Gear Review Episodes

In this episode, we sit down again with Bruce Nguyen. We spoke to Bruce last November in episode 18 after his amazing Moab 240 finish. We asked him to come back to discuss his gear. Specifically, all the gear it takes to run and crew a successful 200+ mile multiday race. Bruce just returned from crewing his buddy Michael Li on his amazing JamOnTam200 Fatass, where Michael completed a record 21 repeats with over 56K feet of vert from the historic 1929 Lytton Square Clock in Mill Valley, CA to th...

On the First 99 Gear Review we usually talk about gear attached to your body; shoes, clothing, watches, stuff like that. But today, we are sitting down with Auburn’s very own Doug White to talk about the gear, time, and volunteers it takes to pull off the successful Dusty Corners Western States Endurance Race Aid Station. Mile 38 of the WSER is no joke. Dusty Corners is a hot, dry, and dusty place (except for the year of snow and hypothermia). When you finally make it through the high-country s...

Mike kicked off our Mile 99 crew favorite gear review. We peeked into a lesson from Turner’s Theory of Net Energy Balance. It led him to favoring a Gore brand windstopper vest. It has a low back and pockets originally used for cyclists. He mentioned his glasses hook up from Cody Johnson in Salt Lake City who fit prescription lenses in racing glasses. They auto-tint and he wore them for 34 hours at a race. Dakine 8L waistpack is a recent purchase that Mike wants to use for snacks so it is likely ...

In this episode of the First 99 Gear Review, I sit down again with our very own Greg Larkin for Part 2 of his Winter Off-Season Cross Training Plan. During Part 1 we dug into Greg’s indoor workouts including rowing on the Concept2 and Zwift virtual bike racing on his smart trainer. In Part 2 we head to the White Wonderland for some full body winter cross training activities. As mentioned in the last episode Greg was born in Upstate NY and moved to New Hampshire as a kid. Snow sports go back man...

In this episode of the First 99 Gear Review, co-host Mike Turner sits down with our very own Greg Larkin to chat about winter cross training activities. It’s the New Year, and the time to start planning our race and training schedules. But many of us have found over the years it’s essential to take time off and let the body heal. Balancing staying fit, letting the body heal, and staying sane is the key to years of healthy adventures. In this two-part series we discuss off-season activities and ...

In this episode of the First 99 Gear Review, co-hosts Mike Turner and Greg Larkin talked to gear reviewer and ultrarunner Brian Goldman about the Coros and Garmin running watches, their features and modes and of course, strengths and weaknesses! Garmin is the established player in the space with excellent brand recognition, and while Coros is relatively new on the scene, they offer incredible battery life that can be extremely useful for long ultra distance running races and other activities. ...

In this episode of the First 99 Gear Review, our co-host Mike Turner delves into the Topo Athletic Trailventure trail running/light hiker shoe. He explores the reasons he decided on this shoe initially and then the experiences he had with it running and hiking all over the harsh trails of the Northern California river canyons and volcanic rock formations of the high mountains. Tune in to hear the whole story! Topo Athletic Trailventure shoe models: https://www.topoathletic.com/search?keywords=...

In this episode of the First 99 Gear Review, our co-host Mike Turner delves into two popular GPS trackers that are perfect for expeditions into remote areas with no cellular service. Tune in to hear Mike's thoughts on what features he likes for different types of outings, comparison of plans and other features. SPOT Tracker products: https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/products-services SPOT service plans: https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/products-services/service-plans#spot-gen4-plans Garmin in...