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New England really is a great place to live - I absolutely love it here. The history, the scenery, the charm...as cheesy as all that is to say...there really is something to it.

What's positively obnoxious, however, is the weather. Roasting-hot, humid summer days, absolutely frigid winter nights...and everything in-between. If you're <i>really lucky</i> you can experience all four seasons within one week. <b>Awesome.</b>
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<div>In order to survive the <i style="font-weight: bold;">ever-changing</i> New England weather, it's important to have the right gear &amp; apparel. I got out of my comfort zone and tried some new stuff...and...<b><i>wow.</i></b></div>
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<div><i>(This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own.)</i></div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: large;">I'm a creature of habit.</span></b></div>
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<div>Keep it simple, keep it the same, and keep me <i>sane</i>. For cold-weather running, that means compression thermal base layer, some kind of shirt over it, and some kind of outer layer. Gloves. Hat. Running shorts with sweatpants OR thermal tights instead. Nice and easy.</div>
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<div>But recently...I had the opportunity to try the new Mizuno Running "Breath Thermo" gear. I've got the Breath Thermo Base Layer quarter-zip  and a pair of their Breath Thermo gloves. I have to say...I'm pretty impressed. This stuff is good enough to get me to break out of my old habits.</div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fits, feels, and looks good.</span></b></div>
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From a wearability and aesthetics angle...the Breath Thermo gear nails it. The quarter-zip base layer fit like a second skin, and felt good while doing it. SUPER light, which is a bonus. Soft, comfortable, and (at least for me) pretty fitted, but certainly not compression. It fits a little small, but I think that's on purpose. Either way, works for me.

The gloves fit well, which is a big deal for me...I'm very particular with gloves - they've got to be snug enough but not TOO tight, I like almost NO cuff, etc. So far I haven't found anything warm enough or wind-proof enough...that ALSO has the touch-screen compatibility for my needy, millennial self. These met the criteria...at least, in the fit department.

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<div><b><span style="font-size: large;">It's like freaking <i>magic</i>. </span></b></div>
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<b>Seriously though...</b>it might as well be. The tech is pretty impressive. The short version here is...<b>the fabric ITSELF is <u>generating</u> heat.</b>

Apparently, even if you're not really <i>sweating</i>, your body gives off water vapor. That water vapor is harnessed by the special "breath thermo" yarn in the clothing...which makes it... yes... literally... generate heat. <i>(Diagrams and such here)</i>

So...if the clothing I'm wearing is MAKING heat...maybe I don't have to wear all the EXTRA warm layers that help me trap my own heat?

Well, I was pretty skeptical... but I tried it anyway. Considering its SO light and thin... I still didn't trust it, so I wore it as a base layer with a full-zip running hoodie over it. Wearing THAT instead of a compression base layer was enough of a stretch...I wasn't about to subject myself to some sort of cold-induced sickness as a result of under-dressing. I was sure IT ALONE couldn't possibly keep me warm enough.

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<div><a style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwNPBuMLbak/WGh7j1jihMI/AAAAAAAArsE/IsHz_xWw8pUf2IaKkizB5y4tnf5zAMC8QCLcB/s320/IMG_20161224_110526.jpg" width="240" height="320" border="0" /></a></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Whelp...I was wrong.</b></span></div>
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Within 15 minutes I was SO warm I had to ditch the hoodie. I couldn't fully toss it... all I could do was fully unzip it, leaving it flapping in the breeze. I was dripping sweat for the rest of the run, all the way home! The gloves, too! WOW! My hands...were SWEATY!

<b>So obviously...I'm in love.</b>

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<div>I've never had gloves so warm &amp; windproof. I've NEVER had a top SO physically light &amp; breathable...yet so impossibly WARM. This stuff is the real deal. Now, please excuse me while I go run through the frozen tundra.</div>