Saturday, April 3, 2010

Fast Socks

I went out for a run today against my better judgment (I was tired from yard and car work, my shins were still beat up from the last week plus, it was hot, etc) and after about three minutes said the heck with it and walked home. It wasn't pretty, but it was smart. A side note, as I left the house I could hear the dog yelping to get out; she does not understand that when I leave and don't take a car that I'm not always just out in the yard!

Really though, if the truth came out, I turned around today because I didn't wear the right clothes, my fast clothes. Laugh out loud, right? Well, maybe, maybe not. I wore my old cotton painter shorts that I wear everywhere, hadn't even brushed my teeth yet or taken a shower, and had already had a busy morning. But if I'd worn my fast socks, it would have been different!

So what am I talking about? Not socks, really. Yeah, I have a pair of double-lined Wright socks that I bought years ago to wear as under-socks on extended backpack trips, and I have converted those socks into my marathon and very-long-run socks. But they are not necessarily my "fast socks". Those don't exist. And yes, I have two pair of great "dry material" running shorts complete with the boxer briefs. I used to wear them only for big runs, but now I wear them most of the time. But not today.

I do think there is some truth to wearing the "right" stuff can help performance, but only in the mental area, mostly. I know if I wear the "fast socks" I'm in for a long run, and probably need some mental toughness to finish it well. Today I didn't wear them (it wasn't going to be more than a quarter marathon, anyway), and I decided I didn't need the run. I'm not sure the two are connected, but maybe.

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