Gear reviews & previews
Last month Amanda and I took a “normal person vacation” to Scotland. In my luggage I had room for just one pair of running shoes, and therefore needed a well-rounded model that would be comfortable for a week straight and that would perform well wherever and whenever I could get out for a run, whether…
Six weeks out from the Boston Marathon, I was inclined to race in the Salomon Sonic Pro 2 (my review), which fit me well and which had proven themselves on multiple long runs. But I was open to other options: the Sonic Pro 2 is heavy relative to a true road-racing shoe, and I found…
For several years my go-to short for long runs and cool temperatures as been the Under Armour HeatGear Sonic Compression Short. Read my long-term review. Unfortunately, the Sonic Short was discontinued a few years back, and leftover inventory is just about gone. I was hopeful that a similarly spec’d model, the Under Armour HeatGear Armour…
Since early last month I have run 125 miles in the Salomon Sonic Pro 2, including all of my long runs and hard workouts. This includes distances up to 25 miles, and 1-mile efforts at 5-min pace. I may wear them later this month at the Boston Marathon. (Follow me on Strava.) Review: Salomon Sonic…
Count me among the Hoka One One skeptics when it first arrived on the scene. I assumed the exceptional stack height would translate into a wobbly ride. I was turned off by the obnoxious color pallette. And I observed one client destroy a new pair in just 60 (hard) miles in the High Sierra. But…
While I was researching for my recent review of the Under Armour Sonic Compression Short, I saw a new (at least to me) model from Nike that looked similar to the original Pro Combat Short, which I had worn before the Sonic. I was disappointed when Nike replaced it with the Pro Combat 2.0 Short,…
For the past three years the Under Armour HeatGear Sonic Compression Short has been my go-to running short. After 500+ runs — including my biggest races like Run Rabbit Run 100, the Colorado Marathon, and San Juan Solstice 50 — I feel very confident in writing a long-term review. I use the Sonic Shorts primarily…
Garmin announced two new inReach devices shortly after the New Year, immediately prior to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES): inReach SE+ inReach Explorer+ Last week I was able to inspect them first-hand and discuss them with representatives at Outdoor Retailer (OR). The original manufacturer of the inReach, DeLorme, was purchased by Garmin a year ago. So the inReach+…
The new Black Diamond Spot headlamp will produce 300 lumens, which is a 50 percent increase over the current version (read my review). Its weight and size appeared unchanged, as does its single control button, unfortunately. The current Spot will become the new Cosmos, which represents a 25 percent increase in light output (to 200…
Suunto had one major product release, the Spartan Sport Wrist HR. And I learned of future development plans (or, more accurately, non-plans) for the Ambit collection. Spartan Sport Wrist HR The first GPS sport watch with a wrist-based heart rate monitor was the Garmin Fenix 3 HR, which was announced 12 months ago. But according…