Tiux compression sock review

I recently tried out a pair of compression socks from a new company named Triux (http://tiux.co/).  They are a new start-up that designs and sells athletic compression socks exclusively online.

I am big proponent of compression socks and calf sleeves for longer distance runs and for recovery.  Most marathons and long races I run in calf sleeves but wear compression socks almost on a daily basis for recovery.

Note: They provided me with a pair to review for this blog.

This is the pair I received (one of the 3 different colors in their product line in size L):

I wore these for several hours before I went out for run to see how they felt.  The first thing I noticed is that they are much softer fabric than many compression socks and easier to put on.  They have nice padding on the heel, toe and sole but not too much where it felt bulky.  The large size fit me perfectly in that I did not have to roll over the top (I have big calves but my legs aren't that long).  In addition it did not have the overly restrictive band at the top like many of the other brands have that causes a circular line around the area right below your knee.

After wearing them for a few hours I took them out for a first run and they felt really good.  The provided good foot support and with calf compression while not being overly restrictive.  Many socks feel too tight the longer you run in them, these did not.  The best thing I can say is that they were so good that I didn't notice I had them on.

Since that first run I have worn them a few times for most of the day aid recovery and they are very comfortable.  

I have run, recovered and washed them several times and they have held up very well in keeping their shape and their compression (full disclosure - I am wearing them right now as I write this).

One of the best things about these socks is the price: 35.00 (which includes shipping and handling for those in the US and Canada).  That is less than any of the compression socks I currently own.  I am guessing the price is lower most likely because they only sell them online?

Would I purchase these socks?  Yes, I would buy another pair because the combination of comfort, wear-ability and price makes them a really good buy. In addition according to their website they are donating 1% of their revenue to MAG (Mines Advisory Group http://www.magamerica.org/), I like supporting companies that have pledged their support to charitable organizations.

If there is one drawback it is that there are only 3 different color options right now.  I would expect they will add more colors as they get more established.  Also I would like them to consider making calf sleeves if they wanted to branch out.

In summary I would consider buying a pair if you are in the market for a pair of compression socks.

Tokyo Marathon Recap

I traveled to Tokyo this year to run the Tokyo Marathon.   This was my 5th of the 6 Marathon Majors so needless to say I was really looking forward to this race.  In summary I ran really well finishing in 3:41 which is 14 minutes faster than my last marathon (NYC in 2014).  Here are some medal pictures and after the finish:

It was a really great experience overall and I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering putting it on their list of marathons to run.  I went through a company I have used in the past Marathon Tours & Travel ( http://marathontours.com/index.cfm/page/Home). Once again I was really happy in the service they provide.  I am using them for the London Marathon in April and will use them for more trips in the future.   They don't pay me to endorse them but it is nice to have a company in charge of most of the logistics of running a marathon in a foreign country.

I flew to Tokyo on Wednesday and due to the 16 hour time difference I arrived on Thursday afternoon.  There was a 2 hour bus ride from the airport to the hotel then I picked up schedules and guides from the desk the marathon company had in the lobby.  I immediately unpacked changed into running gear and went to the hotel gym and ran 3 miles on the treadmill and stretched.  After a 12 hour flight I wanted to loosen up and had to keep the runstreak going plus I figured it would help me sleep because it was after 9 pm by the time I finished.

The next day we had a sight seeing tour of a Shinto shrine, Buddhist temple and places throughout Tokyo.  After that we went to the marathon expo.  The expo is not as big as the other marathon majors and they had limited choices on apparel that you could purchase.  It seemed more like a place for the sponsors to advertise. Note: the marathon shirt itself was a yellow shirt that was small on me but you can't exchange it so I ended up purchasing another marathon shirt that is red and fit me.

We had a group pasta dinner that night at a local restaurant (along with a beer for me because I always have a beer the night before a race).  After that it was back to the hotel to rest for the race the next day.

Race day weather was overcast, cool and it was sprinkling at times.  I made my way to the starting corral after I checked my bag.  I had brought along throw away sweatpants and long sleeve shirt because I heard you have to wait a bit before the start.  While it was chilly it was not that cold but I am glad I brought along things to wear before the start.  Right before the start I discarded my shirt and sweatpants then the gun went off and they shot off confetti and we were off.  Well in a big race you are not really off you shuffle towards the start because I was in corral D but once we got to the start we started moving.

Here are the things I remember from the race:
- As in most big marathons running etiquette gets thrown out the window.  There are people that cut across your line, stop at the first water stop or will stop and start walking in random areas.
- I ended up running 27.2 miles according to my Garmin and I trust it because many others in our group said they had almost 27 on their devices.  I used the bathroom near the 10k mark and once I saw the sign I took off for it and it was in a park near the course.  As it turned out it was a ways away and added over a 1/3 of a mile to my distance just going to it and back to the race route.
- The electrolyte beverage they had was Pocari Sweat which I actually liked better than Gatorade or the stuff they have in races in the US.
- From about mile 15 -22 I ran near a guy who would yell something out in Japanese  every now and then.  I had no idea what he was saying but found it somewhat motivating.
- I looked at my watch at the halfway point but never looked at my watch after that until I finished.  I started doing this several races back and for some reason I run faster when I don't look at it constantly.
- As soon as we got close to the finish and after we crossed it seemed like every person took out their phone or a camera and started taking pictures.
- Even though I was in Corral D there are lots of people in earlier corrals who you end up passing.
- The course itself is somewhat boring in that you have two down and back sections so you see the runners making their way back from where you are going.

All in all it was great experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of doing an overseas marathon.

On Monday I took up to Nagano with the tour group and got to go to the monkey park up there in which I saw this:

I had heard of these parks where monkeys come down from the mountains and sit in the hot springs and wander around.  It was worth the cost and trip because they are all over and you can sit and watch them.  I had two small ones walk right over my feet while I was there because they have no fear of humans.


Update: One of the bad parts I recently found out about the Tokyo Marathon is the official pictures.  In the bigger marathons I usually by a picture or two through the official race photographers.  I am used to paying a bit more for these because they have to pay for their costs for all the pictures they take.  Instead of the usual pricing of various pictures for a certain price they offered one price for all the pictures and that was it.  The price for that package was about 180 USD which is more than the cost of the race itself.  Frankly this cost is absurd so I will not be purchasing any pictures from them.

How I'm starting off 2015

I've decided to try and start off 2015 in a more positive frame of mind.  With that in mind I am going to try or hope for going forward.  I'm NOT calling these New Year's Resolutions because I don't believe in those.

1. The guys at the various gyms who apparently have never been taught good lifting form, I'm not going to get annoyed by you.  That is between you and the doctor that is going to have to fix you when you injure yourself.   Sorry but if you can't do the exercise right then use less weight!

2. I'm not going to contribute to running websites that rely on people for content such as race reviews then have online chat sessions and give sarcastic responses to people.  I've seen this happen a few times and frankly it doesn't make you clever it shows you are an idiot.

3. I have lots of running & fitness minded friends on Facebook and Twitter.  Some people run and don't lift weights and vice versa.  I wish they would both be respectful of each other and realize that just because you might do one and not the other that their workouts or accomplishments are diminished.

4. If you ask me for advice repeatedly yet continually ignore it I am just going to try and smile and respond to your questions with questions.  Or if you text me I will give one word responses along with an emoticon!  Reasoning: A person I was trying to help continues to do foolish things like go run in the afternoon when it is 90+degrees with no water and then wonders why they feel awful after a few miles.

5. I'm going to try and be nicer to those concerned about my health over me running every single day, running multiple marathons every year along with lifting weights but I really don't need it.  I know you might have read on the internet that there might be health risks associated with doing this but really I have never felt better.

6. I am still not going to be interested in listening to how people's P90x/crossfit workouts are going considering this is the first exercise program they have followed for more than a month.

7. I will try and better understand those that post multiple times every day about anything possibly running related followed up by runfies from 4 different angles during their last run.  I understand people like doing this but I just don't understand it, which I guess makes me old school.  I don't even carry a phone when I run.

8. Be more encouraging and supportive to those getting into running or lifting.

9. Running on a treadmill vs running outdoors, running races every weekend vs. never entering any races, lifting weights vs yoga, etc., everybody is different so do what works for you.

10. I am going to shake up my routine and run in different places, try some different gyms, try different classes and I am going to buy a treadmill so I have the flexibility to run at different times and it is not dependent on the weather or going to a gym.

11. I am signed up for three marathons, one 1/2 marathon, two 10k's and a 14.5 mile race at extreme elevation.  I am looking for one more marathon in late fall but I think my race calendar is getting full.

NYC Marathon Recap

I waited a week to write this because I wanted to collect my thoughts first.

The standard Race Recap, Pros/Cons section is at the end of this post because there is something else I wanted to write about first.

This is picture after I finished the NYC Marathon:

When I prepare for race I figure out what I am going to wear awhile beforehand.  If I'm traveling I prepare for cold, warm or rainy running conditions so I end up packing a lot.  As I get ready for a race I also draw inspiration from different things and people.  In the week before the race my wife sent me this article (it's fairly long but very well written): http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9768224/the-marathon-their-lives along with the comment "Going though some old e-mails, I came across this article.  Still gets me.".  I read the article again for the I don't know how many time.  

At this point I need to explain that in 2011 I ran the Chicago Marathon and even though I had an entry I decided to try and raise money for a charity. I selected the IAFFBF - International Association of Fire Fighter Burn Foundation (it's just the IAFF now) raised some money and was part of a team of 7 that were running.  I never met any of the people beforehand because we were from around the country.  We met the day before and had dinner together with our families at a local restaurant courtesy of the IAFF.  The day of the race we met at a fire station near the start and had our pictures taken together.  We were all going to meet up afterwards at the fire station.  It was hot and humid that day so I didn't run my best race in that I finished in over 4 hours.  I met up with my wife and sister afterwards and walked to the fire station, it was somewhat quiet but people were talking in small groups.  One guy from the team who had finished came over and said Will (A member of the team) had collapsed near the finish and they didn't know what was going on but it wasn't good.  Shortly after that I left to go back to my hotel and found out that Will Caviness had died on the news.  Since that day I've never worn that shirt I ran in, in fact I didn't even like looking at it but I kept it in the back of drawer. 

After I read the article again I started thinking about what I was going to wear.  The IAFF as a charity does not have a team that runs NYC but what if wore this singlet for inspiration from Will (who was a fire fighter in NC) and also to publicize the work they do.  In addition it would give me a good memory to go along with the bad one I have associated with it.  I contacted the people at the IAFF to ask if it was okay if I wore this (they have changed the name since 2011 and there are some different people in charge of the fitness team) and they were very enthusiastic. 

Due to the wind and cold I put on a compression shirt underneath it but I ran in that shirt and had an incredible race that I will always remember.  I was slapping hands with any spectators that were out (including some cops and fireman) which I usually don't do.  Even after the race I couldn't help but smile at everyone and was practically jogging to get my bag and head back to my hotel.  Even as I sit here now writing this it still makes me smile because it is such a good memory.  All I can say is that Will inspired me that day.




 Race Recap

What can I say about this race that you haven't ready somewhere else? I was really looking forward to this race for a number of reasons: it is the 4th of the 6 world Marathon Majors that I have done and also it was the last marathon of 5 I did this year (so now I can rest and recover until 2015!).

Pros
- Race management is spectacular, with over 50,000 people running they do an awesome job.
- Lots of well stocked aid stations along the route.
- The course itself is not hilly, the biggest hill and toughest part of the whole race was the first 2 miles. Part of the reason was the 20+ mph wind and I was in a wave on the top deck of the bridge.
- The finish is well organized so when you are done you go get your bag (if you had one) or you got a poncho and left Central Park.
- The expo had lots of different vendors and it was easy to pick up your bib.

Cons (there are not many but these are things I noticed)
- The baseball hats they had with the marathon logo were made by Asics and they were so odd shaped I didn't buy one. Not many people did, in fact I didn't notice many people wearing them during the race which you usually see.
- With this many people be prepared for lots of breaches of running etiquette. People would stop in the middle of the road to walk instead of getting over, lots of people throwing cups that were half full all over with no concern for others and people not really aware of how to pass someone without bumping into them.

Overall this was a great experience and I am glad to finally get in and run it. The registration fee is expensive but to me it was worth it.

Revel Rockies Marathon Recap - Marathon #26

This was the inaugural Revel Rockies held west of Denver in the foothills of the Rockies.  The Revel series (http://www.runrevel.com/) are all races that go downhill and they have races in in California, Utah and now Colorado.  The Rockies version of the marathon goes downhill almost 5,000 feet in altitude from start to finish.  This is supposed to make for some fast times and many people traveled here from out of town in the hopes of qualifying for Boston, unfortunately many of them I met did not.  There are several reasons why this should not be considered an easy race:
- The race starts above 10,000 feet in order to have that much downhill.  The effected many people from out of town, I didn't really notice it mostly because I live here.
- You don't run straight downhill but have lots of twists and turns and that takes a heavy toll on your feet and legs.
- The marathon started at 6 A.M. but it is summer here and we had no cloud cover so the last 6 miles had little if any shade and it got a bit warm.

I finished this one over 10 minutes faster than my last marathon which I was fine with but I passed a number of people (most from out of town) who were disappointed in how they did.  Running downhill is more of a leg muscle workout than cardio (IMO) and if you didn't train for it or have good legs you were hurting.  I ended up passing a number of people who were shooting for faster times than me.  There were a number of the Marathon Maniacs in particular who were impacted by the altitude and the twisting, turning roads.

Pros
- Nice shirt and medal and well organized, this organization knows how to put on a race.
- Good logistics, you parked in lots near the finish and they bussed you up to the start.  You have to get started very early to be ready at 6 so the buses started at 3:15.
- They had very good beer at the finish from Upslope Brewing Company.
- Iced towels at the end really came in handy.
- The scenery in the first 15 miles is incredible.

Cons
- The expo was held at a completely out of the way small warehouse in North Denver.  I didn't expect many vendors (and there weren't) but the location was awful.
- They had a hard time finding pacers and many had just completed ultra races so they were erratic.  I wanted to stay between the 3:35 and 3:40 and lost them at the first aid station.  I didn't see one of them again until I was at 20+ miles.  I ended up holding a pace sign for a bit while a replacement for the original pacer needed to get a GU packet and some water.
- I think they would have much faster times overall if they pushed this race back a month because summer is no time to run a marathon out here.

Overall I would recommend this race but you do have to train for it by doing some downhill running.

August update

I have really slacked off on writing anything lately for a few reasons:
- I don't really have much to say
- I have been a bit busy

The last thing I wrote was a recap of the Missoula Marathon so here is what has gone on since:
- I am still running every day, 977 days straight as of today.
- Marathon #26 is next week, the Revel Rockies marathon (which goes downhill almost 5,000 feet from start to finish)
- To train for the Revel marathon some friends and I went out and ran 12 miles downhill last week.  We started out at above 10,000 feet elevation and ended at about 8,000.
- The cardio part of the run was easy but you could definitely feel it in your legs the next few days.
- I found out a couple weeks ago that I got into the London Marathon.  So in the next year I am going to be able to run NYC, Tokyo and London to complete my goal of running all the Majors.
- I have been working on a project that has me go up to Calgary ever few weeks.  It is a nice city to travel to because it is in the same time zone, is a short flight and I stay downtown so I end up walking everywhere.  Also they have a nice area to run alongside the river.
- My birthday was several weeks ago and I really didn't do much of anything to celebrate it however I do something to test myself around birthday.  Since I started running all the time I have lost size and strength but every year I test to see that I can still do flat bench dumbbell presses with 100 lb dumbbells.  This year I was able to do 9 reps and was annoyed I couldn't do 10 so I did a set of 5 reps with 105 lb dumbbells.  I used to be stronger but I'm happy with being able to do this now.

- I have been to several concerts the last week: Alice Cooper & Motley Crue @ The Pepsi Center (very loud and good) and REO Speedwagon & Chicago @ Red Rocks (also good and not as loud).

- I'm going to a wedding for a Scottish friend this weekend up in the mountains so I am breaking out my kilt for the occasion.

That is about all for now.

Missoula Marathon Recap

I have been slacking off on writing anything in awhile because I just haven't had much to write about.  Over the weekend I ran marathon #25 the Missoula Marathon so now I have something!

Overall I was happy with how I ran and the marathon itself.  Depending on where you are coming from Missoula, MT can be easy or hard to get to.  There are several direct flights from Denver and Minneapolis each day.  We (my wife and I) flew in on Friday and after dropping our stuff off at the hotel (the Hilton Garden) and unpacking we decided to load up on some carbs.  The best way to do that is visiting some local craft breweries.  We went to several but Bayern Brewing which specializes in German beers was our favorite.  There are several other craft breweries worth trying such as Big Sky, Flathead and Tamarack Brewing.

On Saturday we went early to the expo, it is held in an outdoor pavilion near the same place as the finish for the marathon.  It was not that big but was organized pretty well.  They use virtual swag bags in that they send you coupons and offers via e-mail to use at local retailers or online.  The bags and t-shirts they handed out are nice, I always like when you get a reusable marathon bag rather than a plastic one because they come in handy.  You write your bib # on the bag with a marker rather than a tag or label.  We spent the rest of the morning eating breakfast and walking around downtown Missoula.  They had a farmers market along with a few other things so it was a bit busy in places.   In the afternoon I went back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the race the next day.  We tried to go to a chain Italian restaurant for dinner but the wait was 90 minutes so we ended up eating at the hotel restaurant.  It makes no difference to me where I eat the night before a race because I just want to get some pasta and not eat anywhere it takes too long to get food.

Sunday morning was race day, this is an early start race in that it begins at 6 AM.  The course starts outside Missoula and they bus you out there.  They had buses at the University of Montana taking you out there starting at 4:15.  I got out to the start over an hour before the beginning of the race so I sat down around a building and talked with 3 women who sat down nearby.  Two were from British Columbia (one was running her first marathon) and the other was from Oklahoma.  The one from Oklahoma is named Camille Herron and is an elite runner who was very nice, here is a picture of them from the start: MM-Start

The start of the race you funnel through a small start arch and they set off cannon and fireworks which was kind of cool.

I decided beforehand I was going to do something different for this race.  I start out too fast in marathons and then end up paying a price for it in the last 5 miles.  This time I decided I'm going to stick with a pace group for at least half the marathon.  I picked the 3:40 pacer and had to go fast to catch up with them in the first mile or so but I stuck with them through half the race.  I ended up talking with lots of people that were running around the pacer.  I made a point of always trying to catch up to them after water stops or when I used the bathroom. After the halfway point you reach the only significant hills on the course.  The pace group kept up the same pace but my breathing started getting erratic so I fell back.  Missoula is lower elevation than where I live so I should not have gotten out of breath but you adapt to the conditions facing you.  I should also point out that it had been in the 90's the last few days in Missoula and race day was supposed to the hottest day.  Luckily the race starts early and it warms up slowly but it was still a bit warm.

Miles 15-22 went by in a blur, the only significant thing I remember is around mile 16 there was a guy playing a grand piano on his lawn in a tuxedo!   It was very neat to see and hear at the time because it was in an area where it was quiet, shaded and there was a river on the right.  It was one of the few times where I wished I carried a camera phone when I ran.

Miles 22-26.2 were in the city and went around various blocks with a number of turns.  There were a number of holes in the road to watch out for at this point.  At this point I was dumping water on my hat and down my back at water stops to cool off.   The other thing I didn't want to do is get leg cramps in the final miles.  I have had this happen and usually it is caused by taking longer strides than I should.  I was relatively cramp free up until the last couple miles and only got one in the final sprint to the finish.  You finish by running across the Higgins Street bridge and I was able to get a good kick going at the end.  I ended up finishing in 3:55 which is more than the 3:40 - 3:50 that I wanted but still less than 4 hours (which is always my secondary goal).

They have a huge contingent of half marathoners that run this race and they start at the same time so there really wasn't much food left when we got done.  It's not a big deal to me because I just want fluids after a race and they had your choice of Big Sky beer at the end which was great!


A few pictures:

With Camille Herron after the race - the female winner of the marathon who I met at the beginning:

The finisher's medal - the biggest I have in my collection

Overall I recommend this race because it is well organized and well supported.  You do need to be prepared depending on where you live because the elevation in Missoula is above 3,000 feet although the course it self is not that hilly.