The types of gear and gadgets that you can acquire as a fitness junkie fills a long list – I’ve had the epiphany on-the-run before that the total value of the clothes + technology on me was way more than I’d feel comfortable pulling out of my bank account at any given moment. Problem? Maybe. But this gear makes fitness fun, and isn’t always at the cost of your total life savings.
As of the 2012 holiday season, this list represents the new toys in my collection. Yes I could get my sweat on without them, but for now they’re joining in the fun:
1) Garmin Forerunner 10 – the baby G!
My G-405 crashed and burned, hard, over the summer. It started with a less-sensitive bezel, lead to a nonfunctioning clock and eventually a watch that wouldn’t hold a charge, find a satellite or run with me. Sad day.
After 3.5 years of running with G, I figured a little (training-cycle) break would probably do more good than harm. I snatched D’s Nike stopwatch and ran with that. I learned the run-by-effort skill and went with it. Mission accomplished.
Moving on! This little guy was on my Christmas list and he’s here and we’re still in the get-to-know-you phase. I can’t say it finds a signal as quickly, or has really cooperated much at all, yet….but, I trust Garmin. I’m giving him a few strikes mostly because he’s so small and convenient and looks like a real watch instead of a mini-computer on my wrist. If it ends up just being a fancy stopwatch, well, maybe him & his green outfit can get away with that.
2) Fitbit – thanks to the WCS team (holiday office gift)!
There’s an upcoming WCS office step-challenge. I never thought I would care much about step count – (see above: Garmin-free running phase) – but it traps you! It has a smiley face that gets excited when you get a lot of steps in a short amount of time (e.g. run) and that smile flattens out pretty quickly when you’ve been sitting/standing at a desk all day. I know, Fitbit, but we have work to do!
I’m working on a balance. No need for a fitbit clipped-on in yoga, or while getting ready around a tiny apartment. Strap that thing on when walking around DC on a nice day/night, though, and bam! City living wins.
3) lululemon: the MAT – keeping sweaty heads & feet happy by the hot minute.
When I worked for lululemon I sold this mat like it was my job. (Yes, it was.) Whether I was working or not, I told people how amazing this mat is – do you do hot yoga, EVER? do you sweat a lot? do your fear slipping right into the splits when you’re in a lunge? Yes, yes and please-don’t-ever-happen YES. You must have this. Right now. – and couldn’t be happier for them when they were like AH, FINALLY.
I bought the Manduka before realizing all of the above, and I love that purple mat equally as much. But, when sweat comes to crash the party, nothing works better than this dude:
No mat-towel needed, no slipping, no frustration. This mat works magic.
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What’s on your fit-gear love list?
