I am a runner. I may not be fast, but I enjoy the way I feel when I'm done. I've trained for a race, and am in the process of training for another. I don't know about you, but I was not the most active child/teenager, so it has taken me a while to claim the title, but I can now. I am a runner, and I love that I can say that.
This week I thought I'd give a rundown of my running gear. Running can be the cheapest sport you can find, and you really only need shoes. But I've found running a lot more comfortable and fun as I've gotten some specialized gear, and I hope this information is helpful to someone just starting out. That said, I haven't tried every brand of running gear that's out there (not even close), so this is by no means an exhaustive list. I have not been compensated in any way for my opinions here, and all thoughts are my own.
As a general note, I run 3-4 times per week, so I try to keep about that amount of exercise clothing handy so that I don't have to do laundry too often.
When I first started running, I ran in short socks from Target- the socks I already had, that didn't clash with my running shoes. I regularly got blisters, but they weren't too bad. I figured that'd be the case in any shoes, so it took me a while to try running socks. I now own four pairs, and I default to them every time I run. Since I have made the switch, I've had significantly fewer blisters, although they do still happen occassionally.
My favorite socks are from Feetures, the Elite Ultra Light No Show Tab. I have the White+Reflector, and Hot Coral colors, and I love them. They're light, so they don't make my feet sweat. They're articulated for left and right feet, so they fit snugly. They've held up well in the wash, and they're short enough to not show too much, but don't slide down into my shoe. At about $15/each they're not cheap, but they are absolutely my favorites.
I also have a pair of the Feetures High Performance Light Cushion No Show, in White. They're slightly cheaper ($11ish), and I feel like the price difference shows. These are heavier, which might be nice in colder weather, but I have not enjoyed over the summer. They fit fairly snugly, but are not articulated. They have held up well in the wash, and don't seem to move around on my foot. They're not as nice as the Feetures Elite, but are still a big step up from my Target basics.
My last pair of running socks are the Fitsok CF2 Cush Low. Like the Feetures High Performance, these socks are heavier, fit fairly snugly, are non articulated, but don't move around of my foot. They run just less than $10/pair, and seem to have held up well in the wash. They're not as nice as the Feetures Elite, but are still a big step up from my Target basics. They generally tie for second place with the Feetures High Performance.
These socks are not in my general rotation, but I do have a pair of ProCompression compression socks that I bought after my half-marathon. My understanding is that the compression is supposed to help your body recover more quickly after a long run, but I haven't gone on a long enough run lately to try them out. If you are interested in trying compression socks, I recommend waiting until after a half-marathon to buy- I saved a fair bit on the purchase using a coupon code from my swag bag. That said, I didn't have them to recover from that race with.
Do you use compression socks? Do you have any recommendations for running socks? Anything that really didn't work for you?
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