Iron Rogue’s Gift List

1. A Salomon Hydration Pack: Even if you’re not going ultra distances, you need something that’s going to give you enough pockets for ID, smartphone, camera, tripod and other snacks/fuel and gadgets.  Furthermore, a water bottle belt isn’t sleek enough for the best Burbathlon has to offer, so you’re better off with something like this.  The XT Wings I use don’t seem to be available, but I’d recommend the Advanced Skin 12 Set as a substitute.
2. Salomon XR Mission Shoes. Yup, Salomon again.   I love to run on trails, I find the challenge of varied terrain really gets my motor running mentally, and the softer landings are nice too.  I don’t have time to set aside a separate commute to some trail in a conservation area, so I have to find what I can running out the door from the sidewalks around my work or home.   And of course, many runs turn into Burbathlons… Salomon’s Door-to-Trail shoes are just what the doctor ordered.  I’m currently wearing last year’s XR Mission, and loving them.  In the door-to-trail series, there’s also the Crossmax 2 and the Crossmax 2 CS.
   
   

3. Garmin Forerunner 910XT: A lot of runners love their Garmins, but the Forerunner 910XT is optimized for the triathlete.  It’s not only waterproof (real waterproof not GPS waterproof) so you can track your swim in open water (racing or training), but there’s an accelerometer that counts your strokes.  It can count pool lengths indoors, and by tracking your stroke count, you’ve got an idea of how efficient your stroke is getting so you can quantify the quality of your workouts and your progress.

   

What An Iron Rogue Would Wish For

1. Stabilicers SportRunners. After my Yaktrax broke down after training for one measly Half-Marathon last off-season, I’m looking for a new brand of ice traction device for my shoes. Many have recommended adding hex screws to the soles of an older pair of shoes, but I’d prefer something removable so that when I’m running on local sidewalks that have been kindly cleared by good citizens, I don’t cause damage (to the surface, the shoes or my feet!). Stablicers were another recommended product and they look pretty good so far.
   

2. Zephyr HxM Heart Rate Strap: After having some blues with a Polar Bluetooth enabled HR sensor strap. I’m a little wary of them; their Android compatible product does not list the Samsung Galaxy S3 so I’ve decided to look elsewhere. I’d love to be able to get HR data with my phone for when I don’t want to bother with the Garmin.
   

3. Kreyos Meteor: Further reducing the need for the Garmin is the up-and-coming trend of Smart Watches that link to your phone via Bluetooth.  The idea is that you can check your wrist for the little things more easily than digging out a smart phone.  I think the Kreyos is the best one I’ve seen for the active individual.  It’s water resistant, and has ANT+ sensor capability to link to HR and other fitness accessories, not to mention its built-in accelerometer.  This one’s a bit of a reach financially, but SO SHINY!