It’s been a few weeks now that I’ve been testing the Skins A400 Compression Half Tights and I’ve got to say that are at the top of my running gear pile!

My training time has been quite limited lately, so most of my runs have been quality sessions – either short intervals on the track or longer fartlek work on the local trails. In the past I’ve only been able to manage one intense run session per week but having cut back the volume, I am handling the increased intensity quite well. At the same time, I’ve switched to lighter shoes for training – Asics DS Trainer – which in the past have left me with tight and sore legs afterwards but have recently felt more comfortable than my older, heavier training shoes.

This improvement in my run training is indicative of taking care of the factors that actually allow me to run in the first place. Eating healthily and regular Trigger Point therapy applied to my body is increasing the speed at which I can recover from these harder sessions. Also playing a role are the compression half tights I’ve been wearing during the sessions.

I’ve used Skins compression tights previously for recovery purposes but these half tights were the first compression garment I’ve used during training.

Have you ever seen the super slow motion footage of tennis players as they lunge for a baseline shot? Well, I imagine that it’s probably pretty similar, if not worse, every step of a training run!

The first thing I noticed when I ran in these was that my quads felt like they were being held in place, and it sounds silly but I felt more “Kenyan-like”, in that I could feel less shockwaves running through my upper legs, a sensation of feeling a few kilos lighter – it’s a shame my running speed wasn’t more “Kenyan-like”!

As I mentioned in my first post about these shorts, during speed work is where I’ve noticed the biggest difference. I’ve been running some 400m repeats around the 70sec mark and at that pace they give my 80kg frame some much needed support.

The fabric used in the shorts feels and looks great. I can’t think of anything to pick on in that regards. I’ve had some shorts before that have had stitches popping within a few uses, even with extra care. I’ve had no issues with the stitching in these, although as with all compression garments, I think you get extra life out of the them if you take steps not to over stretch them when putting them on or taking them off. I’ve worn this pair numerous times already and they are showing no signs of wear and tear or overstretching.

A pretty cool feature is a small built in pocket at the rear, just the right size to hold a couple of keys. Sometimes you end up running with a Fuel Belt or equivalent if your shorts don’t cater for keys/coins, etc., but this pocket is just right.

I love the black/charcoal colour scheme of the pair I have – although the black with white and yellow logos stands out more for other runners to see, which I think is an important factor in a garment. For runners/cyclists, etc., being able to identify what someone else is wearing whilst on the move can be a factor in influencing your future purchases.

I really can’t fault these shorts and would happily purchase a pair in the future. They feel great and more importantly, they are helping me to improve my running. During the whole time that I’ve been using these shorts, I haven’t had that next day burning quads feeling, which to me indicates these shorts are helping reduce muscle damage in my quality sessions and enabling me to back up again during the week for some more fast running.

I’m looking forward to having a race in them at the Run for the Kids on April 17!

Note: Skins Australia are not a sponsor of mine but have supplied me with this product to trial and review – all views within this blog post are mine, and not those of Skins Australia.