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Clocked a sweet 7 miler this morning in Central Park, gorgeous day, fantastic run - lots of runners in the park early, 6:30am. It was cold at 31F but there was no wind, and warmer than yesterdays 28F w/a Windchill bringing it to 21F - but I felt great today - largely because I wore some of my fly Sugoi gear. That's right - you just feel better running in cold weather in great technical gear. Of course the secret to comfort in cold weather is in layering (a base layer underneath a mid-weight covering) = insulation. The base layers main function: wicking perspiration off the skin. I don't 
own any Under Armour but it's a popular base layer - I've heard & and read, "the wind carries your body heat away 20 percent to 25 percent faster than still air". To combat that effect you need a great running jacket. The whole idea is to create a microenvironment to protect your body core and keep the wind from carrying your body heat away. My favorite running jacket is my Sugoi Defiant, that jacket on the right. That jacket is freaking awesome with every technical featurer you can imagine to enable you to run dry feeling light & warm - it's actually more common in cycling applications - but great for running. But back to the base layer - you cannot wear cotton and have to get base layer with moisture-wicking properties. The downside this? many athletes -- and those who love them -- often discover an unpleasant feature of these microfiber moisture wicking garments: They smell bad. Last Spring I blogged about the various detergents for running gear here. Well Reed Albergotti of the Wall St. Journal wrote about these materials and fabrics we runners wear - he said, 
"sales of synthetic "base layers," as retailers call long underwear these days [under armor and the like], have helped pump up sales of athletic apparel 11% to an estimated $15.2 billion in 2007, far outpacing growth of apparel overall, according to market-research company NPD Group. But few can deny that these garments, in action, are like Petri dishes, incubating odor-causing bacteria. And they often hold on to the bacteria through a wash cycle, leaving some of it to bloom again, when the next workout begins. Outdoor apparel makers began addressing the problem back in the 1990s. Among the earliest was Polartec, of Lawrence, Mass., which in 1991 began spraying synthetic-fiber underwear with Tryclosan, an ingredient that has been used in antibacterial soap. More recently, Polartec and others have introduced fabrics treated with silver, whose bacteria-killing properties have given it wide use it medical and military markets. But makers of consumer textiles and apparel have begun looking beyond metal for odor-fighting tools, partly because of environmental concerns over metal-treated fabrics. Specifically, environmentalists worry that silver runoff during manufacturing and household laundry cycles will contaminate groundwater. Others worry that widespread use of antimicrobial fabrics will encourage super-resistant germ strains. A new generation of fabric treatments ma
ke use of organic-based sources. Some rely on activated carbon, which traps odor during wear and releases it during a wash. Closely held Cocona, of Boulder, Colo., uses carbon derived from coconut shells for its Cocona odor-resisting fabric. Merrell, a unit of Wolverine World Wide, is using Cocona for some of its new line of Sonic base layers for men and women launching in 2008 at prices ranging from $35 to $65. Arc'teryx Equipment, a Vancouver climbing-gear company, lines the inside of some of its base layers with fabric containing carbon from bamboo charcoal. Crab shells are a source of chitosan, a substance derived from crustacean shells that companies including Patagonia, of Ventura, Calif., are using in antiodor fabrics. Last year, Patagonia introduced odor-controlling base layers made of Capilene fabric, using chitosan-based "Gladiodor" technology. Patagonia's Capilene 3 leggings for women, for use in cold weather, sell for $44 at patagonia.com. Some textile makers promote their treatments as if they eliminate all bacteria permanently. "No bacteria. No Smell. Hooray for Technology," Milliken says on the Visa Endurance Web site."That is impossible" says Gang Sun, a textile researcher at the University of California, Davis. He says the new fabrics can't completely eliminate odor; the best they can do is limit the range in which odor travels. As technology improves, the bubble of odor around clothes shrinks. Some of the new treatments lose their effectiveness over time. Patagonia says its crab-shell treatment is good for 50 washes. Cocona and Arc'teryx say theirs last indefinitely. Moisture-wicking microfibers are quick-drying and lightweight, meaning they tend to be better than older synthetics at controlling undesirable scents because bacteria have less time to multiply. Still, for outdoor winter workouts, many athletes prefer wearing many light layers, a practice that encourages extra perspiration and bacterial growth. And once a Lycra or nylon item acquires a strong smell, there may be no turning back. Some people think washing clothes in hot water and detergent immediately after working out is just as effective as the new treatments at killing bacteria and eliminating smell. "Just don't throw it in the hamper," says Kay Obendorf, a textile chemist at Cornell University. The so
oner clothes are washed, the better, because bacteria begins to multiply after a few hours. [END]. Damn, I must have bacteria galore as my running gear doesn't get washed for a week sometimes, Oh well.... That Jacket above on the left in blue is the Sugoi Firewall - women's version, now available at Eastbay for $90 (down from $150). Above on the right is Asics Ultimate Jacket - $90 down from $160, again at Eastbay. A must buy no matter who you are? The Nike Thermal Running Glove: Nike Thermal Running Gloves are made with an insulted fleece
fabric that holds in body heat to help keep you warm on cold days. Key pocket provides easy access and secure storage. Reflective pattern adds enhanced visibility. 98% polyester/2% spandex. Imported. Use Coupon Code EMEB8JFF to get 20% off a $100 purchase or Code LKS18JAN to get 15% off any purchase. So think about it...that Asics Ultimate Jacket is available in Men's & Women's in every size - $90, what you do is buy it, these gloves, and then to get you over $100 - you buy that Nike Reflective Vest on the left - which you need anyway - for $2.99! At the end of the day your bill is $113, they'll take off $20 - you're looking at $93 + shipping of about $10 - at the end of the day you've got one of the best running jackets available for all conditions - a awesome pair of running gloves - and a reflective vest which you need any way - all for basically $100! Wow! Now my personal opinion? That Sugoi Firewall Jacket is better than the Asics Jacket - that's right. A description? -> Designed for technical protection against extreme winter conditions, FireWall and FireWall GT are Sugoi’s premiere Softshell winter fabrics. With 4-way stretch for wind cheating form fit comfort, the 3-ply laminate used in FireWall and FireWall GT protects against wind, rain and cold. At the heart of FireWall’s performance is a unique microporous wind and waterproof stretch membrane. It is sandwiched between a tenacious and highly protective Nylon outer face and a lofted Polyester inner surface which traps dry air for added warmth and disperses moisture. The three layers are tied together with a dot matrix breathable hydrophilic glue which enhances the functionality of each layer. This combination works in harmony to provide the ultimate solution of the widest variety of fall and winter elements. FireWall is used in Custom sublimation and our RS line, FireWall GT is used in both our Run and Bike lines. FireWall is a breathable 3 layer 4-way stretch barrier that protects from the wind, rain and cold. The microporous laminate is sandwiched in a durable water resist outer face and a lofted airflow textured inside surface for increased moisture and warmth dispersement. I run in various Sugoi garments (weathers shirts & jackets - they make awesome stuff). Take it from me - if you don't hit your racing goals & targets - don't sweat it - as long as you're looking good out there with fly gear - that's hot! Now's a great time to buy Winter gear for the remaining seaon & next year - a lot is now being marked down and closed out to make way for Spring gear - that's who the racket works.... Have a great day!
own any Under Armour but it's a popular base layer - I've heard & and read, "the wind carries your body heat away 20 percent to 25 percent faster than still air". To combat that effect you need a great running jacket. The whole idea is to create a microenvironment to protect your body core and keep the wind from carrying your body heat away. My favorite running jacket is my Sugoi Defiant, that jacket on the right. That jacket is freaking awesome with every technical featurer you can imagine to enable you to run dry feeling light & warm - it's actually more common in cycling applications - but great for running. But back to the base layer - you cannot wear cotton and have to get base layer with moisture-wicking properties. The downside this? many athletes -- and those who love them -- often discover an unpleasant feature of these microfiber moisture wicking garments: They smell bad. Last Spring I blogged about the various detergents for running gear here. Well Reed Albergotti of the Wall St. Journal wrote about these materials and fabrics we runners wear - he said, 
"sales of synthetic "base layers," as retailers call long underwear these days [under armor and the like], have helped pump up sales of athletic apparel 11% to an estimated $15.2 billion in 2007, far outpacing growth of apparel overall, according to market-research company NPD Group. But few can deny that these garments, in action, are like Petri dishes, incubating odor-causing bacteria. And they often hold on to the bacteria through a wash cycle, leaving some of it to bloom again, when the next workout begins. Outdoor apparel makers began addressing the problem back in the 1990s. Among the earliest was Polartec, of Lawrence, Mass., which in 1991 began spraying synthetic-fiber underwear with Tryclosan, an ingredient that has been used in antibacterial soap. More recently, Polartec and others have introduced fabrics treated with silver, whose bacteria-killing properties have given it wide use it medical and military markets. But makers of consumer textiles and apparel have begun looking beyond metal for odor-fighting tools, partly because of environmental concerns over metal-treated fabrics. Specifically, environmentalists worry that silver runoff during manufacturing and household laundry cycles will contaminate groundwater. Others worry that widespread use of antimicrobial fabrics will encourage super-resistant germ strains. A new generation of fabric treatments ma
ke use of organic-based sources. Some rely on activated carbon, which traps odor during wear and releases it during a wash. Closely held Cocona, of Boulder, Colo., uses carbon derived from coconut shells for its Cocona odor-resisting fabric. Merrell, a unit of Wolverine World Wide, is using Cocona for some of its new line of Sonic base layers for men and women launching in 2008 at prices ranging from $35 to $65. Arc'teryx Equipment, a Vancouver climbing-gear company, lines the inside of some of its base layers with fabric containing carbon from bamboo charcoal. Crab shells are a source of chitosan, a substance derived from crustacean shells that companies including Patagonia, of Ventura, Calif., are using in antiodor fabrics. Last year, Patagonia introduced odor-controlling base layers made of Capilene fabric, using chitosan-based "Gladiodor" technology. Patagonia's Capilene 3 leggings for women, for use in cold weather, sell for $44 at patagonia.com. Some textile makers promote their treatments as if they eliminate all bacteria permanently. "No bacteria. No Smell. Hooray for Technology," Milliken says on the Visa Endurance Web site."That is impossible" says Gang Sun, a textile researcher at the University of California, Davis. He says the new fabrics can't completely eliminate odor; the best they can do is limit the range in which odor travels. As technology improves, the bubble of odor around clothes shrinks. Some of the new treatments lose their effectiveness over time. Patagonia says its crab-shell treatment is good for 50 washes. Cocona and Arc'teryx say theirs last indefinitely. Moisture-wicking microfibers are quick-drying and lightweight, meaning they tend to be better than older synthetics at controlling undesirable scents because bacteria have less time to multiply. Still, for outdoor winter workouts, many athletes prefer wearing many light layers, a practice that encourages extra perspiration and bacterial growth. And once a Lycra or nylon item acquires a strong smell, there may be no turning back. Some people think washing clothes in hot water and detergent immediately after working out is just as effective as the new treatments at killing bacteria and eliminating smell. "Just don't throw it in the hamper," says Kay Obendorf, a textile chemist at Cornell University. The so
oner clothes are washed, the better, because bacteria begins to multiply after a few hours. [END]. Damn, I must have bacteria galore as my running gear doesn't get washed for a week sometimes, Oh well.... That Jacket above on the left in blue is the Sugoi Firewall - women's version, now available at Eastbay for $90 (down from $150). Above on the right is Asics Ultimate Jacket - $90 down from $160, again at Eastbay. A must buy no matter who you are? The Nike Thermal Running Glove: Nike Thermal Running Gloves are made with an insulted fleece
fabric that holds in body heat to help keep you warm on cold days. Key pocket provides easy access and secure storage. Reflective pattern adds enhanced visibility. 98% polyester/2% spandex. Imported. Use Coupon Code EMEB8JFF to get 20% off a $100 purchase or Code LKS18JAN to get 15% off any purchase. So think about it...that Asics Ultimate Jacket is available in Men's & Women's in every size - $90, what you do is buy it, these gloves, and then to get you over $100 - you buy that Nike Reflective Vest on the left - which you need anyway - for $2.99! At the end of the day your bill is $113, they'll take off $20 - you're looking at $93 + shipping of about $10 - at the end of the day you've got one of the best running jackets available for all conditions - a awesome pair of running gloves - and a reflective vest which you need any way - all for basically $100! Wow! Now my personal opinion? That Sugoi Firewall Jacket is better than the Asics Jacket - that's right. A description? -> Designed for technical protection against extreme winter conditions, FireWall and FireWall GT are Sugoi’s premiere Softshell winter fabrics. With 4-way stretch for wind cheating form fit comfort, the 3-ply laminate used in FireWall and FireWall GT protects against wind, rain and cold. At the heart of FireWall’s performance is a unique microporous wind and waterproof stretch membrane. It is sandwiched between a tenacious and highly protective Nylon outer face and a lofted Polyester inner surface which traps dry air for added warmth and disperses moisture. The three layers are tied together with a dot matrix breathable hydrophilic glue which enhances the functionality of each layer. This combination works in harmony to provide the ultimate solution of the widest variety of fall and winter elements. FireWall is used in Custom sublimation and our RS line, FireWall GT is used in both our Run and Bike lines. FireWall is a breathable 3 layer 4-way stretch barrier that protects from the wind, rain and cold. The microporous laminate is sandwiched in a durable water resist outer face and a lofted airflow textured inside surface for increased moisture and warmth dispersement. I run in various Sugoi garments (weathers shirts & jackets - they make awesome stuff). Take it from me - if you don't hit your racing goals & targets - don't sweat it - as long as you're looking good out there with fly gear - that's hot! Now's a great time to buy Winter gear for the remaining seaon & next year - a lot is now being marked down and closed out to make way for Spring gear - that's who the racket works.... Have a great day!
2 Comments:
Lance - I watched the olympic marathon trials on tv and noticed several guys wearing arm warmers (I guess that's what they were). Do you have any experience with those? I wonder what their benefit is.
Yes I saw Ryan Hall and a couple of others with 'em on - I've never worn them. To my knowledge people wear them simply for comfort & warmpth to the arms whilst enjoying the comfort - looseness fit of a racing singlet.
I think Hall does most of his training in California - and in coming to the North East - the conditions were not comfortable for him sans the arm warmers - and the Brazilian Guy Santos who won the '06 NYC Marathon too wore arm warmers in the race - coming from a warm climate to NYC. I've noticed this tendency. Very few people wear them though - most wear a full blown longsleeve racing shirt of some material w/thermal properties.
Hence most people I see wearing them are runners coming from a warm place - to race in a cold place. Just an observation. You can buy'em for $15 on Ebay - most of them are actually from Cycling shops as they're kind of standard gear for cyclist.
Runningtimes reviews some
http://runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=5043&c=162
For me? I go with the following #1) You have to be comfortable. I sense they contribute to comfort for runners from Warmer climates finding themselves in a cold place for an event; 2) Race like you train. I would not wear arm warmers if I did not train in them. Be in a familiar place - in every respect on race day - running cap/gloves, etc.
Optimum performance is a result of mental and physical comfort. I say go with the familiar. A proper running jacket is what I would race if it dropped to jacket weather for me. Today I ran 7 miles in a Sugoie long sleeve thermal shirt - no jacket.
I just don't know much about'em...and have never read about them being advised by Noakes, Glover, Higdon, etc. (the running gurus).
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