So I mentioned that I got my Under Armour Compression Tights and my new Nike (Golf) jacket in the mail. I tried them out during my chilly run on Saturday and I have mixed feelings.
First, let me say that I absolutely LOVE the fit and feel of the compression tights. I seriously would wear them all day long and never take them off because they’re so comfortable. I wasn’t sure that I would like the weird men’s-underwear-looking elastic band around the waist (you can see it in the video on their website) but it is seriously comfy. No muffin top action there. And my favorite part – they’re actually a little too long. Not like my 2XU compression tights.
I have perfected the awkward picture in one try.
But unlike my 2XU tights, these don’t feel like recovery compression tights. My 2XU tights are so tight, they’re almost like getting a wetsuit on (you should see how small they are!) and I can actually feel them doing something to my legs when I’m wearing them. The UA tights are a good tight, but I am skeptical about their muscle-fatigue-preventing powers. Thoughts?
Anyway, I wore my new duds out my run Saturday morning at the butt-crack of dawn. Seriously, the sun was just beginning to rise when I went out. It was about 25 degrees and I wore a long-sleeve tech tee, my new Nike jacket, and a fleece vest on top. On bottom, my UA tights and SmartWool running socks (seriously the best socks ever for cold runs). I also wore a fleece ear warmer and fleece gloves.
Katy didn’t understand why I was bending over and not petting her
Why did I head out so cotton-pickin’ early? I was supposed to run with a friend at 8 am and figured we’d do about 3 miles. Since I had 8 on the schedule and wanted to be done after running with my friend, I got up to do the 5 before meeting up with her.
So, I got geared up and after a breakfast of instant oatmeal (that I’m trying to get out of my cupboard) with raisins, I set out with the pooches for 3.5 miles, after which I would drop them at the house and go do another 1.5 before driving over to D’s house.
Immediately, my legs were cold. But maybe the tights work on some kind of heat exchange so I just need to get moving for them to warm me up, I thought.
Not so much.
My legs froze. My butt froze. I was not enjoying it.
But I kept going because I had to. I dropped the dogs off and gritted my teeth for another 1.5 miles. Just a few more minutes until I can warm up, I told myself.
I got back and grabbed my stuff to head over to D’s, when I found out that she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t think she should run. So I was on my own to finish out the last 3 miles. Crapit. My legs had just thawed out and I had to head back out into the cold. But I wanted to be done more than I wanted to be warm so I did it. It wasn’t pretty but after a spoonful of peanut butter and 3 Shotbloks, I did it.
Luckily, for those last 3 miles, I brought Harry Potter with me (on my iPod) and for some reason, having mental stimulation like listening to a book or sermon makes time pass a lot faster during a workout for me than listening to music. So the cold wasn’t as bad during the last 3 miles (but it was probably mostly that the sun was out by then too).
All in all, I ran 8.27 miles in 1:32:40, an 11:12 pace. I feel pretty good about that, considering I was running with ice legs.
So unfortunately, while I like the UA leggings and am definitely going to keep them, they’re not going to be appearing on any more 25 degree or colder runs. I told Travis that I think my problem is that I’m too cheap to buy the actual leggings made for those temps. I saw some at Boulder Running Company when we were buying our shoes – they were a lot thicker but they were also something like $120. In Minnesota, I think I could justify that because it’s a lot colder there, and for longer, than it is here in CO (except for this winter?!?!). But by February, I’m going to probably be wearing shorts again so…
About the jacket, since I wore a fleece vest over it and it wasn’t raining or windy, I don’t really have an accurate assessment (not that you probably care, since I’m most likely the only one cheap enough to buy a golf jacket for running) but it did keep my arms warm (and not too warm)!
Here’s the back of the jacket if you’re interested:
And the stretchy side:
Also a sad little side note: the jacket has a cinch at the bottom and the little plastic thing rubbed against my UA tights, so now there’s a fuzzy spot on my tights. ::tear::
What do you wear on your legs for cold runs? Help a girl out!
