Posted on by Iron Rogue

Friday Five Favourites

It’s Friday, and I’m going to list some favourite things I’ve discovered over the summer.  It’s a series from You Signed Up For What?


  1. My Mizuno Wave Rider 17s – I actually bought these before the trip to Germany, and it was there that I wore them running for the first time.  My Salomon trail shoes were showing their age, and I figured it was time for new shoes.  So many running bloggers I know love Mizuno, and these came recommended for runners who like/need cushioning, without being heavy.  Since buying them, I’ve found out Mizuno makes trail shoes, but I still really like these, as they’ve lived up to their weight vs. cushioning ratio promise.

  2. Cheddar & Caramel Smartfood – A while back, my wife managed to grab something called Chicago Mix, which was a mixture of Cheddar cheese popcorn and caramel corn.  I’m all about the savoury/sweet mixtures (e.g. salted caramel) these days.  Sadly, Chicago mix was hard to get our hands on, but this version of Smartfood is the next best thing, and I keep stumbling across it in every grocery store.

  3. Kobo Glo e-Reader – This thing has kept me reading a little better than I might have otherwise.  I forgot it at the cottage this weekend, but I’m currently reading through A Feast of Crows (Book 4 of A Song of Fire and Ice a.k.a. the Game Of Thrones books).  It also came in handy when I wanted to read the short fiction work of fellow triathlon blogger Dan T. Head, and as long as it’s connected to WiFi, it syncs my progress so I can continue reading on my phone (or iPad) app.
  4. Mill Street Brewery Seasonal Sampler – Every time I drink a Mill Street beer, I feel good about supporting a home team brewery, but the beers themselves aren’t always my absolute favourite (I really want to love the Organic Lager, but I don’t).  The seasonal sampler is a six-pack of six different flavours, 4-5 of which I would love to have in their own 6 (or 12, or 24…) packs.  100th Meridian Organic Amber Lager (distinct from the aforementioned Organic Lager), Palomar (Chipotle Lime) Ale, and the Belgian Cherry IPA are all new, and the Belgian Wit was new(-ish) to me. 
  5. Spi-Belt – I heard about Spi-Belt a while ago, and I kept hoping some blogger would post a giveaway or discount, but I ended up cracking and buying one.  The concept is simple: provide a belt for runners with a generic pocket that can store ID, keys, smart-phone/other device.  So many products are dimensioned exactly for a particular thing, making them useless if you’re not using, say, an iPhone.  The Spi-Belt’s pocket expands to fit a variety of items.  It’s a bit of a pain to get my smartphone in and out when I want to do things on the run (skip songs, pause the workout recording, take a photo), but for the better part of a year I was without a solution for storing things unless I wore my hydration pack or a water bottle belt.  I’ve since found out there are models that have even bigger pockets; the Endurance model and the Messenger Bag.
Happy Friday!

16 Replies to “Friday Five Favourites”

  3. OMG, I love Chicago Mix so I'll have to try this smart food.
    I love Mizuno shoes but the 17's didn't work for me unfortunately. There was something on the toe box that rubbed on the top of my foot and kept giving me blisters. Apparently they're working on fixing that in the 18's.

  8. I just bought a Spi belt the other day. I haven't used it yet, I keep forgetting as I head out for my run. But I'm excited to try it and am glad you like yours.

  9. I just bought a Spi belt the other day. I haven't used it yet, I keep forgetting as I head out for my run. But I'm excited to try it and am glad you like yours.

  12. That popcorn looks amazing!

    I've been a hold out on the spibelt for so long now. I really want one but in the grand scheme of all the gear triathlon requires it's just been at the bottom of the list with no upward movement. Maybe one of these days.

  13. OMG Chicago Mix is AMAZING. My hubby travels to Chicago a fair bit for work and he often brings back Garrett's. It barely lasts a couple of days, it's soooo good. I'll have to try that smart food in the meantime!
    I love Mizuno's sadly the 17's didn't work for me. There was something in the toe box that rubbed on the top of my foot and gave me blisters. Apparently they're working on fixing that for the 18's so I'm excited to see how those are.

  14. Great list! I love the Spibelt but I alternate that with another belt from Ultimate Direction depending on my mood and if I need to carry keys + phone, etc. That Smart food looks yummy. I have been wearing Mizunos for a while now and am happy, but just tried another kind recently and love them – and now I'm torn!!!

  15. Great list! I love the Spibelt but I alternate that with another belt from Ultimate Direction depending on my mood and if I need to carry keys + phone, etc. That Smart food looks yummy. I have been wearing Mizunos for a while now and am happy, but just tried another kind recently and love them – and now I'm torn!!!

  16. I have a soft spot for Mizuno's as well….they were my first real running shoes and I wore them for years before I switched up to Newton's. I have all the GOT books and need to start reading them again….maybe that will tide me over until the show comes back on. My favorite series EVER!

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