ShoreTurtle – Running in and around New Jersey

Zest Marathon Body Wash

I’ve been using Zest Marathon Body Wash for the last 26.2 days. It functions well as a body wash, but it hasn’t improved my running noticeably. Another good product is Axe Recovery Invigorating Electrolytes shower gel–it’s like taking a shower with Gatorade.

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Gear

adidas RESPONSE Long Sleeve Half-Zip Fleece Top

The Hamilton Area Trail Run (HATR) group held a toys for tots trail run last month and I won a $25 gift card from Road Runner Sports. I spent 45 minutes or so browsing the Road Runner Sports store in North Brunswick before deciding on the adidas RESPONSE Long Sleeve Half-Zip Fleece Top.

I’ve worn it for 3-4 runs and I love it. It takes away a couple of layers that I would normally need to wear in cold temperatures. The half-zip in the front provides some air when I get too hot. I’m a turtle of habit. I like the top so much that I ordered another one so that I can rotate them in between washes. I figure that I have at least a couple more days of cold weather left before the Spring.

Product Information from adidas.com
RESPONSE Long Sleeve Half-Zip Fleece Top
There’s nothing fair-weather about your love for running. When it’s cold and windy out, the adidas RESPONSE™ Long Sleeve Half-Zip Fleece Top gets you out there with allover CLIMAWARM™ insulation, a two-layer wind cutting polyester build and its unique 3D-engineered FORMOTION™ design that brings improved comfort and support to every movement.

* Breathable CLIMAWARM™ keeps you warm and comfortable in cold weather conditions
* FORMOTION™ actively supports your muscles for improved comfort and efficiency
* Zipper pocket; Half-zip front; Stand-up collar
* Applied 3-Stripes on sleeves
* Reflective adidas brandmark on left chest
* 100% polyester two-layer

CLIMAWARM™ is lightweight, breathable insulation that keeps you dry and comfortable in cold weather conditions by using densely woven synthetic fibers that trap air to keep you warm but are also spaced far enough apart to easily allow heat-sapping sweat to escape through evaporation. For an extra level of protection in windy weather, there is also CLIMAWARM™ Wind fabric. CLIMAWARM™ Wind adds a membrane to standard CLIMAWARM™ fabrics to ensure windproof thermal insulation.

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Marathon Pace Band

Prior to to the Harrisburg Marathon, I wrote a blog post about some products for keeping track of marathon splits. John at MarathonPaceBand.com was kind enough to send me a marathon pace band for my goal time of 3:40.

Prior to the marathon, I wore the marathon pace band on a couple of training runs. I was interested in how the pace band felt while running and whether I would be able to read the splits while running. Coincidentally, my last few training runs were at marathon pace so the trial worked out well. The marathon pace band felt fine and I could read the splits easily so I added it to my marathon gear.

Here’s a photo of the pace band on race day:

The marathon pace band was great during the marathon. At each mile marker, I confidently compared my mile splits on my Garmin Forerunner to the pace band. The good news was that I was on target pace for the first 15 miles. The bad news was that my second half was much slower, though my slowdown had nothing to do with the pace band.

If you’re in the market for a marathon pace product, I would recommend taking a look at the Marathon pace band. I also wore a pace tattoo with splits for a 3:45, but the marathon pace band worked out better for me.

Pros:

• easy to read
• can be seen while wearing long sleeves
• doesn’t flake off
• reusable
• stays in place
• can be used as a sweatband
• washable
• customizable (you can order it with a favorite quote, photo or logo)

Cons:

• it doesn’t make you faster, stronger or smarter
• seeing your goal time slip away is never good
• cost (why pay for something if you can make a pace band yourself?)

In fairness, the first two items in the Cons list are the same as any pace product. As far as the cost consideration, some people are more talented than others. I’ve tried making my own pace band in the past and I’ve found that the home made one slides around too much and it’s too hard to read while running. If you’re running a big marathon, there may be freebie pace bands at the expo. Harrisburg’s expo was just a room with the race bib/t-shirt pickup. I’m glad that I had the marathon pace band and pace tattoo to try out.

I will use the 3:40 marathon pace band again if I’m in the market for another marathon at that pace. If I need another pace, I will most likely buy a marathon pace band from MarathonPaceBand.com with the new pace.

MarathonPaceBand YouTube Product Video.

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