It鈥檚 3 P.M. on a weekday. I鈥檝e been staring at my laptop for seven hours, and I鈥檓 frazzled from being on deadline. My fingers are sore from typing. A 30-minute run would be the perfect reset, but it鈥檚 35 degrees听and windy. Do I really want听to go outside?
Thanks to some specific, well-used gear, I usually make it out the door. The first quarter of the run is a slog, but the rest is pure joy. When I get home, I feel energized and present. Still, there are days when I can鈥檛 find the motivation鈥攚hen it鈥檚 so damn cold that running would be pure misery. That鈥檚 when I pull out the yoga mat or these other essentials听to听help me regain focus to finish听the workday.
Patagonia Houdini Air Jacket ($170)
I call my 鈥渇irst 15 minutes鈥 jacket.听That鈥檚 because the Houdini Air鈥檚 thin nylon shell cuts the cold air just enough to help me find my pace at听the beginning of a chilly听run. With its breathable back, it also vents as I heat up听so I don鈥檛 soak my shirt in sweat. If I get too warm, I take it听off, pack it into its chest pocket鈥攊t squishes down to the size of an apple鈥攁nd stuff听it into my shorts pocket. I appreciate that it comes in bright colors (I have the chartreuse yellow, which helps drivers听see me during the day) and is coated with a DWR finish that lets me shrug off light rain or snow. When I鈥檓 not running in it, the Houdini Air lives in my hiking and spring-skiing bags. It鈥檚 the layer I throw on when I鈥檓 topping out on a windy ridge听or听skinning up the mountain.
Jaybird Vista Wireless Headphones ($180)
It鈥檚 better to run听with headphones than without them. An up-tempo playlist keeps me motivated and improves听my pace by at least 15 seconds per mile. There are cheaper versions, sure, but I like the 听buds because they have all the features I want for exercising outside: they鈥檙e听wireless and sound amazing,听with sharp highs and full lows; they鈥檙e fully waterproof, so I don鈥檛 have to worry about ruining them with sweat or in the rain;听and they听never slip听out of my ears or need听adjustment听as I bound听along on trails or pavement.听A full charge in their case gets me 16 hours of use.
Lululemon the Reversible Five-Millimeter Yoga Mat听($68)
I鈥檝e suffered from lower-back problems for years, and I鈥檓 so tight that I scream out loud when I try to touch my toes. That鈥檚 why using听听more听has been a big focus for me this winter. I use it every morning to loosen up my back, and if it鈥檚 too cold to run, I鈥檒l go through a stretching routine or an online yoga session instead. I still have a long way to go before anyone could听call me flexible, but stretching is a great brain refresh and makes me a better runner and cyclist. Weighing听more than five pounds, this mat听provides plenty of cushioning, and the five millimeters of padding make听a tile or brick floor more forgiving (but you probably wouldn鈥檛 want to lug this thing to yoga class). A polyurethane coating soaks up sweat,听keeping me from falling on my face, and an antimicrobial additive prevents听it from smelling.
Hoka One One Clifton 7 Running Shoe ($130)
There was a time in my early thirties听when I thought I鈥檇 never run again. My lower-back pain was at its worst, and running only听added to the agitation. But thanks to some physical therapy, stretching, and Hoka shoes, running is now my main form of weekly winter exercise. Built to be supportive but also comfortable (credit the thick, signature Hoka sole), these kicks听have kept my back happy and allow me to put in 15 to 20 miles each week鈥攐r just enough for me听to听enjoy a guilt-free beer each night. They have听a breathable mesh build, but when paired with a wool sock like from Voormi, I have no problems wearing them听in below-freezing temperatures. At under nine ounces per shoe, they feel flimsy out of the box, but even after a couple hundred miles they still have plenty of life.
Black Diamond Sprint 225 Headlamp ($45)
Sometimes my day is crazy听and I can鈥檛 get outside until it鈥檚 dark. I could theoretically run without a headlamp, but I鈥檝e tripped over hidden potholes one too many times听or been buzzed by cars that couldn鈥檛 see me until they were too close. To avoid all this, I now use the , which pumps out 225 lumens but weighs a feathery two ounces. At full brightness, I can see well over ten听feet ahead, and running at full speed is no problem. If I want a dimmer beam, all I have to do is tap the side of the light听instead of fumbling with a button. I鈥檓 also a big fan of the rechargeable battery meter on the side; it听quickly tells me how much juice is left, so I know whether to plug it in at the end of my run. (It gets me about two and half hours of light on its听maximum setting.) The Sprint听is my choice for backcountry skiing, too,听because it鈥檚 powerful enough to illuminate the trail if I鈥檓 off to a听predawn start or听stuck on the trail after dusk.