On Saturday afternoon I ventured out to our local Luke's Locker for some new gear. I'm really not sure what I went there for, but I ended up with a pair of shorts, socks, hydration belt, and a bra—for Julie. I also picked up some Hammer Gels, which I'd never tried before.

The picture to the left is of my new pair of socks, Balega Hidden Comfort socks—they are awesome. I was a little nervous about using a new brand of socks on a long run, but I didn't even notice my feet on this run, which is a very good thing. I will definitely be picking up a few more pairs of these socks!

The next picture is of my new shorts, Nike Dri-FIT Distance 2-in-1. They're actually a light gray color, but the picture was taken after my run, and they are absolutely soaking wet (as in "just got out of the pool" wet). These shorts have a built-in boxer brief, which worked flawlessly in preventing chafing. And I've got to say, it was nice just running in shorts...no compressions shorts, no other garments.

The final picture shows the new hydration belt, Elite 1 Plus from Nathan Human Propulsion Laboratories. Unlike the handheld bottle that we have, this bottle does not leak, and it also comes with a small 5 oz. bottle that can hold gels. It also features an insulated holster, zippered pocket, and a shock cord with one-pull tension lock for securing a jacket or gloves.