Erik Valiente Field Test

When we set out to develop the Session Pant and recreate one of our most popular core shorts in pant form, we knew it had to provide the same lightness, breathability, and mobility as the Session Short. We wanted the Session Pant to be minimalist, stripped down to the essentials, and prepared to get you through every high-intensity conditioning session on the days you need a little extra coverage.

To make sure we created a high-performance training pant that can keep up on every run, we had Ten Thousand athlete and founder of the LA-based running club BlacklistLA, Erik Valiente, put the Session Pant to the test during a recent track workout while he was training for the Los Angeles marathon. “With my marathon training, I needed to hit the splits,” he explained, “so these pants are really going to be pushed.”

Erik's Workout:

3 mile warm up including easy, recovery pace jogging, and 5 x 20s strides
20 minutes at tempo pace
6 x 90s at VO2 max / all out pace with 3 minutes of walking recovery between intervals
2 miles cool down, recovery jogging pace
Stretching and gratitude practice

When Erik got to the track at 5:30am, the hot Los Angeles sun was just barely out. With a chill in the air, it was the perfect opportunity to see if the Session Pant did its job of providing warmth without adding weight.

Going in, Erik expected to keep the Session Pants on for the warmup but get hot and strip a layer and do the remaining part of the workout in his Distance Shorts. Once he wrapped up the warmup though, he wasn't sweaty, or overheated as he expected. He then began his tempo workout to see just how breathable and lightweight these pants really were. When he hit the meat and potatoes of the workout, the 90 second all-out intervals, Erik left the Session Pants on and was pleased with how out-of-mind the pants were throughout.

"These pants performed above my expectations when it came to breathability. I've tried quite a few pairs of running pants in my day, and the lack of proper air flow is always my biggest frustration. In addition to the laser-cut vents down the side of each leg, the perforated panel on the back of each calf made a serious difference."

He found the pants to be light, flexible, and breathable. They lived up to the promise we’d made when we created these pants. We wanted a pant that let you hit the streets without thinking about anything other than the workout ahead.

“Honestly, you can barely feel that you're wearing pants - which is great for training! The pockets with zippers are a lifesaver. Knowing my essentials are safely stored helps me focus on the workout ahead.”

Erik only had one piece of feedback for us: he wanted the pants to come in more colors. If that’s the only feedback we get from someone like Erik Valiente, then we’ll take that as a win.