Running shorts with compression tights

Running this winter, in this set of compression tights with shorts is very comfortable.  Wearing a size 36 US pair of jeans, I ordered the 2XL and they fit perfect.  They are easy to put on and I love the string around the waist, securing them. The cell phone pocket, down the right upper leg, seems to stick out from under the shorts area. I am not a fan of running with my smartphone, so I don’t think I will even be using this option ever, but it’s there in case I need it. There is a loop on the back left of the shorts for holding a towel. I would use this option not for running but more for walking around the gym keeping my sweat towel close by. 

They offer full range of motion. The draw string can be used to keep them tight around your waist if needed. The leggings are 3/4 so they don’t reach all the way to your socks or ankles. I like the fit and with chilly weather will help keep warm out running or walking. There is a rear zippered pocket, if you want to secure money or car keys while out and about.  Look closely at the sizing chart as they are sized for a foreign country. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X1WTPMN?ref=myi_title_dp

On the mend

Over the past few months, I have been having issues with my right foot. The bottom of it to be exact and having plantar fasciitis.  I am doing stretches daily, a few times in fact. My brother has loaned me a splint to use a few times a day, helping isolate the bottom of my foot for stretching and provides a gentle stretch to my plantar fascia and Achilles tendon. I have been strapping my foot in this device and sitting with my foot in it, twice a day for 30 minutes at a time. 

I follow it up placing FrozenPeaz then on my foot. 

I have to say it is working and my foot is starting to feel better and the pain is going away. It will take some time, but it's not an overnight fix. 

Using Frozen Peaz to treat Plantar Fasciitis using them 20 min on, 20 min on twice a day. 

Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE)

Frozen Peaz can be used on many placed on the body. Knee, elbow, foot, neck, etc.  Although I am using them here in their cold state, with the Peaz Pod, they can be used with heat as well.

Letting my foot recover using Frozen Peaz

The plantar fasciitis is still bothering my right foot. I have stopped running, but am continuing with my strength program and have moved to riding more road bike as of late. The riding keeps the pounding off of my foot.

Wearing my OS1 compression sleeves and socks along with using Frozen Peaz to treat the bottom, from heel to toe with cold compression. 

Using Frozen Peaz to treat Plantar Fasciitis using them 20 min on, 20 min on twice a day. 

Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE)

Frozen Peaz can be used on many placed on the body. Knee, elbow, foot, neck, etc.  Although I am using them here in their cold state, with the Peaz Pod, they can be used with heat as well.

Suffering from plantar fasciitis

Running is causing me pain.  I mentioned before in my blog that I never have suffered from plantar fasciitis, well, until now. 

I don’t know if it’s the shoes I’ve been wearing that have broken down, don’t fit proper any longer or what. The last few months I have woken up to getting out of bed to the first steps being very painful in my right foot. 

A few weeks back I started working on some home remedies. Stretching, massage and Frozen Peaz treatments and wearing compression gear, both calf sleeves and socks to help with the pain. The pain goes away for a little bit, but returns.  I have been able to get a few runs in here and there, but nothing to a regular training routine like I would like to be doing. The longest my runs have been is about three miles.  After I do a Frozen Peaz treatment the pain is better, but knowing that after that run I will pay the price in the next two to three days.  

I have started to wear an older pair of orthotics in my day to day walking shoes. They seem to be helping me during the daytime that’s for sure. 

I will get out running more soon, but before that I might need to make an appointment to the foot doctor to get things checked out and see what I need to do. 

OS1st FS6, Foot Sleeve for help with plantar fasciitis

OS1st FS6, Foot Sleeve

First off, I don’t suffer from plantar fasciitis, however these OS1st are still great for any type of support of compression.  These are a sleeve.  (FS6), so it’s really not a sock. Your toes are free to move around and actually I like that. I know in many places it’s a crime, or it should be wear socks with sandals, but once again these are not socks, but sleeves. So go for it.  No, really, in all honesty I like the toe area being open because now I can wear them with sandals. Paired with my favorite pair of sandals, it allows the sandal to fit, sliding with the sandal between the first and second toes.   

These sleeves help support the foot structure and most importantly the Achilies tendon. They can be worn for recovery or during activity. I am not a fan of adding an extra layer of sock material inside my running shoes, but it is an option. They can be worn under a pair of walking or dress shoes, under your socks. 

After a half-marathon, I wore them to help recover by wearing them to bed, to help my feet recover faster. They are comfortable breathable. The compression is great. 

Check them out for yourself if you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis, these might just help with your condition. 

RecoFit Arm Cooling Sleeves

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This is one of four products to help keep you cool in the summer heat. Slight compression and cooling for your arms. They have an SPF rating of 50+. Great for running or cycling, perfect for keeping you cool during your cycling training and racing. 

The sleeves, when wet, provide a cooling effect while protecting you from the sun. 

Read my blog at www.trihak.blogspot.com

Use the code "hacker" at checkout and receive a discount when purchasing on the RecoFit website. 

*discount does not apply to arm coolers, but still can be used for their compression calf sleeves

 RecoFit Arm Coolers

Farm to Feet ------- Damascus LW Elite Hiker

Farm to Feet make a very nice sock.  I was sent the Damascus LW Elite Hiker sock in which my feet being size 13 the X-Large was the right fit.  The sock is designed very well. First off they are 100 percent made in the USA including all these fibers of 57 percent Merino Wool, 40 percent Nylon and 3 percent LYCRA Spandex they have great cushion and wicking properties. Reinforced toe and heel and top of the foot ventilation make they super comfortable.  The sock measures about 11 inches from the tip of the heel up to the top of the compression calf.  They can be stretched or pulled up higher if wanting.  I love the seamless toe as I often have trouble with my toe nails and running.  Although these are a hiking sock, they give great comfort and support for the running I have done wearing them. I have also worn them while just walking around on vacation.  I would highly recommend anyone looking for a great comfortable fitting hiking/running/walking sock to give Farm to Feet a look into. 

Perform Better, Recover Fast with RecoFit

Perform Better, Recover Fast with RecoFit. RecoFit's calf sleeves and arm coolers will help you do just that. 

Verto Reflective Graduated Compression Calf Sleeves

I was sent a pair of Verto Reflective Calf Sleeves to review. The Verto Reflective Graduated Compression Calf Sleeves are made of 90 percent nylon and 10 percent spandex,  a two way stretchable fabric.  The light grey sleeves have a reflective “V” on the back and the Verto name on the front.  With any calf compression sleeve they are great for helping improve circulation, therefore increasing blood flow, speeding healing and cutting down on the amount of swelling.  The sleeves, once put on, stay in place and help keep my muscles warm, yet allow for ventilation as to not over heat.  These are very easy to pull over the foot and ankle. 

Fit Foundations’ Reflective Calf Compression Sleeves

I was sent a pair of Fit Foundations’ Reflective Calf Compression Sleeves to review. The black sleeves are made of 20 percent spandex and 80 percent nylon with a highly reflective design on the front.  They are a little tight pulling them as I near my ankle joint.  The compression sleeves feel great and have two, two inch size pieces of silicone along the top portion inside the front and back of the sleeve to help keep them in place, stopping them from slipping down. The sleeves fit those with calfs with a circumference of 12 to 16 inches. The advantage to using calf sleeves is the compression not only keeping muscles warm and helping with circulation but helping your sore muscles to recover faster whether you have been running, cycling, walking or just standing on your feet for a long period of time. The Fit Foundations’ can be worn during activity or afterwards and even sleeping.  The reflective design on the front is a "v" both right side up and upside down, pointing towards each other.   

Alien Armor Arm Compression Sleeves

I was sent a pair of Alien Armor, arm compression sleeves to review. The Alien Armor sleeves fit snug and feel great.  As with calf sleeves, these too have equivalent benefits. They conform to you arm increasing the blood flow and prevent strain and fatigue while keeping your muscles warm.  They wick away moisture from your arms keeping, you dry and warm. They create protection from UV rays.  These sleeves are great for runners, cyclists, cross fitters, and basketball players. Inside the upper band is a ring of rubber latex for preventing them from slipping down. This latex rubber band  does a great job. If you have an allergy or react to wearing latex, you should avoid this.  The Alien Armor arm compression sleeves can be machine washed and tumble dried on low.  I tend to let a lot of my active wear air dry anyway. They are made of 27 percent Spandex and 73 percent polyester. 

RFS (Run Forever Sports) Compression Calf Sleeves

RFS (Run Forever Sports) Compression Calf Sleeves provide great support and compression.  It does not matter which sleeve goes on which leg, however make sure when ordering that you order the correct size.  To start off measure the biggest circumference of your calf and order either the medium or large size. After measuring order a medium pair if your measurement was 11" to 15" and order a large pair if your measurement was 15" to 19".  

I wear the compression sleeves during a long run or ride.  After a long day of standing on my feet or a workout that leaves my calf muscles sore, I will even wear them to bed. The durable sleeves are made of 75% Lycra and 25% Spandex making them very breathable. Although I use them for sports purposes anyone spending long hours on there feet or traveling can benefit from wearing them. They provided compression helps with circulation and can help speed recovery. 

The sleeves are easy to put on and take off and keep your lower leg warm. 

These sleeves are great for those who suffer from shin splints. I believe Compression Calf Sleeves are must for runners, whether you wear them while out running or just for recovery afterwards.  

I rate Run Forever Compression Calf Sleeves 5 out of 5 stars. 

http://www.amazon.com/Runners-Calf-Compression-Sleeve-Performance/dp/B00PZ5HTGS

Podium Legs Cold, speed up your recovery

After a leg straining workout on the bike or out running, one of the quickest ways to recover is an ice bath.  However, to take an ice bath you need to transfer a bunch of ice to the bathtub.  Some people have used plastic baggies filled with ice, then placing them on their legs only to result in a mess with the baggies leaking or dripping.  Getting enough ice in the tub to soak in is time consuming. A fast and easy way to perform an "ice bath" is by using Podium Cold for your legs.  Simply strap on the leg sleeves with their eight simple Velcro enclosures and sit back, prop your feet up and relax for the next five to 10 minutes. This is a great time to update your workout log, training app or look over your next workout.  (To tell you the truth, I am updating my blog with this post wearing these after a great run today.)
Now why would you be doing this you might ask?  The goal is to help the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and all the different tissues used in your workout recover.
Lactic acid builds up in the body during exercise (training and racing) that can cause muscles to function poorly and over a long period of time. You start to feel fatigue, your legs get heavy and overall tiredness sets in.
After wearing the sleeves for five to 10 minutes, the icy cold packs inside start to cause your blood vessels to tighten draining the blood out of your legs. After 10 minutes your legs feel cold and numb. When the time is up your legs will begin to fill up with 'new' blood that invigorates the muscles with oxygen to help the cells function better.
Although I think it is really a first-aid term R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation).  I tend to think when it comes to recovering from a hard workout or competition,  Podium Cold for your legs works.  They speed up your recovery time simple as that.
Before your workout, while your filling your water bottles or prepping your energy supplements, slip the Podium Cold Leg sleeves into the freezer so they will be ready to help your recovery when you return. Or better yet, store them in the freezer to grab anytime after a grueling workout session. 
Get a pair at http://www.podiumcold.com

50 mile training ride

 
Last Saturday morning I joined the tri group for a 50 mile training ride.  Not sure I would be able to hang on, I was stoked about getting in some good miles.  The route was planned but no course set in stone.   Met up with them at 5:30 to get much of the ride in before the heat arrived.  There was 9 of us out there, and the first 12 miles or so the pace was pretty fast. The pace slowed down after a member flatted, and we  were able to regroup.  I just sat near the back of the group and focused on my hydration and my nutrition so I would be able to finish the ride strong.  33 miles of the ride were on pretty flat roads or very little incline.  Near the end of the ride we headed down the backside of Usery Pass down to the river bottom.   At the river bottom we turned around and climbed back up the backside and back to where we started.  I was glad I brought my three bottles, two insulated bottles with frozen electrolyte fluid (perfect)  in them and the other with just plain water.  I mainly used the plain water to drink after eating a gel, to get it in my stomach and then also used the water to spray on my Recofit Icefil cooling sleeves.  The ride ended just before the heat of the day started to rise.  Getting back on the trainer at home every night this week and looking forward to another group ride next weekend.

RecoFit Compression sleeves

I am very impressed with an would highly recommend RecoFit Compression sleeves for both your calves and arms.  Let me begin with the calf sleeve.  I trained with and used them during the second half of last season.  They helped my legs during training keep up with the numerous running miles I was putting in.  I was super impressed with how I was able to wear them under my wetsuit on race day and they stayed in place and caused no issues during the swim or bike segments.  Each calf sleeve is marked either right or left leg as they are leg specific for the proper fit.  Next on to the arm sleeves with Icefil fabric.  On race day the temperature was in the high 90's with the sun out in full force, I was glad I had these on.  For one to block the sun, not putting any sunscreen on and second was the feeling when they were wet, each one was it's own evaporative cooler. They have a 50-plus UV protection factor and are white. The elastic on both ends kept them in place and didn't have to worry about them slipping up or down.
To help my recovery after the race I wore the calf sleeves around under my clothes for a few days afterword to help with circulation.  Of course I washed them and hung them to dry before doing so. If you are in the market for compression gear RecoFit will not let you down.

Swiftwick Socks put to the test

I have worn and tested three pairs of Swiftwick socks over the past two months, training (running and cycling) and here are my findings.  First of all, they are all great socks and are all antimicrobial.  To break it down,  here are the socks that were part of my test.  I wore them all equally.

Up first was the Performance "The Four"  (blue writing on package) -  Very light and well ventilated great compression.  This sock uses olefin an impressive fabric for wicking sweat away.
Next up was the Aspire "The Twelve"  (red writing on package) -  These were similar to the Performance in the ventilation and compression, however with these being "The Twelve"s they offered and delivered support about to my mid calf.  I only wore them while working out, but these would be great recovery socks too with the nice compression, also uses olefin an impressive fabric for wicking sweat away. 
The last of the three was the Pursuit "The Four" (green writing on package) - I need to explain first off that these were my favorite. They are made with merino wool which has great wicking properties. Unlike regular wool, merino wool is not itchy like one would think wool is,  and helps regulate temperature. Like the others, the Pursuit provided great compression support throughout.  They offered a little more cushion along the bottom of the foot but not to much to make them thick and bulky.
 
All three socks performed perfectly, no slipping or gathering and offered great compression and breatheablity.  The socks can be rolled down or cuffed if the wearer does not like to pull them all the way up. The conform to your foot giving support all around.
I look forward to wearing the Pursuit with merino wool this summer on some of the hotter rides and seeing how it performs then. The moisture wicking compression socks are made in the USA and offer the wearer a guarantee to perform to your satisfaction. 

Swiftwick Socks

Just the right amount of compression in these socks along with fast drying Olefin fiber keeping my feet very comfortable and worry free of getting blisters. The compression is not only found in the foot part of the sock, but the ankle too. The thin, not bulky feel is perfect inside my running shoes and even my cycling cleats. I used to like a thicker cushion in my running socks but those days are gone.  If you have not tried a pair, you need to.  With the holidays just around the corner, get a pair for yourself and give them away as gifts.

SOMA Half Iron Race Report

My day started off at 4am with myself waking up before my alarm I had set for 4:15.  Gathered my tri bag and protein drink before heading out the door.
Arrived to the transition just about 5:15 with my wave of race starting at 6:40.  I had time to get my tires inflated after removing the air in them due to the the daytime heat while I dropped my bike off in transition the day before.  Place my nutrition bottles and gels on my bike and prepared the rest of the my transition area.  I was able to get a short run in just before putting on my wet suit to head down to the lake's edge for the start. 
Got in the water about 4 minutes before my wave was to go off.  I was able to get adjusted to the water  by hanging onto a boat nearby getting my goggles and cap situated.  The horn sounded and I was off, literally into the what would be the sunrise to the east in Tempe Town Lake. The counter-clockwise loop was very well marked and pretty easy to navigate.  I was brushed here and there by other swimmers by the swim was not to physical.  I made the corner of the first turn just as the sun was popping over the horizon, so headed back west shortly the sun would be at my back. 
Got the end and was helped out on the stairs and quickly laid down to have the wet suit crew help me remove the suit and ran into T1.
Started my Mio Quest with GPS, pulled on a set of arm sleeves to help protect from the sun that was already up, put on a pair of socks, grabbed my helmet and sunglasses and was out to the bike start.  As I started on the bike course within the first 2 miles I got my gels moved from atop my handlebars to my pockets on my tri-top and slipped my feet into my shoes.  The course was three laps of a roughly 18. 6 mile course. On the first lap I came across two emergency vehicles tending to fallen riders. The part of the course they were on was filled with tight fast corners. The wind started picking up as the course moved east.  I stayed tuck in the aero position if not taking a U-turn on the course or tight turn.  I was happy with my pace and was monitoring what my Mio Quest was letting my know about my heart-rate in the zone I wanted to stay in.  I knew that on the hills, which there was a few on the course, would make my heart-rate rise.  On the second lap, about 3 miles into it, I heard a sound behind me, sounding like I might have dropped a water bottle or something.  I turned back and seen it was my tire pump.  Dang!  I didn't turn around and grab it, yet was risking getting a flat and wishing I would have turned back.  I went the whole lap thankfully without getting a flat and stopped and picked it up, as it was still laying where it fell.  Stashed it in my pocket and kept on moving. My nutrition plan had me feeling really good on the entire bike, coming into the bike to run transition.  Stopped my Mio Quest watch and saved the information from the bike course. Racked my bike and slipped on my shoes.  I then started up my Mio Quest for the run portion of the race, heading out of transition grabbing some water as I did.  Then it hit me, I had hit the wall and hard.  I was not going to make my time I was hoping for or told my wife I would be finishing in.  My average pace on the run, or walk was just a little over 16 minute miles. The heat of the day was killing me.  The temperature was nearing 97 degrees.  I just could not get my running going.  At every aid station along the run I would grab about three cups of ice water.  One to drink, one to pour on my head, and the other to wet my arm sleeves to help cool me down.  The course was two laps of the same loop.  I was way beyond my projected finish but my wife was waiting near the finish. About 100 yards from the finish my wife and kids were waiting.  I grabbed my son and ran across the finish line holding him telling him to hold his arms up.  I finished, but it wasn't the way I planned in my head as to how the day would unfold.  The heat really took a toll on me.  I want to thank the numerous family members and friends who helped me train over the past 6 months along with Mio Watch, PowerBar, "The Stick", H2O Audio, RecoFit Compression Components, Swiftwick socks, Sportique Skin Care and Emergen-C.   A little recovery then back to training. 
 
Swim time
47:22
Bike time
3:09
Run time
4:03
Total time for the
1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run
7:24:09

Dry feet are happy feet

Swiftwick makes awesome socks for keeping your feet dry no matter how long your ride or run may be.  I love the compression feel helping my feet fight fatigue.  I have begun to run through my transition from swim to bike.  For my next race, a half-iron distance I will be wearing socks on the bike, due to the distance.  A tip I do with socks make them just a bit easier to put on in transition is to wear the socks I will race in the day before and the morning of the race.  It's a trick that has worked for me, trying to keep my transitions as quick as possible.