I wanted to post an update on how I found the Michi Hydra Crop Leggings for running. I wore them last night on a 4.5-mile run with friends to tour the holiday lights downtown. It was 45 degrees but with a cold, strong wind that made it very chilly.
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Michi Hydra Crop Leggings
Athleta White Chi Top
Lululemon Silver Fox Miss Misty Jacket |
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The Michi crops were perfect! The weight of the fabric kept me warm on the very chilly walk to meet my friends, and the mesh inserts helped keep me cool when I heated up during the run. I would be comfortable wearing them in temps down to 40 degrees, possibly 35 degrees.
The waistband, which I'd noted is thick, elastic, and tight but not uncomfortable (fit review here), did not budge the entire run. I never had to adjust them once.
The level of compression is pretty perfect for running. I felt fully supported while still being completely comfortable.
As for the lack of pockets, I wore a windbreaker that had plenty of pockets, so it wasn't a big deal. However, Michi does have some some crops and leggings with side pockets that are next on my list to get.
Suzanne at Agent Athletica recently had an interesting post about how clothes can empower women, making us both feel and perform better. Suzanne noted that she will wear her favorite pieces for a tough workout, and I commented that I do the same. Many of us buy new or special things to wear for a big race or event, and the idea is the same--wearing clothes that you like makes you feel good, and that feeling can help your performance.
That happened to me last night. I only run first thing in the morning (I tried a run commute home once this year that was a disaster), so the idea of an after-work run kinda scared me. It's silly, I know. Probably more people run after work than before work. But I find the dark of night--even at 6 p.m.--scarier than the dark of early mornings. In the early mornings, I feel like I have the world to myself. It's my time to be by myself and experience the seasons and the city on foot. The air is crisp and clean, and the sounds of the city waking up are soft and peaceful. With few people out that early, I feel safe. After work is another story. The cars stuck in traffic ruin the air with their fumes, the sounds of the city are much louder and seem to be angrier with the rush of everyone trying to get home, it's much more crowded, and instead of being peaceful, everything just seems stressful.
With this mindset, I wanted to wear something special to help me think more positively about the run, so of course I wore my new Michi crops. As soon as I put them on and got ready to run, I started to get really excited about the run. Wearing them really changed my whole outlook! The run ended up being super fun. We did a tour of all the holiday lights, and it was just so festive and uplifting. I was worried about this run, but it turned out to be one of my favorite runs recently. I have the crops to thank for putting me into the right mindset to embrace the new experience. If the weather permits, I plan to wear these crops for one of my upcoming races!
Also, a commenter kindly noted that Saks Fifth Avenue is having a big sale on Michi right now. There are a pair of leggings in the same style as these Hydra crops on sale for just $42 in size large! They have some other good deals too. So if you're interested but don't want to pay full price, it's definitely possible to get decent prices if you shop around. I also recently discovered that you can set sale alerts on ShopStyle to be notified when your favorite pieces go on sale--how did I not know about this? Labels: evening run, holiday lights, Hydra Crop Leggings, MICHI, performance review
