One of the things I like most about running is that it’s so low-tech, and I’m not just saying this because I still haven’t figured out how to program my VCR. I like how elemental running is—usually, it’s just you, a decent pair of shoes, and Mother Nature. That part of running is never going to change—running down a dirt road on a lovely spring day is pretty much the same today as it was 30 years ago.
In those 30 years, however, a lot of new gadgets have been introduced that are supposed to make running better. I don’t like most of them. They just get in the way of the basic act of getting out the door and moving under your own power. In fact, I suspect that one of the reasons for running’s growing popularity is that it acts as an escape from the overly digitized world. That said, there are a few gizmos that I think can be helpful to many runners. In various ways, running watches, heart rate monitors, and treadmills are gadgets that can add to the enjoyment of your running by making it more convenient and productive. If only I could say the same for my VCR. Soon after President Clinton took office, the Washington Post did a story on how horrible it was that the leader of the free world was meeting foreign dignitaries wearing a $45 hunk of black plastic instead of an elegant Rolex. Whoever wrote that story obviously isn’t a runner. If the author had been, he or she would have known that President Clinton favors his digital sports watch because it’s the single best techno device for runners ever invented.
Given that a few running nuts out there hit the streets without wearing shoes, it shouldn’t be too much a surprise to learn that some runners choose to run without socks. You used to see a lot more of it than you do now, in part because that’s how Jim Fixx appeared on the cover of his famous book, The Complete Book of Running. But most runners have learned that they’re probably going to be more comfortable if they run in socks. The inside materials of shoes can chafe unsocked feet during a run. And your running shoes probably smell nasty enough without sweat pouring right into them from otherwise uncovered feet!
There’s certainly no lack of socks to choose from. That broad selection is good, because you’re going to go through running socks like no other item of running equipment, shoes included. The good news is that you can find high-quality socks for running for just a few dollars a pair, although, as with everything else in running apparel, you can pay three or four times that much if you want top-of-the-line stuff.
I run in pretty basic, low-cut, white socks. As with shoes, the most important features are fit and comfort, not high-tech claims. Socks are usually available in two to four sizes. Make sure you wear the size that fits your foot. Wearing a sock that’s too loose or too tight is as bad as wearing a shoe that’s the wrong size. How thick a sock you run in depends on what’s most comfortable to you. Some runners like extremely thin socks because they like to feel the road when they run. (These are probably the people who used to run without socks.) On race day, especially, many runners want as little sock as possible. But sometimes, socks that are too thin will slip around inside a shoe. This can lead to blisters and can detract from a shoe’s stability. Other runners are from the more-is-better school and like a thicker sock because it provides more cushioning. But if your socks are too thick, they can make your shoes too tight and inhibit your normal biomechanics. Runners who have more than one pair of shoes will sometimes wear different thicknesses of socks with different shoes. This strategy makes sense, given the importance of a sock fitting just right within a shoe. You might see socks specially marketed as running socks. What this usually means is that the socks have extra padding across the ball of the foot, toes, and especially in the heel area. This extra padding cuts down on shock and protects important areas that can blister. There’s also usually padding or a tighter area through the arch to allow the shoe to fit more closely and add better arch support. Some runners don’t like this feature because they think it feels too constraining. Again, you should go with what feels best to you.
As with other pieces of running apparel, socks come in many other fabrics beyond the old standby cotton. Cotton is a fine choice for colder weather running—it’s very comfortable, and you probably won’t be sweating so much that the sock will absorb much moisture. But when it’s warmer, cotton can cause problems. Once the cotton fibers become saturated with moisture, the socks might bunch up inside your shoes and cause blisters. It’s just not a whole lot of fun to be running down the road on a hot day and feel your wet feet squishing around in your shoes.
Socks made of synthetic fibers are usually better about wicking moisture away from your skin. The most commonly used synthetic fibers in running socks are acrylic, polypropylene, and CoolMax. Sometimes these fibers are blended with cotton, and sometimes they’ll make up the whole sock. Polypropylene and CoolMax socks work well year-round. In the heat, they keep your feet drier, and when it’s cold, they keep your feet warmer by keeping moisture away from the skin. But these socks are more expensive than cotton or acrylic blends and often aren’t as durable. That’s especially true if you ignore the instructions that come with these high-tech socks and throw them in the laundry with your old cotton tube socks.
How long your sock should be is completely up to you. You don’t often see runners in over-the-calf socks anymore because these can feel as though they’re inhibiting your motion. But as for the other main options—roll-down, quarter-length, or crew—go with whatever works best for you. You might want to go with a slightly longer sock in colder weather just so you can be sure that your pants or tights more than cover the top of them.
There’s no evidence that running damages breasts. Still, almost all women runners, regardless of breast size, prefer to run in a sports bra. It is a must-have piece of apparel for women runners.
What you wear over your sports bra depends on the weather and your modesty. During the hottest parts of the year, some women have no qualms about heading out for a run with nothing on top but their sports bra. Sports bras aren’t revealing like other bras, and you’re going to stay more comfortable in the heat the less that you have on. After all, those men you see running without shirts are doing so to stay cooler, not to improve their social lives. Understandably, some women aren’t going to feel comfortable being seen like that in public. If that’s you, go with a lightweight singlet over your sports bra. A few companies even make combination tops, with the bra built into the singlet. Because your sports bra is going to fit snugly against your skin, you want it to have some wicking properties. Try a cotton/polyester blend. The polyester will move sweat to the surface and will provide more durability than cotton alone. If you need extra support, look for a bra that has Lycra in it as well.
Keep these fitting tips, offered by the American Running & Fitness Association’s executive director, Susan Kalish, in mind when choosing a sports bra:
- A sports bra shouldn’t have exposed seams inside, because these can chafe you.
- The shoulder straps should be about ½ to ¾ of an inch wide. Straps that are narrower than that might dig into your shoulders.
- Don’t buy a sports bra with clasps; these can dig into your skin. Get a sports bra that slips over your head.
- The bra should have a wide elastic chest band to keep it from riding up.
- Get a bra as close as possible to your usual size. If you can’t fit your thumb under the shoulder straps and elastic chest band, it’s too small. If a bra slips off your shoulders, it’s too large.
Unlike you might do with regular lingerie, don’t buy a sports bra off the rack because it’s your size. Always try it on before you buy it. In the dressing room, run in place, swing your arms around, and so forth to make sure that it will move with you.
The gloves versus mittens question is also up to you. Mittens trap heat better, but running in them doesn’t feel as natural as running in gloves does. But gloves can make your hands feel colder because your fingers are more spread out. Again, it depends how you react to cold. You can find gloves and mittens with wicking qualities for about $15. When the weather is not especially frigid, cotton gardening gloves, which cost only a few dollars, work fine.
When to wear a hat, like so many apparel choices, varies from runner to runner. We’ve all heard that a lot of body heat is lost through your head. To some runners, this fact means that they always want something on their head. But other runners, especially those who produce a lot of heat, know that this fact means that if they wear a hat, then their hair will get wet with sweat. When this happens, your hair can freeze, and you’ll be a lot colder than if you didn’t have a hat on. For about $25, you can find hats made of materials with wicking qualities to solve this dilemma.
Another good compromise is to wear a band that just covers your ears. This band protects your ears, which can be especially susceptible to frostbite, but it also allows you to blow off a little steam.
Sometimes you want a layer on top of your base layer. This is where running suits often come into play. These suits act as an outer shell to keep out wind, snow, and rain while allowing sweat vapor to move from your base layer to the surface. The most famous example of an outer layer fabric is Gore-Tex. Gore-Tex is pretty bulky for running, however. You can still find running suits made from Gore-Tex, but they’re not the most comfortable suits on the market anymore. Newer materials, such as ThinTech and Activent, do as good a job of keeping wind and water out, but they’re lighter and more breathable.
I’m a running suit guy much more than a tights wearer, but that’s a matter of personal preference and, like wearing those cotton T-shirts, probably just a habit. If you live where running in the winter is going to mean pretty frequent run-ins with cold precipitation, then I’d go with a suit over the tighter stuff. Under your suit you can wear a pair of shorts and whatever thickness of shirt you need to feel comfortable. In the nastiest winter weather (I’m thinking of my running friends in Minnesota here), you probably want a third layer between the base and shell layers. This layer is called an insulating layer. You want a top for this layer that’s going to be pretty much a duplicate of your base layer so that it will help to keep moisture off of your skin.
The layer closest to your skin, the base layer, should wick moisture away from your skin to the next layer. So what you want for this layer is a material that is like CoolMax, but a bit heavier. A well-known example is polypropylene. Most of the apparel companies have special names for their versions of these slightly heavier fabrics, such as Nike Dri-F.I.T., Asics Corium, and Hind DryLete. All of them have the same basic construction. The thin fabric consists of two layers. The one closest to the skin is what the apparel people call hydrophobic, or water-hating. It moves sweat to the top layer of the material, which is what called hydrophilic, or water-loving.
In dry, windless conditions down to the low 40s, many runners feel comfortable with just this base layer on. (It’s got to be pretty cold before you need more than one layer on your legs when you’re running.) So if that temperature sounds like close to the coldest you’ll be running in, you’re pretty much set with a pair of tights and a snug top made from one of these microfibers.
