Hot summer runs just feel better in a fresh, fun sports bra. And to, um, support you this summer, we want to introduce you to seven brand new bra models worth a look.

New Balance Shockingly Unshocking

New Balance is bringing the heat with their new Psyche Bra Collection this spring, and we’re excited to try something new. The Shockingly Unshocking offers maximum support for full-busted women, with smooth adjustable straps and a convenient and comfy padded back closure. Molded cups offer great support, while mesh panels enhance breathability. A higher neckline offers full-coverage and a little extra modesty.

New Balance Fabulous Framer

The New Balance Fabulous Framer is a racerback bra that offers sporty coverage with molded cups for great support. The racerback design has a flirty little back cutout for enhanced breathability and a sexy look. A small internal pocket gives you a place to stow your key while you’re out running, and paneled construction creates a feminine silhouette. We like the contrast colors on the Dazzling Blue model, but you can keep it plain and simple with Black as well.

New Balance Seamless Genius

If what you seek is supremely soft seamless comfort, then reach for the New Balance Seamless Genius. High-density knit material has engineered shape cups to help keep you in place, and seamless construction prevents chafing and rubbing. We really like the streamlined racerback design of this bra, which allows for full range of motion on your run so you can find your stride with freedom.

Moving Comfort Endurance Racer Bra

Finally – a high-impact bra for larger busted women that feels sleek and lightweight! The Moving Comfort Endurance Racer Bra offers exceptional support, yet is made with some of Moving Comfort’s most lightweight materials. The adjustable straps are secure and soft against the skin, and molded cups with compression keep the girls supported. The back design allows for nearly effortless on/off, so you won’t have to wrestle your way into this bra.

Saucony Curve Crusader Bra

The Saucony Curve Crusader Bra is a fresh and sexy cross-back bra with encapsulated cups for support. Front mesh detail enhances breathability and an open back design lets you show off your hard-earned physique. Adjustable hook-and-eye closure makes this little number easy to get on and off, and it’s comfortable enough to wear on your long run – and even running errands around town post-workout.

Saucony Athlete Avenger

The Saucony Athlete Avenger has an elegant silhouette and a comfortable feel. Seam-free cups have light contouring for support and shape. This bra is a really nice choice for the petite-busted woman who wants a little more feminine shaping than they would get just from a pure compression bra. The racerback design allows for full range of motion, and a back cutout further enhances breathability.

Saucony Diva Believa Bra

The Saucony Diva Believa Bra gives you adjustability and contour cups in a full-coverage package. Adjustable straps and adjustable hook-and-eye back closure allow you to create a more personalized fit, and modest cut provides plenty of coverage in the front. The hidden underwire boosts the support factor for this bra, and the back keyhole cutout lends a feminine look.

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Some runners like it hot. And we’ve got to agree, there’s a lot to enjoy when hitting the dirt or the pavement on a nice toasty day. But if it’s really hot outside, it’s important to take a few extra precautions. Take a look at our top tips for running safely in hot temps.

1. Hydrate Pre-Run

If you’re already a little dehydrated when you head out the door for a run, you’re risking severe dehydration and heat exhaustion – especially on a hot day. Many runners will drink at least 16 ounces of fluid (either water or a drink mix) about two hours prior to heading out into blazing temp, and follow it up with another 8-16 ounces 15 minutes before starting their workout.

2. Protect Yourself from UV Rays

Running in the sun’s rays for a short period of time nets you a little Vitamin D, but there can be too much of a good thing. Protect your skin from damaging UV rays with clothing that has UPF protection (like the Asics ARD Singlet or a pair of arm coolers), running sunglasses and a quality sunscreen. Also, seek out as much shade as you can while you’re out.

3. Bring Fluid with You

If you plan to be out for more than 20 or 30 minutes when the weather’s scorching, it’s a good idea to bring hydration. Your hydration needs during your run will depend on how much you sweat and how long you’ll be out running. In hotter temps it’s a good idea to drink about five to eight ounces of water (that’s one or two big thirsty sips) every fifteen minutes or so. Read more…

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The phrase ‘pre-race fuel’ makes most runners think of one thing: pasta. Delicious bowls of steamy, noodle-y carbohydrate goodness to fuel your muscles through your half or full marathon. Consuming carbs is important in the days leading up to a distance race, but you certainly don’t have to eat pasta every night. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re preparing your meals the week of your race.

Eat Carbs

When you eat a very carbohydrate-rich meal, the majority of the carbs are stored as glycogen in your liver for later use. When you’re working out (or pushing through your mileage on race day), your body is able to pull energy from your glycogen stores to keep you going. Glycogen is perhaps the easiest form of stored energy for your body to access.

Try to select carbohydrate options that are low in fiber, because high amounts of fiber can cause digestive problems for many athletes. Prior to a race, opt for white rice instead of brown, and save the whole wheat pasta for a post-race meal. Tired of the same old pasta? Try one of these low-fiber carb options for race week: white rice, bananas, yogurt, peeled white potatoes, white bread or white flour English muffins.

Eat Protein

Make sure that you get plenty of protein pre-race. Protein will allow your muscles to effectively recover after your training sessions so that you’re ready on race day. It’s particularly important to eat a protein-rich meal within an hour following a strength training session, so that your body has fuel to rebuild. Opt for lean sources of protein, like chicken breast. Here are a few of our faves: tilapia, turkey breast, tofu and eggs.

Eat Familiar Foods

The days before a race are not the time to experiment with new and exciting foods. Stick to foods that you know will make you feel great. Some runners feel fantastic the day after a big pasta feed, while it leaves others feeling bloated and sluggish. Play around with your diet (when you’re not prepping for a race) to figure out what foods and meals make you feel and perform the best.

Eat Enough

While you don’t want to gain weight, the days before a race are not the time to try to lose a few pounds. Make sure that you’re getting enough calories so that your body has plenty of fuel. Making sure that you’re getting plenty to eat before your race will help ensure that your body has energy to charge through the finish line. If you feel like you’re having a hard time getting enough calories to compensate for the mileage you’re logging, try snacking on healthy, calorie-dense foods like raw nuts and full fat Greek yogurt throughout the day.

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In the 30 minutes following a workout, your body is hormonally primed to absorb nutrients and deliver them to cells for rapid recovery. Since it takes you several hours to digest solid food and benefit from the nutrients, a drink mix can be a more effective way to refuel immediately following a workout.

Each recovery drink mix is a little different when it comes to carb and protein makeup, and some include other components that are beneficial for recovery. If you don’t have time to try out all our brands, don’t fret. Our staff members have tried out plenty of recovery drinks, and here’s what we think:

For a hefty dose of carbs:

If you’re looking for a drink mix with a high carb count, try Endurox R4 (52g carbohydrate per serving) or GU Recovery Brew (52g carbohydrate per serving). Carbohydrate needs will vary from person to person and depending on the duration of your run. Play around with your post-run carb intake to figure out how many grams of carbs you need to fully recover and be ready for your next run.

For generous protein:

All of our recovery drink mixes include protein because it is critical for muscle recovery. If you want a drink mix with more protein, try Hammer Recoverite (10g protein per serving) or Endurox R4 (13g protein per serving). Remember that it’s important to limit use of recovery drink mixes to post workout, because protein can be difficult for the body to digest if consumed just before a workout.

For a little fat:

If you want a recovery drink mix with a little fat, try GU Recovery Brew Chocolate Smoothie (2g fat per serving) or Endurox R4 (1.5g fat per serving). Adequate fat in the diet can actually help to decrease muscle soreness and inflammation, and can also help your body to keep its glycogen stores intact. Read more…

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We carry a variety of excellent iPhone and smartphone running accessories, making it easy to take your phone with you on the run. Here are a few of our faves:

Nathan Sonic Boom

The Nathan Sonic Boom carries your iPhone in a secure pouch that straps to your arm with a lightweight, moisture-wicking band. Check out the Sonic Boom for iPhone 5 or the Sonic Boom for iPhone 4 & 4S to carry your tunes with you when you hit the roads or trails for your run. The pouch itself has a clear front window that protects your phone and allows you to easily access touchscreen controls.

Amphipod ArmPod SmartView

Carry your iPhone, iPod touch or other similar-sized media player in the Amphipod ArmPod SmartView. You can slip your device into the secure zipper pocket to protect it on your run. This accessory has a comfortable, chafe-free arm band and a clear screen to give you easy access to all your touchscreen controls. It even has an additional padded pocket for a key, an ID card or other small essentials.

Spibelt Water-Resistant Belt

When the forecast calls for wet weather, slip your smartphone into the Spibelt Water-Resistant Belt. Water-resistant fabric helps to protect your device from sweat and moisture. To protect your phone from more intense weather conditions, we’d suggest placing it in a plastic sandwich bag first and then zip it into the Spibelt pouch. This belt is even race-ready, with race number toggles included.

Nathan QuickDraw Plus Handheld 22 oz

For a handheld way to carry your smartphone (along with 22 oz. of hydration), grab the Nathan QuickDraw Plus Handheld 22 oz. The easy-squeeze bottle is simple to open without damaging your teeth, and the secure zipper pocket on the front is large enough to fit an iPhone 4 or 5 with a case. Slip this bottle onto your hand for simple smartphone storage on the go.

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We’re stoked to welcome a new energy gel brand to our all-star lineup. VFuel Energy Gel (formerly ViFuel Energy Gel) is carefully formulated to help endurance runners avoid the performance-crushing sugar crash and maintain stable energy levels.

The gel uses less sugar than many other gels to help provide stable energy. VFuel also uses significantly less sodium than many other energy gel formulations, so you might want to try an electrolyte supplement with your VFuel.

The gel was developed by endurance runners from Colorado, so we know they’re well-versed in endurance trail running, but we wanted to take the gel for a test ride ourselves. We had two of our own endurance trail runners, Erik and Tera, use VFuel exclusively for an entire month. Here’s what they had to say:

RW: What did an average training week look like for you when you were testing VFuel?

Erik (E): I was running about 55-60 miles a week with a lot of five to eight mile runs, two longer runs of 12-18 miles, and one up-tempo run.

Tera (T): I was running about 70 miles a week on average around the buildup to a 50-mile race. I didn’t do any speed work, just long runs building mileage.

RW: How’d you like the taste of VFuel?

T: I found it to be very palatable during a run. It has a very plain flavor, not highly sweet. It has a bit of a bitter aftertaste if I’m taking it before a run, but I didn’t even notice it on the run.

E: Compared to the Clif Vanilla and Clif Cherry Chocolate that I typically use, VFuel had a little edge to it on the aftertaste. It doesn’t have that same sweetness, and it tastes very clean.

RW: How did the gel settle in your stomach?

Read more…

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A running hat is a versatile run accessory to keep in your arsenal, and it can serve a range of functions from offering sun protection to giving you a little extra warmth. Keep these characteristics in mind when shopping for a running hat.

Fit

Look for a hat that has superior adjustability, like The North Face Better Than Naked Hat. If your head is on the larger side, try the Brooks Hat, and if you have a smaller head check out the Salomon XT Compact Cap II.

Ventilation

As temps start to heat up, you’ll want a cap with excellent ventilation. The ultra-lightweight fabric and laser cut rear ventilation of the Nike Lightweight Ventilated Run Featherlight Cap will help keep you cool in extreme heat. If you’d prefer to wear a mesh running hat, then take a look at the Brooks Mesh Run Cap, which offers great ventilation through an open mesh construction.

Reflectivity

Add a little extra reflectivity to your run with a hi-viz running cap. A hat is a great place to incorporate reflectivity because it’s high up on your body and is easily seen by motorists. The Sugoi RSr Mesh Cap boasts a bold stripe of reflectivity on the right side and reflective piping around the brim and bottom to enhance your visibility.

Moisture Transfer

To avoid the humid, swampy feeling of a poorly designed hat, look for a running cap with fast moisture transfer. A hat like the Saucony Vital Run Cap pulls sweat away from your skin with a sweatband-like liner, and offers a mesh construction that allows perspiration to evaporate more easily.

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There’s a special kind of freedom that comes with wearing a tank on a run. Light, uninhibited movement, exceptional airflow and a little extra access to vitamin D make running tanks a great choice for spring and summer training. And with some of the stylish silhouettes we’re seeing this spring, you’ll be able to run hard and look great. Take a peek at a few of our spring faves below.

Flirtatious: Brooks D’Lite Reversible Racerback

The Brooks D’Lite Reversible Racerback offers excellent breathability and full range of motion in a playful little package. Ruching between shoulder blades lends a feminine look, while reversible construction lets you choose between a bold color pop stripe and a more subtle aesthetic.

Oh-So-Soft: Saucony Glo Tank

If you want a silky soft next-to-skin feel, then the Saucony Glo Tank just might be the ticket. Supremely soft lightweight fabric feels like buttah’ against the skin, and sleeveless construction allows you to move freely. Geometric watercolor print adds a subtle touch of flair.

Ultra Feminine: New Balance Go Anywhere Print Racerback

The New Balance Go Anywhere Print Racerback is a delightful little piece for the woman who wants her running gear to take her from the track to the coffee shop. Racerback design allows for freedom of movement on the run, and delicate flower graphic infuses this tank with feminine style.

Sporty Chic: Pearl Izumi Aurora Tank

Run hard and look good doing it in the Pearl Izumi Aurora Tank. Moisture transfer fabric helps keep you dry and prevent chafing as you rack up the miles. Criss-cross racerback straps and a simple line graphic along the right side give this piece a cute sporty look.

Speedy Fast: adidas adizero Singlet

On race day – or any day you want to feel fast and fierce – reach for your adidas adizero Singlet. Mesh construction helps increase ventilation and a halter design will let you move freely through your stride. Flatlock seamlines prevent chafing, and bold adidas triple stripes down the sides give this piece an aggressive look.

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The right energy chew can make your run training even more enjoyable and effective. But it’s pretty tough to know what flavors and brands you’ll like best if you just look at our website. That’s where the whole idea of an energy chew comparison test came from.

We had almost 20 staffers test our top-selling flavors in each energy chew we carry to see how they rank when it comes to aspects including firmness, sweetness, saltiness and flavor enjoyment. You can shop all energy chews here, and check out our findings below.

Firmness

Our tasters found that many of the chews sampled were quite firm, with Jelly Belly Sport Beans and Extreme Sport Beans offering the firmest texture and Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews offering the most squishy texture.

Sweetness

In addition to being softies, the Honey Stinger Organic chews are also the sweetest tasting of the energy chews we tested. GU Chomps were the least sweet tasting. Interestingly, our testers found the Extreme Sport Beans less sweet than regular Sport Beans. This isn’t because of the addition of caffeine – the Extreme Sport Beans Assorted flavor has a slightly more mellow mix (Pomegranate, Cherry and Watermelon) compared to the regular Assorted flavor (Berry, Fruit Punch, Lemon/Lime and Orange).

Saltiness

Our testers found that none of the energy chews sampled had an overwhelmingly salty flavor, but Jelly Belly Sport Beans were ranked as tasting the saltiest. Honey Stinger and Clif Shot Bloks tied as the least salty of the bunch, but if you happen to be a salt fanatic in search of electrolytes, keep an eye out for the Clif Shot Bloks Margarita Flavor, which has 210mg of sodium per serving compared to 70mg in their other flavors.

Enjoyment of Flavor

This is where it really gets personal, and our results were quite scattered in this category. Turns out, our testers are a very opinionated bunch, and their opinions about which flavor is most enjoyable were all over the map. So it looks like we’ve utterly failed in our quest to guide our readers toward the perfect flavor sensation.

However, many testers commented that overall, the flavors were what they expected based on the flavor names. So if you tend to like strawberry or lemon, for example, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy these flavors of energy chews. If you want to experiment with flavors, the variety packs from Jelly Belly and Clif might be the way to go before diving in to get a 12, 18 or 24 pack of any single flavor.

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Shopping for a hydration pack for your run training this spring and summer? Here are a few things to consider.

1. Fit

Fit is the most important thing to think about when choosing a hydration pack. No matter how awesome a pack is, you’ll never wear it if it doesn’t fit properly. Some packs, like the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab 5 Set Pack, are available in sizes. Even if the pack you like best is not available in sizes, many offer adjustable shoulder and sternum straps with side compression cinch straps so you can create a nearly custom fit. Women might find an even better fit in a women’s specific pack, like the Nathan VaporShape or Nathan Intensity 2L Race Vests.

For guidance on finding the right fit, watch Ultimate Direction’s Video on Vest Measurements.

2. Pocket Placement

If you want to rock a pack with pockets and pouches, make sure they are located in a place that will be comfortable for you. All the packs we carry are designed for running, so it really comes down to what you think will be most convenient. Think about your range of motion when running, and choose a pack with pockets that will be easily accessible, but won’t get in the way. Ask yourself… “Do I need several front access pockets like featured on the UltrAspire Revolution? Or do I need a pack with rear pockets to access things when resting or re-filling my hydration reservoir, like the CamelBak XCT?”

3. Hydration Capacity

Your hydration needs will vary depending on the intensity and duration of your workout, how much you sweat, and your personal preference. Think about how much fluid you’ll want to carry with you, and select a pack that can accommodate your needs.

If you want to keep the weight down and just carry less hydration, try a more streamlined 2-liter vest like the Nathan HPL #028 Race Vest. If your hydration needs vary from one run to the next, try a pack with a bladder and additional pockets for bottles or flasks. When fully loaded, the Ultimate Direction Highline Pack can provide well over 3 liters of hydration. Read more…

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