I received Brooks products(Brooks Ghost 11 and Brooks Canopy jacket) as part of being a Bibrave Pro. Learn more about becoming a Bibrave Pro(ambassador), and check out Bibrave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!
The Brooks brand is well-known throughout the running community, whether you have used them or not, is a personal preference. I personally have loved Brooks since I stumbled upon them when I first started running. When I began running, I was clueless to the idea of running shoes. I was running in some Nike Shox and was having severe shin splits. I started doing my research and had a gait analysis done at a running expo for which Brooks was sponsor. After that day, I bought my first pair of Brooks and haven’t looked back since. Needless to say, I was all smiles when I saw Brooks gear in our swag bag from The Running Event. I was given a pair of Brooks Ghost 11 and a Brooks Canopy running jacket.
BROOKS CANOPY JACKET(Nightlife)
· Wind and Water Protection(breathable wind and water-resistant fabric keeps you dry)
· Storable Hood
· DriLayer Seal Fabric(lets air in, keeps rain out)
· Packs into its left-hand pocket
I love this jacket! Not only does it keep you warm on those crisp mornings/evenings, it is water-resistant. The water-resistant aspect is what I have been lacking with other jackets I have tried. Others brands I have tried have either been too light, thus not keeping you warm, or not breathable, thus you are sweating heavily because no air can get in. This Canopy jacket merges both worlds together perfectly. Extra benefit with the Nighlife color I received, is it has the neon yellow accents as well as built in reflective areas so you can easily be seen at night and pre-dawn. I took this jacket out for several runs and loved that it wasn’t too heavy, as well as, the option to use the hood or snap it back. The last and probably one of my favorite features is it is packable. That’s right, the whole jacket can pack right inside the left hand pocket, zip up, and has a nice band you can use to attach to your arm. I was able to put this to the test during one of my recent long runs. The temps were in the high 30s when I started out but pushed its way into the mid 40s halfway through my run. I was able to take off the jacket, pack it into the pocket and continue my run without having to worry about the hassle of securing the jacket around my waist. 
BROOKS GHOST 11
I mentioned earlier that Brooks was one of my favorite brands, well their Brooks Ghost are one of my favorite shoes. In all I think I have had at least 3 or 4 pairs of Ghost, dating back to the Ghost 8.
· Balanced, Soft Cushioning
· Segmented Crash Pad, so no matter how your foot lands, you get a smooth ride
· Soft, Secure Fit
I always have high expectations whenever the new Ghosts drop, and these didn’t disappoint. I had been waiting to buy a pair, but thanks to the generosity of Brooks, I didn’t have too with their inclusion in our swag bag. The Ghost are considered a Neutral running shoe, and that is what seems to work best for me. I felt the same cushioned ride during my runs as I got in the previous versions of Brooks Ghost, with the added feature of DNA Loft softness and BioMoGo DNA responsiveness. These 2 technologies work together to provide a just-right softness underfoot without losing responsiveness and durability. The shoes are not too hard or soft, they fit somewhere in between and when you are running they feel a bit lighter. I could definitely feel the difference in the responsiveness in the shoe on the foot strike, it almost felt like it was bouncing back. This benefit is especially valuable as the miles start adding up during a run. The stretch fabric used to construct these beauties is breathable, so you don’t have to worry about your feet sweating as much.
RECCOMENDATON
Yes and Yes, to both products. I feel like the canopy jacket is a no-brainer, good jackets are hard to find and this once checks all the boxes for me. I also really love the Brooks Ghost 11, but if you require a shoe with more “support” this may not work for you. I know Brooks also makes a support shoe that will check the boxes for you, like the Ravenna or Adrenaline.
Full disclosure, I have never been a fan of compression socks. I have always ran with compression sleeves, part of reason is probably because I like certain socks and sleeves still allow for some freedom with your sock color, etc. Nevertheless, I wanted to give this trail socks their fair shot. We were given the yellow color so they pretty much will go with any color. I headed out on one of NC’s 30 degree mornings to give them a try. At first they felt strange on my legs, mind you I told you I have never been a compression sock wearer. I was doing a 10 plus mile run, so it should give me plenty of miles to see how the socks perform. Halfway through my run, my legs still felt fresh and no signs of fatigue. One slight issue I noticed around mile 8 was my left leg began to get numb. This has only happened one other time and that was when I was wearing some sleeves that were a size too small. I don’t know if my left calf muscle is slightly larger than my right, but once I stopped and rolled down the sock, the numbness went away and I finished the run.
Nuun, as a brand, speaks for itself but if I can help persuade anyone to try it for the first time…I WILL. Nuun is great and does not contain many calories. Give it a try. Do me a favor and try ginger lemonade in hot water, and let me know what you think. I look forward to reading the comments after you do.
So how does incrediwear work? To start with, incrediwear does not need compression to work. How so you may ask? Incrediwear uses technology that incorporates semiconductor elements within its fabric, which when it is stimulated by body heat, releases negative ions. Those negative ions activate molecular vibrations that increase blood flow and speed. Increasing circulation helps bring more oxygen and nutrients to the target area, which optimizes the body’s natural healing process and accelerates recovery. A few benefits of increased blood circulation is reduced swelling, reduced fatigue and accelerated recovery.
From the moment I put on the socks, I felt comfort. They kind of gave my feet a big hug but I it didn’t feel like compression at all. I have tried a few other brands of socks and have been quite fawn of one in particular, but I will say the incrediwear socks are as comfy if not more comfortable than my usual brand. I wore the socks on a few runs and the performance was exceptional. My feet were not tired or numb at the end of runs, like they are sometimes with other brands. Not only were they good for running but I also wore a pair to work on casual day and I could really tell the difference. I almost wanted to lose my shoes and walk around the office in my socks, but that wouldn’t be very professional. Lol
The Bibrave Pros were required to meet at 8:15-8:28(depending on who you ask
First up was the product brand Arcanum. I admit I had never heard of the company, but they utilize activated hemp to assist in performance and recovery. I know what you might be thinking, but it is clinically tested and you won’t test positive if you took a drug test.
Next brand up was Handful. Handful makes sports bras and clothing for the ladies, so nothing for the fellas to test out. The owner was on-hand but apparently lost her voice at some point, so her best friend was doing the talking for her. It was amazing to hear about how she just could never find the right bra, and within a few weeks had already created her first prototype. The lady Pros all had great things to say about the clothing, a lot of them were even wearing them. Bibrave co-founder, Jessica gave a testimonial that Handful bras are the only type of bra she wears now. The owner was even nice enough to demonstrate their newest product, “Flippin Awesome Scoop Tank”. It is a reversible top that can show scoop in front or show off your back. We were told a great story about how Handful began work with The Scar Project, collection of breast cancer survivors showing off their scars and how Handful bras how helped women’s self esteem.
We visited the booth for Vuori clothing next. This was another brand that I had not previously heard about. Vuori means mountain and the representative explained how the brand was born on the west coast in California. The began as men clothing line but has since began making women’s clothing as well. The shorts and pants feel AMAZING, and I can’t wait to post my view about the shorts we received in our bag.
The bags that all I swag was in, was a Vooray bag so we were all excited to visit their booth. Vooray makes high quality bags at not so high prices. Matter of fact, the rep informed us that every one of their bags are under $100. If you feel the quality of their bags, I guarantee you wouldn’t believe it was under $100. Bags were made to hold everything from yoga gear to laptops. They showed us some new bags that due to debut in the Spring and some of the Pros even gave input of some things they thought would help enhance their bags even more, like reflective material. Still fairly new but we were informed that Vooray products are starting to be sold everywhere. I was even surprised to hear that a couple stores in my city would be carrying them soon. Before we left, the rep gave everyone Vooray hip pouches.
Altra was next, and I can honestly say these representatives were probably the most passionate about their product out of everyone. I personally had never owned a pair of Altra before so I was excited when we were given a pair of the Escalante 1.5 in our bag. I wore them for the first time during our group run early Friday morning before coming to The Running Event. The representatives explained that all Altra shoes how a low to zero drop and also the toe box is made wider than other running shoes. I idea behind the wider toe box, is that if your toes are wider, you have increase stability. They went through most of the different shoes in their line-up and demonstrated how each differed from the other. We were also given sneak peak of some of the limited edition Altra coming in 2019. They do a limited edition shoe for each of the world majors, and had the Tokyo shoe from 2018 to show us. Looking forward to more test runs in these.
I won’t deny it, Brooks has been my favorite running shoe for years so I was extremely happy when we received a pair of Brooks Ghost 11 in our swag bag. I had been eyeing these shoes but never pulled the trigger to purchase any. Brooks probably had the largest booth setup of any other brand we visited, with a wall displaying all their different models. The representative let us in of the new technology that is being used in Brooks shoes called DNA technology. When the foot strikes the road, the energy transfer back into the feet instead of the opposite, so it provides you will some bounce back for each foot strike. I bought a pair of Leviate 2 earlier in the year so I was familiar with it, and you can def tell the difference when you are running.
It is my understanding that this is the 2.0 version of the product, the first version was made of cotton. This version greets you with plush microfiber to make it even softer. In addition to the change in material, the 2.0 version also made the belt PU coated the belt to make it look cleaner. You can definitely feel the difference in softness the first time you rub your hand across the towel.
Have you ever beast mode your run/workout and was just too sweaty to ride home? Went to the beach and enjoyed the ocean water? With the Orange Mud Seat Cover and Changing Towel, you don’t have to worry about stopping at some gas station to change your clothes, instead you can do it on the spot. The Orange Mud Seat Cover and Changing Towel comes equipped with an adjustable belt and secure clip. That means you can wrap the towel around you, and securely undress yourself without any fear of there being a full moon. I used this feature several times after my track workouts and I knew I had to make a few stops before heading home. None of the others at the track was the wiser as I quickly changed out of my sweaty cloths, all under the cover of my changing towel.
The Orange Mud seat cover and changing towel comes with a zippered section that when zipped can go right over the headrest in your car, converting it to a seat cover. No time to change, no sweat (pun intended), convert the towel into a handy seat cover and be on your way. This year’s summer felt like one of the hottest in a long time, couple that with the high humidity and it made for endless super sweaty returns from long runs. I got my new car in July so I was super nervous about getting it all stinky after runs but Orange Mud cleared that issue right up. The towel successfully kept the sweat locked in and never transferred to my new seats. Once the towel gets to funky, you can simply toss it in the wash with the rest of your running attire.
The young lady working said “I don’t know why its taking him so long”. She said he had been working there 25 years and knew everything about everything. A few minutes later, she says to me ” I know what he is doing”…I think he is trying to upgrade you”. I responded “really?”. A few minutes later he drives up in a Mercedes GLA hybrid. He jumps out and looks at me and says “will this work”. I had never driven a Mercedes so I was kind of excited. He didn’t have to do that for me, so I thanked him several times before driving off. I would tell you how I had to read the manual to find out how to adjust the seats but my learning of that car would take up several paragraphs. lol
I left rental place and drove straight to the expo for the race. After I successfully parked using the backup camera, I made myself inside to the packet pickup. They had a designated area for runners to the Re-Run challenge to get both their bibs. I walked up and provided the lady my bib number. She started shifting through bibs and couldn’t find mine. She advised me that they had several stacks of bibs that had not been sorted yet, so she began to go through stack by stack, still she couldn’t find my bib. She asked the guy working with her for help, and he started going through the stacks. STILL NOTHING. By this time a line is starting to form and another lady had came up for her bib, and they couldn’t find hers. After about 10 minutes of them searching, they sent me down to another table to get a new bib assignment. Im honestly beginning to get upset. I go to the table and explain to them the situation. Lady says that she couldn’t reassign me a another number if I already had one in the system. She said she would walk down and look through the bibs herself. After about 5 minutes of looking, she finds my bib in the same stack the previous 2 individual had been looking. I thanked her and headed over to VIP to pick up my band. As I was walking a looked at my bibs…the first one was right but the 2nd bib had a totally different name. Frustrated, I walked back to the same lady that had just helped me and showed her. Her response was “I don’t know what is going on with them”. She walks over and tells a coordinator what’s going on, then she goes to the 5k area to see if my correct bib was there….IT WAS. After finally getting my bibs and VIP bracelet, I went for the swag. Last year swag consisted of pajama bottoms and a beach towel, this year they had duffle bags and performance shirts celebrating the race’s 45th anniversary. I collected my goods and decided to walk around the expo to see what free stuff I could grab. My favorite booth was the taste testing of the beef and wine tasting, both were great. I stayed about an hour before heading to my friend’s house to prepare for the next day’s 5k.
About 9pm thursday night, I receive an email from race organizers saying they were going to move Friday night’s 5k to saturday morning because of the weather. The forecast was causing for 90 degree weather at 7pm Friday night, with high humidity. Rather that subject runners to potential dangerous conditions, the decided to move the race. I appreciate them letting us know well in advance, although I was disappointed. By moving the race, they pretty much put an end to any runner that was trying to do the Re-Run challenge because now the 5k and half marathon were starting at the same time, so no way you to do both. They said that we could still receive all three medals after the half and we would get a voucher to move our registration for the 5k to 2019. I don’t like getting medals I didn’t earn so I got up Friday morning and did my own 5k. I went out at 6:30 and it was already extremely hot and humid. I think they made a good call moving the 5k to the next morning.
In spite of the hills, their was beautiful views to see as we ran through KC, past the hospital and through several neighborhoods before ultimately finishing downtown. The final mile of the race was downhill, and you could try to take advantage IF you had anything left in the tank after the hills. I had a little bit and was able to finish in a respectable time. I checked my watch and saw that we had run course with 975ft if elevation. My course graph looked like a heart beat signal. lol
TMilesAndRunning 