February “We Tried It” Gear Testing | Odd Balls to Hoodies

There is a lot of gear in the running world we test that doesn’t always make sense to write a long review. But we still want you to know the unfiltered review and truth on how it performs. In our ‘We Tried It’ series, we put gear to the test and let you know in quick summaries if it works as advertised.

Hopefully each month we can introduce you to some brands you might not know from women owned brands to fuel to extra gear pieces that might just be the solution you’ve been looking for!

This round is all Coach Amanda because I admit, I have been woefully behind on telling you about amazing things…blame it on coaching, planning running retreats, hosting the Tread Lightly podcast and oh ya Virtual Run Club.

Women’s Owned Brand – Challah Back Girls

OMG the name is so fun and if you aren’t singing Gwen, we don’t know what’s going on.

Challah Back Girls takes the classic braided loaf, traditionally enjoyed on Shabbat or Jewish holidays (or any day, really!), and reimagines it with bold, delicious flavors like Coffee Crumb, Double Chocolate Raspberry, and Apple Cinnamon Sugar.Delicious obviously. But what we were super impressed with their focus on community and creating change. CBG collaborates with diverse organizations, brands, and community leaders to uplift voices of marginalized communities and amplify initiatives like the West Side Campaign Against Hunger—which provides healthy food access in NYC—to and JQY (Jewish Queer Youth).

Sign me up to eat! I love a good mission. – Coach Amanda Brooks

Food For Sole and Soul – Odd balls Organic Energy

Meet the Oddballs. Anyone else remember when energy bites became a HUGE craze like 10 years ago? Probably just those of us who were blogging and all over Pinterest, but this is a twist on that trend by incorporating mushrooms and  adaptogens.

100% this is a great pre-run snack for those of you always telling me you just can’t eat. It’s small, it’s quick, it requires nothing of you but to shove in your mouth and chew on the way out the door. AND I can see this being a stellar hiking snack or ultrarunning snack.

Instead of getting a jittery boost from caffeine, you’re getting lion’s mane that helps with clarity and focus and mushrooms for sustained energy.

Jon founded ODD BALLS after chemo for cancer. “I discovered the insane benefits of functional mushrooms—they cleared up my chemo brain fog and helped me regain endurance between cycles.”

Athleisure – Tracksmith Trackhouse Sweatshirt

I admit to being a sucker for solid colors because they just feel timeless! I’ve seen so many friends in the Tracksmith hoodie and it always just makes them look effortlessly pulled together.

The Trackhouse hoodie is going to hit right about hip level, but without being a cropped top! I’m tall but with a tiny torso and those just never look good on me, so this is a great option to feel more updated and not to be in a massive baggie sweatshirt that feels cozy, but not so put together.

As always Tracksmith runs a bit small. I’m wearing a small which feels good, but if you want that baggier feel then go up a size.

Cheers to Gut Health – Previnex Gut and Greens

I’m a well known poo pooer of greens powders. So even though I have recommended Previnex for YEARS as a probiotic and fish oil and joint health, will I said no for awhile on this. But as always they showed me real data and how they didn’t just throw everything in, but truly stuck to what was proven to help.

AND they have folks who found relief from IBS using it. All right, I’m in and now it’s become a lifesaver after we got so sick during our South America trip. I can tell it’s helping to rebuild my gut and thus my immune system!

Code runtothefinish will get you 15% off anything from Previnex and it’s fair to say I fully support everything this brand does because of the science.

Winning Handheld- Nathan SpeedDraw Soft Flask 2

I’m kind of high maintenance preferring my Nathan Hydration vest most days because I don’t love having anything in my hands.  At least this is what David tells me and why  he being low maintenance loves a handheld. Hmmm.

Either way we both took it out for a spin and I was impressed. The way you thread your hand through made it feel less like I needed to think about gripping and more like my hand could really relax. The fabric is soft and comfy, the soft flask also feels nice as it decreases over the run.

And for those who wondered, you can indeed fit an iPhone in that front pocket! Not my preference for weight, but totally doable and David was fine with his Samsung in there. (See how different we are?!)

This one will be available on the Nathan website March 10th.

All right, welcome to our first of many round ups to come!

Is there something you’ve been dying to know about or an area you’d love to see us focus on? You know the drill, drop a note below and we’ll be happy to get the team on it if we can!

Looking for more gear reviews?

• Mizuno Neo Zen Review
• Best Running Earbuds (including budget options)
• Running Shoes for Bunions