The first time I wore the orange shorts I was ridiculed by my running group for hours. HOURS. But 45 minutes in I was the one laughing; my shorts were bone dry and comfortable while theirs were soaked with sweat.
more
Mountain Hardware's Women's Pacer Advanced Running Shorts (whew … ) are everything they're cracked up to be: They fit great, they look great and they felt great on a recent long run. They've quickly made it into my regular rotation of long run summer clothes.
These shorts are the weight of tissue paper (average weight according to the specs: 4 oz.) and their loose but not-too-roomy design helped them dry quickly when they eventually did get sweaty. The wide waistband was very comfortable (but not very stretchy) and helped them to stay put even after many sweaty hours on the trail. The drawstring, however, isn't much help, I cut it out.
They're made of Mountain Heardwear's "Adrenaline Point" check material: 83% nylon + 9% elastane + 8% polyester = happy runners. The waistband is a comfy jersey knit and the liner has MH's Chitosan for odor control. (Mine don't smell too funky yet, unlike some of my other technical clothes.)
The Pacer shorts sport three gel pockets (or use them for keys, ID, whatever) hidden in the back, under the waistband. There's also a hidden zipper pocket on the right hip. This one was so well camouflaged that I didn't find it until I did laundry. I'd be weary to fill all the pockets at once. Do so, and risk a midrun wardrobe malfunction.
Mountain Hardwear's size chart has me wearing a small, but I found I'm much more comfortable in the medium. If you tend to wear your shorts on your hips, as I do, then order a size up. And women, the A-line cut through the legs, and the length, makes these running shorts much more flattering than most runner short-shorts.
I've never been a girl who likes to wear Skittles-colored clothes, so these shorts, which come in bright orange and other colors such as "fresh blue" seemed a little silly, at first. But hey, if I'm wearing neon, no one will mistake me for a deer. Or maybe the rescue team will find me faster should I find myself off trail.
Look for these this spring for $55.
Sara Davidson is an ultramarathoner and our resident women's running gear destroyer.
