I covered the launch of the Polar Grit X previously and the Polar folks were nice enough to send along a Grit X for me to incorporate into my own running regimine. Out of the box, the Grit X is gorgeous, with distinctive textured buttons and a silicone wristband that looks more like some high-tech military fiber. Which makes sense, the Grit X is the toughest device Polar has ever released, built to U.S. military-grade standard (MIL-STD-810G). 

Setting up a Polar account and pairing the Grit X with the app was a simple affair. After a few days of getting used to my routine and figuring out my performance metrics, the app was a treasure trove of data. The Grit X does much more than record runs—though it does that wonderfully, with metrics beyond distance and pace like cadence, automatic hill tracking, and effort. 

I could see how efficient my sleep cycles were and how that affected my fitness with the Nightly Recharge feature. The app (and the watch) would let me know if I was over-, under-, or (gasp) de-training with my current level of effort. And it had days worth of unbroken data since I didn’t need to take it off to recharge it. Polar says you can get between 40-100 hours of use out of each battery charge. My first charge lasted for seven days before I was low enough that I needed to pop the Grit X on the charger. 

The Grit X’s performance on my runs was exactly what I needed. We have one hill in town (because, Florida) and as I tortured myself with hill repeats, the Grit X automatically detected and analyzed my hill performance with its Hill Splitter feature. After the workout, I could see that I was going too hard on the ascents and that I needed to put a bit more effort into the descents.

The one thing I didn’t get to test out was the FuelWise feature, but as soon as there are races to sign up for again, and my training actually takes me more than 3 or 4 miles at a time, I’m looking forward to being able to outsource my fueling schedule to the Grit X. Rather than just the “suck down a GU at mile 10” decisions that I make, the Grit X will alert me when I need to get some extra carbs based on my effort and performance. I can also set regular hydration reminders (though I do wish this was automatic as well, based on environmental conditions). 

Working out with the Grit X, not just running was…fine? It was decidedly unimpressed with my yoga session and, conversely, I wasn’t all that impressed with its readability indoors. The Grit X uses a laminated Gorilla glass display that’s impressively tough, but very washed out if you don’t have the backlight on. Even then, it can be hard to read at a glance. After using an Apple Watch for years, and seeing what can be done in a trainer (like the AMOLED screen of the Garmin Venu) it’s hard to go back to a lower-resolution screen.

The Polar Grit X is available at ​www.polar.com/grit-x for $429.95. You can also pick up Green Tundra, Red Paracord, and Blue Paracord textile accessory bands for $39.95, and a leather accessory band for $49.95. 

Allbirds makes the most comfortable shoes that I’ve ever put on my feet. So when they announced that they were making a running shoe, trying them out was a no-brainer. I’m extremely glad that I did. 

The upper is made from eucalyptus tree fiber, with some chunky “post-consumer” recycled laces (I prefer a thinner lace but these did their job, so I can’t really complain). The planet-friendly materials continue inside the shoe. The heel has a merino wool pad that helps hold your foot in place, while the liner is made from castor beans. The end result is an upper that’s insanely comfortable and breathable even on the hottest of runs. But also one that doesn’t leave your foot rocking about. 

The chunky “SweetFoam” sole is made from sugarcane (there’s that Earth-friendly material design again). There are two natural rubber traction pads, one at the toe and another at the heel, to provide protection and shock absorption. The net result is a shoe that emits 9.0 kg of CO2e, which Allbirds then offsets to zero. If you’re looking for a shoe that’s good for the environment, the Dasher is a good place to start. 

But all the material design and environmentally-sound decisions in the world don’t mean anything if the shoe can’t perform. 

That’s why I was thrilled to slip the Allbirds Dashers on, fresh out of the box and take them out for a 3-mile run, then come back with nary a complaint. There was no rubbing on the heel, no pain in my mid-sole, no ache in the pad of my foot (I’m a toe-striker). The only issue I had was a bit of binding in the toe box. But then I started my running career in Vibram FiveFinger shoes – I like a lot of room for my toes to spread out. I see no reason why these won’t be perfect training shoes once I break them in a bit more to fit my monkey feet.

The best part? Allbirds Dashers actually look like nice shoes. My kids were impressed when I slipped them on. And they’re never impressed with my running footwear. Starting at $125, you can pick up a pair from the Allbirds site (though you’ll want to act fast, a lot of limited editions are already selling out). 

As someone who writes about fitness technology, I see a lot of programs and devices. Most are some variation of a band that tries to measure your body holistically or a training app that combines multiple disciplines—like HIIT workouts with French culinary training (OK, I made that one up, but it would actually be pretty cool). 

But as soon as I saw FightCamp in my inbox I knew one thing—that I desperately wanted to punch something as hard as I could. 

This pandemic has us all stretched and stressed to a breaking point. We all cope in different ways. Running is meditative. A good workout feels satisfying. But there’s something about boxing that’s different. It’s cathartic in a way that no other workout can be. 

Wrapping your hands and pulling on gloves is a ritualistic (and necessary) donning of armor. Each punch is harder than the last as you feel the release of whatever stress you’re holding on to. The workout is almost superfluous. Or, it would be, if it wasn’t so damn hard. 

Fifteen minutes of throwing punches leaves me more winded than running three miles. The constant shuffling, quick movement, and rapid transitions all combine to give me a workout that’s uniquely challenging. 

Despite, or maybe because of, its difficulty, I find myself looking forward to new FightCamp workouts. There are several paths in the app that you can take that combine videos introducing the trainers and various techniques, benchmark workouts, and full body workouts. There are also new one-off workouts that pop up in the app every week. 

My only wish is that it was comfortable to wear my Apple Watch under the wraps and gloves. I want activity credit! It would also help if the FightCamp app (that tracks your punches and power) synced with Apple Health. 

Make sure you follow the tutorial videos, you might roll your eyes, but it’s necessary to learn how to throw a punch so that you don’t hurt yourself. 

FightCamp offers different levels of gear to accompany your training. You can get just the quick wraps and trackers and shadow box or you can go all in and get gloves and a heavy bag. If you have the funds at the room (the bag requires a lot of both) I highly recommend the latter. Shadow boxing is good, but nothing compares to actually connecting with a bag. Plus, the FightCamp bag is definitely one of the better ones. 

The only issue you might have is the price. $439 for just wraps and trackers is quite a bit. If you’re going to join FightCamp, I highly recommend going all in and getting the Personal package that gives you a free-standing bag, workout mat, gloves, wraps, and trackers. 

The gloves are very well made and are just as good as the ones I picked up from Title Boxing back when I had a boxing club membership. The bag is excellent. The only thing to keep in mind is that setting it up permanently takes a fair amount of room and it’s heavy once you load it with sand or water (especially sand). Make sure you have the room for it! I’d also recommend picking up a Bag Ring to keep your bag from “walking” away during a workout.

My hands still ache from my last workout and I can’t wait till my next session.