What Our Editors Used and Loved in June

Every month our staff tries out lots triathlon and triathlon-adjacent things. Yes, we test new gear, but we also have old favorites and secret tricks and things we’re loving right now. That’s why each month we share our favorite tri-related things and our members get a chance to win one of our editors’ picks.

This month, members can win a new Dryrobe. Enter by July 15 and a winner will be picked at random. Check back next month for new picks.

Dryrobe Advance

Is it just me, or is the air always colder after a training swim? It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer, sunny or cloudy, at the pool or at the lake, whenever I get out of the water, I’m covered in goosebumps until I get my wet clothes off my body and a cup of coffee into my belly. Needless to say, I don’t typically stick around for post-swim chats with friends—I’m too busy hightailing it to my car. But when I started taking the Dryrobe with me to the lake, things suddenly became a lot warmer. It’s billed as as a “unisex dressing robe,” but a more apt description would be a “wearable changing tent.” The giant jacket lets me take off my swimsuit and change into dry clothes right on the beach—no public nudity citations for me, thankyouverymuch—and the windproof outershell and soft, water-repellent lambswool lining keep me warm until I return to baseline. It looks bulky, but it’s actually super light and way cozy. The only thing that would make it better is a built-in coffee spigot.

– Susan Lacke, digital editor

MEMBERS: Enter to win a Dryrobe.

Wilde Chicken Chips

I tried these a year or two ago, and I liked them, but it wasn’t until my wife found out she was pregnant recently and needed to substantially up her protein intake did I realize how big of a deal these tasty little morsels were. Available in five flavors—salt, salt and vinegar, Nashville hot chicken, chicken and waffles, and buffalo—these mid-sized bags of chips taste almost exactly like potato chips, but boast 10g of protein per serving (two servings per bag). As such, they’re an excellent contributing source of (healthy) post-workout protein, and they taste really really good.

The only slight downside is that they’re a bit more expensive than potato chips, but that makes sense given that potato chips aren’t exactly known as the healthiest post-training snack in the world. And I can tell you from my wife’s experience that if you’re pregnant and need to get in extra protein, they’re a lot better than endlessly choking down eggs all day.

– Chris Foster, executive editor

Decathlon

To bring you all of our Challenge Roth coverage, I’ve been in Europe for the last 10 days. And, as so often happens when you travel on a tri trip (especially one after three years of not traveling internationally), I forgot some stuff.

So, let me tell about the wonder that is Decathlon. After a snooty sales person at a snooty outdoor retailer flagship store pulled a Pretty Woman move on me, I ended up in a mall in Munich and at Decathlon—which is like Big 5, except cheaper and nicer. I thought I’d just run in to buy a sports bra, but instead I was amazed by how much high-quality stuff there was for how little money. The idea of Decathlon was originally to be like the Trader Joe’s of sporting goods—bring you unbranded, higher-quality, made in-house stuff, for less money. Now, it appears they’ve moved somewhat away from that, because there were at least a few other non-house brands in the store, but they still sell everything from yoga gear to swim gear to camping gear to bikes. I ended up walking out with two sports bras, a pair of shorts, and a pair of tights for $45.

While the last two U.S. locations of the European mega sports store closed due to COVID-19 challenges, you can still buy everything online. Which is nice for a tri budget.

– Kelly O’Mara, editor-in-chief