I’ve been hearing great things about the benefits of compression products for recovery, traveling, and even racing. Now’s my chance to see what all the hype is about. I want to thank Skins for giving me this opportunity to test them out during my base training for Ironman Coeur D‘alene.
02/17/09
Skins Sport long sleeve top and long tights arrived last night. I was really excited to see that I got a long sleeve top because I really needed a good base layer for the weather around here. If anyone’s been watching the Tour of California over the weekend then you know about the weather I’ve been dealing with. I always say its not the weather, its how you dress and lately I’ve been suffering.
The Skins came in surprisingly small boxes and nice carrying cases. Before throwing them in the wash (I’m OCD) I tried them on to make sure they fit. The bottoms slipped on unexpectedly easy, but when I saw how small the top was I thought there was no way it was going to fit. To my astonishment the top slipped on easy as well. They both fit really well. I usually have a hard time with sizing because I have thick thighs, long legs, and a skinny top. I’m 5’11”, 165 lbs, 31 inch waist, 33 inch inseam and 40 inch chest. Once on, they felt good, rather invigorating. The most comparable feeling I can relate it to is the way the wind feels on my skin.
02/18/09
This morning I awoke to find the skins already dry, even though I hung them up last night and the temperature of my place was a whopping 55 degrees(I like sleeping when its cold). I put them on under my scrubs and headed out the door for my 8 hour clinical rotation at the hospital.
Even though I’m usually warm at the hospital, the skins were surprisingly cool and I didn’t sweat at all. Spending most of the day on my feet is draining and seems to prolong my recovery, especially after big training days. But when I got home my legs felt ready for my long run. After 15 miles on the trails I was home, besides the blisters I developed from my new shoes, I had a great run beating my old time last year by 3 minutes. I took a shower and put the long tights on for the night in hopes of promoting recovery to prepare for the upcoming big training days.
