Triathlon Magazine Canada

TRAINING

- BY KERRY HALE Kerry Hale is a regular contributo­r to TMC.

Socks or No Socks?

T2 is chaotic. The brain is fully engaged as it runs through the mental checklist of things to do. Seconds matter. Competitor­s are all around, and you’ve worked hard on the bike to save precious seconds. Move quickly and methodical­ly. All decisions are important, but your feet are key to an efficient run. So, do you put socks on and minimize the risk of foot discomfort later, or skip the socks and just get on course immediatel­y and run?

It’s all about personal preference, and dialogue on multisport forums often runs something like this:

ATHLETE A: “No sock for standard and shorter for me. May get some soreness, but liberal use of Vaseline on any tight spots will ease any issues. Apart from throwing away time in transition any reduction in the overall weight at the end of your legs will make you bike and run that little bit quicker.”

ATHLETE B:“I wear socks. If you have a pair of light running shoes you are unlikely to see any benefit from weight reduction. If you get a pair of short ankle socks you can get them on in circa 15 seconds and the moisture isn’t too much of an issue. The reduction in hotspots makes me faster, especially on the run.”

ATHLETE C: “While I’m nowhere near the top, I still want to do my best and losing 30 seconds to a minute off my run time is hard to get back. Try some practice runs without socks, it’s really not so bad once you get used to it.”

ATHLETE D: “Sockless on the bike, then in T2 I have my sock rolled down past the ankle and sitting in my shoe, coated in talc on the inside, ready to be rolled, not pulled, onto my feet. Best of both worlds.”

It boils down to a time versus comfort trade-off. For profession­als and elites, shaving time may be top priority and a fast transition could be a make or break pivotal moment in the race. For mid-pack age-groupers, the time taken to put on socks might save blisters and discomfort on the run caused by friction from sweat, sand, dirt, etc.

Of important note is the length of the race. In shorter races, such as sprint-distance events, transition speed may override potential foot discomfort, so many more athletes will opt to run sockless. The same may be said for standard-distance events, but to a slightly lesser degree. For events beyond this distance, comfort usually wins out and socks are the norm.

If you decide to ditch your socks, you’ll want to make sure you’ve trained in the same shoes you plan to use on race day. Some athletes walk around barefoot as much as possible and even do barefoot run drills to toughen up the feet. As mentioned, use a body lubricant around your feet (use moleskin on any sensitive spots and avoid Band-Aids, which come off easily), and consider adding talcum powder inside your shoes. Some athletes swear by taping—with duct tape. There are other tapes that can be used, but duct tape seems to be a favorite due to its slick surface. Opt for shoes with minimal internal seams. Some newer models have a sock-like liner and other features intended specifical­ly for sockless wear.

If you decide to wear socks, choose a moisture-wicking option. Have them carefully positioned in transition and consider rolling them down and adding a dash of powder so a sweaty foot can easily slide in. Of course, try the socks on before race day.

Remember, the best care for your feet is to avoid unnecessar­y rubbing in the first place and not get blisters. The three major contributo­rs to blisters include heat, moisture and friction. How to eradicate blisters is different for everyone. And, almost like a cruel twist, what worked for the last race may or may not work for the next one as run terrain vary and dirt or sand can sometimes find a way into a shoe and create a hotspot.

Practising helps. Knowing your equipment and race terrain helps, too. But competing sockless is always going to mean “rolling the dice” to some degree.

SOCKLESS

• Faster bike-to-run transition­s and fractional­ly less weight.

• No soggy socks from sweat or dumping water or ice over your head (“swamp foot”).

• No sock bunching.

• Better foot breathabil­ity. • Greater comfort.

• Reduced risk of hotspots caused from friction inside shoe.

• Potentiall­y save mental distress caused by blisters.

• Possibly save time by running last few kilometres with comfortabl­e feet as opposed to hobbling to the line.

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