Random Running Questions

More an observation than a question but I did a HM this morning and took 1 gel at the HW mark, don't like taking them but they're a necessary evil. Been tracking my blood glucose for the last few months and as soon as the race was over I checked my BG and was shocked to see how high it was, and that was after just 1 of them. Can only imagine what it is for people chugging them down during a marathon.

Injiji or 1000 mile ones for me.

Thank you.

Morton.

That's interesting. There is a conviction amongst at least some physiologists that metabolic syndrome (is that the right term for lifestyle-induced diabetes-and-stuff?) is a non-risk for endurance athletes, and that consumption of large amounts of refined sugars is not an issue provided that you are doing sufficient exercise such that you would otherwise be muscle-glycogen depleted.

Steigen socks are my sock of choice

I can't see why they wouldn't work just as well if you prefer the texture. They seem to be pretty widely used and it's just sugar/carbs at the end of the day. Decathlon have an own brand version of the Clif Bloks that I tried recently and can recommend too. Personally I'd use them in training but would be a bit hesitant to use at race effort due to the time it takes to get them down. Prefer gels for that reason.

This might be controversial. I also had issues with mild irritation or small blisters a lot while running. Nothing major but I was doing quite high mileage at the time (120-130km/week) so any small niggles became pretty frustrating. I tried a lot of socks over the years to find which lead to the least irritation, everything from 1000 Mile, Vibram toe socks, Asics/Nike/NB anti-blister equivalents and some were better than others. But the best socks, by a million miles, and the only ones I run in now, are the basic Penneys cotton socks 😂 Not even the "more expensive" sport ones. Something about the breathability of the cotton and the fact that they're thicker than standard running sock meant that they caused a lot less sweating and rubbing when I ran. I even brought a few pairs over for a teammate while I was living in the USA and he also became a convert. Highly recommend, worst case you've wasted a whopping 6 quid 👌

Have to agree about Penny's socks, have multiple pairs myself.

I did buy a pair of expensive socks once to see was there any difference and to me there was none.

I also use a cheap brand of socks from Sportshoes.com called Higher State. Same as Penny's I don't see the difference between these and more expensive socks.

Hey Lazare, thanks for the welcome. I was just introduced to the boards by a friend (very late to the game I know) and found this forum. Hoping to offer some advice and insights as well as bounce some ideas off you all in the process ✌️

I've tried lots of different socks, the only thing that seems to work for me is bamboo socks. They are very soft and thin and the seam in the toe doesn't both me and my black toenails!