Eat Drink Run Woman

When I first began running I gave little thought to my running gear. I’d wear cheap cotton shorts and socks, an old cotton t-shirt and shoes from the discount mart down the street. Eventually I started wearing race shirts, but they were still cotton as this the B.T.W. era (before technical wear). As I entered my second running phase in 2005 I replaced my cotton gear with technical fabrics, plus I got myself fitted for better shoes at my local running store. But my socks? They were still the $9.99/6-pair special at Costco.

Then I got into long distance running.

Sure, I balked when I saw many of the blister-free, moisture wicking socks were $8-$12 a pop. But as someone who stands on her tootsies all day, I knew I had to take care of ’em. I think the first pair of technical socks I bought were the Injinji toe socks. Yeah, they’re goofy looking and take some getting used to, but they work. I’ve then tried several other brands — Brooks, Asics, New Balance and Feetures — with mixed results. I don’t even know the brand of my favorite socks, just that they have cute blue & yellow forget-me-nots on them. They were the ones I wore when I BQ’d, and of course they were the ones I wore when running the 113th Boston Marathon (the blue & yellow matched the Boston colors; it was meant to be!) Alas, not clipping my toenails have done a job on them and I’ll have to throw them out.

Fortunately, thanks to the folks at WRIGHTSOCK, I now have plenty of replacements.

The company partnered with the Runner’s Lounge to challenge a group of runners to try their socks for 30 days. I just received mine, and will be taking them out on an 8-mile run this afternoon. However, I already have experience with WRIGHTSOCK, as I bought a pretty purple pair of double-layer CoolMesh socks a couple of months ago. I don’t believe I’ve worn them for a marathon, but they seem to treat my feet well. My goal is to try the new socks over various distances and terrains. I have a half marathon race coming up this weekend, as well as a trail run on Sunday. I’ll be running Hood-to-Coast the last weekend in August, then a marathon on Sept. 6 (I’m assuming the challenge will still be on).

Stay tuned for my reviews!