What We’re Loving This Week: Meditation Apps, Immunity Tablets, and Running Sweaters

Even with everything going on in the world, here at Triathlete we still do a lot of swimming, biking, and running. Well, not a lot of swimming right now. But we spend a lot of time checking out all the gear, old and new, both for work and for our own enjoyment. Here’s what we’re using and loving in our regular lives this week. (You can also check out all of our weekly picks.)

Headspace App

I feel like it’s a good thing to find some quiet in crazy times, and never more so than now when uncertainty and anxiety seem to rule supreme. I first discovered Headspace in its very early days when co-founder Andy Puddicombe was still getting things off the ground. It’s phenomenal to see where the app has gone now and it’s also no surprise to see how well they’ve responded to recent circumstances. If you’re looking for just 10 minutes of quiet, then I’d say you won’t find a better place. There’s a free “Weathering the Storm” section in their app right now, which includes a collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises “for the current global crisis.” Even if you find yourself doing these in your closet (which I did this week, true fact), your body and mind will ultimately thank you for it. This helped bring some calmer times to a crazy week, for sure.

– Emma-Kate Lidbury, managing editor

Nuun Immunity

We’re all doing what we can to stay safe and healthy right now, and I’m grateful I had a stash of these Nuun Immunity tubes in my pantry. I put one tablet (each contains zinc, turmeric, elderberry, ginger and Echinacea) in a glass of water each morning. Like anything preventative, it’s hard to know how much good it’s doing, but at least I feel like I’m taking an actionable step toward staying healthy.

– Liz Hichens, senior digital editor

Saris Cyclops Fluid Trainer

I know everyone has fancy trainers these days, with all The Things. I do not. I’ve thought about it, but I don’t really actually like to talk to people when I’m riding hard. I’d much rather just watch TV, lots of TV. And also I don’t like technology. I like owning the same thing for years and never having to think about it. Close to ten years old, my trainer has brought me that. They only make a newer version of my Cycleops fluid trainer at this point. And, yes, I’ve had to put duct tape over one side of the adjustment mechanism and my husband had to screw the resistance unit back in place a few weeks ago. But, man, it works. And that’s all I ask.

– Kelly O’Mara, editor-in-chief

Under Armour IntelliKnit Sweater

OK, when I first got an email about a “running sweater,” I nearly did a spit take on my computer. In fact, there’s a large part of me that got it just so I could make fun of it to my friends. (“Haha, yeah, look at this ‘running sweater,'” I’d say, and then we’d laugh about the ridiculous things that people buy.) But I tried it on, mocked it some more, and then went for a run in it. It wasn’t even particularly cold, so yeah, you can now say, “Look at the ridiculous things Californians buy.” But it was actually the perfect blend of breathable with just enough warmth to get me out the door not chilly and complaining. Truth be told, it does get a little stinky, so the whole “You can wear it on a run, then right to the office!” tagline is a little off unless your office is in a landfill, but we can’t have it all. That said, I’m wearing it right now, as I type…stinkiness be damned.

– Chris Foster, senior editor