ORN: I had a fantastic run this morning. Running never ceases to amaze me. You know how my running and my attitude about running has been in the dumps lately? Well, yesterday, I sorta half-way resolved to man-up, run my plan, and quit whining. The attitude adjustment made all the difference. The result was dramatic. I woke with my alarm and didn't consider blowing it off. Before long, I was outside before sunrise, running underneath a large, bright moon whose light cast the encompassing woods in a pallid otherworldliness. I imagined I was running through a Gaiman-like dream country with strange creatures from old myths lurking out in the fog and in the shadows. A startled racoon [crap!] and a stalking bat [OMG!] helped me maintain that illusion.
Seriously. I normally don't mind the critter company, but these dudes freaked me way, way out. Probably because it was so dark.
But let's not forget the data. It was a planned six mile tempo run, 8'51" target pace, that I actually ran at an average 9'08" pace owing to the relentless hills of Cherokee Park. The whole workout ended up being 8.6 miles, which I ran in 1:20'58".
Can we talk about socks for a moment? I need to because I signed up for the WrightSock Challenge on The Runners' Lounge. Those good folks sent me a box containing six pairs of running socks and asked me to review them. Here's my loud-and-clear disclaimer: they sent me these for free. Take what I say about them with the appropriate grain of salt. I don't go easy on people just because they send me stuff, but you have a right to know and be skeptical.
Today, I ran in the WrightSock SLR. It's a lightweight, snug-fitting sock, especially comfortable in the arches. It gently hugs the area around my plantar fascia -- just what I need. Since they are thin, they sit comfortably underneath my Nike Frees. I've run in some Under Armor socks that were too thick, and that's not fun at all. Since the Nike Free upper is designed to be very sock-like, I don't need much sock to keep my feet happy. [I've tried running sockless in these shoes, and that doesn't work either. They are still shoes.] These socks perform their function well enough. While running, I tried to remember to check in with my feet to see how they were liking the new socks, but I forgot about them after a while. They were so comfortable and unobtrusive, I could hardly keep my attention focused on them. They didn't rub or bunch up anywhere. My feet were neither too hot nor overcrowded, and they stayed dry. Bottom line: these are comfortable, affordable socks [$7-9 or so] and worth trying.
Thanks for the sock review.
ReplyDeleteFinding the right sock is very difficult. I still haven't found my ideal sock, but the one you reviewed sounds good!