Monday, November 30, 2015

Review-Saucony EVERUN Triumph ISO 2: "Premium" Doesn't Have to Mean Heavy and Clunky. Great Update!


The Saucony Triumph 1SO 2 $150 sits at the top of Saucony's line as its premium neutral trainer. Considerably lighter at 10.2 oz than many of its competitors in the premium and super cushioned category shoes such as the Brooks Ghost (review)  or Glycerin , Asics Nimbus,  Skechers GoRun Ultra Road (review)  or adidas Ultra Boost (review), this plush near maximalist shoe with 31mm heel/23mm forefoot stack has rapidly become one of our favorite every day training shoes.
Having now run both models, and even one on each foot, the ISO 2 is a significantly better shoe for me than the fairly harsh landing ISO 1 (review)  Incredibly smooth running and comfortable, decently flexible for the stack and light enough, the ISO 2 incorporates several major changes and a new midsole material Everun. Finalist for my Road Trainer of the Year.


Everun in the Midsole
The PowerGrid+ heel landing wedge is replaced by EVERUN  a TPU based, bouncy and soft material very similar to adidas Boost. As it is embedded in relatively firm EVA, the heel is stable. TPU is more temperature stable so the shoe should run more consistently in terms of feel than pure EVA in colder and warmer temperatures. Also the EVERUN will tend to break down more slowly at the heel impact area than EVA.

Below the sockliner, but above the firm "structural board", is a full length thin layer of the same EVERUN. Not sure how much effect it has but landings and takeoffs are comfortable and smoothly cushioned from heel to toe.

Midsole
The midsole shape is less scalloped, no longer has has a "pod" construction on the lateral side and has more vertical side walls particularly on the medial side.
s
Saucony Triumph  Lateral Side: Left ISO 1  Right ISO 2

Saucony Triumph  Medial Side: Left ISO 2  Right ISO 1

Outsole
The outsole replaces the very thick firm pods of the ISO 1 with chevron patterned outsole materials  that are somewhat thinner in the heel but with still plenty of wear thickness.  The ride is smoother, the flex extends further back, something I like. The somewhat jarring landing on all that firm thick outsole without Everun in the ISO 1 is gone.

Firm pods and thick firm heel outsole material is replaced by chevrons. Flexibility and smoothness is improved over ISO 1.
Saucony Triumph  Left  ISO 1 Right ISO 2

ISO Fit Upper
The ISO 2 fit me true to size. The upper fit is improved with the ISO Fit bands in the ISO 2 made of a somewhat more flexible material  and the last band by the toe replaced by an overlay.
Saucony Triumph Left ISO 2 Right ISO 1


The tongue is more heavily padded.  The achilles area of the heel hold eliminates the high stiff heel counter and tight achilles hold of ISO 1 with a lower softer, more padded collar, a welcome change and super comfortable and well held   The overall effect is more comfort overall, a more natural feeling heel hold,  less snug over the top of the foot and more flexible overall. A great fitting shoe.

Saucony Triumph: LEFT ISO 2 green wedge is Everun ,RIGHT  ISO 1 orange midsole color is cosmetic PowerGrid+ was embedded 


Ride, Comparisons and Recommendations
I was quite frankly surprised by how much more I liked the ISO 2 than the original ISO 1.  It is very well cushioned, decently responsive with a long smooth flex yet is also light enough. It is the kind of shoe I like for many of my miles. The addition of Everun TPU in place of Power Grid+ in the heel, the Everun layer underfoot, the chevron thinner outsole all combine for a well cushioned shoe with "no sharp edges" as I found in ISO 1 and also a shoe not so mushy as to be unstable and slow feeling. Truly an outstanding update.
To compare:
  • Somewhat firmer than the adidas Ultra Boost with a more stable forefoot
  • Somewhat firmer more stable  heel than the adidas Energy Boost and more cushioned upfront 
  • Smoother running than the Skechers Ultra Road at slower speeds due to the firm full outsole coverage of the ISO 2.
  • More flexible and lively than the Brooks Ghost
  • More road feel than the Hoka Clifton 2 without to much more road shock and with the better more conforming ISO Fit upper.
Recommendations
Not a speedster but a great shoe for daily road miles, a marathon, and even some tempo running. Highly Recommended. 

Score

4.85 out of 5
-0.10 for weight.  Extreme plushness of upper which may add weight?  Would love to see this shoe under 10oz as many well cushioned shoes can be.
-0.5 for price at $150. Yes. many shoes are up there in price, these days but a lower price would make this shoe more accessible.

Thomas and Meaghan at Believe in the Run agree with us, fantastic smooth shoe.  Their review here


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The Saucony EVERUN Triumph 1SO 2 is available from Running Warehouse

Men's here
Women's here

Use Road Trail Run Coupon Code RTR 10 to save 10%

Running Warehouse has free 2 Day Shipping and "No Sweat" Easy Returns!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Holiday Savings!



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Super Savings at our partner Running Warehouse!
Up to 25% Off Hydration
25% Off all Pearl Izumi
20% Off Salomon Footwear inclu. incredible S-Lab Wings now $144!
30% Off Select 2XU


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Great Holiday Deals to Get you Fit at Clever Training Garmin, TomTom... Click Here 


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Holiday Savings Daily Deals at Backcountry.com 
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Running Warehouse Shoe Specials!  Men's Click Here Women's Click Here
Incredible adidas Adios Boost racer reg. $140 now $98!



Using Road Trail Run Coupon Code: RTR10 should get you an additional 10% off
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Socks are a great gift! Get some of those incredible merino and carbon merino socks as well as "bespoke" run apparel we covered in our Gift Guide here
Ashmei Store here
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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

2015 Runner's Gift Guide and Mini Reviews: Winter Shoes, Apparel, Accessories-Warm, Dry, Safe and Visible

See Road Trail Run's regularly updated Holiday Savings Page here

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Winter Run & Hike Marvels

Since its winter and cold and wet in most places let's start the warm and dry theme with 2 shoe/boots that easily go from running to hiking when the weather is bad and the footing rough: The Hoka One One Tor Ultra High WP and Altra Running 's Lone Peak NeoShell

Altra Running Lone Peak NeoShell  $150 www.altrarunning.com
The Altra Running Lone Peak NeoShell  ($150) has been a big surprise. A do anything, go anywhere shoe. Take Altra's popular Lone Peak Zero Drop trail runner and outfit it with a Polartec waterproof, highly breathable NeoShell upper to create a bombproof shoulder season and winter runner, hiker, and everyday shoe.



Altra Running Lone Peak NeoShell Women's


The surprise the "hard shell" upper makes the NeoShell more stable on trails than the regular Lone Peak 2.5 with a far better hold of the foot in the wide and high FootShaped toe box. Altra tells us the midsole material is a bit softer than the regular version to accommodate for hardening in cold, very clever, and in fact an improvement for us in trail and road ride in temperate conditions as well over the normal Lone Peak 2.5. No snow or muck yet here in NH, but I have also found them outstanding as a road trail hybrid shoe with a very nice responsive cushion despite their fairly considerable weight of 11.9 oz.
In a subtle gray for the men's version  and a nice olive green for women they are suitable for every day puddle and snow bank dodging wear as well.

Available from Altra Running ($150) here
Purchases at Altra help support RoadTrailRun.

Hoka One One Tor Ultra High WP ( $230 www.hokaoneone.com )
Hoka One One takes their super cushioned platform, applies a Vibram outsole and a higher upper to create a fabulous option for the roughest runs in tough conditions.


Tested by Jeff Valliere in the early snows above Boulder he raved about them in his recent review for Road Trail Run here.

"Traction was amazing at all times, they scrambled well on rock, grabbed well in the snow, the ankle protection and support was welcome in the boulders and through the deadfall.  When it came time to run a fast pace once we hit maintained trails and the road, I forgot that I was wearing a shoe that resembles a boot and just felt like I was wearing any other Hoka.
The Tor is confidence inspiring at any speed, but shines on technical terrain, facilitated by the grippy Vibram outsole, cushioned and supportive RMAT midsole, secure upper and the added support the high collar gives.  For example, on a separate run, I pushed the Tor to paces in the sub 6 range for short periods and they performed quite well all things considered."





Bridging the gap between run shoe and boot, and while not insulated, the Tor is a great winter option for trail running, snowshoeing, scrambling, hiking, and navigating snow banks. 17oz men 9, $230.

The Tor is available from Backcountry.com here. Sales support Road Trail Run.


Visible and Safe

Pearl Izumi BioViz Apparel  www.pearlizumi.com

We are digging Pearl Izumi's BioViz apparel. Yes it is bright and striking, and that's good to keep you seen. You will be more visible day or night with Biologic Design, a scientifically based approach which strategically places high fluorescence fabrics (5X more visible than standard colors)  and highly reflective 3M materials to alert drivers that you are there, you are moving, and the shape is human.
The elements of BioMotion visibility are:
  • Tempo for the hips
  • Flicker lower body(legs) and arms. 
  • Pattern of colors on the garments to provide context and contrast
The fabrics are soft, light, and wind resistant. The women's Fly Sheet is quite form fitting. Both Fly jackets have soft pull out mitts to cover hands when needed. See our recent review of other Pearl Izumi apparel here


That 5X fluorescence of the fabric is so high we had a hard time taking a clear picture in sunlight!



Pearl Izumi Apparel is available from Running Warehouse
Men's here
Women's here

Use Coupon Code: RTR10 to save 10% at checkout on Pearl Izumi apparel

Running Warehouse has Free 2 Day Shipping and No Sweat easy returns.


IceSpike Traction www.icespike.com

The IceSpike Traction is $32.99 for 32 spikes and tool to insert and remove. There are a multitude of options for winter traction including pull on options such as Yaktraks and even humble 3/8" roofing screws. We really on North Slope of Alaska tested carbide screws. Very durable with great bite. They can be screwed into just about any running shoe in seconds using the precision tool.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal from www.icespike.com 
15% with Coupon CodeBLACKICE


Light The Way



Ultraspire Lumen 170 and 600 Waist Belts www.uttraspire.com $100 and $180




Ultraspire's high visibility and reflective Lumen belts have waist, mounted high powered lights and are a great option for being seen and seeing your way along roads and trails. Bonus they have 2 pockets, one large enough for an iPhone 6S. Available in 170  lumen and an incredibly powerful 600 lumen versions we marveled at their utility on both roads and trails. Our review here.


The Lumen 170 and 180 are available from Running Warehouse here
Free 2 Day Shipping and No Sweat easy Returns.
Purchases at Running Warehouse help support Road Trail Run.

Amphipod Xinglet Reflective Vest  $29.95 www.amphipod.com

Reflective high visibility vests and clothing are essential for winter night running, and really anytime. We like the Amphipod Xinglet as it is minimal, stretchy and very easy to adjust and put on. No more tangled mesh fabric struggle. 
Also available in versions with blinking LED lights front and back, narrower straps, and with a pocket.






Shop for Amphipod Xinglets at Running Warehouse Here


How to Tote that Phone and Lots More

FlipBelt ($28.99 www.flipbelt.com)


A great stocking stuffer!  FlipBelt is as simple as can be. A stretch Micropoly Lyrca fabric tube you step into with slits to insert whatever you want to carry: phone, keys, ID, gels, etc... No buckles to rub, easy to move items inside the tube to get them in the best position. We even  carried a 7 oz Salomon soft flask with our iPhone 6 and could have carried 2 with room to spare and with no bounce. Not only a great run accessory but a discreet travel belt that can be worn under clothing. We only wish they put tabs or color on the openings to make them easier to find and to open. 

Available from FlipBelt or from the merchants below. Sales support Road Trail Run

The Baselayer is Key


We tested three high performing base layers Patagonia Merino Air, Craft Active Extreme, and Compresport On/Off here. With the weather getting chiller the Patagonia Air Merino is increasingly getting the nod for its all temperatures versatility and comfort.

Patagonia Merino Air $129 crew, $149 hoodie www.patagonia.com




A blend of merino and Capilene made with a process that "explodes" the fibers to create not only more loft but more surface for evaporation the Merino Air absorbs minimal moisture, breathes incredibly well on its own in warmer conditions and then locks in heat but not moisture when covered by other layers. Equally useful for high output running in cool to cold conditions, skiing, and hiking it can also serve as a "dressy" sweater or hoodie.

Available only from Patagonia this season and in limited quantities

Warm Socks, Cool Socks, Anytime Socks


Socks are a traditional holiday gifts so how about some "bespoke", high performance, merino and merino and carbon blend socks and apparel from Ashmei.


Ashmei Merino Socks and Apparel

Ashmei trail weight and compression socks have been my go to socks for 3 years now, summer and winter. They are more durable and with better temperature and moisture regulation than any other merino or that matter any other sock I have used. And never a single blister.

The Ashmei Merino Compression Sock  for men and women is a great gift idea. Versatile, I wear them with 3/4 tights to make an old school knicker outfit for most winter runs, with nordic and alpine boots, and for airplane travel.

In addition to socks, Ashmei has incredible functional and well tailored merino run clothing.  They are UK based and all orders are shipped from the UK. I have ordered several times and orders arrive in about the same amount of time as UPS Ground. And... keeping it a surprise, the packaging is fantastic and fun and likely will keep you from having to do much gift wrapping.

Shop Ashmei here

See our 2015 Running Smart Watch, Heart Rate Monitor  Gift Guide here
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See Road Trail Run's regularly updated Holiday Savings Page here

Friday, November 20, 2015

2015 Holiday Gift Guide- Running Smart Watches, GPS, Heart Rate Monitors,and More!

See Road Trail Run's regularly updated Holiday Savings Page here
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Wearables fitness technology is exploding in interest and capabilities with multiple companies competing vigorously for space on our wrists, heads, and chests with innovative and ever more capable products. If you or someone you know, has a GPS watch 3 or 4 years old it's really time to consider an upgrade, much like as with smartphones these days. If you use a run phone app consider adding a heart rate monitor.  I also write the wearables tech column for Competitor Magazine as well as their Holiday Gear Guide that I penned here, I am fortunate to have access to many, but not all of the options here, but have done plenty of research. Where I tested we indicate:  RTR Tested.
Sales through the links on this post support Road Trail Run. Thanks for reading and shopping!

Everything But the Kitchen Sink, Top of the Line, GPS Run Watches

Garmin Forerunner 630 ($400, $450 with Garmin HRM strap). RTR Tested.
www.gamin.com

For the Serious, Data Focused Runner
The Garmin 630 pretty much does it all for the serious runner. The screen is big and clear and the watch very light on the wrist. Styling is technical but not so geeky that one can't wear day in day out, especially given the outstanding battery life.  The 630 uses a clever combination of touch screen and buttons. You swipe left to right between screens and use hard buttons for taking actions while on the run avoiding the wet finger and glove issues of actual touch or tap on the screen when moving. This said, most configuration is via touch. Satellite and HR strap acquisition is pretty much instantaneous, but as with just about every HR monitor I have used, data in the first minutes can be inconsistent.
The successor to the popular 620 adds extensive integration to your smartphone: notifications, find my phone, music control as well as activity and sleep tracking. Apps and Widgets can be added via Garmin's Connect IQ store. Of course the 630 has extensive intervals and heart rate zone based training. The Garmin HRM strap not only tracks heart rate but also Run Dynamics such as left right balance, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and cadence all nicely displayed on the watch.

I have already found these features intriguing and also actionable noticing that with some shoes I am far closer to a 50/50 right left balance than with others. By focusing on my form and glancing at the screen I can affect the data. The 630 also calculates recovery times, lactate thresholds, and eerily and accurately for me, projected race times based on one run using the heart rate monitor!
The app and synching is not the best I have seen and configuration of data fields is via the watch and not the app as many competitors now offer, but this is a minor quibble.

Bottom line: The watch for the serious runner who wants all the data.

For multi-sport, navigation, and more rugged mountain use step up to the Garmin Fenix 3 ($500, $550 with heart rate strap}


Clever Training has the Garmin 630 available here  
super low sale pricing from Clever Training on the Garmin 620, 220, 225, and Vivoactive click here

The Forerunner 630 and other Garmins, including the more than adequate 620 which is now on sale are available from 
RunningWarehouse here

Suunto Ambit 3 Run ($300, $350 with Heart Rate Strap) RTR Tested.
www.suunto.com

The Rugged Simple One
As they say a picture tells a thousand words. The Ambit3 Run is rugged, big and beautifully put together, in Finland of all places. With Sunnto's focus on the outdoors and mountain activities they avoid finicky touch screens all together with the four steel buttons controlling all functions in a simple and elegant interface. Part of the same company as Salomon, Sunnto benefits from the experience and needs of top mountain athletes such as Kilian Jornet, who always has an Ambit on his wrist! Configuration including set ups for different sports,  data fields, interval workouts, etc..is all via the excellent Movescount app. For example you can set up a sport mode for trail running or hiking complete with data fields for altitude, ascent and feet per minute. Once a workout is completed you can even make a shareable animation movie of your workout, your Move, over a topographic map, complete with any pictures you have taken where they were taken.
The Ambit 3 Run includes a very helpful recovery timer (hours until fully recovered based on workout data including distance, pace, age, heart rate). "track back" navigation mode, wrist based accelerometer, is rechargeable while recording (ultras), has adjustable GPS sampling rate to extend battery life, and fairly crude in comparison to the Garmin 630 phone notifications.  The heart rate strap is very comfortable with a considerably smaller pod than the Garmin. The screen is decently bright but a bit dated compared to the Garmin, I assume to maximize battery life. 

Bottom line: The watch for the runner who wants rugged reliability, simplicity yet with access to data on the run and after.

If multi-sports and tri is your thing consider the Ambit3 Sport ($450 with HR strap) which supports cycling sensors and swim distance metrics with its HR strap swim heart rate recording. 
If high mountains are where you go consider the Ambit3 Peak ($500)  which adds barometric altitude and weather predictions. 

Get Ambit3 Run at Running Warehouse here

Use RoadTrail Run Running Warehouse Coupon Code: RTR 10 to save 10% 

All the Suunto watches featured above are available from Clever Training here

Full Function Run GPS Watches with Wrist Based Heart Rate
While a better position closer to blood flow to measure heart rate chest rate straps can be a pain. The last few years have seen the introduction of wrist based optical heart rate scanning from the back of the watch or fitness band. There are many fine options.

TomTom Spark Cardio + Music ($249)
www.tomtom.com



Sleek and Complete at a Great Price
Not only does the new TomTom Spark give you a great heart rate monitoring GPS watch but you can store up to 500 songs on board to listen to via your Bluetooth headphones. A very decent price for a high quality, versatile watch in a slim attractive package.

Bottom line: no HR chest strap, no phone required for music all in a slim sleek package. 

Spark is also available with GPS and music but no HR ($199.99) and with GPS alone ($149.99)

Shop for the Spark Cardio + Music and the other Sparks at Clever Training
(chose Options) here

Shop for the entire Spark line at Backcountry.com here

Find big savings on TomTom older but still super capable  Cardio Runner line at 
Running Warehouse here
Use RoadTrail Run Running Warehouse Coupon Code: RTR 10 to save 10%

adidas miCoach Smart Run ($400) RTR Tested

Guidance, motivation and fun on the run and at the gym

GPS, heart rate monitoring, and music all on your wrist. The substantial and rugged Smart Run does all you'd expect from a GPS run watch adding access to a complete collection of training plans for many sports and cross training downloadable to the watch. It can even guide you and show animated examples of and time flexibility and strength workouts while monitoring heart rate.
Heavily focused on zone based heart rate training, we found the interval workouts particularly effective and clear with both visual and audio cues to a Bluetooth headset. The watch comes with access to MixAudio, workout intensity based music mixes you can download to the watch. Use of music and audio coaching limits battery life to four hours.
Bottom Line: A full featured GPS HR watch plus music player focused on heart rate zone based training that can also help give your training some structure.

The Smart Run is available from
Clever Training here

Epson RunSense SF 810 ($299)
www.epson.com

Run Meb's Watch. He must know something...
The GPS plus wrist based HR sensing RunSense is what Meb uses and we know Meb is a master of managing his training and racing. The RunSense 810 is full featured but is not a "smart watch" as it does not receive track activity or sleep, phone notifications or control music. Using a Seiko/Epson highly energy efficient GPS chip (Seiko/Epson is a major producer of GPS chips for mobile phones) the 810 has a very long GPS run time, up to 30 hours making it a good choice for ultra runners, in addition to Meb!
A built in stride sensor SmartStride tracks the length of your stride, cadence, and kicks in when you are out of GPS range, like on a treadmill.

Bottom Line: A solid GPS and HR watch with exceptionally long battery life. Meb's training partner!

RunSense GPS watches without wrist based heart rate are also available

RunSense watches including the SF-810 are available from:
Running Warehouse here
Use RoadTrail Run Running Warehouse Coupon Code: RTR 10 to save an additional 10%

FitBit Surge Fitness Superwatch ($250) RTR Tested
www.fitbit.com

Beautifully Crafted Smarter Watch with Basic Run Functions


FitBit is the overall market leader in fitness wearables, ahead of even Apple and for good reason. The FitBit Surge is their first HR plus GPS watch and it is a beautifully crafted, intuitive everyday watch with 24/7 HR monitoring, sleep/activity tracking, phone notifications, and music control. The accompanying app and web site is equally polished and useful with instant problem free synching, a rarity in the gadget world where watch hardware often has preceded app and web site software in focus. The watch is small, comfortable to wear and classy. And yes there is basic black in addition to these fun colors.  The screen is outstanding in sunlight despite its small size, very high resolution. The rub for running... it's pretty basic with distance, time, pace, average pace, and HR. There is no auto-pause function, no intervals module, and no way to change the screen layout. If you don't need all the features and want to keep things simple and in one device it is a superb all day GPS HR smarter watch that won't leave your wrist.



Bottom Line: Basic run GPS and HR functions in a superbly designed (software and hardware, watch and app) all day, all night smart watch.

Don't need a full GPS watch but want a second screen on the run for HR, as well as run, activity and sleep tracking, caller ID notifications consider the Charge HR ($149)

FitBit Surge and Charge HR band available from
Clever Training here

GPS Smart Watch. Add your own heart rate monitor if you wish

Garmin Vivoactive ($250) RTR Tested

Capable, Very Light and Thin
I purchased the Vivoactive earlier this year and have been delighted with its performance.
I featured Vivoactive in my column in Competitor in September here saying:
"Garmin’s latest smartwatch is an ultra-thin, light, multisport GPS watch with outstanding battery life. Practical beyond workouts, the watch connects to your nearby phone to display notifications and can control your music player. Tired of multiple watches and charging?  With 4 days of notifications from phone to watch, sleep and activity tracking, plus 3.5 hours of accurate distance GPS running, the vívoactive still had 40 percent battery life left, all in a stylish package suitable for everyday use. The  only knocks: Screens outside of workout modes were hard to see in dim light or with sunglasses, and there is no configurable interval mode beyond “Walk/Run.”

Bottom Line: A capable more than basic GPS and multi sport, even does golf smart watch in a tiny package

Garmin Vivoactive is available in white or black from 
Running Warehouse here
Clever Training has the Vivoactive on sale  $199.99  20%off here 

Add heart rate monitoring. Choices for chest, wrist and head
Many run with phone apps such as Strava, iSmoothRun, or Runkeeper and would like to add heart rate data to their workouts. Or they have a recent GPS watch and want to add heart rate monitoring. 
We pick 3 options two (the Life-Beam and TICKRx) featuring  both Bluetooth Smart and Ant+ which is the only standard Garmin uses for sensors. So in most cases your options are open. Wrists at the far end of blood flow can be inconsistent for measuring heart rate so we also pick a head based HR monitor and a multi function chest strap. 

Mio Alpha 2 ($169)
www.mioglobal.com


The Second Screen
The 30 meter deep water resistant Mio Alpha HR monitor is on the wrists of many ultra and mountain elites, such as many time US Mountain Champ Joe Gray as its flexibility of connection, screen and heart rate based zone alerts can serve as a second heart focused screen feeding heart rate data to your run app and many Bluetooth Smart sensor capable watch. Mio sensors power many wrist based watches. Alpha 2 measures pace, distance and calories via its accelerometer and can store up to 25 hours of workout data while the battery lasts up to 24 hours.  I featured the Alpha 2 in the 2015 Competitor Holiday Gift Guide here

The Mio Alpha 2 is available from Clever Training here

Life-Beam Smart Hat and Smart Visor ($99) 
www.life-beam.com

 A Smart Hat



The Life-Beam Smart hat, visor, and there is even a version embedded in a Lazer cycling helmet measures heart rate on the forehead where there is more consistent blood flow than the wrist. A tiny sensor comfortably fits in the sweat band and a removable battery pack powers the unit. It also measures run cadence. Born of a company with a medical device background Life-Beam is now working on embedding the sensor in flight helmets for the new F-35 fighter to detect blackouts and has equipped Israel's special forces with their sensors. We found its synching and its heart rate signal among the most reliable. As it transmits with both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart ,it should work with most Garmin watches as well as most phone apps.  The hat is fine quality with reflective accents, if sitting a bit"high on the head. 2XU a compression clothing company recently partnered with Life-Beam and will have their own version of the hats.

Available from Life-Beam here. First time purchase discount may apply

Wahoo Fitness TICKR X Heart Rate Strap ($99)

Add On Heart Rate Strap and More, Lots More
Getting the tech out of the way the TICKR X communicates with both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart so should work with 50 of the most popular run apps as well as GPS watches including many Garmin. The TICKR X is their top of the line model and tracks many of the same measures as the Garmin HRM strap discussed with the Garmin 630: vertical oscillation, stride rate and ground contact time as well as Running Smoothness. It has on board memory so you can leave your phone behind to record the heart rate and even metrics, think at the gym. It pairs directly to the Apple Watch. You can control it with a programmable double tap on the unit and it has vibration alerts.

Wahoo TICKR X is available from REI here

See our Runner's Gift Guide and Mini Reviews for Winter Run Shoes, Apparel, and Accessories here

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See Road Trail Run's regularly updated Holiday Savings Page here



Some products were purchased, some were provided at no charge. The opinions herein are entirely our own. Purchases through the links on this post help support Road Trail Run