2014 Summer Running Gear

Here in the Nation's capital, it is hot!  In the month of July, we typically will see 14 days that reach 90 degrees or higher, and with the high humidity, it feels much hotter.  To keep running, you need the right clothes and the right gear.  Here is what has been working for me this summer:

The North Face Better Than Naked Hat.  Before this summer, I never liked running with hats.  They made my head hot, and the headbands frequently gave me headaches.  It turns out, I was just wearing the wrong hat.  This ultralight hat from The North Face keeps the sun out of my eyes, the sweat off of my face, and my head stays cool.

The North Face Better Than Naked Shirt.  Is it insane to pay $50 for a running shirt?  Not if it feels like it's made out of butterflies' wings.  The Better Than Naked Shirt is insanely light, it wicks sweat away quickly, and it never gets wet and heavy.  This shirt is simply light years beyond any other I've tried.  Durability remains a question mark, but so far, so good.

Salomon Trail Shorts.   Sorry, North Face, but Salomon still makes the best runnning shorts around.  Soft, comfortable waist bands, pockets that hold everything I need, legs that don't ride up or chafe.  Perfect.

Drymax Running Socks.  I used to wear Drymax Lite trail socks, but the regular running socks have a more open weave that breathes better.  It turns out, nothing is better than the original.

Amphipod Handheld.  Amphipod claims that their ergonomic shape allows the hand to relax, thus eliminating hand cramping and tension.  Personally, I've never heard a single runner every complain of hand cramping.  Regardless, this handheld is far more comfortable to carry than the typical round bottle, and the curved shape makes it easier to fill at water fountains.  There are all sorts of versions with neoprene insulating sleeves, iphone pockets, and the like, but I prefer the most stripped down version for its lower weight and lower price point.

What's been keeping you cool?

Review: Injnji Toesocks (Performance Series, Mid- and Original-Weight)

I'm behind the ball on this one. Months ago, the nice folks at Injnji sent us RR&RS bloggers a number of toesocks to try out. Both Eric and Joel have posted their reviews and it's time for me to chime in.

I started with with the Midweight Performance Series and, to be quite honest with you, didn't like them all that much. The construction of having a sleeve for each toe felt awkward, and the fabric between the toes rubbed together and almost gave me a blister on my middle toe. I also found them to be a bit too warm for anything other than winter running - but I tend to be hot as a default. The instructions did say to give yourself some time to adjust, and so I tried these socks a few times, but never really warmed up to them.

Given my experience with those socks, it took me a while to try the Original Weight Performance Series socks. I'm sorry I waited, because the weight change made a significant difference! The thinner material felt much more natural on my toes and didn't rub together nearly as much. They were cooler, wicking moisture more effectively for me, and fit much better in my shoes (which I like to lace up really tightly). It was wearing these socks that I discovered the fun of spreading out your toes when running, something I can do much easier in the larger toe box of my Saucony Guide 3s rather than my usual shoe (Brooks Adrenaline 12). I wear them regularly now, when trail running in particular, and enjoy the subtle increase in control that it gives me.

I was impressed with the original weight socks, and want to thank Injniji for sending them along. They're high-quality socks that are now a regular part of my running wardrobe.

Related Posts:

Review: Injinji Toesocks (outdoor, original weight, crew)
Review: Injinji Toesocks
Review: Feetures! Elite Socks
Review: Injinji Toesocks (outdoor series)

Review: Injinji Toesocks (outdoor, original weight, crew)

About a month ago, Joel received a few pairs of socks from the kind folks at Injinji for us to try out and share our thoughts on.  The pair that arrived in my mailbox were from the Outdoor Series, original weight, crew length.

Right from the start I can describe my experience with these socks as weird.  The concept of these socks (pictured on my foot at right) is one I just hadn't considered before.  It seemed novel and I wasn't exactly sure I could take the concept seriously at first.  Putting the socks on added to the comical nature of the experience.  Being inexperienced with toesocks, I found them a bit more difficult than expected to get on my feet, even more so than, say, putting on a glove.  My toes just aren't used to fitting into sleeves.

Once the socks were on my feet felt very, very different from anytime I can recall.  My initial reaction was that i didn't like the feeling, as if I had thong flip-flops on with a thing between each toe. But for the sake of being open to the idea, I asked, is it uncomfortable?  The answer was certainly no.  Strange, yes, uncomfortable no.

As I wear compression sleeves on most runs, I realize the crew length isn't ideal for me, as I don't really want any overlap between my socks and my compression sleeves.  I realize that Injinji makes both mini-crew (shorter) versions of these socks and also a version that has compression built in.

Injinji recommends on it's packaging that you "be patient with your first wear and allow your feet to adjust".  This is good advice, because when I put on my shoes, the strange feeling didn't go away, rather, was more pronounced.  Firstly, I think because the socks were new, they felt very slippery in my shoe.  Secondly, I felt like there was just plain more room in my shoe.  This is exactly the opposite of what I had imagined I would have felt.  I would have guess that, with the extra material, the fabric would have felt bunched and uncomfortable in my shoes; definitely not the case.

We had a 10-miler planned for the run, and 2 miles into it, I wasn't thinking about the socks at all.  This was a good thing... as my original feelings had me imagining feeling that strange feeling the whole run.  For the most part, in the early part of my run, I really didn't feel any major differences between these socks and the normal sock selections I run with.  This was surprising.

In the later miles of the run, as fatigue started to set in, I did actually notice a difference, and it was a really nice difference.  I don't tend to have any major issues with my feet.  I don't get blisters, I don't get hot spots, so I cannot speak to these socks ability to ward of those blights.  I can say, however, that the feeling of being able to freely splay my toes is much more pronounced in these socks, leading to a heightened sense of proprioception.  To be clear, the experience is a subtle one, but one that is certainly welcome in the latter miles of a run when you're keen to keep your form in check.

I also tend to sweat quite a bit when I run, so a sock that can handle moisture is an important thing to me.  Injinji claim "Superior Moisture Management" and on that point I certainly agree.   My initial run with the Injinji toe socks yielded no definitive data one way or another with respect to the moisture management.  There was no issue, but also no situation to gauge the superior nature of this moisture management.  A second run with these socks presented a good test situation, however.  Firstly, it has been raining leading up to the run, so there was moisture on the ground and in the air.  Secondly, there was a chill to the air.  Generally speaking, I don't wear anything but lightweight socks, and typically stay away from any wool or synthetic wool unless it is winter.  This is important because, thirdly, I was working very hard on this run and sweating a lot, so the wet with the chill in the air gave me the opportunity to see how dry and how warm my feet would be.  Well, my feet were quite warm (too warm for my tastes, I would definitely go with the lightweight socks in the future) and surprisingly dry.  The sock itself showed no sign of heaviness and did not feel as wet as it should have given the situation.  I was quite impressed.

In summary, while I felt very strange about these socks at first, they shined in all the areas they claim to shine.  I don't think purchasing these socks is going to be the decided factor in you achieving your PR, but if you're looking for socks that are going to help you do that, you've got some other things you'll need to deal with.  The benefits of these socks are subtle, but they are real.  They do take some getting used to, and after two runs with them, I am not quite sure I am there yet...  but I no longer dismiss the idea as novel and can definitely see myself wearing Injinji socks on future runs.

Related Posts:
Review: Injinji Toesocks
Review: Feetures! Elite Socks
Review: Injinji Toesocks (outdoor series)

Review: Injinji Toesocks (outdoor series)

Last month, I blogged about my experience running in Injinji toesocks.  After describing my very positive experience with original weight socks from their Performance Series, I noted that I was interested in trying some of the other toesocks in their lineup.  In response, Injinji graciously sent me some other models to try.  I'm passing some of them along to my co-bloggers so they can try them out and share their own perspectives.  But I kept a pair of the Lightweight Outdoor Series socks for myself.

The Outdoor Series toesocks are made from 58% nuwool, 38% nylon, and 4% lycra.  Nuwool is Injinji's proprietary blend of merino wool and man-made fibers.  As such, its unclear exactly how much wool is in this sock.  I'd love to see that information on Injinji's website, if not on the packaging (which is otherwise very informative).

But the important thing is, how well the sock works.  Let's start by talking about fit.  The socks felt surprisingly "slick" for a wool blend and easy to put on.  The packaging promises an "ultra thin" interface, and that's what you get.  These lightweight socks offer virtually no padding, so you need to make sure your shoe offers everything you need.  For me, the thin fabric also meant that my foot felt a little bit looser inside my shoe, which took a few minutes to get used to, but after that, it felt great, giving my feet more room to expand and move.

The main reason I was interested in the outdoor series is because I have found that merino wool offers better breathability than virtually any man-made fiber.  To put the socks to the test, I took them on a 9-mile run in 75 degree weather, with a couple of afternoon downpours thrown in.  When I came home and stripped my socks off, my feet were virtually dry.  Mission accomplished.

Beyond that, these socks continue to offer everything that I loved about the Performance Series: a comfortable run that lets my toes spread out and do what they are supposed to do, and that lets me come home without any blisters.

I did notice a little bit of pilling along the bottom of the socks when I took them off.  This is entirely expected from a sock that is made partially of wool.  I suspect they will not last as long as an entirely synthetic sock.  But for me, they are more than worth the retail price!  I'm planning to stock up on several pairs of these as my regular summer running sock.

Related posts:
Review: Injinji Toesocks

Review: Injinji Toesocks

From the time I started running, I have had problems with blisters.  Blisters on the bottom of my feet, blisters on my toes, If you describe them, I've probably had them.

In search of a solution, I tried a number of different synthetic fiber socks.  Some I liked better than others, but the sock I ultimately settled on was a pair of lightweight Merino wool blend socks from Patagonia.  (The exact model has been discontinued, but I believe that these are the replacement.)  They fit great, kept my feet drier than any synthetic fiber, and eliminated all of my blister problems but one.

The remaining problem was with my middle toe on my left foot.  During my long runs, it invariably develops a huge, blood filled blister at the front of the toe.  I have no clue why - the toe is normal sized, doesn't curl in any direction, and generally appears normal.  While the blister hurts, it doesn't impede my running, so I've pretty much learned to accept it.

OK, enough about my toe problems.  Lets talk about this weekend's run.  Last time I ran, I discovered that my wool socks had worn through, which happens pretty quickly with wool socks.  Time passed, and I failed to get down to Patagonia to replace them.  So, Friday night I ducked into a running store near my work - and found myself staring at a bunch of brands of socks I'd never tried before.

I ended up picking up the Injinji Performance Series Original socks, because I was intrigued by the five-toe design.  Note that Injinji doesn't market the five-toe design as a solution to blisters.  Rather, it claims that the reason for the design is that, by allowing the toes to spread out, it "allows proper alignment for stability, gripping and balance."

I don't know if I achieved any better stability or balance, but I can attest to the fact that my toes were able to to spread out inside my shoes much more than they were used to.  In fact, I could feel my big toe touching the side of the toe box, which never happens with regular socks!

Some people claim that these feel a bit strange at first, but for me they felt perfectly natural (perhaps because I am used to walking around the house in bare feet.)  The only fit issue was that the there is too much space for my little toe.  But even though there was some loose sock at the end of the toe, it didn't cause any problems.  Also the "Mini Crew" version comes up higher on my ankle than I expected - but its a perfect length for keep debris from getting into the socks, so I actually really like it.

But the big question is, how were they for running?  Well, they felt great the whole time.  (I got the "original" level of cushioning; they also come in lightweight and midweight.)  Just as importantly, after 18 miles, I came back without a single blister - not even one on my middle toe.    Wherever it was rubbing the problem, the problem is solved.

For now, I am loving these socks.  The only caveat is that today was a cool day - so, we'll see how well they do keeping my feet dry (and thus, the bottoms of my feet blister-free) when it gets hot.  The Performance Series of socks is made with 70% CoolMax fiber, which has been pretty good to me in other products, but not perfect.  I suspect, in any case, I'll want some of the "lightweight" ones once it warms up.

It turns out, though, that there may be an even better sock for me:  Injinji also makes an "Outdoor Series" of socks, that are made with 70% NuWool (which in turn is a combination of Merino wool and other fibers).  I hope I'll get a chance to try them out and report back on them...