What to wear running in 75 degrees

Temp: 75 degrees (22C)
Wind: 5 mph
Humidity/Precip.: Moderate/None
Terrain: Mostly flat
Distance: 2 miles

What We Wore: I wore a Nike dri-fit sleeveless top and Puma running shorts, with a hat, wrist sweatband and sunblock. My friend, Coco Martha, wore Nike running shorts and a cotton t-shirt.

Did It Work: I was a little cold at first but ended comfortably sweaty. Coco Martha said her cotton shirt felt like it was made of meat: by the end, it was a heavy, wet mess. I'm trying to get her to buy some wick away tops. Like, seriously!

Running is contagious: There is a belief that social interactions are important not just for socializing but also for the degree to which they influence our behavior. For example: if you're eating dinner next to a person who is on a diet and not eating much, the dieter's presence is likely to make you eat less. Today's run with my friend proved this theory.
Five years ago, my friend moved to Austin, a big running town, and started dating a personal trainer (Derrick Withers). In the 20 years that I've known her, she has never run, except for a bus or maybe a sale on Gucci. In fact, she'd never exercised in any major way. Now, despite having a demanding job, her own blog and a 2-year old, she's regularly hitting the local trails.
Today was her first run with a partner. I remember how worried I was the first time I ran with other people. I didn't know if I'd be able to keep up and wondered if they'd judge my form. It's scary, even if the people know and love you. It was an honor to be my friend's first run partner. I'm proud of her for trying something new and sticking with it.

Happy trails, old and new friends!

Cotton is Rotten

The Cotton Board has these beautiful commercials for their product. The color is great, the people are gorgeous and the music is cool. The only words are: "The touch...the feel...of cotton. The fabric of your life." Maybe that's true in ordinary circumstances, but not for anything where you might sweat at all. Yesterday, I (accidentally) took a 6-mile trek to see a waterfall. I didn't know that I would be trekking, so I was wearing a lot of cotton. It did not work!

Temp: Upper 70s, sunny, but in shady forest
Wind: None
Precip.,Humidity: No rain, moderately humid
Terrain: Hilly
Distance: 6 miles

What I wore: Cotton t-shirt; cotton Athleta shorts; Ahnu mary jane sporty sandals and a backpack. My partner in crime also wore cotton. Here's his backpack's sweat pattern.

Did it work: No. Everything got sweaty. Because cotton takes longer to dry, the wet fabric just sat against my skin, feeling cold when I stopped moving. The running on the way back was to warm back up after a pause to admire a waterfall. When the shorts got sweaty, they stretched out and were two sizes too big by the time I got home. The sandals held up surprisingly well, even when running.

We didn't know the walk to the waterfall was going to be so long, so it would have been hard to plan better. But, if you know you're going to be running, biking or walking for exercise, don't wear cotton if you can help it. You will end up a soggy, saggy mess with chaffing and possibly a cold due to poor body temperature regulation. Cotton may be the fabric of a sedentary life, but when it comes to being active, cotton is rotten.