Fit and Run.Info

My new Reebok Flex

Team Reebok runners: Beep beep, Kassy and Titanium Runner during the Reebok Flex launch last Friday the 13th at Eastwood City

Just a few hours ago, I tested my pair which also marks my return to the road after suffering some knee injuries but having had clearance from my doctor a few days ago. I will just take it slow but wear Reebok Flex to get a feel of this new running gear. A thorough review will follow soon.

My new pair of shoes, Reebok ZigNano

Underside of the shoe

At last! I have something to replace my more than a year old New Balance running shoes!

I just got this pair of new Reebok ZigNano this lunch, courtesy of Reebok Philippines, at their Reebok retail store at Trinoma upon the recommendation of Titanium Runner who likes this particular model. I just love the feel of this pair!

It is really light and airy, with a meshlike surface that lets the feet breathe. Compared with the rest of the Zigtech line of shoes, the zigzag sole is thinner and less attention grabbing.

I tried it this morning for a run and I felt good.

Me with the 3rd ReeZig shirt in the country. Soon to be released worldwide. Photo by TitaniumRunner

That’s Reebok’s latest and technically advanced shirt under its new line of apparel that includes stare inducing shoes with the zigzag design.

This particular shirt is still to be released worldwide and from the looks, feel and performance, I’m sure runners and those with an active lifestyle will find it a must have.

The shirt is 100% polyester and has a traditional design that’s not too tight nor too lose in any one area. It is perfect for light exercises and everyday activities.

First things first, the technology behind it. For now, a research on Zigtech is focused more on Reebok’s shoes. Their blurb, energy drink for your feet is catchy enough but the idea behind it is this: to conserve and return energy to the athlete, thereby, making him perform more and better. Simple.

Zigtech shirts on the other hand, as Reebok claims have fibers that create an increase in oxygen levels on an average of 7%, giving one more energy. How does this happen? It has Celliant:

Celliant is a revolutionary technology that harnesses the body’s natural energy through the use of minerals and fibers. Products containing Celliant have been clinically proven to increase blood flow and blood oxygen levels in the body and help balance temperature.

Check Celliant website for more information about this breakthrough technology.

Another technology at work here is PlayDry which moves moisture away from ones skin, accelerates evaporation, increases evaporation, doesn’t trap heat and reduces chaffing. It’s Reebok’s answer to DryFit but what caught my attention is the latter: reduces chaffing.

Chaffing is one of runners’s most hated affliction especially on long distances. It can get uncomfortable and irritating and, at times, will bleed as skin breaks due to excessive rubbing with the cloth. Based on the experience of ultramarathon runner, TitaniumRunner, no chaffing whatsoever.

The ReeZig shirt is soft to the touch, and cool to wear. Fit is just right. The one with me is blue in color which I like very much with a minimalist design front design and it reads: Reezig energy for the body. It has three colors. Other than what I have, there’s also maroon and apple green.

How does it perform? It does dry quickly and I think better than the other shirts from competitors. It’s good for short or long runs and hip enough to be worn casually. As for the reliability of the Celliant, more runs with this shirt is needed.

I got this courtesy of Royal Sporting House, Reebok’s marketing arm in the country via TitaniumRunner.

My kind of Vibram Five Fingers

It was one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions in 2007 and has been a head turner in many roads, pavements and race tracks around the world. A running friend, Katol, who has been using it in every race he’s into including a full marathon in the Cebu City Marathon 2011 last Sunday, 9 January, once called it as caveman-like. You either love it or get conscious wearing one while on the road. And I do have one, just like in the photo above.

Vibram, founded by VItale BRAMani who invented rubber soles for mountaineering boots in 1935, has been a leading manufacturer and has been supplying over 1,000 premium footwear companies the like of Nike, Merrell, Ferragamo, Gucci, Cole Haan and Prada, to name a few. In 2006, it unveiled the Vibram FiveFingers, a shoe with a unique design that mimics the look and feel of being barefoot.

It is thin but sturdy, made from abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide fabric and Vibram TC-1 performance rubber weighing 5.3oz. each. After using it for some time during my training runs, you just have a better feel of the road. It is really like running barefoot and quite tactile, feeling every stones, peebles and contours.

One has to get used to wearing the Vibram Five Fingers though with sore calves and feet at first but later on,  its okay. According to the manufacterer, it provides better flexibility, stronger muscles, and improved posture among others. One good thing about having a pair is that it’s not only limited to running. It can be applied to various kinds of sports like surfing, crosstraining, gym/kettle bells, and on various terrains and trails.

In the Philippines, the Vibram Five Fingers store is located at Level R1 Bridgeway in PowerPlant Mall, Rockwell [(02) 513-1449, marketing@barefootwearinc.com or www.barefootwearinc.com]. Check the downloads below for more details on the styles and pricing.

VFF styles and pricing (197)
VFFs in action (163)

It was really a blast, literally and figuratively when I participated in Columbia’s Vostok Experiment, the launching of its newest consumer products under the Omni-Heat line last 10 October.

Heat Elite Jacket uses Omni-Heat technology

Omni-Heat is a series of products primarily jackets and footwear that utilizes the company’s latest thermal insulated, specifically Omni-Heat Reflective technology with the highest heat retention per gram synthetic insulation in the industry. It is eco friendly, made from 50% recycled materials, ultra-soft, lightweight and packable.

It boosts heat retention by 20% on average, breathable, aids in thermo regulation and was inspired by the same reflective technology used in emergency space blankets. One look and the metallic lining, the omni-heat tech that provides the thermal insulation, of the jacket’s insides readily catches attention.

The jackets are really effective and are great to use for really cold environments. In the Philippines though, unless you’re working at an ice plant or climbing the highest peaks in the country during the cold months, may find it limited use.

My team mate Kiko Rustia of 'Born to Be Wild' in the baul challenge

Select members from the country’s leading online (there were three of us bloggers including Ferdz Decena and Enrico Dee), television and print outlets were invited to the exclusive launch of Columbia’s newest Omni-Heat Technology.

Shrouded in secrecy from what laid ahead, we were transported from Recreational Outdoor eXchange (R.O.X.) located at High Street, Global City to the undisclosed Glacier Refrigerated Services Corporation in Taguig, Metro Manila. It was not until everyone arrived that the attendees were informed that we would be participating in a series of challenges inside the negative ten-degree ice freezer to experience first hand the effectiveness of the Omni-Heat technology.

Before starting, participants were randomly divided into six (6) teams consisting of two editors/bloggers and one celebrity, of those whom included: Survivor Philippines Seasons 1 and 2 contestants, Kiko Rustia (my team mate) and Marvin Kiefer; The Amazing Race Asia Seasons 1 and 4 contestants, Jacq Yu and Lani Pillinger; host of The Buzz and TV Patrol, Phoemela Baranda; and top commercial model/host, Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez.

That's me, second from left before the start of the race proper

Challenges ranged from, amongst others, breaking blocks of ice with keys frozen inside in order to unlock the correct padlock. Funny, but perhaps due to the very cold temperature, I broke one of the keys when I tried opening the padlock. I also realized that producing more than two and a half kilos worth of shaved ice from a solid block of ice is no mean feat.

There were also blindfolded memory challenges, and completing puzzles wearing Omni-Heat jackets in a separate room that was negative 24 degrees below zero. But one of the very interesting challenges was pushing a block of ice on the floor to a small square. It took lots of tries and a bitter dose of an ampalaya drink as penalty but I was able to shoot in one.

After 40 minutes, Columbia Sportswear Team Omni-Grip, consisting of members: Phoemela Baranda, Suki Salvador from The Mega Publishing Group and Bryan Garcia from Manila Bulletin prevailed, successfully finishing all of the challenges in the fastest time with the least amount of penalties. My team came in 5th but, after the penalties and scores were tallied, we were third overall!

When asked if the Omni-Heat Technology was effective, Pheomela responded, “you could really feel the difference wearing the jacket [Omni-Heat] inside the super cold room where we had to complete the puzzle.”

Athlete Kiko Rustia, who also hosts the hit television adventure show, Born to Be Wild, shared similar sentiments, stating, “Columbia’s Omni Heat jacket is lightweight, packable and really effective.”

A member of the Primer Group of Companies, Columbia is one of the nation’s leading outdoor and sportswear brands distributing apparel, footwear, headgear, camping equipment, skiwear and outerwear accessories with several branches nationwide. Visit Columbia Philippines.

Check out Omni-Heat info: Omni Heat (148)