UnderArmour World Premiere Party

Chicago runners are crazy. Seriously, how sane are you when you go running at midnight, in January, in single-digit temperatures? Why you may ask would you do this? Well, because Fleet Feet was hosting the world premiere launch party of UnderArmour's new line of running shoes at their Piper's Alley store.

I wasn't sure how many people would be crazy like me. I was pleasantly suprised to see 250 people there last night to go for a 3-5 mile run, to try on a new pair of UnderArmour shoes, and get some free stuff including pizza and beer. It's been such a tough winter here so I'm sure many people, like myself, appreciate incentives to get out running in this weather.

I met up with a few friends at the store beforehand. I didn't actually get to test a new pair of UA shoes for the run, because there was a limit to those shoes going out and they went quickly. The run was actually pretty nice. A little breezy going north, and the route was very slippery, but Erik and I went 4 miles. It was my first time out in about a week because of the temps, and it felt suprisingly good as we kept up a nice pace.

After we returned to the store, I got some pizza and beer and tried on the UnderArmour Revenant and took them for a quick jog on the treadmill. Here's my brief review from the 5 minutes I wore them:

A really nice comfortable snug fit, also very light and flexible. There is a lot of mesh, which makes it seem extra light and breezy. Would probably be great in the summer, but this would concern me in the Chicago winter. It seems like your feet would get cold pretty easily especially in single digit temps and if you have to jump through slush and puddles (which is about 4 months of the running year in Chicago) you would suffer with some very wet feet and socks. Also, there are a couple plastic-like pieces on top of the shoe around midfoot that seem to rub against your feet while running. They seemed like they could lead to blisters. A really comfortable wear though. I think I would prefer it as a street shoe in summer and I'll stick with my Nike Structure Triax for running.

The free UA "Athletes Run" t-shirt I received for trying on the shoes is really nice, and I will wear mine proudly. Thanks to Fleet Feet Chicago and UnderArmour for putting on the event. I love living in Chicago. Where else could I do a crazy thing like going running at midnight in January with a group of 250 other people?

Long Time, No See

We're in the midst of one of the coldest winters in recent Chicago history, and it's only mid-January. The weather has not been good for running. With all the travelling for the holidays, cold weather and not having a race on the calendar for many months, I haven't been motivated to go out more than once or twice a week. I started to get things back on track early this week, but I caught a cold and we're going to be in sub-zero temps for the next 3 days. Time to hit the gym for a few days and stay indoors.

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I ran my first marathon in Arizona. I wish we could head out there this weekend and escape the cold.

I spent some time tonight looking at upcoming races this year and that will definitely help me get motivated. Sadly, there arent really any races until April, so I need to find a way to get through the next 3 months. There are several new races in Chicago this summer and fall, including a couple new half-marathons, so that's something to get excited about. Anything to get motivated to get through the next couple months is a good thing now.