#FireUpYourRun with Nathan

I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve been a bad blogger.

I quite often get offered products to review and I only say yes to things that I’m actually going to use, or things that I could genuinely see myself buying with my own money. I turn down quite a lot of fun sounding opportunities because I don’t think they fit with the theme of my blog and I don’t want this blog to become an advertising space – I want it to remain mostly about my fitness journey, and occasionally feature products that are helping me on my way.

When I was contacted a few weeks ago to see whether I’d like to try out some products from Nathan aimed at helping you stay visible when running in the winter months, I was genuinely planning to get back into running regularly. I’d been contemplating run/walking the 4 miles home from work once a week just to add some extra activity into my week.

Having trained for two marathons through the winter months I know how important it is to be visible when out running in the dark so I thought I’d say yes to the products and put them to the test on my run commute.

But since then work has got super busy, my husband has had surgery and I’ve needed to get home quickly to cook dinner. Frankly the weekly run commute just hasn’t happened.

So here I am with a box full of lovely goodies from Nathan that I just haven’t had a chance to try out. And that’s not to say that I don’t like the look of them. Some of it looks great and I’d definitely use, if I ever actually got around to running in the dark. So I thought I’d share my thoughts anyway and link up with a couple of bloggers who have actually put this stuff to the test.

First up probably my favourite thing in the box – the Light Spur. This attaches quickly to the heel of your shoe and can be set to emit a constant light or a flashing one. Ever been envious of those kids shoes that flash when they walk? Well here’s the adult version.

If you want to see it in action check out Laura’s blog here

I also really love the Fire and Ice bottle. This is a double walled 360 degree reflective bottle that claims to keep fluids cooler for 20% longer than other insulated bottles while offering high visibility in low-light conditions.

It looks ideal for clipping to a bike. I don’t have a bike. And I also wouldn’t carry a bottle this big if I ever did get around to running in the dark. But I still think it’s quite cool.

Also in the box were a few items to wear on your person while running. The Bandolier Vest offers 360 degree visibility and won’t interrupt arm movement while running. It’s got a small zippered pocket at the back for cash, keys and ID. The Orion Strobe is a clip light that comes with a belt that can be worn or it could equally be clipped onto a rucksack or other bag. The Pulsar Strobe is another lighting option that I could envisage clipping to the back of the rucksack that I’d wear if I ever got around to running home from work. Here I am wearing all three items. I may look a bit like a Christmas tree but I think I’d be visible.

And finally the goody box contained some socks. Now these I have managed to try and I can confirm that they’re very comfy. Made by Feetures the Elite Light Cushion socks have high density support in all the right places. They’re also quite bright.

Thank you to Nathan for sending me this box of goodies. I promise to find them all good homes with people who will actually use them to keep themselves visible this winter.

If you want to see more views from a blogger who put these to the test then I can also recommend this blog by Tess. She, like Laura, actually runs in the dark!