The importance of a quality running sock

Being a seasoned runner I've come to take for granted how important it is to choose a good sock for running. I was reminded of this recently when my sister took up running. She is completely new to the sport and has been running a 2 mile loop from her house. She dropped me a line the other day complaining of blisters. I said that I've run 50k's and not suffered with blisters and told her to invest in some good quality running socks.


A good running sock is important because it is the only thing that puts you in touch with your running shoe and, ultimately, the ground. If you are running a lot of miles (or even if you are not, in the case of my sister), it is vital that you find a sock that fits well, offers you some extra cushioning and vitally, assists with wicking sweat away from your feet.

I was recently lucky enough to be sent a couple of pairs of running socks by the guys at the Sock Mine. You can check them out here. They sent me one pair of their cool runner socks and one pair of their cool runner anklet. I really like the fit of these socks and they provide support and extra cushioning where you need it (see picture below).

What has impressed me most though about the socks from Sock Mine is their quality. Some running socks will lose their shape or their cushioning after a few wash / wear cycles but these feel as good after several runs and washes as they did when they were brand new.


So, if you are new to running, invest in some good quality running socks. For a small investment you will find your runs will become far more comfortable. After all, as runners, it is important we look after our feet. We may be asking them to run a lot of miles!

 You can follow the Sock Mine on Twitter: @TheSockMine

 Happy feet = happy running!

A brief observation on GI distress

Prior to going paleo just over 2 months ago, if had you asked me if I suffered from any sort of GI distress or digestive problems, I would have said no. I was always regular, maybe a little too regular sometimes. Certainly 6 movements a day was not unheard of! Far from being an issue, I saw this as a sign of a healthy constitution.

After going paleo, I noticed that my movements were less frequent but other than that I didn't really give it too much thought. Last night we celebrated my mother-in-law's 68th birthday. Naturally, we had some champagne and a few glasses of red wine. The meal was paleo (homemade lamb tagine)  save for 2 spoonful's of couscous but I did follow it up with a slice of pecan roulade and a slice of tarte aux citron (both of which were shop bought).

Fast forward to this morning and did I feel rough?! As I mentioned above, I had a couple of drinks but nothing close to making me feel that bad. My stomach was lurching and I had to take an emergency pit stop halfway through my run! Then I realised, prior to going paleo, I used to feel like this most mornings. I was a big proponent of Tony Audenshaw's "2 poo strategy" (listeners to Marathon Talk will know what I mean). In fact, mine was often a 3 poo strategy.

I appreciate that this is not the most pleasant of topics to write about (or indeed have to read!) but I wanted to highlight the fact that in my pre-paleo days, I felt that my GI health was good and perfectly normal. It is only now that I have made these nutritional changes that I am able to look back and see that what I experienced this morning was anything but normal!

When is the first day of Spring?

I don't know about you but the winter in the UK seems to have dragged on forever!

I saw someone tweet this morning that it was the first day of Spring today. I don't know about you but it doesn't feel very Spring-like to me. I did some Googling and saw conflicting dates, which included 1st March, 20th March and 21st of March. So, I am still none the wiser!

It got me thinking about what signifies the first day of Spring for me. For some, it will be seeing their first lamb or the sprouting of some daffodils.

For me, it is when I take my early morning run and see the sun rise. After running for months in the pitch black, the days start to get gradually lighter, until you actually see the sun rise and are able to do all of your run in (almost) full daylight. This happened to me yesterday. I am declaring 28th February 2013 as (my) first day of spring.

What signifies the first day of spring for you?

Are runners the worst at taking advice?

Injuries - Annoying for everyone

I was out running last night with Mike (@mikew30) as part of our new regular #Tuesdayrunclub social run and we got to talking about injuries.

Now, I have been quite fortunate that over the 4 years or so that I have been running. I have managed to stay relatively injury free. Mike also commented that he had managed to dodge any serious injuries, although judging by some of the decisions he has made following a twisted ankle on the squash court, I can only conclude that he has some sort of Wolverine-like super steel running through his bones and joints.....only without the claws......and the beard....

We both acknowledged that we, as runners were far better at dishing out advice to other injured runners than we were at actually taking that advice and applying it to our own situations. I suspect most have us have been there at some point. I know I have had a couple of niggles and near injuries, particularly whilst preparing for marathons recently. And I whilst I have dropped the odd run or swapped out a tough session for something a bit easier, I do admit to finding any deviation from my training plan very difficult.

When running becomes so ingrained in our daily routine, it feels odd not to be running when you normally would or to have to substitute a run with a session on the cross trainer (something I did whilst training for the Brighton Marathon and absolutely hated!) You only have to look or listen to anyone who is tapering, or worse still, injured to know how frustrating it can be.

Your safe haven of Twitter, where you can share your exploits and talk to all those like-minded running buddies becomes a living nightmare as you see person after person logging run after run. Or worse still, those countless tweets from well-wishers with offers of useful (but ultimately frustrating) advice. Your timeline fills up with messages like "Chin up mate. You'll be back soon. Make sure you get plenty of rest and recover properly". (Something I am frequently guilty of!)

Mike was detirmined to bag a PB!

So, the moral of the story is, if you do feel a bit of a niggle in your ankle or a tight hammie. Think about what advice you would give to a fellow runner and more importantly, listen to that advice. Remember, we are not all Wolverine!