RunnerDude Review: Awesome Running Gear

I'm always on the lookout for great new gear for runners. Cool and flashy is great, but I'm on the hunt for functional, dependable, and quality.

From shirts to shorts, to GPS watches, I constantly have my eyes peeled for something to help better the running experience. Recently I came across three products that I just had to share with you.


My favorite running clothing company, Lululemon, has done it again. Their Sprint Tech Short Sleeve Shirt continues their line of high quality, breathable, and comfortable running clothes. A unique technique of weaving silver fibers into the fabric helps prevent body odors from lingering in the clothing. This shirt also features a handy pocket in back to hold your music player. There's a small slit at the neck in which headphone wires can be inserted to keep out of your way while running. The lightweight fabric is preshrunk and the flat-seam construction helps reduce chafing. The Sprint Tech shirt sells for $68.00 which is a premium price, but well worth it. I have several Lululemon tops and shorts and they hold up run after run, wash after wash and look as good as they day I bought them. These are the most comfortable running clothes I own.

RunnerDude sporting Lululemon's
Sprint Tech shirt and Run: Response
Shorts Just Before his Blue Ridge Relay
10-mile \Leg up Grandfather Mountain 

Recently I was able to test the Sprint Tech Shirt during the Blue Ridge Relay (a 208-mile relay race from Grayson State Park, VA to Asheville, NC.) I wore the Sprint Tech shirt during my 10-mile leg up Grandfather Mountain. The shirt performed perfectly. Actually, I did something I always tell runners never to do....wear a garment in a race that you got the day before. I received the Sprint Tech shirt in the mail the day before leaving for Virginia and I didn't have time to wash it. I really wanted to test the shirt on the hardest of my relay runs, so I took the chance that it might not work for me. But, I've had great success with Lululemon in the past, so I felt confident it would work. Work it did. Unwashed, right out of the package, the shirt wore and performed perfectly for me.


Lululemon's new Surge Short is a great slightly shorter option for runners. Still a modest 7", the combination of the shorter inseam and V-notch legs provide for excellent leg movement when running. The lightweight technical material wicks moisture away from your skin and the 2-way stretch provides for multi-dimensional movement. Perfect for the road or trail. Like my all-time favorite Run: Response Short, the Surge also includes two side pockets, a zippered pocket perfect for key and/or ID storage, and the chafe-reducing flat-seam stitching. The Surge Short sells for $64.00.

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Another great product that I was fortunate enough to test during the Blue Ridge Relay is the Soleus 2.0 GPS watch. About a year ago, I tested the Soleus 1.0 GPS and was very impressed with it's simplicity of use, dependability and affordability. The 1.0 version doesn't have the ability to upload data to your laptop, so I was eager to try the 2.0 version which does have the capability. Like the 1.0, the 2.0 is extremely easy to use right out of the box. The satellite search-and-find is quick and even in the mountains, I had no problem getting and keeping a signal.

Some of the new features added to the 2.0 version include interval timers and the data upload. With the training timers, you have the ability to set up to 5 individual training timers for your workouts. The data is easily transfered via USB and the easy-to-download Soleus software to our laptop or desktop.

The thing I like the most is the compact design. It's just a tad bigger than a non GPS watch. I find myself wearing it when not running. It holds a charge well. Two of my runs were in the dark and the easy-to-read dial and the bright night light made night-time visibility a breeze.

After the relay, uploading my data was very simple. Reading the cumulative data and splits was very easy. The Soleus 2.0 sells for $149. There's also a 3.0 version that sells for $199 that includes a heart rate monitor.

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The Black UltraSport SeatShield at
work in RunnerDude's SUV.

Finally, the last product I have to share is very low tech, but one of my favorites. If you're a runner, particularly a runner in the summer, and a runner who sweats like I do, you're probably always having to keep a towel in your automobile to sit on to keep from ruining the upholstery. The sweat can leave stain marks on leather and no one likes the stench that that seep into fabric seats. SeatSheild is a great solution to this problem.

SeatShields are completely waterproof. Their patented design prevents odors. The cover is extremely easy to use and remove. They are comfortable to sit on and they're easy to clean. Not only are they great for protecting your auto seats from sweat, they're also good for protecting them from dirt, food, pet hair and a variety of other "gunk." I wish I had discovered these when my kids were little!!

I actually bought two SeatShields to keep in my SUV. One for me to use on a regular basis and one in case I have a sweaty passenger. The design of the SeatShield includes a pouch at the top that slips over the headrest and shoulders of the seat to hold it in place. The bottom of the cover is loose, and drapes over the seat. This simple yet effective construction and design makes it fit any vehicle.

The SeatShield  comes in three styles. The one I purchased and use is the UltraSport which sells for $29.95. It's available in Black, Beige, and Gray. If you're a sweaty runner and need an easy way to protect your auto seats, you need a SeatShield.

Notice: While Lululemon and Soleus provided the featured products for review, they in no way requested a positive review. My review is based on my personal experience with the products. The SeatShield was a personal purchase and was not provided by the company.

Thriv Has Done It Again!

Have you ever been on a long run where everything is going great physically? Legs feeling good. Breathing is in sync. Feeling strong. Only thing bothering you is that your shorts are giving you a mega-wedgie or your singlet is chaffing the smithereens out of your nips? Running apparel can make or break a good run. You can slather on all the anti-chaffing cream, powder, and ointment you want, but if the clothes are an irritation, you'll probably never wear them again.

Enter Thriv to the rescue! Never heard of them? I hadn't either until several months ago when Thriv asked if I'd be willing to test out one of their new shirts. Well, you see, I'm a bit of a running clothes hog. I love trying out new running clothes and running gear. The reason I'm constantly on the search for running shorts and tops is that I'm a sweater. No, not the snuggley kind your grandmother knits. Rather, the sweaty pig type. (Yes, I know pigs don't sweat, but you get the idea). In the summer I usually run shirtless, because, no matter what I wear, it just seems to get drenched during my run. I look more like I've been swimming instead of running.

One of the things that also intrigued me about Thriv was that their garments are made from bamboo. Yep, Bamboo. Thriv has developed a unique yarn process and fabric finishing process that blends cotton, bamboo, and elastane creating a fabric that provides moisture-wicking, anti-odor, UV protection, and thermal regulation.

Sound too good to be true? I thought so too, until I tried out the first shirt I received several months ago. The shirt was extremely soft and light weight. I wore the shirt during an intense workout at the gym one day and (then after a washing) I tested it out on a few rather sweaty runs. In all cases, the shirt worked amazingly well. During my gym workout, the shirt stretched with me and was not binding. It also was breathable and wore great. On the runs, I had similar results. The shirt did become damp (as expected), but it was not saturated. The material was breathable and did allow most of my perspiration to evaporate. The fabric is surprisingly soft.

Thriv has recently extended their line of great performance clothing and I recently tested their new Air Sleeveless top. The summer months here in North Carolina are hot and muggy. Very humid. So, if something tests well here, it should work just about anywhere. I've worn the Air Sleeveless on four 90°+ runs and the shirt has performed great for me. I've come to realize that I sweat so much that nothing is going to keep me completely dry, but the Air Sleeveless comes close. The fabric is so soft and lightweight that it feels almost like running shirtless. Also, the sweat seems to penetrate the fabric from the back to the top of the fabric where it quickly evaporates. So, I actually do stay pretty dry. I wasn't able to wring out buckets of water from the fabric like I usually do after a run with other shirts.

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Currently Thrive makes their clothing in men's sizes Medium through XX-Large. I'm a little guy, so when they start making a Small, I'll really be a happy camper. But until then, the medium works pretty well for me. Ladies, no worries, Thriv has some great apparel items for you too!

The clothing is also affordable. Another key factor in whether I like it or not. Most of their shirts are priced in the $25-$35 range. Their shorts are priced in the $35-$40 range. Pretty competitive with most of the other sports performance apparel companies.

The other thing I like about this company is that they truly believe in and back their product. Their mission is to make athletes as comfortable as they can be during their grueling events or just a regular workout.

Thriv did provide the clothing for my review, but I was not paid for the review nor was I encouraged to do a positive review. My review is based purely on my experience with the product. Honestly, I'd have to say that Thriv is a great find and probably my new favorite line of running apparel. It definitley gets 5 Dudes out of 5 Dudes on the RunnerDude's Rating Scale!! Be sure to check out the new line at their website.

Thanks Triv!!

Champion Running Clothes—Affordable, Comfortable & Effective!

Back in January, I featured a post on a great program sponsored by Champion—the Champion Innovation Lab. The Innovation Lab provides a group of real everyday runners some of their newest technical fabric running clothes to test out while training for the Walt Disney Marathon. Champion is genuinely interested in these runners' feedback and their likes and dislikes of the various clothing items. Champion values their input and actually uses the feedback in their product development. How awesome is that?!

Champion sent me some of the same items to test as well—shorts, track pants, and tops. All the clothing items are made from Champion's doubleDRY technical fabric. I'm happy to report that all the items meet the RunnerDude's test of approval. The long-sleeve shirt I tested was light-weight and perfect for layering. On one run, I wore the shirt as a base layer with a fleece outer layer on top. The shirt performed very well in wicking the sweat from by body through the shirt into the outer layer (too bad my fleece outer layer wasn't made of Champion doubleDRY). On another run (on a milder day) I used the top by itself and again, it did a great job of keeping me dry. The shorts and pants worked equally well. I liked that the shorts had a little length to them. I wasn't too sure about the pockets, but I ended up really liking them as well. I didn't really notice they were there, and they came in handy for my sports gel. The only thing that would have made the shorts even better would be if they came with a doubleDRY brief liner. I believe the track and vented versions of their running shorts come with liners, but the pair I tested did not.

Overall I was very pleased with the doubleDRY performance and the shorts, tops, and pants all get a 5 RunnerDudes rating! Add the affordability on top of the great performance and Champion running clothes are a great deal!

New Contest!!

I'm happy to announce that Champion is sponsoring the next RunnerDude Contest! The prize will be a clothing item from Champion's sports line! There will be two winners—one male and one female. To enter, all you have to do is email RunnerDude at runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com by midnight (EST) Saturday, March 13, 2010. The winner will be announced on the blog on Sunday, March 14, 2010. Be sure to put "Champion-[male or female]" in the subject line and your name in the body of the email. Please remember to include your sex (male/female) to make certain your email goes into the right category for the drawing.

Note: Champion provided the clothing items used in this review. I received no compensation for writing this review and I was not encouraged by Champion to do a positive review. This review is simply a recap of my experience with the product.

Champion Listens to Real Everyday Runners!

One of my favorite athletic clothing brands, Champion, is located right down the road from me in Winston-Salem, N.C. Actually as I sit here writing this post, I'm wearing a Champion hoodie. Their casual athletic clothes are great. I also enjoy their line of running tops and bottoms.

One of the great things about Champion is they appreciate feedback from you, their customers. One way they get this feedback is through a cool program in conjunction with the Walt Disney World Marathon. Champion is the official performance apparel of Disney’s Wide World of Sports® and tooday they announced the continuation of the Champion Innovation Lab at the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA.

The Champion Innovation Lab brings to life its "How You Play" mantra through the experiences of real, everyday athletes. This year, the 2010 Innovation Lab works with runners, race-walkers, and wheelchair athletes from all skill levels to test Champion Athleticwear. Part of the group consists of the "Perfect 17/" The Perfect 17 are a unique group of runners that havee participated in the Disney Marathon Weekend since its inception 17 years ago.

Champion believes that in order to develop a great line of performance apparel, they need to get real feedback from everyday athletes who participate in the Innovation Lab. Claire Powell, Director Champion Brand Marketing said, “We are excited to bring the program back to the Disney Marathon Weekend for a third year to see how the athletes have responded to our products.”

Participants were given a variety of Champion performance apparel and, starting in September 2009, asked to catalogue their experiences in a Training Log and share real-time insights with the Champion New York Design Team and Champion Athleticwear Consumer Research. The runners received apparel from the brand’s Double Dry® line featuring wicking technology, compression tanks and briefs and athleticwear from the Seamless product line. Questions in the log covered topics such as pace, weather, route (e.g., trail, street, treadmill), comfort, fit and washing machine care. Runners were also outfitted in Champion apparel for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events and will be announced as Champion Innovation Lab participants when crossing the finish line this weekend!

“Perfect 17” runner and Champion Innovation Lab participant Seth Elsheimer said, “It's refreshing to see a brand that has stayed focused on regular, everyday athletes who are competitive as well as those who just want to have a good time and be active.”

Be sure to see the Champion Innovation Lab athletes take on the Walt Disney World Half Marathon this Saturday (January 9th) and the full marathon on Sunday (January 10th) which will take runners through all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks starting at Epcot®, continuing on to the Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and then back to Epcot® for an exhilarating finish.

If you haven't tried Champion's athleticwear, be sure to check out their website or check out some of their lines at Target. While you're at the website, be sure to sign up for their catalog. My kids love it when the new Champion catalog arrives!

Dryer Sheets Are A No No!

A pair of shorts and a singlet have been a runner's uniform for decades, but no more do you have to worry about ending your run with the 5lbs of sweat your cotton T-shirt and tube socks have collected. The technical fabrics of today's running garments are designed to pull water away from the body to the surface of the garment where it evaporates. Because of this ability, you stay dryer and your clothes dry faster. Another advantage is that technical fabrics are light-weight and less bulky.

Be sure to try on your running clothes before buying them. Every runner is different. What works for one runner might not work as well for another runner. When picking out a garment, try to find one with few seams or seams sewn using a flatlock stitch to keep rubbing and irritation at a minimum. Also, think about which length of shorts will feel the most comfortable and meet your needs. Racing shorts usually have a much shorter inseam (2" to 3") than shorts for everyday running (4" to 10"). Racing shorts are often designed with a full-, half-, or quarter-split along the sides of the legs to provide better freedom of movement. Pay the same careful attention when selecting tops. Make sure the garment doesn't rub or irritate you in the armpit or neck area. Sometimes extra seams added purely for design purposes can be irritating.

One downfall of technical fabrics is that they tend to retain body odors which can be very hard to get out. Regular laundry detergent usually doesn't remove these odors. Don't fret; there are special detergents especially made to remove sports odors. WIN is one brand that I've used and it works well. Check to see if your local sporting goods store carries it or order it driectly from wwwdetergent.com. Don't forget to check the garment tags. Some garments (especially socks) have been treated with an anti-microbial substance to help keep the BO at bay.

One more tip to keep in mind regarding your high tech running clothes—never use fabric softener sheets. The fabric softener chemicals in the sheets will clog the technical fabric making it less effective in wicking away the water. So, either dry your running clothes in the dryer without the dryer sheet or just hang them to dry. Because the fabric is designed to resist water absorption, they're practically dry right out of the wash, so hanging them to dry usually takes just minutes.

Don't worry; buying good quality, high-tech-fabric running clothes doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Target carries a line of running clothes for men and women from Champion that wear well, look great, and are very affordable. You can also purchase the clothes directly from the Champion Website.