I'm a Saucony guy by nature. My main shoe for the past several years has been the Saucony, ProGrid Omni. It's a great shoe. However, this past summer when I tried on the most recent version, at the Gazelle Sports Sidewalk Sale, they felt tight, and not quite right. So, I tried on the Pearl Izumi, Sycnro Float III. It felt like my foot was butter and the shoe was hot toast. My foot felt secure, but not too snug, and when I took them for a test run they felt fantastic.
These shoes are light, well-cushioned, and have a nice spring to them. I feel right at home in these bad boys. I've enjoyed many runs of various distances with them already. In fact, I wore these in my last race, a half-iron distance event in East Tawas, Michigan.
Here's the thing. I'm icing my Achilles tendon as I'm composing this and I'm wondering...did these shoes have something to do with my dimise? I hope not because I like these shoes a lot and I expect to give 'em a go again for the 2011 season. (They have very little wear).
Another items I have come to rely on while running is my visor. I've been a hat guy for a long time, but I've shifted to the visor. It's lightweight and very airy. I haven't completely abandon my running hats, but I gravitate toward my visor these days.
Another piece of equipment I rely on during a long effort is my Fuelbelt. However, I recently purchased a Nathan belt because it seemed to fit me better (and it was on sale). I've enjoyed having the Fuelbelt, so I'm guessing I will like the Nathan variety as well. I probably could have gone with the two-bottle version, as the bottles are fairly large, but that type was available where I was. I may find myself running with only two of the possible four bottles.
I'm old school, so I like to run in standard issue, split-side running shorts. I can't get into the long, basketball-type shorts. I may start running in compression shorts however. I haven't decided. This is in part because it's just more money, and in part because I'm just not sure yet.
I do wear socks when I run, and they are usually of the thinner variety. I am partial to the Wigwam and Pearl Izumi brands, but I'm open to other brands like Sock Guy and DeFeet, etc.
I've already addressed my watch when talking swim gear, so I won't go over that again, but it is a vital part of my gear. I used to wear a heart rate monitor, but I don't anymore. I discovered that over the years I have developed a really good sense for pacing, so I don't think I need a heart rate monitor to keep me in check.
Ok, I said I wasn't going to mention racing, but here I go. When I race in an event that has a 10K run or shorter, I wear my Saucony Fastwitch racing shoes because they are light and fast. For events that have a half-marathon on longer, I lean toward my training shoes, but I have worn a light-weight trainer for a 1/2 Ironman and did just fine.
Anyway, there you have it. My basic running gear.
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