KIT PICKS: Budget Sports Buys

Do you do a lot of exercise but find kit can become a costly necessity? I don't know if you're like me but when I go shopping for new kit that I need, price point is something I closely analyse along with the technical elements of kit and how it looks. Vain I know but you have probably guessed by my Operation Bridal Bod project that appearance matters to me and having nice gear makes me want to 'sport' it with pride (like what I did there?).

With running, getting great kit at an efficient cost is easily accessible and I though I'd share with you some of my favourite picks and ways to build your ultimate kit wardrobe.

Don't be swayed by a name.

I have a draw which holds all my running, swimming & cycling kit. It's full to the brim and a struggle to close at times. With gear for Summer and for Winter, I have kit from all sorts of brands. Don't think you have to head to the mainstream sport lines when shopping for kit. There are plenty of other smaller brands out there which offer just as high quality of product.

Here in the UK popular chain Sport's Direct house Karrimor - a sports & adventure kit brand. It is a favoured go-to for me for running tees and shorts. I think I have their short sleeved t-shirts in every colour going! Normally priced around £6-12 these are great for all varieties of sport. The brands accessories I find are also great value for money. Both my cycling bag and running waist pack are Karrimor and were purchased at a fraction of the cost of other labels. I love this little bumbag - it fits my phone, keys, inhaler and gels plus I can squeeze a light jacket in just incase the heavens open whilst I am out.

That said though, where I have been running for a while, I know when money is worth spending. Nike will always be my chosen pick for leggings. I love the fit of them and I find the waistband sits comfortably on my hips and doesn't cut of my blood circulation! I wear leggings almost everyday for cycling and running and having a high quality, durable pair that lasts a long time is key for me here.

Wear race t-shirts with pride!

My kit draw is full of running tops - 60% of which are race shirts from events I have taken part in. Most races you participate in now offer a t-shirt in the price package. Whether it is your rejection letter from London Marathon (I have two tops from this now), or included in a post race goody bag, these tops are designed from runners and make great kit essentials! My bright green Mizuno Endure24 top is my favourite one. It's a slightly thicker option but also a bit baggy, which I prefer when running. You'll rarely see me in a tight sports top - not quite got the abs for it yet.

Invest in the right gear.

For women, ensuring we wear the right kit for our bodies is incredibly important. Running is a high impact sport and us ladies need to keep our best assets safe. If there is one piece of kit to put good money into, it's a sports bra. 

There are various shapes you can purchase with different style straps and cup form. The three pictured here are my go to choices. I'm not exactly a busty woman, but I'm not small either. Coming in at an average 34C, I ensure I am always wearing a decent sports bra. Comfort is crucial and I find Shock Absorber is a great choice, especially for my longer runs. It has a lot more ribbing than the Adidas & Puma options (these are stretch pull over bras that practically flatten my chest) and has a bra style clip which you can tighten and loosen. That said, when doing interval training and fast HIIT sessions, the pull over options I do prefer as they are incredibly lightweight and are made from better breathable material.

If you are on a budget, I would recommend Puma sports bras. Again, purchased from Sport's Direct, I can pick these up for £10-£12. They come in lots of bright colours too!

In all, I absolutely love getting a good deal. My kit picks are always purchased with three things in mind:

1. Will it last? 

2. Is it the right fit and comfort for me? 

3. Is it a decent price point?

These days, I have more sports kit than normal clothes (how bad is that!?) and I love opening my kit draw to a techni-colour rainbow of tops, bras, swimming costumes and jackets. I hope this post has helped to guide you into spending your money in the right places and getting a great kit that will help you reach your fitness goals! Before signing this post off, I wanted to leave you with a few of my favourite places to purchase kit at great value...

Sport's Direct

Decathlon

Wiggle

Achilles Heel

Thanks again for reading!

Lipstick Runner.

NIKE TRAINING CLUB

In my last Training Update, I mentioned that I have been trying out the Nike Training Club app and I have found it so blimmin brilliant, I had to write in detail why.

Free to download, this latest techno hit from Nike is an app dedicated to women who want to achieve all sorts with their body. Whether it is to tone, sculpt, strengthen or condition the body, there is something for you here.

I love the simplicity of this app. Super easy to navigate around, the app allows you to pick a certain goal you want to achieve and then this is broken down into different workouts within the category.

I have found myself opting for toning workouts as this is ideally my main goal in core training sessions. There are plenty of brilliant workout options, all offering different time scales and intensities. Once you have found a workout you want to try, you have the option of downloading a full video of the session or seeing still images of each step. Brilliant huh!?

The videos I love but do find I personally chop and change in-between workouts across the categories so I have found myself referring to still images more. This is mainly down to living on a top floor flat with wooden floors (I don't think my neighbour below would appreciate me doing burpee's and high knees). There are also some workouts which involve medicine balls, weights and resistance bands. I don't really have these in the flat hence why I also chop and change between workouts to find steps I can do quietly and equipment free. This doesn't bother me though as there is still lots to choose from!

The Get Focussed section of this app provides you with workouts that are quite specialised. If you want to focus on yoga movements, weight based exercises or even kung fu, there is a workout here. The 'Dynamic Duo' workout also looks a great one to pair up with a friend for. Might have to rope the other half into this at some point...

In all, you can't complain. Free, easy to use, accessible and effective. Nike Training Club is an app every woman should tap into. On those evenings where you're at home twiddling your thumbs, you're a few clicks away from a workout that is easy to carry out in the comfort of your living room.

Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: Progress, Progress, Progress

If you follow me on Instagram & Twitter, you will see that progress is indeed a relevant headline for this training update.

This past fortnight I feel like I have stepped up the improvement ladder in injury land. Not leaped to the top but definitely on the next rung. It’s been great to see a development in my running, even if it’s slow.

Last week started off nicely with my normal cycle to work followed by a swim at my local pool. I opted to do 600m gently as I was planning to try out running at some point mid week so I wanted to reserve energy and avoid added exhaustion. Tuesday was then spent doing some core and strength work outs at home. Yes – these included squats (see why in my last Training Update) and I am feeling the effect from them every time I do my set of 50.

Wednesday came and it was time to venture out for a run and test the knee again. By this point, my 6^th week of injury, I was getting ready for the feeling of disappointment a few minutes into the run and so when I closed that front door, I set off a bit lifeless, almost plodding along without any real interest. I was waiting to get a mile in and feel the dull ache and shooting pains up my right leg.

The first mile I did in 8.40, which was okish. The knee felt a bit creaky but no pain yet. ‘That’s a good sign’, I thought. Hit the second mile in 8.10 – holy hell I have no shooting pains yet. Are you for real!? By this point I can feel my face relax and the corners of my mouth turning up to a smile. My aim at this point was to get to 5K. This would be a milestone for me and one I felt I could reach. I hit three miles with another 8-minute mile and felt so blimmin chuffed to get to 5K in just under 26 minutes. OK – not near my PB but to get to 5K. YAY!

I must admit the knee did get a bit ‘twingey’ in the last mile but by morning I felt ok and my cycle to work carried no pain. I even went swimming on Thursday and completed 750m and still felt fine. Cogs are beginning to work all together again!

Friday I opted to just do my cycle to work and have a restful evening, as I was up early on Saturday to head to the pool with a fellow club runner, who incidentally is also injured.

This particular friend of mine is far FAR fitter than me, far more dedicated to training than me and far more faster at anything than me, so I was a little concerned about my efforts compared to hers. I was right to concern. Arriving at the pool, she had a session all planned out. A session? I never do sessions! I just swim until I’m tired. Lengths hard, lengths easy, lengths with paddles, lengths with floats, lengths, lengths, lengths and more lengths. I think this was the furthest I had ever swam – 1300m in all (even if it was 15 lengths less than her). I was shattered when I got home but actually, I greatly appreciated how beneficial it was to train with someone again. I’ve gone so long now being a lonesome scout for any exercise I do, I had got comfortable at my own pace. This was a huge wake up call and I very much look forward to more swims with her (and runs when we are both fixed).

This past week just gone has been less about exercise and more about socialising. But you have to sometimes right? I however didn’t avoid my weekly test run. After the success of the 5K, I was actually really excited to lace up and try again. This time, I planned to reach four miles. Setting off I found it hard to get a good breathing rhythm and in all honestly, I felt knackered! My first mile was 8.10 again – same as last time and my second broke under the 8-minute mark. I felt good at this point and was stronger and more faithful in my body. My mind felt in tune with what it was doing and I even tackled a couple of small steep hills pain free.

I hit the four-mile mark running steady but hard and was thrilled to see I finished with an average of 8.10 per mile. Quicker than last week! Boy was it hot though – proof of beetroot face below! The knee again felt a bit stiff but with no niggles and I am getting so excited now that I may, MAY be over my ITB woes.

I did think about running again on Friday but after a fab four miles, I didn’t want to jinx it by running again so I decided to wait until next week, where I will attempt to get to five miles. Instead, I decided to test out the Nike Training Club app. Suggested by a friend, I thought there was no harm in downloading it (the app is free). Not one to normally do workouts at home, I was a bit dubious as to whether I’d like it but actually, it’s really good! There are a great variety of workouts to choose from and you can download in video or still image format. In fact, I was so impressed I am lining up a review soon to be able to show in more detail its fabulousness. 

On Saturday I met my friend for swimming again. After last week and knowing the intensity of what we will do, I cycled down mentally prepared and determined to put in maximum effort. I got to the pool early so got stuck in and by the time she arrived I had already done 25 lengths. I regretted this head start - I was already feeling a little tired but as soon as she dived in the pool she got me working on all sorts of sets! The worse is arms outstretched in front of you with a float and all you have is to kick your way through the water. I find this sooo hard and after expressing my hate for it, she made sure I did plenty throughout the session to get used to the pain and burn I felt from it (in a good way of course). I absolutely love her drive and having her there really pushed me and it pushed me far. 2,170m to be exact (70 lengths)! I may not have been able to walk afterwards, but I really felt like I had achieved something.

After this mammoth swim session, I spent the rest of Saturday out with friends, enjoying great food and some well-deserved G&Ts! I had such a lovely time and will all my progress I have been making in all my workouts (run, swim & cycle), I made the most of letting my hair down and rewarding myself. It’s in my rulebook after all.

 (Strawberry Sorbet & Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream (YUM), Gin & Blackberry Cocktail Fizz (double YUM!))

Until next time.

Lipstick Runner.