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Fitness gear and clothing
August 3, 2011
Can a frozen vest keep you cool?
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Like the Hyper Vest Cool.
For the past week, amid afternoon temperatures as high as 107, I’ve been strapping on a blue vest filled with frozen gel packs in an effort to avoid spontaneous combustion on my bike commute to and from work.
Hyper Wear, an Austin-based company that specializes in innovative fitness products (think weight vests to make the workout tougher and floppy, sand- or water-filled weights that won’t smash your toe if you drop them), developed the slightly dorky-looking vest.
It’s made of wicking material, with pockets that hold sheets of articulated, credit card-sized pouches filled with a special kind of gel. Freeze the gel packs for 30 minutes and they’ll stay below 58 degrees for 4 hours, according to Hyper Wear CEO Denver Fredenburg. Even dunking them in ice water works, he says.
“If you can lower your core temperature, you can work out longer,” says Fredenburg, an ultra marathoner. “That makes you stronger, faster and fitter.”
Eager to see if it would provide a nice little cocoon of cool as I pedaled up the Shoal Creek hike-and-bike trail every day, I cinched on the blue loaner vest.
It weighs about 5 pounds fully loaded. It’s made of wicking material, and is vented on the sides. A zipper allows easy on and off, and laces make sure it fits snugly.
So how’d it work? Good, but not great.
The vest is extremely comfortable. I didn’t notice the weight, and it hugged my body nicely, except for one time when I tossed the entire vest into my freezer willy nilly and a couple of the gel packs froze in awkward, lumpy positions.
That’s an easily solvable problem though. Just make sure the packs are flat when you freeze them.
The vest didn’t, however, keep me as cool as I would have liked. (Would anything, in this heat?)
I didn’t burst into flame, but I felt like the cooling effect was isolated to my trunk. And even there, it felt like the chilling effect wasn’t much more than the skin deep.
I’d have loved an ice-cold collar, or something that could chill the back of my neck.
Fredenburg told me the vest works best when it’s worn directly against the skin, but that’s a problem for me. It would be a little risque for a women to wear the vest solo. A sports bra might do the trick, but I like to wear a very light-weight, long-sleeved wicking shirt when I ride, to protect my arms and shoulders from sun damage.
The other sticking point is the cost. The Hyper Vest Cool sells for $199.99, gel packs included. A less expensive version (it’s still $139.99) comes with gel packs that don’t stay cold as long.
Fredenburg says the Hyper Vest Cool’s customer base includes football teams, construction workers, crossing guards, motocross riders and others who exert in extreme temperatures.
One final thought. Don’t people dissipate heat most effectively through their head and groin? Maybe Hyper Wear should work on freezer pack underpants and skull caps.
For more information about the product, go here.
What do you do to stay cool when you exercise in this heat?
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February 24, 2010
Fitness fashion show
Athletes have to look good, too.
That’s why Bettysport has teamed up with Red Licorice Events for a fashion show featuring fitness clothing.
The free show, starring local age group triathletes as models, starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Lanai Rooftop Lounge, 422 Congress Ave. The models will show outfits for all body types.
A short seminar for local businesses looking for ways to market to athletes will precede the fashion show at 4:30 p.m.
Red Licorice Events produces local races including the Sweet & Twisted Tri and the Cougar Country Classic 5K.
Bettysport is located at 916 W. 12th and sells really cute athletic wear, from cycling jackets to running shorts.
To attend the seminar, please RSVP to joey@redlicoriceevents.com.
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July 29, 2009
Eco-friendly sunglasses?
Here’s a concept bound to hit in tree-hugging Austin — recyclable sunglasses.
Oakley just introduced a pair of shades made with excess plastics from the manufacture of other sunglasses, organic bamboo and eco-friendly packaging.
The Bob Burnquist Signature Recycled Gascan(r) is named for a skateboarder who has long championed green initiatives and environmental protection. A portion of proceeds from sales will go to the Action Sports Environmental Coalition, an organization he co-founded to educate people about environmental responsibility and the importance of preserving resources.
Don’t toss them in the recycle bin too quickly, though. The sleek, mod-looking sunglasses, which look to me like something straight off “Star Trek,” cost $100.
For more information, go to www.oakley.com.
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June 29, 2009
Bettysport closes Domain location
Bettysport, a local women’s fitness apparel store, has closed its location at the Domain shopping center. The store’s original downtown location at 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard will remain open.
The store at The Domain has struggled since opening in March 2007, said Craig Staley, who opened the downtown location in 2004.
“The lack of traffic and high rents at the Domain challenged the store from the beginning,” Staley said in a release sent out Monday. “The nose dive in the economy in the fourth quarter of 2008 was too much to sustain. One of the market segments hit hardest has been ‘soft goods’ - Bettyport was no exception, seeing sales off as much as 45 percent since last October. The company tried everything to stay open, cutting staff and hours as well as negotiating with the landlord to defer rent costs.”
Staley said traffic at the Domain never met expectations.
Bettysport Downtown is locally owned and represents more than 40 brands including Nike, Asics, and Stella McCartney.
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May 5, 2009
My latest shoe crush
Is it wrong to love my new running shoes so much? And for such shallow reasons?
Yes, yes, I know that Karhu’s new Strong Ride was named the “Best Debut of 2009” in the Runner’s World’s spring shoe guide. But that’s not why I love it.
I love it’s color scheme. Check out my new treads in the picture above, taken this morning. (Like the tattoo? Yes, it’s Pooh.)
Blue the color of the sky, only richer and thicker, like a melted crayon. Or maybe a robin’s egg. Even the laces are blue! And yellow stripes so lemony they make you pucker just looking at them.
The color bowled me over, but it’s the stability features of the shoe that clinched the deal. I need a shoe with good support, and the Strong Ride delivers.
It’s also super light. And breathable, too, with meshy panels on the sides.
Karhu (it means “bear” in Finnish) launched the Strong Ride in March. In Austin you can buy the brand at Rogue Equipment, 500 San Marcos St.
According to the Runner’s World review, the StrongRide fits true to size. The carbon midfoot bridge helps smooth the transition from heel-strike to toe-off.
Karhu shoes are made in Finland.
Interesting note: The brand is almost 100 years old. About 50 years ago, the owners of the company sold their three-stripe trademark for two bottles of whisky, according to company lore. The buyer? Adidas.
Must have been some good booze!
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March 30, 2009
Ladies Night at Backwoods
This is my kind of happy hour: Backwoods is hosting a ladies night from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 1.
On the agenda? Free appetizers and wine, plus discounts and giveaways on outdoor apparel and gear. Everyone gets a chance to win prizes from Backwoods, Mountain Hardwear, Lole and Carve. The first 10 women through the door get a goodie bag with gifts from Mountain Hardwear, Lole and Carve.
Backwoods is an Austin-based, national outdoor retail company that sells technical gear, outdoor clothing and footwear. It’s located in the Hill Country Galleria, at 12921 Hill Country Blvd., Suite D2-145, in Bee Cave.
For more information visit www.backwoods.com.
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February 21, 2009
Fitness freebies
Ready for some free fitness stuff?
Listen carefully — you must do two things. First, post your name on this blog. Second, email your name and snail mail address to pleblanc@statesman.com.
This week, I’ve got a speed rope, a Krav Maga book, a Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start book, and some Fit City running singlets (no size small). Let me know what you want.
Good luck!
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February 14, 2009
Free fitness stuff!
It’s freebie time again!
I’ve got a couple of fitness books and DVDs to give away to readers. Among them are “Knockout Fitness,” a book filled with boxing workouts, and “The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start,” with exercises and recipes to get you started down the path to fitness. The DVD selection includes “Dance Your Body Slim” and “Dance Off Bell Fat!” Or if you’d rather, I have some Fit City running singlets (No smalls left, sorry!) and a few other odds and ends.
To win, you’ve got to do TWO things — post your name on this blog, then send an email that includes your snail mail address to pleblanc@statesman.com.
Good luck!
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February 4, 2009
Lose weight, earn shoe discounts
An Austin shoe store has come up with a clever way to bring in customers — for every pound they lose in 2009, they earn $1 in store credit.
To qualify for the “Walk it Off Austin” program, participants must sign up and weigh in at Total Relief Footwear, 13492 U.S. Highway 183 North, No. 250. They get $1 off their purchase for each pound they drop between now and Dec. 31. Those who reach a weight loss goal of 30 pounds or more qualify for more prizes.
Walking for exercise can be painful for people struggling with obesity. The extra weight stresses the joints of the feet, ankles, knees, hips and back.
“We see people every day that desperately want to start walking for health, but can’t because of pain,” store owner Cam White says in a press release that came across my desk. “It’s very gratifying when we can outfit our customers in footwear solutions that reduce skeletal impact and enable them to start walking again.”
Total Relief Footwear sells Z-CoiL Pain Relief Footwear, Aetrex, MBT, Finn Comfort, fitflop, Helle Comfort, Think!and El Naturalista brands. They also carry customizable slip-resistant shoes for restaurant workers and COFRA® customizable safety shoes for construction and manufacturing workers.
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January 27, 2009
Title Nine to open Austin store
Add one more to the glut of fitness stores in downtown Austin.
Title Nine, which operates a popular Internet and catalog business, will open a shop at 500 N. Lamar Blvd., near Whole Foods Market.
Yippie! I’ve long been hooked on their catalog, which contains mini-profiles of outdoorsy-type women who work for the company.
The store is scheduled to open in March.
Title Nine celebrates its 20th year in business this year. The retailer takes its name from the 1972 federal legislation designed to provide girls and women with equal opportunity to compete in sports. The shop specializes in clothes and accessories inspired by and designed for active women.
“We are everyday athletes and fitness fanatics,” says a press release that hit my computer Monday. “We are runners and walkers. We are climbers and we are dancers. We believe that a fit woman is a strong woman.”
The company operates stores in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It carries a full range of women’s sports bras, tops, bottoms, dresses, skirts, skorts, capris, swimwear, bags, shoes, socks and sunglasses.
What’s your favorite fitness store?
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November 13, 2008
Patagonia store opens on Congress
I made a field trip up the street to check out the new Patagonia store that’s opened at 316 N. Congress Ave.
That’s right, folks. Patagonia opened it’s first store in Texas (its 25th in the United States) right here in Austin.
Assistant store manager Lisa Edwards says the eco-conscious company chose Austin because it already had a large mail-order customer base here. “And a lot of environmental initiatives that go on in Austin really fit our company and our goal,” she says.
Patagonia doesn’t build new stores from the ground up. Instead, they refurbish existing buildings. I like that. The Austin store is housed in a cool historic building that started life as the W.B. Smith dry goods store in 1884. Through the years, the building has also been a liquor store, cafe, shoe hospital, auto supply store and travel business.
The owners even added shower facilities and bike accommodations, so employees could bike to work. Yay!
Now the 7,000-square-foot space is packed with outdoor clothing for men, women and children. You can buy ski duds, climbing outfits, a $30 T-shirt or a $180 cashmere sweater. Organic cotton and hemp are popular fabrics. Besides clothing, the store carries some luggage and an assortment of outdoorsy books on stuff like surfing, green building, fly fishing and hiking. It even carries Al Gore’s book, “An Inconvenient Truth.”
A grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday, with live music and a drawing for five $500 Patagonia gift cards. TreeFolks, an Austin-based non-profit urban tree planting organization, will be on hand.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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