Dirty German 50 Miler Humid Fest

Emir and I wanted to do several long ultras this spring since we both are attempting our first 100 miler later this year.  It's not always easy to accomplish this though since we do have two small children and we also can't afford to travel ALL the time.  Lucky for us Stephan Weiss, uberendurance sports, puts on multiple events in our area.  We have both done Blues Cruise 50K and I did the Sloppy Cuckoo 12 hour so we know that his events are always well run and lots of fun.  The Dirty German was no different. 

The Dirty German takes place in Pennypack Park which is the same place as the Sloppy Cuckoo.  The Sloppy Cuckoo was a 6.55 mile loop and Dirty German was a 16 mile loop.  It's only a short 15-20 minute drive from our house.  Since my mom is still on the mend, our amazing neighbors let the kids sleepover and hang with them for the day, even taking Niko to his final kids race of the spring :-) 

Niko and Jaycie after running the final kids race

Zensah Gear

If you haven't realized yet, aside from being a BibRave Pro and an Altra Ambassador, I'm also a Zensah Ambassador.  Back in the fall I was given the opportunity to test Zensah's Ultra Compression sleeves.  They totally changed my life (no exaggeration).  You can read how in my review.  After falling in love with the sleeves and having such a great experience interacting with the great people at the company, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.  Luckily, they were willing to have me!

sporting my ultra sleeves at Niko's race just before heading out on a long run

As an ambassador, I've had the opportunity to try out a few more of Zensah's products. 


Zensah Compression Sleeves

I knew I would love these as I loved the ultra sleeves.  I could notice a slight difference in compression in the regular sleeves vs the ultra which is good.  The regular sleeves I literally could wear forever where the ultra sometimes are a bit too much compression for a super long period of time.  Everyone's comfort level with compression varies so much that it's great they have a couple options for runners to choose from.  I also love all the fun color/design options with the regular sleeves.  I went with the argyle, gotto look good out there! 

regular compression sleeves for the OD marathon

Arm Sleeves

I have had several pairs of arm sleeves the last couple of years but I always end up with the same problem, major chafage!  It was so annoying to me because I found that running a marathon in a singlet and arm sleeves was way more comfortable than a long sleeve top when it was cooler weather.  At the Philly Marathon expo, I saw some Zensah sleeves with Philly Marathon printed on them and I took the chance knowing that I've loved all other Zensah gear that these would work better for me.  And of course I was right!  They are light, comfortable, nice compression and NO CHAFAGE! 

Long Sleeve Compression Top

The Long Sleeve Compression top is by far the most comfortable long sleeve running shirt I have run in.  The fabric is soft but it is moisture wicking.  It keeps you warm and dry on those long, cold winter runs.  I had no issues with chafing which is due to the seamless nature of the shirt.  I like having a compression top that also keeps me warm.  I'm also a huge fan of this being SPF 50.  Just because it's cold out doesn't mean the sun isn't strong.  The only downside is that it only comes in black.  I would love to get this top in a few fun, bright colors!

The compression top was the perfect base layer for a chilly, winter run

Peek Socks

These socks were a very pleasant surprise for me.  In the past, I've had more padded socks to help cushion my feet/prevent blisters so when these came and felt thinner, I was thinking they might not be as good as I hoped.  They felt great from the first time I put them on.  They are comfortable and do not feel bulky or change the feel in my running shoes.  When I run in them, I can definitely feel the arch support and have less achiness on my super long runs.  And the biggest positive for me is how well they prevented blisters/chafing on my feet!  I wore these socks on a 20 something mile training run in the pouring rain.  My feet were soaked from the first step and when I took them off, my feet were in the exact same condition as when I started.  I couldn't remember the last time I ran with wet feet and didn't end up with some kind of foot issue.  I also ran the Double Blue Ridge Marathon in them which was 52.4 miles on the road in the mountains, very tough day on the feet.  It was hot so lots of sweating going on.  Once again when I took them off, my feet were great!  Last year I had multiple blisters and painful spots on both feet however this year with the peek socks, no problems.  I LOVE THEM!!!!



Peek socks have a nice look
 

peek socks and compression sleeves during the Double Blue Ridge Marathon