It became obvious that my trusty ol' racing shorts were not quite so trusty now that I'm consistently running longer distances. With my lofty six-in-six half marathon goals, I needed a solution, and I needed it FAST. Then, at the Rite Aid Marathon Weekend expo, I met Amy the Gypsy Runner, and she solved all my chafing problems - along with providing better solutions to other issues I've been trying to solve!
Amy sells a huge variety of running gear: everything from tank tops to shorts to skirts to compression sleeves and everything in between. With dozens of cute and clever shirt prints and a big selection of patterns for her shorts, capris, and skirts, it would be so easy to fill my entire wardrobe with Gypsy! But to start, I just had to try her amazing double-pocket shorts, which are available in a 7" length as well as a 9" length for those of us who hate hate HATE when those booty shorts ride up too far! Being an outta-this-world kinda gal (heh), I naturally chose the Cosmic pattern, and went with the shorter length. It's long enough to not ride up, but short enough to be versatile in both hot and cooler weather.
I took a couple short training runs in my new shorts, and all was looking good - so far. After working up the mileage a little bit, I was confident enough to test them in a longer-distance race, and chose the Towpath 10-10 as my guinea pig. It was going to be a hot day, and knowing the Towpath valley, I expected a bit of mugginess along the canal too, so it was the perfect test of the material's moisture wicking and breathability.
Now, there's no way to know what exactly was the cause, but I flew through that race like you wouldn't believe. I ran sub-10 splits for the first time at any distance longer than 5k, and PRed by almost 10 full minutes. It was, for lack of a better word, bonkers. I felt amazing for most of the run, apart from a little hamstring strain towards the very end of the race, and could not believe how well I did. Was it the shorts, or was it just better training/preparation? The world may never know, but I DO know that my new shorts were perfectly fitted, did not ride up, did not chafe, and pulled my sweat away from my skin so I never felt swampy no matter how hot and muggy the morning became, and all of that is almost as much of a WIN as the PR!
With the chafing issue properly addressed, the shorts were already a great purchase - but the awesomeness doesn't end with just a great pair of running shorts. There's the whole "double pocket" part. I've used a variety of running belts to bring keys, nutrition, my phone, and even water with me on my runs, but even the best belts in my collection are a little awkward. Between bouncing around, needing constant adjustment, and not having enough space for everything, I haven't found the perfect carry-all belt option yet. Fortunately, thanks to Gypsy Runner, I don't need to keep searching! The huuuuuuuge pockets provide ample secure storage for my runs. I tuck my phone in one pocket (my Droid Mini fits sideways into the pocket for even more security), a key and some nutrition in the other, and I'm ready to go. If the run is very long (like the marathon training 20 milers I'm about to hit), I can toss extra nutrition in the other pocket. I can also wear a belt and use both options to ensure I have everything I need, especially on days when I need water along with me on the run. I had originally worried there would still be bouncing, but so far, nothing I have tucked away has moved mid-run.
Towel and phone stuffed in pockets, water and fuel on hip. Great!
I love these shorts so much, I haven't worn much else in a couple months! So many runners have asked about them, especially when they see me using the POCKETS that most other running shorts DON'T have! After the Rock Hall Half, I forgot to toss my humid, sweaty, mucky clothes into the wash in time for my next long run, but the importance of wearing those shorts was so great to me that I wore them dirty (and I mean these things were nasty, I should probably be embarrassed to admit this in a public post) and gutted out the run despite the nauseating smell. And pretty much flew through that run too - almost making sub-10 splits despite the massive hills I threw into the middle! Are we seeing a pattern here?
Well the verdict is that Gypsy Runner shorts are AMAZING. In fact, I just got two new pairs (in equally awesome patterns) in the mail today, so that whole gross-unwashed-rewearing thing doesn't have to happen again and I can always have a pair ready to go whenever I need!
And what's even better than hearing about the perfect product? Getting a discount, I should think! Thanks to Amy's generosity, I can offer you a discount on your next Gypsy Runner purchase! Use promo code FITNYX to get $5 off your order of $45 or more. This code is valid through September 8, so don't wait - grab the best pair of running shorts you'll ever own right away!
What's your favorite piece of running gear? Why are pockets the greatest things known to (wo)man? Check out Gypsy Runner and tell me what your favorite patterns are!
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