My inlaws are in town this week, and whenever they visit, one of the places they absolutely have to go is Patagonia. Lucky for me, this means I get to pick out a gift or two as well! I've never really thought of Patagonia as a brand for runners, but I decided to take the chance to expand my running wardrobe a little.
The first item I got was a Capilene 1 silkweight tank. It looks great and fits well (too often, when I get something in a size "large", it is the right length but ends up baggy). Compared to other shirts, the fabric is extremely light, smooth and stretchy. Unfortunately, by the end of my 3.5 mile run (31:31) this morning in the DC heat, it was drenched, heavy and clinging to my skin. The bottom line is that it is not as good as other technical fabrics for a summer run, but I'm really looking forward to wearing it more once the weather cools down.
The other item I got was a pair of lightweight Merino wool blend socks. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical pulling wool socks on in the middle of summer. But they fit like a dream (including just the right amount of room in the toes) and they felt like butter. Most importantly, they continued to stay comfortable during my run - they didn't get hot at all, and there was no sign of any problematic rubbing. When I took my shoes off, they were slightly damp, but somehow still drier than my more technical running socks would have been. An additional bonus for me is that they fit up over the ankle, which should offer protection from the little bits of rock and gravel that I sometimes get inside my socks when running offroad. I'm really excited to take these on my longer trail runs.
I used to own a good amount of Patagonia skiing gear. I usually go with EMS or Burton now, but they made (made?) solid technical shirts and pants. In the market for some new running shorts; may have to give them an looksee.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they make any running shorts. Just a couple pairs of pants in their "trail running" section.
ReplyDeleteI'm still loving the socks. Even running 20 miles in the rain, they drained quickly, never felt soggy, never rubbed, no blisters. I suspect they were designed for hiking rather than running, but I'm sold.