You're Going Out In That? - What (Not) To Wear

So, here's a fundamental issue that a lot of us take for granted: what to wear when we run. Running is a wonderfully simple sport, requiring very little "stuff", but it's still critically important to your running, your fun, and your health to have the appropriate "stuff".

Better Running Naked Than Barefoot
Clearly, most of it comes down to shoes. Shorts might ride up, you might chafe, that sportsbra may... do whatever bad sportsbras do. But if you have the wrong shoes, things can hurt, and you can end up with any number of long-lasting problems. A slightly wrong shoe, even if it's worked for you for years of occasional three-mile runs, can derail your training with injury. Go to a proper running store. This will be the most important thing you spend money on.

There are quite a few variables involved in running shoes. There's your pronation - whether you pronate naturally, overpronate or supinate. These generally relate to the height of your arch - flatfooted people like me tend to overpronate, people with really high arches are more likely to supinate. Accordingly, there are three broad categories of running shoes: neutral-cushioned for the natural pronators; motion control for the overpronators, and stability shoes for the supinators.

Most of these specific structures are accomplished with the use of different density foams in the sole of the shoe, arch supports, and rigid structures in the sole. Then there are variables of cushioning in general. I have flat, wide feet, and finding shoes has been a pretty frustrating process, quite frankly, even with really good people helping. I need a wide shoe with enough support to keep my foot moving properly, and being a bit larger than those stick-people runners, I need a good deal of cushioning, or I will literally feel the impact in my teeth and skull, which can't be a good thing.

So, most people want to steer me towards motion control shoes, which use denser (and therefore heavier and stiffer) foams, and more rigid (and therefore heavier and stiffer) structures. And I hate every motion-control shoe I've ever tried. The cushioning in the heel and forefoot might be great, but those rigid structures tend to be right under where most of my foot strike occurs, so I get the teeth-and-skull jarring ride.

The point is, you need knowledgeable help to identify your needs, narrow the options, and minimize the potentially expensive and frustrating trial-error quest for footwear. You want to know how to download Lady GaGa ringtones? Chip at Foot Locker is your guy. Otherwise, for running shoes, go to a proper running store, where they will take a look at your gait and other factors, and give you guidance on the kind of shoe you need. Your proper running stores in Austin:

• Hill Country Running Co. - This is a great store, with very knowledgeable and conscientious people. We get a 10% discount there.

• Bettysport - We get a 15% discount here. They're a great store, and have been a strong supporter of ours from the start. They are obviously more for the lllllaaadies, but they also have some equipment (bottles, Bodyglide, etc.), and can order shoes for men, if you already know what you need/want.

• RunTex - RunTex was once the only game in town. They're still here, and they're happy to give us a 15% discount.

• Texas Running Company - I visited these guys this week, and was very impressed. For one thing, they have Mac Allen, one of the best coaches in Austin, working there. He used to work at another local store, and was one of the main people I trusted my runners to go see there. They're also very excited about being involved in the community, even though they're a chain what ain't from 'round here. They won't have an ongoing discount for us, but we will have an event there during which we'll get a 15% discount.

I'm still waiting on a response from Rogue Equipment about a discount there. Luke's Locker is also opening a store, in the Gables building at 6th and Lamar, in a matter of weeks. One of my old coaches will be managing it, so I'll be working to wrangle us some love there, too.

Socks, the Forgotten Clinton
Yeah, Hillary, what have you done with Socks?

While we're waiting for an answer, you should be experimenting with socks. Some people can run in thick, cushioned cotton socks. I sweat too much on a long run. When socks get soaked, your skin gets soaked and softens, and the friction actually seems to increase, as well. All this results in blisters. So, I use thinner socks that won't hold as much sweat. Sock thickness also obviously affects how your shoes fit, so be careful with that.

I'll also add that you may want to be careful about how tight your socks are. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but when they're too tight on the toes, they can contribute to the dreaded Black Toenail of Death (BTOD), which, like the Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death (RROD), is really annoying and potentially embarassing. Eventually, the toenail will fall off, leaving a weirdly mutated little... toenail deposit sort of thing. I have two medical journal articles waiting for me to write them - one on "iPod Arm", and the other on Sock Creep Syndrome.

But, really, please don't run naked. Running naked is not Good Naked.
The tech fabrics, like Nike's Dri-Fit, Adidas' Clima-Fit, and the generically licensed CoolMax, are not just hype - they work. They wick perspiration from your skin, and speed evaporation, keeping you cooler, and certainly keeping you lighter. If you're able to run in this heat in a cotton t-shirt, and it's not 10 pounds of sweaty fiber in 10 minutes, you're clearly dehydrated and about to die.

But not all are created equal. Some cheap "tech fabrics" are just pointless polyester, and seem to get just as soaked as anything else. Even within a brand and fabric, there's variation - some DriFit stuff is outstanding for hot conditions, some of it is thicker and warmer. Keeping it thin seems to help, obviously - moisture will evaporate out rather than get locked in the fibers. Some of the fabrics have dimples (like Brooks stuff), some have a sort of waffle texture (like Nike Sphere), that increase the surface area for evaporation.

You want to be mindful of seams - start running four or more miles, and they can chafe.

For shorts, I do recommend using shorts made for running. The fabric is lighter and less restrictive, the seams should minimize chafing, and you can get them in varying lengths. The length is important, depending on your body. If your inner thighs tend to touch, I'd go with longer shorts - they're less likely to ride up on you. This is just personal preference, though.

For women, Bettysport is a great, locally-owned athletic clothing store, carrying everything from the basics to the more expensive but extra-hip Stella McCartney Adidas line. For women needing help with sportsbras... sorry, I'm not your guy, but I'm told that Bettysport is where you should go.

While I prefer to shop local, and it's not a place to go get fitted for shoes, I do have to say that for a lot of clothing, Academy is pretty darned good.

Other considerations

Headgear - it's a toss-up. A white cap is probably better than a dark head of hair on a hot sunny day. With my only partially-haired head, I worry about the sun, as we all should, but a hat is hotter than going without. A hat can be useful in the rain to keep the water out of your eyes.

Bodyglide - Is your friend, one that you are likely to take for granted, but whose absence will make you weep when you're walking like John Wayne, and not in a cool, macho way, but in a slightly whimpering way because your thighs are chafed raw.

Band Aids and nipple guards - Clearly, Janet Jackson was contemplating running some major distance... But guys, and even some girls, will start chafing in three-four miles, depending on how you sweat, how your shirt or bra fits, and how abrasive the fabric of that shirt or bra is. For girls, it's probably an indication that your sportsbra isn't fitting right. For guys - you'll see people at races with blood running down their white shirts. Nipple guards seem like overkill, and most adhesive bandages fail when they get wet, but Band-Aid's Clear Water Block Plus bandages are perfect (well, for guys, anyway), and won't come off. After my first marathon, I came home and crawled in bed. I didn't take a shower until the next day, and I still had to rip the Band-Aids off, after the shower.

A watch - You need to have the discipline and perspective not to be a slave to timing, but it's good to be able to keep track of your pace. All you really need is something with a stopwatch function, preferably that will track lap (keeping time for each segment of a run) and/or splits (accumulated time at each waypoint of a run). Some watches have heart monitors, but as I've said, I'm not a believer in them. There are also the cool Garmin GPS things, but I think that's more just a matter of gadget appeal for most people.

Everyone talks about how cheap running is. Well, it's cheaper than, say, the biathlon. And it is pretty darned cheap, once you get past the shoes. But don't skimp on the shoes, and get clothes that are going to work for you, or running can quickly become significantly less fun...