Tag Archives: recovery

Gear

Tiux Compression Socks: Review, Discount, and IG Giveaway

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I’ve always been on the fence about compression socks. I’ve read all about them, of course: they supposedly aid recovery and help runners stay stronger and faster for longer, but there’s not a ton of research out there, either for or against them (for a more detailed explanation, read this article from Competitor). Plus, those puppies are expensive, and I’m not exactly overwhelmed with earthly wealth, so I could never bring myself to drop $70 on a pair of socks that may or may not actually be beneficial. I have bought a couple of bargain-bin, off-brand pairs, but I could never tell a difference in my running or recovery… probably because they’re off-brand, bargain-bin socks.

That’s a long-winded way of getting to my point, which is this: A few weeks ago, a representative from Tiux, “a small startup with something to prove” (from their website) contacted me and offered to send me a pair of socks to try. Naturally, I jumped at the chance, and a few days later, a cute pair of pink-and-yellow socks arrived in my mailbox. I couldn’t wait to try them out!

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Disclaimer: I was provided with these socks in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. 

Over the past month, I’ve worn these socks several times, and I have to say, I’m impressed. I’ve worn them during runs and for post-run recovery, and I like them for both reasons. I was hoping they’d be miracle socks that would make my flatlander legs amazing at running hills. They’re not. Turns out, you actually have to run hills to be good at hills, not just wear socks. But my feet and calves ache less during and after runs when I wore these socks, and I love them for recovery. Since my drives to trailheads are 1.5+ hours, I could really tell a difference when I wore these socks on the drive home. I’m no scientist, but they must have helped the blood flow a bit better, because I didn’t feel as stiff and uncomfortable when I got home if I put these socks on post-run.

I wore my Tiux socks while I ran in a vertical line to this point. They are comfortable, but they didn't magically make me not suck wind on the climb.
I wore my Tiux socks while I ran in a vertical line to this point. They are comfortable, but they didn’t magically make me not suck wind on the climb.

My only (minor) complaint about these socks is that they are a little too long for my legs — the tops come to the middle of my knee, which isn’t the most comfortable but is easily fixed by folding them down a little. My ankle and calf measurements had me between a medium and a small, and I ordered medium. I think if I’d gone down to a small, I wouldn’t have this issue, so keep that in mind when you order.

The best thing about Tiux socks is the price. They’re $35. That’s not a typo, and that’s not some special deal Tiux is running right now. That’s the everyday price. Unlike my bargain bin socks, though, these are a well-made, high-quality product. I’ve washed them several times, and nothing has changed (my bargain socks shrank after the first wash). They breathe and wick to keep your legs from getting hot and swampy, and the graduated compression is carefully engineered for optimal support and recovery.

Obviously, I’m a fan of these socks. They’re well worth the money… and the money is much more reasonable than other brands. If you’re looking for some quality compression socks that won’t break the bank, give these a try!

Ready to try your own pair? Enter my Instagram giveaway (through Sunday night), or if you just can’t wait, use this link for 10% off: http://tiux.refr.cc/MQNX73W

Do you wear compression socks? Have you tried Tiux?

Training, Uncategorized

The Training Begins: Goals for This Training Cycle

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Hi friends! We’re back from vacation (recap coming soon, I promise) and settling into the summer routine (it’s an awesome routine, for now, since it’s 9:45 a.m. and I’m chilling at home with some coffee). Did you enjoy the three guest posts while I was gone? Thanks again to Logan, Tina, and Rachel for filling in with your awesomeness!

Vacation was a blast and provided some needed rest for my body (I ran almost every day, but only 5-7 miles. Also, humidity is evil). Now I’ve got 15 weeks until the Colorado Fall Classic Marathon, so it’s time to kick my training into high gear. Though I’d been building mileage and incorporating some marathon-specific workouts for a few weeks pre-vacation, today was the first on-the-schedule run, so it feels like the “official” start of training.

Now that it’s official, I want to lay out my goals and plans for this training cycle. I’m really mostly writing this post for accountability for myself, so if you don’t really care, I won’t be offended… come back later this week for lots of beach and flower pictures like this:

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Here are my goals:

  • Train on downhills and trails. This race is all downhill. Check out this elevation chart (from the race’s website):
    If I don’t specifically train downhill, my quads are going to burn out way too fast, and I will gimp my way to the finish instead of finishing strong. I’d really like to run the Slacker Half Marathon this month to gauge how the steady downhill will feel and give me an idea of a suitable marathon goal time, but I’m not sure if it’s going to work out. It’s on our anniversary, and also I’m broke because we just took an awesome vacation.
    I also need to run some trails. The marathon is not a trail race, but I have this crazy relay coming up in July, so I need to get my trail skills at least kind of up to par. (Colorado friends: Who wants to run some trails with me? Or some long downhills?)
  • Strength train, stretch, and foam roll. I enjoyed the Nike Training Club program I did last month, and it was really convenient to do my strength workouts at home during those last few busy busy weeks of school. But I’m ready to get back into the gym (believe it or not). My goal for each week is to do two full-body, in-the-gym strength workouts and three core, stretching, and foam rolling workouts at home. Next week, the 8 a.m. summer course I’m teaching at the local community college begins, which means I probably won’t have time to do the core and stretching stuff right after runs on those days. That’s not ideal, but I figure that doing it later is better than not doing it at all.
  • Figure out nutrition and hydration for during the race. As this will be my seventh marathon, you might think I had the nutrition and hydration thing figured out. I do not, and it’s definitely affected my performances. Since this race is in September, too, it might still be toasty out, which will also affect my hydration and electrolyte needs.
  • Recover smart. If you read Tina’s guest post last week, you know why this is so important. But I’m really bad about proper post-workout nutrition. And stretching. And foam rolling. But if I want to get faster and stay healthy, I’ve got to recover properly, so that’s a major goal this time.
  • Eat smart in general. I’m going to start using my LoseIt app again to make sure I’m eating enough calories and the right macronutrient ratios (carb needs increase as mileage increases). It’s also important that those calories are coming from high-quality sources — whole grains, veggies and fruits, nuts, and lean proteins, not sugary desserts, cheesy appetizers, and wine (all of which I indulged in on vacation).
    Yep, that's a wine slushy beside me... I'm pretty sure it was equal parts wine and sugar... obviously a nutritionally sound snack choice.
    Yep, that’s a wine slushy beside me… I’m pretty sure it was equal parts wine and sugar… obviously a nutritionally sound snack choice.

    So those are my goals and priorities this training cycle. Keep me accountable, friends, okay?

What’s your favorite indulgence?

Any tips for downhill running? 

Anything important in your life that I missed while I was gone? I’ve tried to read up on the blogs I missed, but there are just too many posts!