Eric’s gear
I’m not much of a gear whore. Definitely a believer in less is better, but I also like trying new stuff and using it if it works. Here’s what I like:
Shoes: On the road, I’m generally wearing Brooks Green Silence. For trail runs and longer races I wear Montrail Rogue Fly (see my review here), for shorter races I wear XC flats. Generally New Balance XC700 Spikeless or Brooks. Low, supple, and cheap, I love XC flats.
Socks: Swiftwick socks.
Shorts: Honestly, I’ve found a few pairs of shorts on the trail that I take home and wash and wear. How they got on the trail is always a mystery to me.
Hydration: Simple Hydration. Love that bottle. I’ve also worn the Ultimate Direction AK Race Vest in two races now and really like it for longer stuff. Definitely a keeper.
Calories: My stomach can handle anything on a run (except Costco hot dogs.) I’m currently using Gu’s because I’ve got a bunch of them stored up and NUUNs for races.
Stroller: Since most of my mileage is done pushing the kiddos, I’m particular with my ride. The big debate seems to be between BOBs and Chariots, and I choose the latter. Though I’ve put over 2k miles on the single BOB, the Chariot Cougar 2 is lower, more balanced, and has an awesome tray/aid station that fits on top. Switching to trailer mode is a breeze (BOB can’t do that), and there’s a crazy XC ski contraption that literally turns it into a rickshaw. They’re both expensive, so best bet is to find one on Craigslist. Ours retails for about $1,500 and we paid $300.
Tunes: After snipping one earbud off for a long time (and only getting half the damn song!), I’ve finally found a company that makes one ear bud with a mono feed and a short cord. Perfect! I can hear both channels of my music (by way of my iPod nano), and not have a long cord dangling around.
Shades: I’d have a tough time paying over $100 for sunglasses, but because the nice folks at Native sent us some samples to review, I’m wearing the Native Vim’s (with polarized lenses) and really liking them.
Beer: That’s gear, right? I’m a big fan of Black Lagers and Black IPAs (Rogue Valley’s Dirtoir Black Lager is divine), but nothing hoppy for the sake of being hoppy. Right now I’m diving head first into sours and other Belgian styles. Mmmm. Barrel aged and strange, these are my weakness.
Watch/GPS: I don’t own one, but I’ll generally carry my iPhone with me. I use Strava to track my workouts.