Posted on by Iron Rogue

Friday Five: New Stuff

I’ve been training hard, and eating (fairly) well, maintaining my weight etc.  They say you shouldn’t reward these efforts (or the goals they produce) with food, as it’s kind of counter-productive.  Let’s pretend, for the sake of this post, that I’ve been following that advice and have rewarded myself with a more ‘retail’ type set of gifts.

  1. The first item is from Manpacks.  (Full disclosure, that’s a referral link.  You can use it to save $10 off your first purchase, and I get $10 credit if you do).  Manpacks has grooming goods, underwear and other consumables that busy men don’t seem to get around to shopping for themselves.  A pack arrives every 3 months, so I find it manageable to change the order to stuff I actually need.  This item, Brode Electrolyte Vitamin is supposed to help you stay hydrated by providing the needed electrolytes before you get dehydrated.  It’s aimed at travellers (long plane rides with that recycled air), hikers and athletes.  Obviously keeping water with you is the best option, but I have found that a lunchtime run (or runch) after a morning of coffee drinking is hard on my system (I have often said that I only exist in two states: Under-caffeinated or Dehydrated) and I often don’t pack a water bottle and belt or hydration pack, so I was curious to try these.  I will say that they seemed a little hard on my stomach and I experience some mild cramping and discomfort immediately after swallowing them, but I think I could notice the effect on some of my runs, especially since the weather has been getting warmer than I am used to.



  1. I’m not exactly Mr. Compression, but with an aggressive training schedule, I’m open to trying things that will help me recover better and stay injury-free.  I have a few pairs of compression socks (most of which are lousy and ineffective), and a pair of calf sleeves from 2XU.  Those are all focussed on lower body, obviously, but that’s where the work is principally done for your average triathlete (like me!).  Still, I took advantage of a guest sale at the Reebok/Adidas corporate store to pick up a few items, including this TechFit T-Shirt.  It’s the first time I’ve had compression on my upper body, and I wore it under a work shirt after a tough strength workout (in the ‘Specific Preparation Phase 2’ part of my training program, the strength workouts are primed for ‘Maximum Strength’).  I was hoping it would aid recovery so I’d be primed for a benchmark swim the next day – frankly, it felt weird.  Not necessarily bad, but weird, and I kept it on for about an hour and a half.  It might be better to wear it during the workout; like I said, I’m not Mr. Compression, and this stuff confuses me a little.  The official description says: “techfit® focuses your muscles’ energy to generate maximum explosive power, acceleration and long-term endurance” and the next phase of the program (starting next week) focusses on Power Endurance which combines strength with velocity (including plyometric work), so we’ll see.

  2. As evidenced by our outfits at the Spring Into Action 10k, I’m liking the combination of red and black. I also like hoods (it goes with the whole ‘Rogue’ theme), but I don’t really need any more warm red hooded sweatshirts, so at the same sale, I picked up this long sleeved top with a hood. It’s Crossfit branded, but that doesn’t bother me; with the warmer weather, I’m not sure how much more use I’ll get out of it till autumn, maybe for some early morning workouts.
  3. I’m on a bit of a Saucony kick right now.  My Saucony ISO Triumphs continue to serve me well, and provide the cushioning I like on the road. I’m happy enough with them that I got Saucony’s for trail running too.  They kept me on the trail in the very muddy 5 Peaks Terra Cotta run and I can’t wait to get more mileage on them.  Heck, even my wife is on the Saucony bandwagon…
  4. Another product I scored from Manpacks is this Everyman Jack Face Moisturiser.  I needed something for the post-shave, and I’m not looking any younger, so one way to keep the face protected is with some sunscreen (which I also like for preventing melanoma of course).  I always like killing two birds with one stone when I can.
Any new stuff that you’ve treated yourself (or been treated to)? Moms out there probably have Mother’s Day Wishlists….

7 Replies to “Friday Five: New Stuff”

  1. Manpacks! That made me laugh a little…but in a good way. I'm glad someone realized guys could do with something like this. Might have to get that for my husband. You should do a Father's Day post to remind me! I have a couple of UA compression shirts for winter running which I love, and one 2XU recovery long sleeve, which I do wear on occasion…but only with another shirt over it! But I can't stand the thought of compression shirts in summer! I do wear compression socks religiously, however dorky I look they do seem to keep my calves happy.

  2. Manpacks! That made me laugh a little…but in a good way. I'm glad someone realized guys could do with something like this. Might have to get that for my husband. You should do a Father's Day post to remind me! I have a couple of UA compression shirts for winter running which I love, and one 2XU recovery long sleeve, which I do wear on occasion…but only with another shirt over it! But I can't stand the thought of compression shirts in summer! I do wear compression socks religiously, however dorky I look they do seem to keep my calves happy.

  6. I've only recently discovered the Saucony brand. I bought a few items for winter running and I loved them since they kept me warm in -20 degree weather. I think my next pair of shoes will either be Saucony or Mizuno!

  7. I've only recently discovered the Saucony brand. I bought a few items for winter running and I loved them since they kept me warm in -20 degree weather. I think my next pair of shoes will either be Saucony or Mizuno!

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