For the Running Enthusiast Mom: Running Gear {Review}

Did you know that Elisa and I recently ran in our first 5k since each of us had a baby.  Hats off to Elisa who is less than 5 months postpartum.  You go girl! I’ve had 2 1/2 years of “recovery” since Calvin was born, but I just haven’t had the gumption to sign up for a race…until now.

Looking fresh-faced pre-race

For the record, Elisa and I both agree that races should offer a race award category for moms with small children.  Because the lack of sleep, on call 24/7, and breastfeeding support of a little one is one heck of an endurance wear on a woman…who will then attempt to run a race. Whew!

Elisa and I RAN. We ran for ourselves. We ran for our guys. We ran for each other. We ran for autism.

The Race for Autism 5k, supporting the Virginia Institute of Autism, took place on Saturday, April 17th.  We had perfect weather and a gorgeous spring day for a route near McIntire Park in a lovely neighborhood in Charlottesville.

Out of 465 runners, we finished 290 and 291 with a time of 34:54.  Not bad for a couple of mamas who didn’t even train for this event with running (and who were pretty sleep deprived).

Elisa’s been working out at ACAC on the elliptical trainer and taking some of their aerobics classes.  I did a month of Crossfit’s On-Ramp class plus some kettlebell squats and uphill sprints on my own, but neither of us ran much prior to the race, and we certainly didn’t run 3.1 miles since birthing our sons.  We felt pretty exhilarated afterward because we finished . . . respectably.For the race, I wore my new Mizuno’s Wave Elixir 5’s (courtesy of Mizuno USA). I’m going to make a confession–I only wore them for a few hours of walking a couple days prior to the race.  I didn’t adequately break them in (not something I’d ever do or recommend).  Guess what.  It didn’t even matter.My feet felt comfortable, supported, and blister-free.  Perfect amount of arch support, mid-range control, and adequate room in the toe box.  I felt as smooth on the downhill as on the uphill climb.  Plus, they’re really pretty with the silver and red accents.  Mizuno Wave has been my running shoe of choice since I used to run 3 to 7 miles a day several times a week before I became a mom.  It’s still my go-to shoe for running. LOVE it.  Super light (7.7 ounces) and super ride.

The Mizuno Wave Elixir 5 retails for $95 – $105, and they are available at most running shoe retailers and Amazon.com.

Thanks to GoLite who creates high quality performance wear that’s easy on the planet.  Simple and clutter-free (gadget-free) is their philosophy.  I love so much of what this company stands for, and I was thrilled to wear GoLite’s Tilly Jane running skirt for the event.  It was my first running skirt.  I’m never going back to running shorts again. Ever.

I always felt like running shorts would get bunched up and awkward while running.  Not so with the Tilly Jane.  This stylish and svelte running skirt features a hidden boy short with quick-dry material in the event you need some modesty while you’re doing warm-up squats prior to your run.  Plus, there’s a dandy hidden pocket to stowe your lone key or I.D. while running.  It’s totally comfortable from breathable fabric that moves with you and doesn’t ride up.  Plus, I think it looks way more cute than shorts during a workout, and it’s definitely way more feminine.  Not that I’m overly concerned about those things.

The semi-fitted Tilly Jane is available in X-Small through X-Large.  Three colors are available: Black/granite (what I’m wearing), granite/jade, coral/granite. The Tilly Jane is made from recycled polyester, elastic, and Minerale materials, and it retails for $60 on GoLite and Amazon.com.

GoLite also equipped me with a hydroclutch.  Think cycling water bottle with a reflective hand-grip for runners.  So, you don’t have to actively “hold” the water bottle while it’s strapped around your hand, and you can bring your water with you.

Thinking there would be at least one water station along the race route, I aptly left my hydroclutch in my vehicle to avoid being encumbered by one more thing.  It was a mistake.  NO water along the race route.  I was dehydrated from a long and sleepless night ameliorating a vexed and poison ivy-stricken toddler–so, having my hydroclutch would have been a life saver.  Or at least a breakfast saver (if you catch my drift).  Next run, I’m not going without my hydroclutch.  It’s available on GoLite and Amazon
for $15.

Note: I received a pair of Mizuno Elixir 5 shoes, GoLite water bottle, and skirt for the purposes of this review.