DeSoto Solana "Run Short" Product Review

recently, i took a forced break from training. i wasn't injured. i was "forced" to spend five days at an all inclusive resort with my family.

as pleasant a place as it was, it just wasn't set up to do any kind of serious training, not even in the sense of a traditional recovery week.

 yes, i could run a bit, around the resort, and swim in the ocean a little. but that was it. most of my days were spent "transitioning" between ocean, pool, bar, splashpad,  kiddie play centre, lounge chair, poolside restaurant, a quick jog in the middle. all fuelled by copious amounts of tequila. you get the idea.

a situation like this, the endurance event of life, the sub-event of resort week in Mexico, triathlete posing as family man, this demands a certain kind of apparel. it should look cool. it needs to have pockets for cell phone, sun block, room keys, tip money. said pockets need to stay closed and keep things in place when submerged in water. a garment for such an event needs to dry fast. it should support your "stuff" well as you endure the rigours of the day. it should be equally at ease as a run garment, swim trunk and swanky poolside chic lounge short.

is there such a garment in the world? well....yes. and that garment is the Solana run short by De Soto. in my case, last week, i had several pairs in different colours,  but tended to gravitate towards the skull and cross-bones 2016 edition, as it looked really cool and fit in with halloween and the day of the dead quite nicely.

my Solana's were about all i wore, all day long, at the resort. they functioned beautifully across the full range of resorting which took place. even some actual running. 

being a long time DeSoto customer, i have owned many pairs of the Solana run short over the past decade.  yes, they make fantastic run shorts, if you so chose to use them that way. but what is best about them is their versatility. these are lifestyle shorts. in addition to the activities described above they are also perfect for: doing weight in the gym, house wear after your evening shower, BBQing in the backyard,  over your race kit on race morning, or even sleeping...just about all aspects of your active (and not-so-active) lifestyle. 

the Solana has a nice cut for me, just above the knee. but if you like shorter shorts, there is the Tuesday. or, if you want a more West-Coast, baggy rapper kinda feel, then there is the Playa short (of which i also own several pairs). 

gratuitous bathroom selfie at the resort/ or all i wore on vacation

well, that's about it. i can't think of another product that has quite the versatility to fit within an endurance lifestyle than the Solana run short by DeSoto. every self respecting endurance animal should own a pair.

working hard at living in my Solana's