Marathon type clothing questions

I'll be taking part in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure. 60 miles.

I have spent a very huge chunk of my budget on shoes,  custom fit insoles (wow, I LOVE them!). I figure without my feet Im never going to finish.

Im wondering about clothing. Should I splurge on the more expensive clothing like Under Armor or can I save a little and go with Champion or Danskin from WalMart? As long as it is moisture wicking and NOT cotton? Should I look for a combination cotton/poly/spandex or should I go straight poly? If I should spend extra, I will...Just wondering cause I am on a budget. Champion brand seems to be reasonably priced.

Oh, same question for socks. If it says moisture wicking is that ok or should I get the double layer, blister prevention socks that are $24 a pair?

And one more question for the ladies. Underwear. Panties to be specific. What kind are you wearing? Are you wearing them? I picked up a pair of Road Runner brand from Road Runner Sports to try out.

THANKS :) and any other tips are appreciated. This is my first type of event like this.

As far as clothes I use the compression carments from Kohls and then just a standard moisture wicking shorts and top, and they seem to hold up just fine for me.  As for socks I use a brand called zulu ($15 for 3pair) which are moisture wicking as well I purchased them at the running store where I get my gear.  I have a some nike running socks as well but they aren't as comfortable.

You might want to invest in some type of hydration bottle or belt.  You can get the belts which have between 1 and 4 bottles, the 1 bottle belt has a slightly larger bottle that fits in the small of your back, they also make a 16 or 20oz bottle that you can strap to your hand and not have to worry about holding while you run, of course this depends on the frequecy of water stations.  These can cost between 18 and 50 depending on what you get.



Good Luck!

Thanks Paul. I just want to save a little money if I can, but if I need to spend the extra to save my skin and be comfortable I will. I learned my lesson with cotton yesterday. The weather was so muggy and it was drizzling out. My shirt was cotton and very uncomfortable!

I need three outfits total and at LEAST 2 pair of socks per day. I'll see if I can find those zulu. thats a great price.

Ive been looking at back pack type bags. I dont think I could wear the waist pack. I'd love to get a Camelbak, but again they are kinda pricey. We are supposed to have water/snack stations every 2-4 miles.

THANKS!

You can get a 2 liter Hydration pack at Target for under $30.

Yes cotton is a killer I totally avoide it when doing anything Physical.

I think you can do Walmart and Target sports gear with no problem.  I hardly own any Under Armour stuff and am fine.  Just make sure things fit properly and are comfortable.

Most of my socks are moisture wicking from Target.  I've spent some more on toe socks, but I really don't see the reason to spend $24/pair. 

I did the 3-day at 250 lbs and while I'm glad I did have all moisture wicking gear, I had some problems with blisters that other people didn't who wore denim cut-offs and cotton T-shirts with cotton socks.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to wear everything during your training.  You don't want to put on anything NEW during the event, you don't want any surprises!!

Thanks Sue. I have a pair of Danskin Tummy Control capril pants from WalMart. They are labeled as moisture wicking, but they do feel like cotton. I guess there is spandex of some sort in there. I LOVE THEM. They fit perfect and are comfortable. I'll have to check out the label again, cause they do feel more cotton.

I tried on several pair and had a hard time finding a good fit. Im still border line plus/regular size. I need plus tops and the pants I just have to try on. My bottom half is smaller than my top.

I do need to get my outfits so I can train in them. I want to be as prepared as possible. I want this to be good memories, not painful ones. Thank you.

How do you like the toe socks? Do you feel they helped you from blistering? did you use Glide between your toes?

when I was heavy I blistered between my toes after 8 miles (every time).  the toe socks helped some, but did not cure me, and sure enough I blistered on 3 day even after I taped between my toes. I tried everything, it just wasn't meant to be for me back then. tape, toe socks, special anti-rub powder...  I had the medics lance the blisters and on I walked.

I have since walked a marathon in one day, with one pair of socks (moisture wicking, but not toe) without any issue. I continue to fret about my toes and make sure when I buy running shoes that I get fitted with ones that have a roomy toe box.

I have body glide, but the only place I currently use it is for long runs, and I use it on my boobs since I had some chafing on a skin fold when running a half marathon last fall.  Haven't had any other places to use it, though depending on how short my shorts are I might consider my inner thighs.

In response to some of the other comments, I found a comfy pair of "bike short" style shorts (black, tightly fitted to just above the knee) that I wore for the 3 day.  I did not wear underwear with them, it was one less hassle.  Nowadays I tend to wear thongs underneath that style since camel toe is an issue for me with my weight loss/loose skin.  (sorry, TMI).

anything you can do to reduce the number of seams on you is good though, so if you find bottoms with a liner, definitely try them without other undergarments... you could save yourself a lot of chafing!

Thank you, thank you for the info. I really appreciate it.

I haven't found the UnderArmour stuff to be particularly expensive. I prefer it to the Champion brand but I think that's a personal thing.

I buy running shorts and they are meant to be worn without underwear. I think that works better when it comes to chaffing. I have these Asics running shorts with a built-in panty and they are SO comfortable. I wore them for the running portion of my Ironman.

Do your shorts have a kinda separate panty like the skirts or a liner?

I have a pair of shorts with a liner.  I'll try them commando this weekend on my long walk and see how it feels.

THANK  YOU :)