wigwam socks review.

a few months back natalie from wigwam sent me an email thanking me for being such a fan of wigwam and sent me some socks that she loves and she trains in. they came in a pretty box and with a really nice handwriten note and i was really stoked to get them and then try them all out. it  has taken me months to do this review because of sheer laziness and not really knowing how to describe 5 pairs of socks. really. that is a hard task since i always thought a sock was just a sock and once you find something you love, in the running world you tend to not change. plus i tend to just grab a pair of socks from the drawer and i only grabbed the free ones every so often, but i have been wearing most of the socks and others i have not tried just yet (forgive me) … but since people have been wondering about socks a lot lately (or at least my twitter friends are) – i decided to stop being lazy and review some of the ones natalie shared with me.

there are many things that i love about wigwam and that have kept me wearing them for so long and kept me buying them.

1. i have never ever ever blistered when wearing wigwams.
2. all the ones i have tried have no toe seam like thing so it’s like the sock is 1 big piece of fabric. no toe seam = no irritation,
3. they’re super comfy to wear
4. they may be pricey but they are made so so so well. I don't have to worry about them falling apart, getting holes, etc..
5. for the most part, they’re light, breathable,  and comfy to wear.

so onto the little write ups on the free pairs of socks i scored…

racey: these ones were my fave and the most comfortable and i am currently sad since i am missing one of them so I cannot wear them anymore (and I cannot seem to find them at REI so I don't know where to get them). they are so so so cushy and comfortable. they are cut just right – so none of the sock is showing – and despite being thicker than the average sock i normally like and am drawn to, they don’t make my foot hot or uncomfortable. i have found myself wearing these around the house just because and grabbing them most often to throw in my gym bag. as mentioned, i currently only have 1 racey sock so i have not been able to wear them, but once i find the match i will run in them again and when I find out where to buy some I am stocking up. =)
ironman tailwind: i like these. i like these a lot. i actually had bought myself a pair or two before getting the free pair. they have just the right amount of cushion and they keep my foot dry and cool for the most part. they were not my favorites on the super hot days {i am weird, i hate hot feet when i run and i tend to think about my feet midrun} but now that fall is coming back they’re working out well. The cut is just perfect, giving the heel and back of the foot just the right amount of coverage and they are comfy. i have always been a big fan of the "ironman" socks and these ones did not disappoint. these are $12.00 at REI and I feel they’re worth the high price tag and I will for sure continue buying these ones.
ironman surge pro: this sock had it’s ups and downs for me. the first thing i noticed was that it was cut too high for me (i don’t like my sock showing or doing over my ankle) but i noticed that it was lightweight which i love.  i am honestly on the fence with this sock – i liked how it was tight on my foot (but not too tight) yet they did not cause blisters, but it lacked enough padding for me. i also did not find that it kept my foot as cool as i would like in both the hot summer and cool fall. i will 100% keep wearing this sock especially for the shorter runs and i do want to see how they do in the fall/winter. I would rate these a 7 out of 10 because I really couldn't complain about them.  If the cut was lower I would for sure wear them more often, since we all know I don't do all my scheduled long runs. ;)
ironman spark pro: these ones just did not do it for me. i thought they were cut way too high. i thought they hugged my foot well and did not blister but they did not breathe as much as i would have liked and my feet just felt hot and uncomfortable.. the weirdest thing i noticed about these socks is that i think they cut off the circulation to my feet (yes, i untied my shoes and loosened them and they still feel asleep).. when i run in these my feet tend to fall asleep and i don’t know if it’s because they’re cut so high and so tight, but it is weird.  i kept these ones in my bag for spin class  – not so much of the outside running. i really have not put too many miles in with these on so i cant say too much about them.
trail trax pro: these ones are still in their packaging. i am kinda scared of these ones due to how thick they are. also – they’re evidently ideal for cool weather running and atlanta has not yet seem cool weather (yeah it is 70+ degrees currently). i will try these this winter – i promise but since i hate hot feet i just have not yet.

i know everyone has personal preference about their sock and the cut, the cushiness, the colors, the texture and materials, etc.  I know I am really picky and when i first started running and trying socks i tried everything from thorlo to goldtoe to the target champion brand and then finally found and loved the wigwam brand.  But if you’re ever in the market to try a new brand, i really am a HUGE fan of Wigwams. to rank them 1-5: 1) racey 2) tailwind 3)surge pro 4)spark pro 5) trax pro

i <3 wigwam socks – i <3 free wigwam socks!

it is no secret to my followers that i ADORE wigwam running socks and am brand loyal to them and to them alone.  A week or so ago Natalie from Wigwam reached out to me to say “thanks” and she wanted to send some socks my way to try out.  WELL – the package came yesterday with a super thoughtful handwritten note and 4 pairs of socks!  It was like Christmas morning in July!

I am getting to try out the Ironman Surge Pro, Trail Trax Pro, Ironman Sparx Pro, and Racey.   * I am such a girl but check out the funky and fun colors and styles*
I am really excited to try all 4 pairs out and cannot decide which ones to wear first.  Yeahhh…. I can see my sock drawer expanding!!  As I try them out I will review them and let you know my thoughts and feelings.  Tomorrow is a spin class day so it’s gonna be a day or so before I run in a pair, but I will keep you posted!! =)

…Seriously, if you have not tried Wigwam you should give them a whirl.  I was hooked from run #1 in them! 

Thanks Natalie for checking out my blog & I will report back!!

june you were so steamy. monthly recap.

june = summer… so summer kicked itself into high gear and it brought it’s friend humidity with it. nights were just as hot and some mornings were cool but most were humid and gross. really, did we even get a spring?!   i am just hoping that since summer came so fast it will go away earlier too.  *one can hope right?!*  i have been hitting the treadmill a lot more than the pavement because i cannot run in this heat and i am slowly getting back in a treadmill grove, but i would KILL to run outside and not want to die due to the heat and heavy air.

now. lets get down to the nitty gritty…  31.47 miles run total – a total improvement from my May (and April) miles – but i will give all that credit to Marine Corps training – but i didn’t hit it as hard as i wanted to. of course i had my normal tuesday night spin classes and saturday afternoon swims with some time spent on the elliptical in the mix. i didn’t get in as many spin classes as i wanted to because the friggin 5:30 spin class fills up at 5:05 and I have to leave work at 4:30 just to get a bike. ludicrous. just ludicrous i tell you.  i have noticed that since i am staying active my endurance is building. not getting faster, but i am able to run longer without getting tired. baby steps. :o)  …i need to remember that i am training for a MARATHON & HALF MARATHON and need to push the happy hours and dinners with friends to the side and run… but oh how i love good nights and good conversations with good friends.  ….my goal for july is a 40+ mile month.

my new coworker who i love and adore has been talking about us doing hot yoga. i don’t know. i don’t like to sweat. she swears it is a killer work out. if/when we do it… i will report back. …a little scared but a lot of you runner kids do it and love it. thoughts? i am thinking it may be a good stretch out for pre-long run weekends but i am also super uneducated about hot yoga.

i did not run any local races which was a first this year, but there was nothing that i thought would be super beneficial to my training. {even though runners world mentioned that you can take 5ks to focus on form and foot turnover… blah blah i chose to save my $20 race fee and run solo}

i made the official switch to loving lululemon over nike tempo shorts this month. SO MUCH BETTER. i cannot make an official official switch since i have 4 pairs of lululemons and like 25 pairs of nike tempo shorts but it is so nice to not have shorts that side up when you run (but i am not so sure they breathe as well though… the verdict is still out on that one). and it isn’t a full switch because their tanks suck, but their shorts i love the,. so christmas, birthdays, just because gifts… i welcome lululemon shorts with open arms and I will never buy another pair of tempo shorts (unless the colors are super cute)!! …i just gotta remember to bodyglide my fat thighs so they don’t rub together.

Natalie from Wigwam (my favorite socks EVER) stumbled across my blog somehow and reached out to me to say thanks for loving their product. (No, thank you for making such an awesome sock!) ….but she asked for my address to send me a few pairs of socks to train in. I am super pumped about that and plan on running in them and then reviewing them. …STAY TUNED…

ALSO -- i discovered compression socks this month too. pricey but worth it. and if you go to www.recoverysocks.com you can use the coupon code JHclient and get 15% off your order. i am actually really pumped about these for the half i am running in September because i wont have time to take an ice bath after the race since i am heading back to atlanta right after… it will be postponed until i get home.

5 running songs on total replay on my iPod…

1. “until you were gone” –chipmonk ft. esmee denters
2. “all night long” –alexandra burke ft. pitbull
3. “the instrumental” lupe fiasco
4. “somebody to love” –justin bieber ft. usher
5. “Lean’n” –Top Floor

so i am gonna stop and wrap this up because this was just a bunch of blabber – potpourri of topics if you will. where in the world is the year going?!  is the peachtree road race really here basically?! man did that creep up!! yikes, I am not ready for that big ol hill going up peachtree.  if you’re gonna be spectating – looking out for # 23818 <--- that’s ME!!  I am in wave F – starting at 7:55 AM! :o)  This is so exciting!!

how was your june?! 

ps. congrats to all my favorite bloggers who joined the marathon club and ran their first half marathons!!  I am so proud of all of you!

hey it’s friday! that means there is a sock winner!

it has been a hella long week. i woke up thursday and asked myself “why is your alarm going off it’s saturday” and then my mind said “no not saturday, it’s friday” … in the shower i realized it was thursday. image my disappointment. doh.  but, today is FRIDAY!

not too much going on in my world (killer spin class tuesday killed me, literally) and i was supposed to experience my first ever hot yoga today, but due to a bogusly busy day i couldn’t pry myself from the office – but i went for a 3.49 mile run instead.  ANYWAY. i promised a pair of my favorite socks to anyone that was interested and i am true to my word so the winner is number 5 who is Paige from two runners and a brown dog!  Yay Paige and your brown dog!!!! :o) 

Paige! send me your shoe size and address to barbara.a.vines@gmail.com and I will get those bad boys out to you ASAP.

also – if you’re a compression sock fan if you go to www.recoverysock.com and utilize coupon code “JHClient” you will get 15% off your purchase.  Just a little FYI!

Sorry I have been such a crappy blogger there just hasn’t been too much going on in my life other than work, run, walk the dog, sleep, play with the dog, more work, swim, and spin,

Happy weekend everyone.

favorite friday … wigwam socks + giveaway

When I first started running I went on the hunt for “the perfect sock”. I tried everything from adidas to asics to thorlo to champion to gold toe and then finally i stumbled across the brand wigwam while at REI. I put on a pair and fell in love, ran a half marathon in them, but wanted a little more cushion and bought a pair of IronMan Flash Pro. Ever since I have been a loyal Wigwam sock wearer and with a sticker price of $12.00 a pop they’re pricey but well worth it. These socks are comfortable, durable, breathable, not too thin and not too thick, and just an all around awesome sock. The best part? I have never ever ever blistered with them, even in the rain and well… no blisters is a big thing for me!

Since these bad boys are so pricey I threw them on my birthday wish list and well, one of my twitter followers bought me a pair of wigwams! YAY! …I did not get my normal Flash Pros, but a pair of Ironman Tail Wind Pro socks (in pink!). I had never even seen or heard of this sock in the Wigwam line and I could not wait to get them on my feet and hit the road for a run and well… I was impressed. They had just the right amount of cushion in the right spots and unlike the Flash Pro socks I couldn’t even tell I had on socks (meaning, they were a little thinner and softer in all the right areas). They kept my feet cool in the heat and that is one of my #1 goals when choosing a sock. The only thing I would change is that the ankle is cut a little higher than I like… but that is such a small dumb detail that who cares?!

So which was my favorite out of the two?! That is a hard question since they both have their pros but I think I am gonna have to say the Tail Wind Pro Socks. I say this because I ran in them one day in 85+ degree weather and then in my Flash Pros the next day and my feet felt so much hotter in the Flash Pros – in fact it felt as if my foot was in a sauna. So, I am not saying that the Flash Pros have been replaced because that is far from the truth… but I am thinking Flash Pros in the cooler temps and Tail Winds in the summers. And because I love you all and not a lot of people know about this wonderful brand… I am going to be giving away 1 pair of them to try for yourself!

So I know you want to win and I am making it simple by only having two ways to enter. This is how you can score a free pair of rocking socks (remember 1 comment per entry)…

1. Publicly follow my blog
2. Lastly, tell me why you want these socks as creatively as possible!

oh. and it ends next friday.

Happy entering and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Good luck to everyone racing!!

birthday wish list.

my quarter life crisis is ending soon – not that I really had a quarter life crisis, but i still like to use that phrase. i will be 26 on june 1… 4 years closer to 30, then 10 years closer to 40 … why can’t I be Peter Pan?!   I have decided to let all my blogger friends what I want for my birthday.  And yes, if you want to buy me anything I will provide my address – just do not stalk me and show up at my front door unannounced.  Thanks!

1. I really want a pair of recovery socks.  I see people sporting them all the time post race and I have heard they do wonders.  I have even heard of people running in them, but I feel like my poor legs would get too hot too fast, so I would love to have them in the after race packed bag.  And yes,  I do want Pink.  Duh.
2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my foam roller. Literally, I use it for every ache and pain – running & non running related.  I probably love it more than my stick and I would love to upgrade to The Grid.  When I was asking around about foam rollers vs. the stick – foam rollers won hands down & 7 out of 10 (I am not sure that stat is legit, it just sounded cool) people recommended The Grid.  Yes, I love my $14.50 Gold’s Gym foam roller from Walmart (my dog thinks it is a toy and likes to protect me from the rolling action by sitting on my legs) but I think I would love the “beat me up” grooves of The Grid.
3. A new pair (err… more pairs) of running shoes (brooks ravenna) size 10 please (yes. i have huge feet).  BUT, they have to be the awesome blue, silver, and lime color.  I know you’re not supposed to pick your running shoe based on color and I am not – it is just that rumor has it this color scheme is being discontinued this month and if I can stock up, it would be great.  If not, I will still run in them in the new colors.
4. Socks to run in! I swear by Wigwam Ironman Pro socks but at $12.00 a pair I do not have nearly enough.  I did have enough when my boyfriend did laundry EVERY Sunday but now it is touch and go.  These socks have the perfect amount of padding on the heels and toes, breathe just right, and I have never ever blistered in these bad boys.  Oh yeah, size medium.
5. Nike Tempo Shorts. Medium. Any color. These are the only shorts I wear when I run (with the exception of the 2 pairs of Under Armor shorts I bought before discovering Tempo Shorts).  I actually wear these just about anywhere I can – the office?  I would if I could!!
6. While we are talking about running attire, I really want these Lululemon shorts (in every color, including the black and white plaid) with a matchy matchy Lululemon tank.  Honestly, a gift card to Lululemon would go a long way since I love that store, but refuse to buy full running outfits due to money.
7. I really need a new pair of headphones for my runs.  My iPod buds work well, but if/when one falls out or I have to take it out to give directions I can never get it back in right.  After reading many blog reviews I want a pair of Yurbuds.  Evidently they stay in your ears and you also do not have to play your music as loudly because, well I do not know why, but that is what I have heard. 
8. Treadmill reading material.  Runners World is my normal long car ride reads and recently I have discovered Women’s Running which I am falling in love with too.  I would love subscriptions to both.

Happy Birthday to Me super super soon!   I will be home in the DC Area for the big day and I have high hopes of running part of the Marine Corps Marathon course.

What is on your runners wish list?!

hunt for the perfect pair of socks.

So one of the "big rules" of marathon training is "nothing new" for the last two weeks of training. But, let me tell you a little story. I still have not found a pair of socks that really wow me and make me want to run a 13.1 miles in them. Granted, so far my Adidas sport socks from Stienmart are the leader, I did what I was not supposed to do but went out and bought another pair of socks to give them a whirl.

I went to REI today to stock up on marathon supplies. I picked up GUs, a mini body glide to bring on the run, gloves, and a pair of Wigwam Iron Man Velocity Plus socks (in pink of course). Evidently they ... repel moisture, prevent blisters, are lightweight, and foot hugging. All things I look for in a sock! They don't have quite the padding I am looking for, but I will see if that matters or does not matter.

The Target Champion brand of socks suck. Thorlos, what people brag about, make my feet want to die because they're in a sauna. Asics ... their socks on average at best. Adidas so far has the best socks but I feel like they could blister. Who would have thought socks are so hard to find.

So other than socks I have my raceday gear chosen. The socks are still to.be.determined.

• mandatory purple team in training tee. I originally wanted a singlet but then learned it was gonna be freezing so I opted to switch and grab a tee. hopefully, i will not regret that decision.
• long sleeve white nike fit shirt for the beginning of the race. to be tucked into my shorts because rumor has it midway through the race it gets cold again.
• black nike fit shorts with pink and purple piping. {i am obsessed with the nike fit line}
• the same white sports bra I have been running in for months.

Well. this week is all about maintaining, eating right, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep. It is crazy how quickly this moment and race has snuck up on me. And now I am off for a run in full race day gear, just to ensure I like it all and to try and decided how these socks work.