Happy Friday! It's time for the fun Friday Five linkup with Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Mar at Mar On The Run, and Cynthia at You Signed Up For What. This week's theme is Fitness Snapshots. Because I've been posting more than my fair share of pictures of myself recently, I thought I'd post on one of my favorite topics instead--running gear!
Running in the snow and frigid temps the past few weeks has made me remember why I love winter running: I’m comfortable. Seriously. In the right gear, I’m comfy, cozy, and happy. It’s easy to layer more or less to feel warm and comfortable but not too hot—unlike in the summer, when you can only take off so many clothes and your insides still continue to boil (okay, maybe that's just me!) So yes, I’ll take running in the snow and cold over running in the heat, humidity, and blazing sun any day. That’s a good thing, because we have six more weeks of winter according to groundhog Phil!
The key to enjoying winter running is having the right gear. With spring gear starting to arrive in stores, now’s the time to snag some good deals. Here are five items that are either on sale or a good deal in general.
1. Athleta Spacedye Polartec Power Stretch 2 Tight, $59.99 (on sale from $84). These are the warmest tights I have, and I wear them when the temps are between 10 and 25 degrees F. I wear a shell over them below 10 degrees. They have a thick, plush, warm interior but a sleek, abrasion-resistant exterior so that they feel like warm, comfy sweatpants but look like tights. Read my full review. I have a pair of other Athleta pants in the Nightshade Purple that these tights come in, and it’s a very pretty shade. They also come in grey and are available in regular, tall, and petite lengths.
2. EMS Women’s Winter Sports Hoodie, $34.98 (on sale from $65). I wear hoodies and warm, technical tops under a jacket if it’s below 25 degrees or as an external layer with a longsleeve base layer above 25 degrees. I haven’t tried any from EMS, but this looks like a great deal. It’s treated for odor resistance, which is nice because I like to try to wear my tops at least twice before washing, it has reflective details, and it has a zippered back pocket. Plus, it’s part of a buy one, get a second 50% deal. I love this purple shade, and it also comes in teal blue and grey.
3. Lululemon Run With Me Neck Warmer, $28. This isn’t discounted, but the full price isn’t that much and worth it. This neck warmer can serve three purposes: 1.) Makes any top a turtleneck to keep your neck warm. 2.) The top cinches and can be worn above the moth or nose. It doesn’t work exactly like a balaclava because there are no vents, but I wear it pulled above my nose on warm-up and cool-down walks. 3.) It can be pulled over your head and worn as a hood. Sometimes I even just wear it around the house as a scarf. I have two and wear one on pretty much every winter run when I'm not wearing tops without a high neck. There is currently this pretty violet color available online, but stores should have more options.
4. Drymax Cold Weather Running Socks, $15. Also not discounted but totally worth it, this socks are awesome for keeping my feet warm and dry. When I bought a new version of my shoes with different mesh, my tootsies were turning into popsicles on runs. These socks are perfect. The top of them have a wind-resistant fabric, and the crew length comes high on my leg to keep my ankles warm. I haven’t had any problems with cold feet in these.
5. . It seems like jackets are the most flexible gear in terms of personal preferences. Some people prefer a heavy-weight, insulated jacket and wear only a light base layer underneath. Others prefer more of a shell and wear a few different or heavier layers underneath. I’m in the latter category. I don't like heavy jackets, but when it's below 25 I like to wear a light jacket to help to seal in warmth and keep out cold air that can be brutal in sweaty clothes. Plus, very lightweight shells can be worn throughout the year during rain. Here are three options.
Skirt Sports Skirt Breaker Jacket, $30.99 (on sale from $120). This
is a see-through shell that’s windproof and water-resistant with
reflective details and a zippered back pocket. It comes in this very
cute hot pink shade or grey.
Patagonia Houdini Jacket, $54.99 (on sale from $99). When I was researching shells, the Houdini jacket came up as a top choice among reviewers. (I didn’t buy it but wish I had!) The water resistant fabric is supposed to be very durable, and the jacket is said to be very breathable. It has an attached hood and can be packed into the zippered chest pocket. It comes in this pretty turquoise shade and white.
Lululemon Snug Sprinter Jacket, $99 (on sale from $168). I haven’t tried this jacket, but it gets great reviews. It’s an insulated jacket with wind- and water-resistant panels. There are zipper vents that you can unzip if you heat up too much and a hood that zips into the collar. It also has Lululemon’s typical cord management system so that you can put devices into your pocket and have the cords go inside the jacket and out the top of the neck instead of flopping around outside the jacket. It comes in three shades—white, black, and this grey—and is currently available online in all size options. Note that sale items are final sale and can’t be returned, so if you’re interested try it on in a store first if possible.
Update: I tried this on in a store and really liked it. It's warm, comfortable, and flattering. It was hard to leave it behind. It fit well in the typical size I wear for Lulu running tops (8).
Check out Running Warehouse for deals on other jackets in all weights.
Do you know of any other good deals on running gear right now?
Looking forward to seeing everyone's fitness snapshots!
Labels: clothes, cold weather running, Friday Five, gear
