Race Ready Shorts and Tights
I have been wearing Race Ready shorts and tights for many years; they are now the only ones I wear. The unique feature of Race Ready is the mesh pockets around the back, just below the waistband. These pockets allow you to carry a number of small items in comfort. If you use the compression version of the shorts and tights (and you should), there is no bounce from items in these pockets. I have found some discomfort from my phone after long periods, but it is fine for up to about 8-12 hours of running. The longest run (in time terms) was 34 hours, and they remained comfortable. Even without the pockets, the shorts and tights are some of the best I have found. The tights actually long enough to fit someone with a runners build (skinny with long legs), which is unusual in my experience. You can see slight wear in images below, which is from sitting on asphalt to change shoes. This shorts shown below have been worn for several thousand miles with no other signs of wear. I think that being able to carry a cell phone comfortably is an important safety aid. I classify Race Ready as 'form fitting' rather than 'graduated compression' as they provide no significant pressure. See Why compression clothes for more details. I normally add a toggle to the drawstring.
Fully loaded
I often run with my Race Ready shorts loaded up with:
- Olympus voice recorder
- Cell phone (blackberry) in ZipLoc snack bag
- Occasionally I will add Credit Card, Drivers License and cash if I think I may need to buy something on the run. I add in my medical insurance card if I think that might be important! These all fit in with the cell phone without a problem.
- iPod nano, also in ZipLoc snack bag
- Gu (not normally used, but there for emergencies)
- Pepper Spray. I often come across loose dogs on the greenway
- Portable pharmacy (film canister with pills - more in a later blog)
