll really be “sweating pink” then!

Inside of my running shoes, I have some Footbalance custom insoles. When I first started wearing these, I was experiencing discomfort. The folks at Nike told me that I might be having a problem with too much support. About a week after I contacted them, things turned around, and they started feeling great — just like when I tried them on in the store.

As for socks, I really like my Road Runner Sports Dryroad Elite socks. They’re amazing! I need to get some more Road Runner socks, because the cushion in these really makes a difference, and my feet aren’t extra stank nasty after a long run in them.

I love trying out new running products, but I should point out that, at the end of the day, when I don’t have time to worry about what I’m going to wear, I have my regulars that I throw on and go, go, go!

Happy running!

Interested in anything I mentioned in this post? In the market for some new running gear? Be sure to enter my giveaway!