Disclaimer:  I received the 2XU HYOPTIK Thermal Compression Tights to review 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. 
 
After much ado in the shipping process, I finally received these 2XU tights right at the beginning of the month. Since I was tapering for my full marathon at the beginning of the month, I held off trying these tights until my race was over. I have heard a lot of talk amongst runners in the past year or so about what compression does and have been curious myself. Compression is supposed to help with keeping your muscles in place, increase blood flow, reducing muscle soreness and reducing recovery time. I was excited to give these tights a try myself.

I have a pair of winter running tights of a generic brand that I bought a while back to simply keep my legs warm while running in cooler temps. They sometimes take some extra effort to put on or take off, because well, they’re tights. The 2XU were even a little more difficult to put on and take off, mainly due to them being compression. Once I slipped them on, they really felt comfortable. The material is extremely soft and fit my body well (I worry about the size of my calves in tights sometimes). I also immediately could tell that these were thermal and were made to keep my body warm.

Now, I must admit a mistake I made when ordering these. I had the option between the full-length tights or the ¾ length tights. Since I already had full-length tights and had never tried ¾ length, I opted for the later just for the sake of trying something different. Once I received the 2XU tights, I kind of thought how silly it was to have ¾ length tights that were thermal. As in, isn’t the point of thermal tights to keep you warmer than just plain-old tights? Yet these are ¾ length, meaning a portion of my legs will be uncovered and exposed to the elements? I know this was my mistake, since I was the one who chose these, but I couldn’t help wish I had opted for the full-length. Because of my shorter tights, I decided I had to save these for a run in weather that was a little more mild. I wore these out on a 30 degree day and they were perfect.

The 2XU Hyoptik tights stayed in place—they didn’t slide around near my hip or need adjusting like some of my shorts or other tights. I found myself forgetting I had tights on—I almost felt like I was only wearing shorts! Another feature that the Hyoptik line boasts is the reflective graphics up and down both legs to help other runners/bikers/cars see you after dark. Though I didn’t run with these at night, it was immediately apparent they would stick out if a light was shined on them!
​
The bottom line: I really am happy with the 2XU Hyoptik tights! Since my pair is ¾ length, I forsee myself getting a lot more use out of them on some of the days where the weather is still too cool for shorts, but too warm to wear full-length tights. The brand has a great reputation with some of my friends and fellow BibRave Pros and I’ve heard their products last forever. On the pricey side, they are a little more of an investment, but I would certainly recommend them to anyone specifically in a cooler climate!

Disclaimer:  I received the XX2i Optics Polarized Sunglasses to review as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews. 
 
As a BibRave Pro, I get the chance to test out a bunch of gear. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing some product reviews on my blog occasionally. Even though I receive the gear at no cost, I still promise to give you my honest opinion, no matter what.

A few weeks ago I received the XX2i Optics Polarized Sunglasses! This was definitely an item I was excited to receive! I’m someone who (obviously) spends a lot of time out in the sun in summer and after losing a parent to skin cancer, I tend to be really cognizant of the harmful effects that sun can cause to our bodies. People tend to immediately think of sunscreen, but often forget about their eyes. When I run, I tend to wear cheap sunglasses that I picked up for free at a race expo or something of the sort. My attitude has always been that I wanted something that did the job of blocking the sun, but I wouldn’t be upset if I lost or broke them. I’ve tried on a couple pairs of running sunglasses in the past year or so and still unsure if I wanted to make the investment. The XX2i Optics Polarized Sunglasses ended up proving to me that this is a gear item I’ve needed more than I realized!

Disclaimer:  I received the Buff Thermal Hoodie to review as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews. 

As many of you know, I’m a huge Disney fan and regularly participate in runDisney races. Every winter I find myself having to run in some of the coldest weather Chicago has to offer. This year was no different- I had the Walt Disney World Marathon the first week in January, which meant I was running all the way through the New Year holiday week. It was cold! Luckily, I’m no stranger to the cold. I run with thermal tights and warm pullovers (often layered). Normally I also run with a baseball hat (because I’m cool like that), but that just doesn’t cut it in the colder weather.

Back in November I completed the runDisney Avengers Half Marathon in Disneyland, California. I have been meaning to get around to review this race, and here it is! You can also see my review on BibRave.com, the go-to place to read and submit reviews about races all over the country. See my review here.
This was a really fun race! This race is themed around Marvel’s Avengers (of course) and the whole weekend stays true to that theme. If you’re a fan of Marvel Super Heroes, this is your race.
The communication leading up to the race was a little brief, but I felt like they keep it pretty simple. I was informed about the important deadlines (submitting a qualifying time, booking a hotel room using their block, etc.) and where and when I needed to pick up my race packet. I need to note that I was really felt like they could have communicated better about where to park, and how to get there, since there was so many road closures in the area. I also was a little disappointed about having to pay the $18 fee to park that they normally charge theme park guests, since we’d be done running before the theme parks even opened for the day. I felt like they could have at least offered discounted rates to runners, especially when paying so much for the race entry fee.
The Expo was nice and they had lots of signage guiding you to get each of the items you had to pick up (waiver, bib, shirt, etc.). The Expo offered the usual types of vendors who were selling every and any racing-related item you can think of. I saw they were also offering a free speaker series throughout the weekend as well.
Getting to the start line from parking was a little confusing, as there was pretty limited signage directing runners. Once I found my way to the gear check area, though, it was easy! Gear check was super fast and simple (you must use their provided clear bags) both before and after the race. The start corrals are very clearly indicated and organized. runDisney does allow runners to go back to a slower corral if they’d like to join friends (no moving up, though). I enjoyed the pre-race entertainment and commentary from the announcers!
The race kicks off and heads right into Disney California Adventure and there are many MarathonFoto photographers to take your picture in front of some of the park’s attractions. The course then heads into Disneyland Park and offers photo ops with the Marvel characters as well as more MarathonFoto photographers. After leaving the theme parks, you find yourself on the streets of Anaheim. The course is clearly marked and the corners provide ample space. Eventually you’ll find yourself in Anaheim Angel Stadium! This was really cool to run the field around the baseball diamond! Lots of cheers and energy! After the stadium, the course follows alongside one of the aqua ducts, which was, in my opinion, the worst part of the course. The aqua ducts are (obviously) dry due to the drought, so all you see is the sand. It just felt dirty and run-down. Perhaps there’s an alternate route they could use to eliminate this eye-sore part. Eventually the course makes one more pass through the parks in into the backstage area, finally finishing near the start line. The finish line was energetic and really fun!
Worth noting, I found the aid stations to be rather small. There were maybe 5-6 volunteers at each station. I felt like a race of this size (~11k) should have larger aid stations to meet the needs of the runners quicker.
The medal was the coolest part! It was the “A” for Avengers and it spun within the medal itself! I’d easily say this is the coolest medal I’ve ever earned! The finish chute area includes all the post-race refueling standards.
Overall, I really enjoyed this race. The course is very fast and I enjoyed running through the theme parks and Angel Stadium. If they were to fix the aqua duct portion, this race would be even better. I would definitely run this race again. If you have interest in any runDisney race, I encourage you to closely monitor their website. Registration typically occurs roughly 9 months before the race date and historically sells out the same day it opens.