KIT PICKS: My new gear

I haven't done a Kit Picks post in a while and over Christmas, I got some amazing new essentials to help with my current training, most of which are all triathlon related.

I must say I am one to budget buy when it comes to kit. Sports Direct is my BFF for Karrimor tops and leggings, as well as low price Puma sports bras. So getting nice, slightly more luxurious pieces for Christmas was a treat. Not to say that Karrimor and Puma are low range - they too offer reasonable comfort and a decent shelf life too!

First up has to be more shiny new triathlon suit. I mentioned this back on my wish list (see here) in December and I was ecstatic to get it. I opted for a Zone3 Women's Aquaflo Trisuit (RRP £85). I'm a curvy athlete and I wanted a suit built for my shape and this seemed to fit the bill. Its designed to reduce drag during the swim and the fabric is fast drying and Teflon coated. There is also a sturdy inner sports bra built in and when you are not so flat chested like me, this is very much appreciated.

I found it weird getting this on for the first time and did have a fear at first that it wouldn't stretch past my knees. However, after pulling and tugging I got it zipped up and I definitely felt streamlined in it! Me being me, the look of the suit for a big deal and I thought having a black suit would be more complimenting whilst the deep purple side panels make it just that little bit girly. I'll definitely be practising in this come the warmer months on the bike and in the pool! It's vital for me to get familiar to wearing a suit and feeling comfortable for the big day!

Next up, I got confirmation that Santa had indeed read my list as I was also luckily enough to unwrap the Zoggs Predator Flex Reactor Swimming Goggles. My goggles at the time were on their last legs. The rubber was splitting and the seals were so knackered and worn they seeped in water. I must also mention that these goggles gave me the worst marks.

As I will be venturing into outdoor swimming this year, I wanted to give the Zoggs a go. They have a built in anti-fog system and provide 180 degree vision through the extra wide lens. They are also photo chromatic so no need to worry about low sunshine obscuring my vision. When I first wore these, I was in love. Super comfy and clear, I sailed through the swimming session but did end up with some rather unattractive marks still.So the next time, I kept this in mind and didn't press the suction of the rubber onto my eyes so much. This helped to avoid goggle marks however the anti fog system failed as I must have not had them sealed in place fully.

That said though, I am definitely happy with these and will continue using them during my training.

Along with my triathlon picks, I was also fortunate to receive some new running gear. My sister knows my style and gifted these super comfy ELLE Sport Capri Leggings. I've worn these for a couple of runs now and I really like the waistband on these as it isn't too tight and doesn't 'protrude' my um, *cough* chunky lower back.

As well as leggings, I also got this super bright Asics top. I don't own a pink running top so it's definitely a nice addition to the kit draw and it is something I like wearing at the moment with my Nike winter skin. You can see me a mile off!

I am loving having new kit to train in. There is nothing more satisfying (and motivating) than heading out in shiny new gear and I definitely feel fully prepped for all my disciplines I am training for.

Lipstick Runner. 

KIT PICKS: My Christmas Wish List (triathlon style!)

"What do you want for Christmas?" The question everyone asks one another at this time of year. My answer is always "I dunno, nothing much really. Shower gels and stuff?"

Well this year, with Santa's visit fast approaching and along with enjoying some blissful time of work seeing family, I have devised a wish list of all the things I hope to pick from under the tree. 

Friends, family, read closely...

Zone3 Women's Aquaflo Trisuit

One thing I have specifically asked for is a triathlon race suit. Mainly because they can be quite pricey and along with buying a wet suit (or I might hire - I haven't decided yet), I could see my bank balance buckling at the cost of everything I need for the big race. So my parents have kindly offered to get me a trisuit and I spotted this beauty on Evans' website. 

Designed specifically for women, this trisuit offers high performing comfort and support for all three disciplines, including drag reducing fabric for the swim, padding for the cycle and an inner bra for extra support on the run. I can't wait to get my hands on this and I'm bursting to try it out during some training sessions to get a feel for an all in one suit. 

Zoggs Predator Flex Reactor Swimming Goggles

I threw a question out on Twitter this week seeking advise on a decent pair of goggles. I have an old pair of Speedos that are touch and go on leaking and always, ALWAYS leave marks that remain evident the next day. These are no way an option I am going to consider for my open water swim and after some fabulous feedback from the Twitter community, I found a few people suggested these bad boys. 

These are the creme de la creme of goggles so to speak. With a flexible frame that bends in all sorts of directions, comfort and the right fit is guaranteed. Along with this, the curved lenses offer a 180 degrees peripheral vision (amazing for open water swimming!) plus they are photo chromatic, meaning they darken depending on the brightness of natural sunlight. 

I was immediately sold by all these qualities but at £30-£35, they aren't cheap. I also found they were sold out on Zoggs website so I rather cheekily sent my other half a link to Amazon for them. Not subtle at all.

Sealskinz Women's Winter Cycle Gloves

I'm not going to lie. This freezing weather can make my daily cycle to work painfully cold. Especially for my hands. At the moment, I am wearing two pairs of gloves. A thick wooly pair from Primark and then my Summer B-Twin light gloves over the top. Even this double layer doesn't protect my hands from the cold and some days, my fingers have become so frozen it hurts to bend them for braking.

So, this obviously calls for a new pair of snazzy (and snug) winter cycling gloves and Sealskinz is a brand that gets recommended time and time over. This particular pair are built to stand both wet and cold weather conditions with a super cosy lining and a synthetic palm for that all important grip. The gloves themselves also look rather slim, which means that movement of the fingers isn't restricted. 

Hand Weights

One area that I really need to work more on is strength training. I am awful at core exercises, lifting weights, holding planks etc... With just a cheap yoga mat in the apartment, I rarely pluck up the motivation to dig it out and do a workout at home. 

For the triathlon, I am going to need a strong core, arms that can carry me through a 750m swim and sturdy legs to take me through all three disciplines. I need to strength train. I have no choice about it. To get me in the mood for it, I thought some nice shiny new weights would spur me on. Gone will be the tins of baked beans I sometimes resort to using. Now I will hopefully (if Santa is feeling nice) have a a proper set of weights so I can pump some iron. Grrr!

In all honestly, this list has been reiterated to my loved ones (thanks in advance guys!) and fingers crossed I will have the real life versions to show and review very soon! 

What's on your Christmas wish list? Have you got any triathlon must have's to suggest? 

Lipstick Runner.

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.

KIT PICKS: Decathlon Haul

Decathlon is a place I never get to visit. I haven't lived near one and the only time I got to experience it was years ago on a holiday in France. I'm in Essex for the next week having some time off work with family and on Saturday, my fiancé and I were driving to Tesco when we drove past a Decathlon. 'I NEED TO GO IN THERE' was my demand and despite having a boot full of freezer food, I made him take me.

As soon as I walked in, I straight away picked up a long sleeved skin on a promo stand at the entrance and was gawping at all the cycling accessories. This place was huge and I was tempted to spend a lot of money. In the last few years where fitness and exercise has taken up a big part of my life, I have found my wardrobe of sports gear now outweighs my wardrobe of normal clothes. Slightly worrying I know...

Anyway, I'm in wedding saving mode for the next year and this is always at the front of my mind. I am trying my hardest to avoid purchases because I 'want' them and instead am only making purchases because I 'need' them. I definitely didn't hesitate to pick up a few essentials that I 'needed' (yes needed - definitely not wanted).

Wed'ze Flowfit Base Layer, £9.99

Yes, this was what I picked up the moment I stepped in the store, but it looked so snug! I have been thinking about clothing when cycling during winter time and I reckon my morning cycles will become very chilly! I guess if weather is icy, I may steer clear of cycling to work but for days where I will, this breathable skin will keep my upper body nice and warm. I think it is meant for snowboarders so hopefully I don't need to layer up when wearing this too! I can see myself also opting for this for those snowy days out on the long winter runs.

Kalenji TS Ladies Running Top, £3.99

OK, I maybe didn't 'need' this but I go through running tops like no tomorrow and so when I saw this for £3.99 I couldn't resist a bargain. It's super thin and lightweight so more suited for summer running but it will also be great for winter running to wear over a long sleeved base layer. Bright and visible too so handy for both running and cycling!

B'Twin MTB 700 Gloves, £11.99

For weeks, I have been meaning to purchase some gloves for cycling. Twice now I have been caught out cycling in torrential downpours and despite it being summer, my hands turned icy cold and I was struggling to brake as the handles get really slippy (I cycle a road bike and I do find braking harder than on a hybrid at times). These gloves I saw on a hand mannequin (is that the right thing to call it?) and knew they'd be perfect. I wanted a pair to cover the tips of my fingers and most there did not. These however are lightweight, flexible and provide grip in all the right places. I couldn't find them anywhere on the shelf but Dan luckily found a small size hidden with other brands available.

B'Twin 550 Water Bottle, £2.99

Just because you can never have too many water bottles right? Most of mine have the middle cut out which are great for running as they are easier to hold but I wanted a standard one for the bike. I never like to invest lots of money in these sorts of things (and why should you frankly) so I found this a great opportunity to snap one up at a cheap price.

So there we have it. My Decathlon essentials. I'm very proud of myself for walking away spending under £30! I could have quite easily have purchased a lot more, including swimming costumes, new goggles, a cycling jacket and padded shorts. However, I might have to save these until next time.

For more information on Decathlon, visit the UK website HERE.

Lipstick Runner.

KIT PICKS: The Worn Trainer

As I have mentioned in my previous post (If the shoe fits, don't ever change it!) and raved on Twitter & Instagram, I can’t live without my Mizuno Wave Rider16s. They are the trainer that work for me - so much so; I tracked down a brand new pair on Achilles Heel last month.

It wasn’t until I put my current Mizuno’s up against my new Mizuno’s that I realised just how worn out trainers can become. This is the first time I have repurchased an identical shoe and sitting them side by side made me realise that I definitely needed a new pair. I’m sure by looking at the pictures below you’ll agree.

So what changes? Miles and miles of running builds body strength and develops endurance but on the trainers, it causes extreme tiredness and gradually, defeat. Whilst you spend all that time pounding the streets, your trainers are slowly losing their form and the structure and ‘bounce’ in the shoe wears thin.

If you take care of your trainers and keep them clean and tidy (like I have attempted with mine), these changes to the shoe are harder to notice and at a glance, you are still seeing the same shiny(ish) sneak. As you can see here though, what you are looking at is a misshapen, worn out boot.

Looking closely at the sole, the tread has actually remained in quite good condition on this pair, but it’s clear to see the rubber is wearing thin. For example, the black tread on the heel of the trainer looks a lot slimmer on the old pair than the new (see highlighted area).

Focussing on the tip of the trainer, it’s obvious these are on their last legs. The top of the trainer bends in a lot more compared to the new pair and this shows sign that the structure and form of the shoes has well and truly being broken in.

And the colour? Well, I thought I kept my trainers relatively white but now the new pair has arrived, I was most definitely fooled by my own eye!

I have lived in these trainers for a year now. Who knows how many miles I have done in them but I would estimate around the 500/600 mark. They have been a very loyal shoe and I’m thrilled I get to continue my running journey with them again.

How often do you change your trainer? Do you notice similar wear and tear?

Lipstick Runner.