Toe socks?!?

Ok this was not a planned review or event.  If you asked me about toe socks I think about all the cute sorority girls I knew in college with their cutesy little toe socks and flip flops...

Prior to this I owned one pair of Injinji toe socks that I wore exclusively with my Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sports. That's it! No toe socks for me thank you.

Then this happened...

I received some other samples with my Hydrapak Wooly's for review (pleae read the review of you haven't).

So here I am with not one, not two, but three new pair of Injinji toe socks!  What am I going to do with these?  I run with my vibrams about once a week and I do laundry so I don't need 4 total pairs of toe socks.  

Then it happened...slowly, accidentally really.  I had the socks on to try then on for size and it came time for me to run.  I am a frugal personal sometimes, or sometimes lazy.  I already had socks on so why not wear them, even if I wasn't going to use my Vibrams.  The idea was insane but I did it anyway.  

It felt weird at first, I won't lie, like little wool condoms on each toe. Then it felt less weird, I mean nobody knows I'm wearing girly toe socks but me.  

Then a weird thing happened, I started getting hot and sweating (this is not the weird part, this is quite normal) but my toes felt dry and cool.  There was almost a breeze between them.  Then it hit me!

They were like 2 in 1 shorts, the kind with built in compression shorts.

I used to chafe like a... I don't know thing that chafes a lot! But then I found the beauty of compression shorts under my shorts or shorts with built in compression shorts. That's what these are like!

So I received a pair of Original Weight Performance 2.0 Run No-Show Length

A pair of Mid Weight Performance 2.0 Trail Micro Length

And a pair of Light Weight Performance 2.0 Run No-Shows, which look the same as the original weight, they are just slightly thinner.

The Trail Midweights have become my go to socks for my Vibrams.  I love the absolutely seamless feel of the socks.  They are slightly padded and thicker so I find they work very well with my Vibrams giving them a snugger feel and adding a bit of cushion.

The Run 2.0's are pretty much indistinguishable from each other.  The one pair is slightly... thinner.  

Again I would never have gone out to buy

a bunch of Injinji socks.  Hell I don't even know how to pronounce it (looked it up apparently it's In-Gin-Gee) I was saying it like it was Injini! Like N-Genie! I was totally missing the extra J.  

My toes feel fresher and dryer after my runs now.  I am a big toe splayer so these don't inhibit my toe splay at all. In fact they even assist with toe splay.  And just like compression shorts for your thighs, no chaffing or sweat pooling.  They keep your toes drier and I cannot even imagine generating enough friction to get a blister in these.

These are a strong reccomend.  I recently   

subscribed to Runnerbox which is a subscription box of the month club type thing and apparently they often give out Injinji socks.  The thrill of random nutrition, the chance to get new products from obscure companies, these all intrigued me.  Knowing that there was a good chance I would get more toe socks... Priceless.  

So I learned that toe socks can go in non-toed shoes and that I really do like having my toes dry and comfy.  

Pros:

Virtually seamless construction

Very sturdy feeling construction 

Nice heel tabs, socks stay at right height

Excellent sweat wicking

Eliminates toe on toe friction

Cons:

I feel kinda like a sissy wearing toe socks...but I'm getting over it.

Fitting can be tricky (I got lucky) some people have longer or shorter toes relative to their foot length.  

This is my first total recommend. As in I would recommend  these to everyone.  The only people I cannot recommend these to are those people who like the narrow toe box shoes with no room for toe wiggle.  Those people are called crazy so I don't even think they are reading this.  Well I'm going to go to sleep now. I'm going for a Father's Day run tomorrow morning so if you will pardon me... I gotta go sleep....

Made from Skratch Labs

So Mary from Skratch Labs sent me some samples to try of their Exercise Hydration Mix.  They have an everyday and an extreme version, the everyday has lower electrolytes while the extreme has... you guessed it an extremely large amount 1700mg I think.  

In the interest of transparency... I got these free, free does not change my review, it only makes the review faster because I don't have to buy it! 

On to the actual review you came for!

Here is what it looks like...

I am a child of the 80's, I was raised by an NES system! So the 8-bit graphics for the fruits and the packaging appeal to me visually, but as I will explain later the logos don't fit the product for me.

What's in it?

Lemons + Limes: Serving Size: 24g- makes 16 oz prepared.
Amount Per Serving: 

Calories 80, 

Calories from Fat 0, 

Total Fat 0g (0% DV),

 Saturated Fat 0g (0% DV),

 Trans Fat 0g, 

Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV), 

Sodium 360mg (15% DV), 

Potassium 40mg (1% DV), 

Total Carbohydrate 21g (7% DV), Fiber 0g (0% DV), 

Sugars 20g, 

Protein 0g, 

Vitamin A (0% DV), 

Vitamin C (35% DV), 

Calcium (6% DV), Iron (0% DV), Magnesium (10% DV).

Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Only 80 calories but it's got a good bit of sodium which is nice this time of year.

What does it taste like?

Seriously this stuff really does taste like it is made from scratch.  If you gave me this and told me that you had made it your self at home from fresh ingredients I would believe you.  This could be a running DIY internet recipe.  

Now I'm not saying it is the best tasting, though it does taste really good, like a salted Margarita version of lemonade and Gatorade.  But not too sweet, just salty tasting enough to be quenching, not acidic at all.  I tried it out in the heat and had no GI issues at all, very satisfying. And I cannot stress enough it really did taste fresh to me.

There are some drinks that taste good when you are sipping them while chilling on the sofa.  Most of these don't taste good on a hot run when you are very thirsty.  By the same token most drinks that taste awesome when you are sweating and dying of thirst tend to taste a bit flat and dilute when you are piloting the sofa. This is definately a taste you earn, the hotter and harder it gets, the better it tastes.  

My only real reservation is the carbohydrate profile... It's all sugar.  I would like some long chain maltodextrins or something with a longer burn time.  Other than that it really is satisfying and does not taste like it was made in a factory or a lab...which brings me to my main gripe. And it's a petty one!

With their logo and packaging and name...

I am expecting a very artificial, chemically, like it was made in a "lab", candy taste.  Instead I think the logo and name should be changed to "Skratch Kitchen" and have an old fashioned font and logo like this

Or this

Or this 

Or this

I would love to see the packaging redone as a super retro turn of the century product.  

So this is a definate recommend and I myself will be buying some more next time I have to get running "groceries".

All the flavors were good, I don't think I really have a favorite. I'll probably just go with the lemon lime, actually I think combining the orange and the lemon lime might make the perfect flavor. 

They have a hot cinnamon flavor that might actually be good on a very cold day kept hot in an insulated running bottle. 

Pros

One stop fluid and electrolyte shopping

Tastes very fresh

Very smooth, not acidic or overt sweet

Single serving packaging very easy to use 

Cons

Questionable carb profile for longer activity 

Petty Crap

Techie/Nerd Logo just doesn't fit what the product tastes like!

Steong reccomend, especially in the heat, and especially if you can keep it ice cold in an insulated bottle, might I suggest the HydraPak Wooly?

See my review earlier...So go out and pick up a bag of Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix. Or as I will be calling it...

"Skratch Kitchen's Miracle Energy Salt Tonic and Banjo Liniment" 

More to come soon! But right now... I gotta run!

Hydrapak Wooly Insulated Bottles

I have resently acquired a pair of Hyrdapak's insulated Wooly bottles.  I requested 21oz bottles so I could hopefully fit them into a pair of running handhelds. The above picture is the 24 oz version. 

 I don't like the taller bottles in handhelds because the narrow portion is lower down on the bottle shifting your grip more the the middle and adding a nagging torque to your wrist.  Think about running holding a hammer right under the head verse midway down the handle. 

Here they are! They look deceptively normal sized but true to their Wooly name they are of mastodonic proportions . 

This is a comparison of the cap sizes.  The other is a Nathan TruFlex bottle. The Nathan cap will fit inside the Wooly.

Side by side you can really see the difference in girth with only a slight increase in height.

I am a transparent person so I will always tell you guys what I get free and what I buy.  These were sent to me free to review.  So on to the actual review!

As you can see I got them to fit in my Ultraspire Isometric Pockets.

Why these bottles? Because they are insulated ! Why do I care about insulation? Charleston South Carolina where I live becomes a steamy jungle in the summer.  Cold liquids while you are running in 100 degree weather with 100% humidity tastes like cold beer after a long day.

Prior to using these bottle I experimented with various combinations.  Polar bottles, neoprene beer coozies on the handhelds, and neoprene handhelds.  I was not a fan of the polar bottles (I have the tall 24 oz versions) and any of the neoprene options kind of suck becaus neoprene is notorious for holding odors.  So sweaty nasty stink that you are bringing up to your face at regular intervals.

So along comes Hydrapak's Wooly... Initially I was drawn to the old bottles with 

the mammoth logo

The caps look different too. The newer model has a much taller, deeper cap.

The bottles are insulated using Primaloft, a synthetic down analog made of recycled materials.  Basically it's high tech fluff!  I think it's made from baby unicorn fur or something.  Anyway it is super light, compressible, and has a very good volume to insulation ratio which means you need less thickness.  So Hydrapak makes a fluff sandwich between two bottles.  The result, cold stays cold longer and hot stays hot longer.  

 

I loved these bottles.  They have gone into my handhelds and are likely to stay there for my entire summer training season.  The best part...

Big nipples!  The large bore silicone spout is great! Easy to bite and pull and they have really good flow. Plus  the nozzle can be removed for cleaning.  This feature is key for me since I often mix chia seeds in my bottles and they can get stuck in other style spouts.

My liquids remained cold and refreshing for an hour, which is the longest run I have down with them so far.  You really can't feel much temperature transfer from the bottles.  The caps do sweat and that condensation does indicate thermal transfer from the environment.  This was only noticeable when the bottles were filled to the top were the liquid had contact with the uninsulated cap tops.  I wonder if returning to the shorter caps would help this problem or make it worse

Pros: 

They are light

Insulated

Removable large spout

High flow

No plastic odor or taste 

Not much taller than most other bottles

Price only  $10.99,That's the price of some uninsulated bottles!

Cons:

Large girth 

Lack of cap insulation

Deep cap seems like it could be shorter

Would love to see the Mastadon logo back!

All in all I would have these as a recommend. They are not game changers and are not going to replace your regular handeld running bottles (they will be replacing some of mine though!) but as far as insulated bottles for running there are the best I have seen and used.  Where I believe they would truly excell is for people who use water bottle belt holders and running vests with bottle holders. In those cases they would be awesome and would be game changing.  Like having a small refrigerator for beverages! The slight increase in girth would not be as noticeable.  But like I said they are a strong recommend if you are looking for an insulated running water bottle.  

I would like to thank Hydrapak for allowing me to review their product and I look forward to more reviews in the future.  Now if you will excuse me...I gotta run!

Here is where you can purchase them: http://www.hydrapak.com/store-2/#!/~/product/category=632677&id=29488141

         

The next 6 months....

I think we all need something on our calendar to get us motivated and I decided I need extra motivation so I'm training for the Last Chance 50K here in Charkeston SC. It's in December so that's 5 months, with a simple goal of just finish.  This is my first 50K....

   This means a new training schedule with lots of new toys and treats to use and try. This will culminate in a "Best of" awards for various categories, gels, drinks, bars, shoes, handheld, etc.

I would like to thank Hydrapak for mailing me out some of their Wooly Insulated bottles

.  Look forward a full review once I get them.  I will be transparent about how I get stuff I review, I am not biased, but I am thankful to companies that choose to donate.

So here are my current predictions for what I will use in each category. These are based on what I have currently and what my wish list replacement would be. Starting from head to toe!

Headwear: my milspec monkey multi use head wrap.  This might get replaced by the Buff Visor once I try one.

Sunglasses: that's wide open right now, I have actually been digging the old school  Oakley Frogskin style sunglasses due to their simplicity and since they are flatter they tuck into pockets for storage much easier. Probably some Knockarounds. A cheap Frogskin knock off.  

Shirt: my Ink N Burn Steam Punk gears shirt.  Or another of their shirts...

Arm Sleeves: my Pearl Izumi Sun Sleeves. 

Handhelds: my old Nathan Elites with Gelbot 20 oz bottles. That's the plan anyway.  If not I'll try to cram them into my Ultraspire Isometrics.

Vest: probably my Ultraspire Revolution.  If not I'm hoping to get an Ultraspire Kinetic which would mean I wouldn't need the handhelds. We will see.

Shorts: my Salomon Trail Twinskins, or I might get some of The North Face Long Haul Shorts.

Leg Sleeves: my Salomon EXO calf sleeves.  Mostly because they look badass.  Might get a new pair.

Socks: my Thorlos or a pair of SmartWool something.

Drink: Hammer HEED.  Any flavor, they all taste pretty weak to me, but it's great for energy and doesn't upset my stomach at all. I really love the taste of GU Brew but haven't had a chance to test it out for a length of time. Skratch Labs is sending me out some samples and I'll have a separate review on them soon.

That's it for now, more to come...