It can be tough trying to keep fit over winter.
And that’s before you even throw in the Great British weather.
It can be a battle to even get away from the fire and out of your nice warm house as we’re constantly battered by wind, rain, snow, ice and whatever else Mother Nature throws our way.
When it’s properly miserable outside there’s nothing worse than running in knackered trainers, old joggers and that wafer-thin AC/DC t-shirt.
We fully blame the British winter for our New Year health kick shortcomings – well, that’s our excuse anyway.
But outdoor clothing company Pearl Izumi sent JOE some products that have made even these lame excuses for missing the 6am run pretty redundant.
We tested them out in some pretty awful conditions and they passed with flying colours (pun kind of intended).
Whether you run, cycle or do any other outdoor endurance sport which seems insane at this time of year, the first thing you probably need to consider is waterproofs.
Pearl Izumi’s Fly Jacket ticks this box with its Run/Ride 365 Fabric Technology System. While it sounds fancy, all you need to know is it keeps you warm(ish) and dry.
The first thing you notice when you take those painful first few steps out of the front door is how lightweight it is. It feels very minimal – but durable, and it’s still wind and water resistant.
It took the best that Storm Henry could throw at us anyway.
With the biting winds and rain, the built-in fist mitts were a Godsend for stopping hypothermia setting in.
It comes in a not-so-subtle shade of fluorescent green – with 360-degree reflectivity – meaning you could run in pitch black and the emergency services could probably still see you a mile off when you pull up with a stitch.
We’ve only tested the Fly Jacket in the depths of winter – but it’s super thin and well ventilated so we imagine it would be just as wearable in the warmer seasons (for all you fair-weather runners).
Now we obviously didn’t go out running with just the jacket on – not in this weather anyway. Fortunately Pearl Izumi sent us out some Fly Tights to test drive.
When we opened we thought ‘we’ll never fit in these’. They looked tiny – but once you squeeze into them you can see why.
It’s like having a second skin – one that’s warm, dry and comes in black and green. They leave nothing to the imagination, but when you get out in the elements they really come into their own.
Running in them, your legs feel strong and supported (we’ve actually tried squatting in them on leg day at the gym and we would definitely rate them here too).
They handle wet weather brilliantly. it’s Peal Izumi’s fabric technology at play again. The material transfers moisture and keeps the skin dry – and therefore warm – no matter how dismal the weather.
The only trouble you might have is getting them off when you get in (we’d recommend a buddy system).
We may never be champion runners or Olympic cyclists, but all we know is we’ll never be hitting the road in joggers and a t-shirt again.
