Injinji Spectrum Review: Hawaiian Socks, Floating Toenails & Why I Use Them

Injinji have just brought out the Spectrum range of brightly coloured toe socks and I was asked if I would review them. I’m already a convert to toe socks, using them for most of my ultras and enjoy the opportunity to freak people out with my monkey feet. I therefore said yes very loudly. 

I’m already a convert to toe socks for running long distances.

I find them super-comfortable - no seams and having the fabric between my toes stops blisters there. Also in true ‘glamourous ultra running’ style I find that running long distance makes my feet swell up. (Told you I was glam, right?) Toe socks allow my feet to expand and means I can spread my toes out a bit more in my shoes. And as well as improved comfort this also means I get to keep more of my long-suffering toenails. 

I also wore ONE pair of socks in the Autumn 100. Injinji toe socks. (And yes I’ve already warned you about how sexy I am. I know. ONE pair of socks for 100 miles. Whiffy.) 

However, all my toe socks are in the ‘don’t-show’the-mud-and-pus’ blue or the ‘don’t-show-the-blood-and-toenails' grey colours, so I was quite chuffed to get my hands on the brightly coloured Spectrum range. It also gave me an excuse to get a couple of long runs in and a reason to take off my shoes to show off my new awesome socks. Showoff? Moi? (Pssst. Have you seen my socks?)

And just to annoy the OCD among us I've slightly off centred the tiles ...

Benefits of the Injinji Spectrum

• They pretty much eliminate between-toe blisters.  Don’t have to tape & retape feet in races or apply massive dollops of nappy-rash cream which incidentally is almost impossible to get off a green carpet.
• Lovely having pretty socks. I know this shouldn’t be important but nice kit makes me feel better. There’s definitely a place for more muted colours (funeral runs, library runs, Saltmarsh 75 ...), but I prefer the bright colours.
• The socks are comfortable. No visible seams and you don’t have to adjust the fit or move them every few miles. The Injinji socks are also still comfortable even when they’ve been worn and worn and washed and washed. I’ve washed my Spectrum pairs 6 - 8 times each and they’ve stayed comfy and in shape. More than can be said for my feet. (However this isn’t down to the socks ...)
• I wasn’t sure about the low-rise ‘no-show’ profile but because the socks are held in place on your feet by the toe sleeves, they don’t shift or drop down in your shoes. 
• I wore 1 pair of Injinji socks for a 100 mile race. I can’t even tell which pair as they’re not obviously worn or damaged. These socks stand up to a lot of abuse. I only ended up with 1 blister. Although it was a pretty impressive one. And had a toenail floating in it.

After 6 - 8 wears and washes they're still looking good.

Challenges

• Toe socks make your feet wider due to additional material so be wary of this if your feet swell very much on hot days or long distances. I’m ok except on the very hottest days. 
• Slow to put them on. I wouldn’t use them for triathlons, but wouldn’t go without them for ultra marathons. 
• Some people are freaked out by monkey feet. However you can embrace this and use it to freak out your competitors. Make sure you know where you left your trainers though. 
• As my Injinji Spectrum socks are low rise I have to actually take my shoes off to show them off. (I actually did this at Silverstone and then moaned about grit getting in my shoes. Yep. Am idiot)
• The Spectrum colour is supposed to be fade and distortion resistant but there are areas on the socks that have slightly faded on several of the pairs slightly. However it is very slight and this is after probably 6 or 8 washes. 
• I’m tempted by a Hawaiian pair of the Spectrum socks. I shouldn’t be allowed to wear Hawaiian clothes as this leads to me drinking cocktails and wearing grass skirts. Bad. 

Some wear, fade on the heels.

Get your own here. Or buy me the Hawaiian pair. (Yes I’m looking at YOU, Auntie Jen who always asks me what I want for my birthday). 

Review: My Protein Works - Whey Protein 80 & Genesis PreWorkout

Review: My Protein Works sent me the products to review. I said exactly what I thought and I wasn't paid to review these ... trust me, I'm a triathlete.

As I’m sure you know, there are many benefits to having powdered nutrients available in your kitchen. Gone are the days when protein powder was just associated with muscle men wanting to bulk up. Powdered nutrition is now recognised as something that is easy and convenient when you don’t necessarily want to make a meal or open a can to get your protein requirements. 

However, there are multiple brands on the market and many appear to be selling the same things repackaged. There are several sacks, pouches and tubs in my cupboard all boasting to be the best, have the best ingredients and to do better things than all the others. I haven’t noticed a huge difference between them, I have to admit. In fact, I’m pretty superficial. I check that the product does what I want … and then I go on taste, If I can mix it into cookies or puddings so much the better.

The Protein Works contacted me to ask if I wanted to try 2 of their powder mixes. I considered the flavours (see I AM shallow) … and said yes please. The Protein Works sent me a 500g pouch of Whey Protein 80 (Banoffee Pie) and 250g of Genesis PreWorkout (Tropical Punch). Here’s what I thought:

The Protein Works: Genesis PreWorkout - Tropical Punch flavour.

The Protein Works promotes this product as being ideal for strength, speed and endurance which are all things I value in my running. The strength to keep going and the speed and endurance to knock out a good (for me!) time so this was of interest. 

I don’t tend to have specific pre-workout routine. Before a marathon or an ultra I tend to shovel in a flapjack and possibly a banana and I’m ready to go. However, after reading the (VERY enthusiastic) reviews I decided that if it does what they say, then it’s something I’m willing to invest in. I also like the idea of being REALLY enthusiastic about exercise especially at this time of year when it tends to be a bit chilly, usually raining and I’m expected to go out training in a single layer of lycra. 

What do The Protein Works say?

The Protein Works says that it’s Genesis Pre Workout™ “is a high potency formula that challenges current pre workout sports nutrition boundaries and thinking”. It doesn’t say which boundaries or thinking (hopefully not the banned performance enhancing drugs kind of boundaries) but they’re enthusiastic about it being their “most advanced pre workout formula yet.” 

The product contains over 20 active ingredients including several I had never heard of but which sounded properly scientific and slightly alarming iBCAA, Arginine Alpha Keto-glutarate, Beta Alanine, Citrulline Malate, Siberian Ginseng. 

It sounded AMAZING but I was beginning to think it was probably going to be wasted on me.

Quite possibly the smallest scoop EVER

Expert dosage or beginner dosage?

The scoop size is very small and there’s an ‘expert’ dosage and a ‘beginner’ dosage which scared me a bit. It also asked me ‘to consult with a medical professional as the formula is VERY POTENT.’  But it also made it sound a bit exciting and as though it was going to make a big impact on my running. Was this going to be the equivalent of me discovering fuelling with gels on my long marathon runs? Can I expect 6 minute miles up the MASSIVE hills around here rather than the usual 8s or 9s? Hold onto your Strava records everyone …

How did it taste? 

I’d chosen the Fruit punch flavour and to be honest The Protein Works had nailed this. It was just like the orange and pink wrapped sweets you used to find in the post office as a child! However, it is a VERY strong flavour even with the beginner dosage in the recommended amount of water and - like me - you will probably taste it for an hour afterwards. However it was a great addition to unsweetened banana oatmeal cookies especially for a pre-run snack!

Price: £12.99 for 100g (10 servings)

Find out more info or buy Genesis PreWorkout here

It tasted just like these (Source)

Whey Protein 80 - Banoffee Pie flavour

This is The Protein Works premium version of the most popular form of protein shake. It has a biological value (a value which shows how easily the protein can be used in protein synthesis) which is higher than free-range eggs, chicken or beef. It has over 80% protein content and has been micro-filtered and not heat treated to ensure it’s very pure. It has also won awards; UKs Number 1 brand (trustpilot.co.uk) and awarded ‘Best protein’ at the 2014 FSN awards. 

What did I think?

I’m going to hold my hands up and say I don’t know a lot about protein powders. I use them as they’re an easy source of protein and I know that replenishing protein after a hard workout run is important, especially as you only have a short window of time to do it (within 45 minutes of finishing exercise but the sooner the better) and they’re convenient for me to use especially when I’m pushed for time. 

Often at face value there doesn’t seem that much to choose between the ingredients in the different brands but I was reassured by the awards that this powder had won and the assurances of quality. However, I’m quite shallow about these things and what is important to me is taste. If I’m going to have to use a powder and there are a lot of similar products, then I am going to choose the one that tastes the best to me. 

But did it taste of PIE?

And to me, this product is a winner as the ‘Banoffee Pie’ flavouring actually tasted like banoffee pie. I prefer to have my powders mixed into a natural yoghurt rather than in a  shake if I’m at home and this was amazing. 

Price: £10.99 for 500g (20 servings)

Find out more or buy it here