Run Run Away

Question:

Regarding the smell: you could try throwing baking soda in with the running stuff when you wash it.  That helps to neutralize the smell. Kate K. Gillogly http://members.aol.com/Kagillogly/index.html

Response:

I recently returned from a 3 week trip to Japan and Vietnam, and for those of you who don’t know, July is the hottest and most humid month in both countries. Vietnam was around 95 degrees with 85% humidity for most of the time, however, it did get significantly hotter and more humid at times. To prepare for this I went to my local running store and bought a CoolMax singlet and a pair of shorts made from equally space-age and expensive fabric. After 3 weeks of running everyday in the previously mentioned conditions, avergaging 45 miles a week, I feel I’m relatively qualified to pass judgement on this particular product. Its not a miracle fabric, it won’t increase performance by 600%, and it probably won’t help your sex drive, but it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable than cotton and much lighter when its drenched in sweat. I do have some complaints; because the fabric "wicks away moisture," it cause all of that sweat to pour onto one’s shorts and then, eventually onto one’s legs and socks. This can be infuriating, but its nicer than having to wear all that sweat on the shirt. In conclusion, for all of you having trouble with the heat, buying a high-tech tanktop is a good investment and gets my seal-of-approval. I would also highly recommend moisture wicking socks, they’re much better than cotton socks. Jacob

Response:

I feel I’m relatively qualified to pass judgement on this particular product. Its not a miracle fabric, it won’t increase performance by 600%, and it probably won’t help your sex drive, but it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable than cotton and much lighter when its drenched in sweat.

Definitely my limited experiences with coolmax are positive too.  I’m buying by mail order through Campmor because of their favorable pricing, esp in comparison to the local running shops.  My only observation – the product gets awfully smelly awfully fast.  Not that my cotton T-shirt wouldn’t stand up on its own eventually, but coolmax is ripe more quickly and I wash it a lot more often as a result.   Although i get good prices from Campmor, I still have to say that $11-15 for underwear is awfully steep…. Lorne Sundby To send email to me, remove the "nospam" from the front of my email address above.

Response:

I am glad to see you post. Yesterday I did a 12 mile run. At about 4 miles I noticed my shorts were completly soaked. All I could think of was that I somehow wet my pants and didnt know it. I have never done this, by the way. I thoght and thought and couldnt figure it out!! So I just decided I did some weird sweating! Now I realize it is because I was wearing a new CoolMax singlet, and it wicked all my sweat to my shorts! Ken Mc

Response:

the unmitigated audacity to write: My only observation – the product gets awfully smelly awfully fast.  Not that my cotton T-shirt wouldn’t stand up on its own eventually, but coolmax is ripe more quickly and I wash it a lot more often as a result.  

        I have noticed that too but it is so easy to hand wash and it air dries in half an hour usually, depending on the humidity.. Definitely worth the money I paid for my singlets and two long sleeve tee shirts. And they are excellent when worn as an underlayer (sp?) in the winter.         Ken K. Chairman, Department of Redundancy Department

Response:

My only observation – the product gets awfully smelly awfully fast.  Not that my cotton T-shirt wouldn’t stand up on its own eventually, but coolmax is ripe more quickly and I wash it a lot more often as a result.

I totally agree with this. I found that my Coolmax singlet was completely rank even after washing. After more washing, the soap seemed to mask the horrible odor. Even so, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here, so I have just been running as much water as I can through the thing. Jacob

Response:

<  SNIP seal-of-approval. I would also highly recommend moisture wicking socks, they’re much better than cotton socks.

Here’ an article from our running club newsletter about "Coolmax" and odor. FRESH AS A DAISY Now that you’ve finally acquired some slick running clothes made with wicking fabric you may have noticed that they may tend to take on a "Nose". (I.E, they still seem to retain some odor even after washing.) This is less of a problem with some brands of polypropylene fabric than others. The problem arises because, while the moisture is wicked away,  the smelly part of sweat remains behind and it becomes more and more concentrated. Not to worry, there is a neat laundry product named FEBREZE. It comes in a manual spray bottle and its roll in life is to remove odor. You use it to pre-treat you garments before washing by lightly spraying the area most likely to contain the odor. Just in case you’re not a label reader, remember to take the garments off before you spray the underarm area.  

Response:

Thanks for the insight…I ran 9 miles Saturday in a Coolmax sleeveless shirt and also found my running shorts totally soaked.  It was a typical humid, hot, midwest summer day and I just figured I sweated more than normal!  Ha! It was because of the "wicking" of the shirt! I learn something everyday. some complaints; because the fabric "wicks away moisture," it cause all of that sweat to pour onto one’s shorts and then, eventually onto one’s legs and

socks.

Response: