By Physiologist Travis Schiller-Brown
As a runner, I always struggle to try to balance my love of new gear, with the available space in my gear closet, which means, I can be very picky when it comes to buying new gear. That said, these are my 5 favorite products from the past year. Organized from least to most expensive.
(None of these are sponsors, these are just things I really like, and use daily in my training!)
A Lacrosse Ball (~$4)
Everyone always needs more Lacrosse Balls. They are by far the most versatile piece of mobility equipment, and they are super small and easy to travel with or bring to the beginning or end of your run. My preference is a solid rubber ball, made from stickier rubber to make sure it doesn’t slide out from under you when you are trying to apply pressure.
Ruffwear Ridgeline Leash ($24.95)
This is my favorite leash for running with our 30lb Border Collie. It is the perfect length to keep your dog right at your side, but has stretch built in to it, so there is some leeway to avoid pulling if you have to avoid an obstacle on the pathway or trail. I loop the leash around my running belt or vest for a hands free solution while running.
The Naked Running Band ($49.99)
The Naked Running Band is my favorite way to carry my phone, or gear with me on short trail runs, or runs around town when I only need to carry a little bit of gear. It has more than enough space for a little bit of nutrition, a water bottle, a phone or camera, and some of the other basic necessities. For runs in the mountains, it has some loops on the back to hold on to a pair of collapsible running poles as well. Its snug fit and stretchy mesh let it expand to hold all of that, but prevents bouncing when you have it loaded up. It even has toggles for attaching a race bib for that day when we finally get to toe the starting line again.
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Petzl Swift RL ($159.95)
This headlamp is by far my favorite of the ones I’ve used so far. It ticks all my boxes for training runs – compact, good battery life, comfortable to wear, minimal bounce, and best of all reactive lighting. I can’t express how much of a game changer this is! The light adjusts it’s output to the distance that you are looking, so you get a diffuse beam when looking at your feet, but then it turns up the big spotlight when you are looking down the trail searching for that next trail marker. Then it dims right down when you pull your watch out to check your heart rate. All without touching a single button or setting.
Apple Airpods ($219-$329)
I have been using the original model of these for the past few years, and still love them, whenever I want to go for a run with a music, and audio book, or when doing Zoom Intervals with my Personal Peak Run Group. I love the ability to pop them in and go. Especially in the winter time, when trying to manage headphone cables around toques, different layers, and neck warmers can be tricky.
Travis Schiller-Brown
Travis has a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology, and is Personal Peak’s Head Physiologist. He develops training programs and administers testing for every Personal Peak Athlete.
To learn more about Travis, click here
Email:coaching@personalpeak.ca