Running | Evolving Consumer

OGIO Designer Bags Goes for Endurance

Designer sports bag and apparel company OGIO just released its OGIO Endurance Collection. The line has bags that address the needs runners, swimmers, triathletes, cyclists, downhill mountain bikers and other athletes in endurance sports and competitions.

The seven-bag line is built to provide organization, protection and comfort for athletes taking part in high-intensity workouts and competitions. The line is made with lightweight yet sturdy materials that protect gear, yet make it light enough to carry to a race or location to workout.

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Adidas Runs with adizero Rush

Mercury ran like the wind with wings on his shoes. These days wings aren’t required, just some advances in construction that allow for lighter and lighter shoes. This week adidas unveiled the new adizero Rush, which weighs 7.5 ounces. At that weight, you could shave a few seconds off your training run.

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CES 2012: Magellan Switches it Up

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show Magellan announced it was switching things up, and is entering the fitness market with the launch of its first two products, the Switch and Switch Up. These new series promises to be powerful, adaptable, and customizable for those looking for GPS watches that can meet the needs of runners, cyclists, and multisport athletes. And with a Magellan fitness website and third-party integration, users can easily analyze and share their activities.

For runners there is the Switch, which is packed with innovative features including nine customizable sport profiles, easy to read high-resolution display, eight hours of battery life, a high sensitivity GPS receiver, 50-meter water resistance, and compatibility with ANT+ sensors. The Switch Up offers the same features as the Switch plus additional features designed for true multisport athletes, including a barometric altimeter for precise elevation data, a thermometer to capture outside temperature, vibration alerts, and an innovative quick release mounting system to easily transition between sports. The Switch series will launch this spring. Press Release after the jump

iFitness Allows You to Run with Your Smartphone

This past December saw record smartphone sales, and some of you may be getting used to this new gadget in your pocket and the features it offers. There are a number of music options for these phones and countless apps to track your walk or run. But do you want to be hassled with carrying this device in your hand, or worse see that expensive new phone in pieces after you drop it? A running belt from iFitness may just be what you need to safely and securely carry your new iPhone or Android phone with you while out on your walk or run. Continue reading iFitness Allows You to Run with Your Smartphone

Sprint Through the Night with Sprinter Headlamp

Whilst creatures of the night such as vampires can see in the dark, those not of the undead are (dare we say) blind as bat after nightfall. We’ve noted many products that help shine the way, and another option is the “Sprinter Headlamp” from Black Diamond. This is an LED light that is worn as a headband and offers 75 lumens of light.

But unlike other lighted headbands this one also includes a red rear blinky light to let those behind see you as well! After all, you wouldn’t only want to be seen by the vampires!

Black Diamond Official Website
[Via GearJunkie: ‘Sprinter’ Headlamp Made for Runners of the Night]

Underfuse Adds a Pocket to Workout Attire

In an effort to provide fit and performance, many workout clothiers forget one thing, we have devices we take along on our run. Kickstarter project Underfuse is a pocket you can attach to your workout gear with an iron.

Underfuse is a performance iron-on pocket sized to fit a typical iPhone or other smartphone, plus an ID or keys, so you can bring it along on your workout. The pocket attaches to any garment on three sides, making it stable and secure for your device. The maker suggests you attach it to tight-fitting clothing such as a form-fitting top or compression shorts that hug your body. If you iron this pocket on to a pair of loose gym shorts, your phone or other pocket contents will jiggle around when you move.

As this is a Kickstarter project, Underfuse is looking for people to pledge money. For an $8 pledge, you get one Underfuse, for $20 you get 3 Underfuse pockets. Other pledge packages apply.

Underfuse on Kickstarter

Netpulse Nets Virtual Active

This week Netpulse, Inc, a provider of personalized interactive media for fitness centers and active lifestyle consumers, announced that it has acquired San Francisco-based Virtual Active. As a part of the acquisition, the entire Virtual Active team will be joining Netpulse, also based in San Francisco, to develop engaging exercise media experiences for active people.

This will see Netpulse expand its platform, which provides consumers worldwide with engaging content and data regarding their fitness experience, outside health clubs via mobile devices and home fitness products. Additionally, Netpulse has partnerships with seven of the leading commercial fitness equipment manufacturers, accounting for over 73 percent of global fitness equipment sales to health clubs. Continue reading Netpulse Nets Virtual Active

EzyDog ‘Blazes’ a Trail

Winter might be upon us, but it is still hunting in many parts of the United States. You may live near or enjoy hiking on trails that are close to legal hunting grounds with your four-legged ‘best friend’, and EzyDog wants to help your canine stay safe in the woods. Especially if your dog likes to run off-leash.

Their solution? “Blaze Orange” for your pooch!
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Hands On: Bollé Tempest with Modulator Lenses

Bolle-Tempest — Click image for a closer view

Since the early 1990s, I have been an avid user of the Oakley Mumbo and M-frames with the Sweep lenses for all forms of cycling. They have protected my eyes from tree branches, sun, snow, mud, rocks, flying insects and anything else thrown my way. I never ride without them. They fit my head well and provide excellent coverage keeping the wind out of my eyes during fast descents. I have tried many other types of glasses and yet I keep grabbing my M-frames every time I ride… until now.

At Interbike this year, there were numerous eyewear companies and a number showing off photochromic lenses. Photochromic lenses darken when exposed to ultraviolet rays (UV) and fade back to lighter tint in low light areas or indoors. Shortly after the show, I received a pair of the Bollé Tempest glasses with their version of a photochromic lens, the Modulator, to try myself.

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Garmin To Watch Your Fitness

The fitness monitor market seems to be growing as Garmin announced the upcoming release of its FR70 fitness watch, which can tracks users’ time, heart rate, calories burned and when combined with one of Garmin’s accessories even track pace and speed. The FR70 is available in both a men’s and women’s version.

“A lightweight, comfortable and stylish watch that helps users accomplish their goals is what the FR70 is all about,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Wear it as an every day time piece and keep it on during walks, runs or fitness routines to monitor these activities and progress.”

The device is meant for indoor and outdoor training, and at the heart of its success is FR70’s wireless ANT+ technology, which allows FR70 to connect to other ANT+ compatible devices, such as the included heart rate monitor, optional foot pod, speed and cadence sensor or even ANT+ compatible fitness equipment like treadmills, spin bikes, elliptical trainers and more. Continue reading Garmin To Watch Your Fitness

Garmin Enters ANT+ Community with Garmin Fit App, Adapter

Garmin excels in the sports and fitness category with devices that track distance, speed, heart rate and other measures of a workout. Now it’s come to market with an ANT+ adapter for the iPhone, and companion app on iPhone and Android devices. We hope the Android adapter will soon follow so we can track our workouts on our device of choice.

The Garmin Fit app lets users track metrics such as speed, pace, distance, time, calories, heart rate and cadence. Some of these metrics require connectivity to devices beyond the phone. Cadence and heart rate, for instance, require a pod on the bike and chest strap, respectively. These are measured with companion Garmin devices, and sent wirelessly via the ANT+ adapter to the iPhone. Continue reading Garmin Enters ANT+ Community with Garmin Fit App, Adapter

Medical ID Bracelet Goes High Tech

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Medical ID bracelets are an old brand of jewelry. For years bracelets existed for seniors or someone with a condition, to assist first responders when they arrive on the scene of an emergency and find the victim unconscious. In recent years we’ve seen a push for ID bracelets designed for athletes – specifically designed for those people whose activity or training program often takes them hours and miles away from home. Now there is a new ID bracelet that not only provides your invaluable medical information for first responders, but also allows you to travel cash-free. Nathan Performance Gear and VITAband have teamed up in a long-term partnership to bring the Nathan VITAband to the masses. The Nathan VITAband is the first ID bracelet that combines the information needed by first responders and a debit card all electronically on your wrist.

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Stick it to the Cold with Joshua Tree

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, cyclists and runners who still want to get outside to ride or run are always looking for ways to keep warm. Shorts have given way to tights to keep the legs warm, but there might be a base layer that you are missing – embrocation. If you are not familiar with this product, embrocation is a cream that is rubbed onto skin, particularly the legs, before going outside for a sports activity. This cream has a warming sensation that promotes the blood circulation to the extremities, which in turn keeps you feeling warmer and helps stave off the mental toll on your workout due to the cold temperatures.

There are quite a few companies making embrocation, but they all come in a cream form that needs to be applied using your hands and fingers. This is not a big deal until you rub your eyes without washing your hands or having worn gloves, just like rubbing your eyes after cutting a hot pepper, they will burn.

The Joshua Tree Skin Care of Pinckney, Michigan has announced the release of a new line of embrocation in a stick form. Similar to a deodorant stick, this new line of organic embrocation should be easier and safer to apply. This new line of embrocation has three levels of ’heat’, referring to how hot your skin will feel – similar to the feeling of being in the sun for an extended period of time.

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