Disclaimer: I was invited to The Running Event (TRE) Influencer Day in Austin, TX as part of being a BibRave Pro where I was provided with running related gear for attending. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
I’ve told you all about my experience at The Running Event (re: The Running Event Influencer Day – Weekend Recap), now its time to dig into some of the products I have been testing since then!
Here are your ABC’s of running:
- A is for Addaday
- A is for Arcanum
- B is for Brooks
- C is for CEP
A is for Addaday
If you are a runner, I think you would be hard pressed to say you have never seen an Addaday massage roller before. If you haven’t seen them in person (like myself prior to TRE), then I am sure you have on social media, they are very recognizable.
The Addaday Type C Massage Roller ($42) does exactly what you would expect from a roller, it helps relieve muscle tension, and can really dig into sore spots with all the different size rollers it has. I haven’t owned a stick type massage roller before, but after trying this product I can really see why people like them…you can use them anywhere! I was able to roll while sitting on the couch watching TV, while sitting in my desk chair working, and I have actually used this product the most as a foot roller. I put this on the floor under my desk during the day and roll my feet back and forth over the nobs. To me it worked just like a lacrosse ball would, but I was able to work on both my feet at once! I can see why the Addaday website calls this “A runners favorite massage roller”.
A is for Arcanum
The Arcanum activated hemp products provide your body with cannabinoids, upregulating your cells to communicate and carry on the reactions they need to. Cannabinoids are produced naturally in your body but only when necessary and not in the amounts you could use or utilize.
The Quill ($50) is designed for easy application to support healthy recovery (and to decrease recovery time). This pen is beyond easy to use. You take the cap off, twist the back to unlock, then depress the back of the pen to release 2mg of activated hemp. I have been applying this to my wrists and rubbing my wrists together to rub this in like you would a lotion. I have applied this before a few runs, but mainly have used it before going to bed. Since this product working to ease discomfort and sore muscles, it also has a good calming effect that I have noticed has helped with me falling asleep. To be honest, I haven’t really noticed a difference when I have taken this prior to going on a run, but I haven’t used it enough times yet to know for sure (and I have only been running 3-5 miles each time).
The Sarco Breeze ($40) is a sports massage oil and moisturizer. This product is designed for muscle recover and skin moisturizing (its good for all skin types, and can even be used as a moisturizer on your face). I used this product the most as a moisturizer on my dry skin that was brought on by the colder weather in Minnesota. I found the push top on the bottle to work great for this type of product so you weren’t getting the bottle all oily afterwards. Additionally, I didn’t find this product to be overly greasy when used as a moisturizer. I also used this as a massage oil to work on a sore spot on my wife’s shoulder and it did exactly what you would want from a massage oil. I really like the dual purpose of this product as you may not always need a massage oil, but who doesn’t like having a moisturizer readily available!
The Sarco Freeze ($35) provides cooling relief to help with sore and aching muscles. This product has typical cooling smells produced from the Menthol and Lavender. I have been using this product on a sore muscle on the back of my calf (closer to my knee). The soothing feeling of this product felt great, and I personally like the menthol smell of this product, which reminded me that I was working to relieve the soreness I was feeling.
B is for Brooks
Brooks is a very common name you will hear in the running world. They are very well known for making high quality running shoes and running apparel. I was lucky enough to get to try a pair of running shoes and a running jacket from Brooks.
I have heard of a lot of the Brooks shoes before (again, by seeing people wear them on social media) but I have actually never run in a pair of them before. You may have heard of some of the styles they have come out with over the years (Ghost, Levitate, Adrenaline, Launch). I was lucky enough to get to try the Brooks Ghost 11 Shoes ($120). These have a very clean look to them. Their website describes them perfectly based on my experience so far with running in them.
Brooks Running Website
“Not too soft or too firm, if Goldilocks ran, this would be her shoe.”
As a neutral support shoe wearer, these shoes are great. They are very comfortable to wear and have a 12mm mid-sole drop. The cushioning feel in the heal makes for a very enjoyable run/walk. These have a mesh top to them which also made them feel very breathable. I liked that there was an extra loop of fabric over the top of the lace which helped guide the tongue of the shoe into place. I hadn’t seen this on any other shoes I have run in before. All around a great experience so far with these shoes!
The Brooks Canopy Jacket Nightlife ($160) is just amazing. Not many more words can describe it other than amazing! This resembles the jacket that Des Linden wore when she won the 2018 Boston Marathon, so when I put this on I just feel fast. It does its job great (blocks the wind, helps repel rain and snow, and makes for a solid outer layer). It also folds up into one of the pockets if you need to store it while out on a run, has a hood, and has thumb holes which are always a nice add to a running jacket.
C is for CEP
CEP is a compression brand that I had never tried before, but after testing these products it will definitely be one that I go back to in the future. CEP uses graduated compression in their socks to increase blood flow through your legs to aid in circulation through your body. I was also informed that the CEP compression socks can be washed between 150-200 times before the compression may start to loosen. I was able to test a pair of recovery compression socks and a pair of running compression socks.
I’ve been wearing the CEP Merino Socks for Recovery ($60) for everyday use. I work from home so it is easy for me to wear these socks to aid in recovery on my off running days (and add a little extra warmth to my legs while I work). I’ve even wore them to sleep one night when I was feeling extra soreness in my upper calf muscle. I am not a sock sleeper, but I did make the exception with these and loved how my legs felt in the morning. Beyond everyday use, I also wore these on the plane ride home from TRE since people legs are known to swell when on an airplane. Lets just say I will be adding these to the required checklist for all future travels!
The CEP Trail Merino Socks ($60) is made for running (or physical activity). You can really tell the difference with CEP socks from other brands with the extra cushion I felt on the bottom of these socks. These again have a graduated compression, and being a full length sock was an added bonus since these are the types of socks I prefer to run in. My legs felt good while running in these. They were really easy to get on, and had a nice stretch to them (I never felt like they were going to rip while putting them on or taking them off).
If you have any questions on any of the products I have tested, feel free to leave me a comment. Also, if you have used any of these products before, please let me know what you think! Be on the lookout for my next blog post where I will discuss all the other products I received at TRE (Altra, Incrediwear, Nuun, Vooray, Vuori, Zwift)!
As a final note, I want to thank BibRave for sending me on an amazing trip to TRE where I received all of these amazing products!
Beardontherunblog 
Nice ABCs! Great reviews!! I especially love the Brooks shoes!
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