Jog On...

Distance S IV Tech Specs COLOUR - White / Orange/ Yellow / Red WEIGHT - 204 g HEEL-TO-TOE DROP - 2.0mm INTENDED TESTING - Free run, sprint session, long runs SURFACE TESTED - Treadmill, Track & Road Thank you to the team at Newton for sending me a pair of Newton Distance S to test out and report back on how I got on. I moved to Newton stability running trainers back in 2012 and haven't looked back, I used to have big problems with my calf muscles but Newtons have really helped with sorting this problem. I said this in my last review but these trainers are great and they keep getting better, a better fit, better stability feel and they look great, Newton are always bringing out bright coloured trainers so you always get noticed. They are also reflective so its the little things that help you get seen at night when running in the late evenings. They are very quick to dry to so even if you wear them in the rain they will be dry for your next session, which helps a...

The nice chaps at RunBreeze have sent me some kit to test out and I couldn't wait to get it on and give it a go. The items I was received were: Runderwear - Mens Support Briefs Anti Blister Socks I've always been skeptical about running in pants/briefs as comfort is really important to me when out on long runs (It should be to every runner) and the less chance of irritation the better. There is nothing worse than hitting mile 10 and finding out your got sore areas in your crutch and the worse news is you've got another 10 miles to get home. There is nothing worse than finding your favorite/lucky/fastest pair of running shorts with NETTING inside... thats never going to be comfortable on those long runs. As soon as you take the underwear out of the box they look great, the design is really unique and the guys have really taken running briefs to the next level. The first feel of the runderwear in your hands you know a lot of though has gone into the design an...

The nice people at USN sent me some of there new energy bars to try out and they tasted great. Just lie the other sporting products produced by USN. First thoughts are does it fit in my cycle bento box and second how does it taste and third how hard is it to open on the run/bike. You can quite comfortable fit in three bars in the bento box and there is still room for gels which is great, my taste test is does it taste like an energy bar, and does it look like a energy bar, both answers "NO" there is no chemical taste or over sweet so its easy to digest and swallow without the need to gag or drink half of your hydration to get the bar down. I did find the bars a little sticky but nothing to worry about. All in all a great bar to have on the go and something that can be eaten pre and during workout. Its not to heavy on the stomach and it wont repeat on you while training. The Energy bar comes in two options Honey, Seeds & Nuts and the other is Protein, Seeds ...

I've been lucky enough to be sent some lovely new thick yogurts from Danone to test out and report back. I do eat a lot of yogurts, everything from the very healthy ones to assist with a calories controlled diets to calorific ones for a special treat. I tend to buy certain yogurts and everything comes down to taste but I'm always ready to give all foods a try. I tested all the 6 flavors available in my local supermarket, these included cherry, strawberry, blueberry, peach, raspberry and passion fruit. My favorite had to be cherry, it tasted great and as all the yogurts have no artificial sweeteners, flavors or preservatives it actually tasted like really cherries. The yogurts are like your normal thin flavored yogurts, the Danio pots are full of thick 100% natural yogurt on the top and the fruit at the bottom. I liked mixing the fruit up with the yogurt and making a mess so you have a lovely taste of the yogurt and the fruit all in one hit. I wasn't to keen on t...

Once again the nice people at Compressport UK have sent me some more kit to test out and on first looks the kit looks amazing. I couldn't wait to test it out even though the weather has been so poor in the UK. As a triathlete I was really looking forward to using the first compression specific triathlon race kit on the market and as the previous product released by Compressport this had high standards to reach. I'm happy to say its another amazing piece of kit released by them. Triathlon Shorts Just like bib shorts, bit so much better than bib shorts.. I currently use the quad compression supplied by CS and I can only say how good they are and when I found out that same technology was going to be used in there shorts I couldn't wait to test them. I've used the shorts on the bike on the turbo most of the winter and they are unbelievably comfortable. There isn't to much padding on the rear of the shorts so there is no uncomfortab...

Do you find yourself carrying a massive see through box into transition with all your triathlon gear, some stuff you always use some stuff you never use. Do you try and balance it on your handle bars while pushing your bike and keeping it all balanced.. one small move and it all crashed on the floor.. well I know I've been there so I was looking for something to make that journey to transition that little bit easier! Look no further, I have the answer and it comes in the shape of the Amphibia X-Bag! A very nice gentleman at Amphibia Sport sent me one of there X Bags to try out and I can only complement this piece of kit. First impressions are how good this bag looks, it is an attractive looking messenger bag, it comes in 2 colours and both have a lovely finish. As soon as you put it over your shoulder, its a cracking fit, there is no uncomfortable-ness on the strap as it has a strap protect so you can move it to fit your size, this also included the length of the strapp...

Again the lovely guys at GU have sent me some GU Brew electrolyte drink tablets to try out and report back. I have been using a variety electrolyte tablets for some time and a it was great to hear that the GU have released a product on the market. If they compete on a high level like the gels then they will be a brilliant product. As an athlete I tend to drink a lot of water before, during and after training and racing to keep your hydrated long enough to reach your intended goal. But what about replacing the other items you lose through sweat? Sodium, Carbohydrates and Potassium. Well Gu Brew tops you up back up to make you feel normal again. You simple drop a tablet into 500ml of water and drink away. Its that simple! I was using GU Brew before sessions and after to rehydrate, You can also use it as part of your training session, but I didn't. GU Brew comes in a two of flavours, orange and lemon lime, and I was lucky enough to get to try out the orange flavour. It...

  The lovely people at GU sent me some samples of the delicious energy gels to try out, and I must say they tasted lovely and definitely do the job. When I first read the flavours I was slightly concerned that they may be hard to swallow and digest but they are far from it.   The flavours I tested were: Tri Berry Lemon Sublime Jet Blackberry Strawberry Banana Vanilla Bean Chocolate Outrage These don't sound like your average sports gels flavours, but I can confirm they definitely work on all levels, flavourings and taste, easy of use and most importantly instant energy. My favourite flavour of the test was the chocolate one, it was brilliant, it went down so easy, no need for water for help swallow, it was brilliant to change the favouring on your palette from the sport drink you have been using all session. Also another benefit of the chocolate flavour was that it has caffeine in it so this also gave me that additional boost to kick on durin...

The lovely people at CompressportUK  have sent me a pair of arm sleeves to try out and and review. Compressport keep on produced top quality products for all athletes and a must for the training essentials to keep you warm this triathlon season. As soon as you take them out of the box you can see how good the quality of these are, they are made with the athletes needs in mind. They are well fitted (They come in a number of sizes just like there other products) and are really easy to get in to. As soon as you have them on you can feel the 360 degree compression all the way from the grey band at the top of your arm, all the way to the wrist. I always worry about over heating while training, so I have tried to put on as less layers as possible, so when I got the arm sleeves I was worried that I was going to sweat more, this meaning that I'd have to take on more liquid for my training. This is NOT the case with these, the thermo technology that goes into the arm sleeves is...

  Thanks to Tom at S&X Media for the pair New Balance 573 off road trainers. This has been my first pair of off road shoes and all I can say is how surprised how light, comfortable, and water proof these trainers have been. When I think of off road shoes, my first thoughts are bulky, heavy, dull, boring, Wellington boot like.. these New Balance 573 are far from it.. they are an amazing off road pair of shoes.   I have used the trainers in cross country and off road half marathon races and they have performed on all levels, to a great standard. My feet stayed dry for the whole race, and I ran through some streams, bogs and ditches and the trainers repelled the mud and water and any surface water left on the shoe soon dispersed. The grip on the shoe is brilliant, I had plenty of traction throughout the race and even in the deep mud, and excess mud on the sole very quickly came off so I could climb hills with ease. The trainers looks great, the yellow and grey detail st...

  If you haven't purchased any compression gear this year, then look no further than Compressport UK, they are the only compression gear you need. Thank you Tim at Compressport for sending me some compression calf guards and some quad recovery to assist me with my sporting events most important the recovery of these races. I have been given the ultra silicon (US) compression calf guards and I have used them for both racing and recovery. The US have little silicon beads just above the lower grey band to help with the stress repartition on the base of the leg (when running). You feel the compression 360 degrees around the calf, there are no panels of material that are stitched together so you don't feel and uncomfortable seem digging into your muscles while you train/race/recover. There isn't compression on the grey cuffs these are purely for comfort and they aren't to tight which stops the blood flowing to your foot which could make them swell and make it really uncom...