Cycling Clothing I Like - Velocio Helen Wyman Kit

The blue matches my bike nicely

Purchase the jersey here!
Purchase the bib shorts here!
Purchase the jacket here!
Purchase the arm warmers here!

I am a huge fan of Velocio's entire line of cycling clothing, and for the next few days many of their winter pieces (including this kit) are 25% off. Shop their Winter Sale now through February 8, 2016!

Those silver tabs are reflective!

Pros:

• The thermal bibs are warm and cozy without being bulky or unwieldy. 
• The fabrics are warm but still breathe.
• The fit is amazing - everything feels like a second skin!

Cons:

• I wish the bib shorts matched some of Velocio's other jerseys better!
• These pieces are not cheap, though they are well made.

Love the fit!

My Thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of cycling outside year-round. Yes, I know I live in Southern California. However, I often ride at 5:00 in the morning, and it can get down into the low 30s (Fahrenheit). That is "freaking cold" in my book, and I think we can all agree that you don't just throw on a jersey and bibs and hope you warm up quickly at that temperature.

Velocio has helped make these chilly morning rides so much more comfortable. I used to have to really bundle up to stay warm, which made moving pretty difficult. The material Velocio uses isn't super bulky, but it keeps you toasty when you're cold. Once you start to warm up, there's no sauna effect - the materials also breathe!

The lighter blue patterned part is made of a lighter fabric

The lower collars of Velocio's jerseys are a game-changer for me. I've always been annoyed by the "dueling collar" effect of the jersey's collar bunching up against the jacket's collar, and I always seem to get too warm with two collars but too cold when I zip the jacket collar down. This lower collar doesn't interfere with the jacket's collar whatsoever, and my temperature remains just right.

Depending on the weather, I've been pairing the jersey with Velocio's arm warmers or their regular MID Jacket. I debated getting the Helen Wyman one to match, but it doesn't really match any of my other kits. I have really long arms, so I love that the arm warmers are nice and long. There's nothing worse than having the arm warmer and jersey just barely meet up so that the second you go into the drops you end up with exposed skin. It's been pretty windy lately, so I've been mostly wearing the MID Jacket - it does an excellent job of blocking the wind without creating an upper body sauna once you warm up.

The mesh panel adds warm and helps keep everything in :)

For me, the thermal bibs are the crowning achievement of this kit. It literally feels like you're riding in your most warm and comfortable pair of pajamas - that also happen to fit extremely well. Whomever created this fabric is a genius. It is incredibly soft and cozy on the inside, water repellant on the outside, but still breathes when you start to warm up. 

Like the rest of Velocio's bib shorts, they have an amazing chamois. The longest I've gone in these bibs is 30 miles, but I am confident they would be fine for a century. In my experience, I can tell whether a chamois will pass the 100 mile test in the first 15 miles or so. Honestly, the only thing I would change would be to offer an all-black version to match more of Velocio's jerseys!

For your reference, I am a Small in the bib shorts and a Medium in the jersey and jacket. I could probably get by with the Small jersey/jacket, but my pack rat ways mean I like extra room to fill up the pockets. I got an XS in the arm warmers because the Small was out of stock. They definitely fit on the snug side, though not uncomfortably so. 

Thanks for stopping by! This is not a sponsored post – I purchased the above item(s) with my own money and I am reviewing the product(s) because I like them a lot. :) There may be Amazon Affiliate links, but I am not compensated by or affiliated with the manufacturer of the product(s).

Monday Mileage - Whoops, Another Two-Fer

I have no idea how time flies by so fast! Work, life, and training have all been pretty crazy! 

Monday 1/11: Bike 30 Miles to Work
It was either a two hour social ride or a horrible-looking 90 minute indoor trainer ride, so I went with the "social" option. :) I'm having withdrawals from being outside, so I'm enjoying every chance I have to get some fresh air!

Tuesday 1/12 Swim 2,300 Yards + Speed Intervals
My coach sent me a band to put around my feet when I do the paddle and buoy sets...and apparently to just use alone too! I kind of felt like I was drowning! The speed intervals on the treadmill are always invigorating. It's fun to mix things up!

Wednesday 1/13: Bike 21 Miles (Indoors)
Well, I am most definitely right-leg dominant, and this is a weakness I intend to minimize during the offseason. The single leg drills that were part of my warm up were so awkward that I was afraid I was going to wake my fiancé up on the other side of the house! I'm more of a spinner than a masher, so I'm really hoping that the big gear, low cadence drills I'm doing will make me a better cyclist!

Thursday 1/14: Swim 2,700 Yards + Easy 4.8 Mile Run
Holy distance and descending sets! I normally start out fast and then gradually slow down as time passes. So starting out slow and getting fast is a new thing for me, and definitely not natural. Let's just say that I was actually looking forward to the paddles, buoy, and band set! It's been tempting to push myself on the easy runs after the swim, but with my half marathon coming up, I have to keep reminding myself to keep it easy!

Friday 1/15: Hills...Interrupted
I was supposed to do eight hill repeats, but then a work emergency came up so my workout was cut short. I was able to get six repeats in, and I was pretty wiped out by the last one. Unfortunately, work has been very stressful, and it definitely takes a toll on my workout performance. :(

Saturday 1/16: Run 11.3 Miles + Swim 2,000 Yards
I decided to be a rebel and run outside instead of on the treadmill. I normally start my runs fast and gradually slow down, but this run was supposed to be the opposite. I figured running outside might be a little easier, mentally. I ended up with a nasty side cramp about an hour in, but I managed to power through the entire run. I was supposed to swim immediately afterward, but apparently there is a 9:00 AM AquaFit class on Saturdays at my gym...

Sunday 1/17: Bike 33.3 Miles

It felt so great to get some wind in my hair and go outside for a ride! I might have been getting a little stir crazy this past week, as I'm used to working out outside!

Monday 1/18: Rest!

I debated riding my bike to work until I saw the workouts planned for the week. :)

Tuesday 1/19: Bike 16.4 Miles (Indoors)

So Monday ended up being a horrible day at work. I ended up going home in a daze, and managed to leave both my house keys (with my gym pass) and my wallet (with my ID) at work. So the gym wasn't happening. I did Wednesday's bike workout instead. It is amazing how getting some endorphins going can completely turn your mood around! 

Wednesday 1/20: Swim 2,500 Yards + Run ???

Well, this morning's swim started out good enough. It was longer sets, and I was doing a good job of descending in time as instructed. However, things fell apart on the treadmill. I'm not one to quit, but unfortunately that's the only thing you can do when you feel so nauseous you want to hurl. I really hope I can get to the bottom of this, and quickly!

Thursday 1/21: Swim 2,600 Yards + Easy 5.2 Mile Run

When I originally saw the swim workout, I thought there was no way I could make all the intervals. Descending in time is definitely a weakness in all three disciplines. I made my mind up that I was going to give the workout my all and that's really all I could control. I managed to make all the times except for one, and that was mostly due to a mental math error. The fun afterwards was very ok - I battled a stomach cramp again, though this time it wasn't debilitating. My coach seems to think my sodium is off, so here's hoping that she's right and that it's an easy fix!

Friday 1/22: Bike 23.2 Miles (Indoors)

I know this sounds utterly ridiculous, but I actually think I am starting to enjoy riding indoors on the trainer. Or, maybe I've finally gave in to the fact that I'm going to be seeing a lot of the trainer in the next few months, so I might as well make the best of it. Either way, I had quite the vigorous little jaunt to nowhere this morning. The single leg drills are still horribly awkward.

Saturday 1/23: 1 Hour Dreadmill Run + Swim 2,000 Yards
I made it an hour on the treadmill! I've been working hard to make sure I'm getting enough sodium, and I think it is paying off. I had no cramps, so the biggest struggle during this morning's run was mental. I'm not used to running for this long on the treadmill! I was supposed to swim immediately afterward, but of course the pool was filled with non-swimmers. I ended up swimming in the evening instead.

Sunday 1/24: 90 Minute Hilly Pavement Run
My instructions were to ditch the Garmin and go find some hills. So I did exactly that - I actually ended up rediscovering some hills in my neighborhood that I had forgotten about! At first, I felt a little naked without my Garmin, but it was kind of nice to not have to worry about a particular pace or distance goal. I was feeling pretty tight and sore by the end of the run, so some foam rolling and stretching will be in order.

*Goals from last week*

1. Up my stretching game - nope, need to start taking advantage of Mondays for that
2. Actually publish Monday Mileage next Monday - whoopsie!
3. Get back to posting reviews of stuff I like :) - nope!

**Goals for next week - basically work on last week's goals**
1. Up my stretching game
2. Actually publish Monday Mileage next Monday
3. Get back to posting reviews of stuff I like :)

Monday Mileage - Hopefully My Last Two-Fer...For A While!

Well, I was hoping to start off 2016 on the right foot, but of course, life got crazy! To make up for it, I've included some pictures from my recent travels.

Monday 12/28: REST!
I didn't really sleep all that well, so I decided to take the day off. I was hoping to get into work early instead, but somehow found myself folding laundry at 7:00 AM...

Tuesday 12/29: Bike 19 Miles to Work + Bike 12 Miles Home
I busted my rear end to get to work by 6:45 AM, as one of our customers was going to send us some items FedEx Early AM, which can be as early as 7:00 AM. They still hadn't shown up by 8:30 AM, so I called the customer. Turn out, they decided to not send the stuff in, so I could have gotten a much longer morning ride in. Oh well, at least I got some sort of ride in!

Wednesday 12/30: Run 7 x 400 M + Swim 1,500 Yards
Why yes, I know I was supposed to get two 2,000 yard swims in this week, but unfortunately, it just didn't happen. As you'll see in the pictures below, any hopes for getting some swims in while I was in Colorado were quickly destroyed when I realized how cold it was there. I upped my speed on the treadmill again - the first three rounds were done at 8.5 mph and the last four were done at 8.6 mph. I've really come to enjoy the cool-down swims afterward. I had to do some last-minute packing for my flight that evening to Colorado, so my gym time was cut short.

Thursday 12/31: REST! 
We rented a snowmobile and the beast below to go play in the snow up by Vail Pass. I had never been outdoors in single-digit temperatures, and I can honestly say that if I never do again, I won't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Otherwise, it was positively gorgeous out!

Friday 1/1: Run 5.7 Miles
Yup, that's ICE in the pool! I'm no wimp, but there are certain conditions I prefer not to work out in, and icy pools are definitely at the top of that list. So I ran indoors on the treadmill instead. In past visits to Colorado, the altitude really got to me, but I was able to maintain an average pace of 8:16/mi during this run. I'd love to do some running/cycling/triathlon events in Colorado, so I'm trying to acclimate to the altitude as much as I can!

Well, it's not completely iced over!

Saturday 1/2: Snowshoe/Hike 3.4 Miles
We learned an important lesson: Costco's snowshoes are piles of crap! We went to put on my snowshoes, and the heel clip snapped off. I tried to make do by wrapping the heel strap around my ankle, but that just became painful. Luckily, the snow on the trail was pretty packed down, so we ditched the snowshoes and went for a hike instead. :)

Sunday 1/3: Run 7.4 Miles
I am officially a Team HPB athlete! Going forward, I'll be coached by the fabulous Alyssa Godesky. Although I still seem to be getting faster as a runner, my swimming and biking has definitely plateaued, so I knew it was time to hire a coach. Being a Type A perfectionist, I am never happy if I am not getting stronger and faster! This was my first workout, and I must say it was a nice change from my normal treadmill routine! I was also happy to see that the altitude is having less of an effect on my!

Until next time, Colorado!

Monday 1/4: REST!

On Team HPB, Mondays are rest days. I decided to take full advantage of this and sleep in until 6:00 AM. :)

Tuesday 1/5: Run 4.8 Miles + Swim 2,300 Yards

When I saw sprint intervals on the docket, I was pretty terrified, but I figured my coach wouldn't have me do anything she didn't think I could do. They definitely got tough toward the end. Mental toughness is something I want to work on in 2016, so this was a great way to start chipping away at it. The swim afterward was good - lots of paddle and pull buoy work so my shoulders may feel it tomorrow.

Wednesday 1/6: Bike 18.8 Miles (Indoors)

We've lived in our house about five years, and in those five years, I have never used my indoor trainer. I guess you could say I'm not the biggest fan of it. I had to keep reminding myself that I am going to emerge a faster cyclist in Spring!

Thursday 1/7: Swim 2,300 Yards + Run 4.8 Miles

Another great swim/run combo! I'm really enjoying having more structure and purpose to my workouts!

Friday 1/8: Run 8 Miles - Hills!

I was originally planning to run a much steeper hill, but it's been raining here and that particular hill's sidewalk takes forever to dry. Thank goodness I picked a more manageable one, as today's hill repeats were brutal enough! I might just work on getting faster on this one before venturing to the steeper one...

Saturday 1/9: REST!

I unexpectedly found myself going to Lake Havasu, AZ at 6:00 AM to pick up my fiancé's truck. It was a plan that was sort-of in the works, but we decided against it Thursday night. He changed his mind on Friday, and was planning to take a buddy, but then that fell through. Friday's hills left me pretty stiff, so I wasn't too torn up about moving my rest day...

Not too shabby of a view!

Sunday 1/10: Run 8.7 Miles + Swim 2,000 Yards (ish)

Ugh. I woke up thinking I was going to have a great run, got myself psyched up, and then ended up having a pretty terrible run. :( However, I still finished it, so I gotta give myself props for that. I think the combination of a few glasses of wine the night before and the more arid Arizona climate did me in. My swim was a ton of fun - it was a recovery swim, so all my sets were 50 yards, so I totally rocked it in the hotel pool!

Oh Desert Bar, how I have missed you!

*Goals from last week*

1. Get two 2,000 yard swims in - finally, on week 2!

2. Actually publish Monday Mileage on every Monday - nope!

3. Actually keep the morning routine under 15 minutes - (mostly) yes...

**Goals for next week**

1. Up my stretching game
2. Actually publish Monday Mileage next Monday
3. Get back to posting reviews of stuff I like :)