Product Reviews

Product Review: RUEZ Underwear

When the good folks at RUEZ performance underwear (pronounced Rüz, not “Are you easy?”) offered me a sample pair for review, I could hardly refuse. Not because I was in the market for running underwear – in fact, I’ve always found the liner in my shorts sufficient for my needs – but because I knew it would be a challenge to write about such a product and provide enough information without providing too much information, if you know what I mean.

So you won’t see any photos of me in the underwear (although my abs totally look like that), as I don’t want to jeopardize my ability to serve in the United States House of Representatives, if need be.

First, the basics. The underwear comes in two styles: briefs and boxer briefs. I tried out the boxer briefs. They are 85% polyester and 15% Spandex. The wicking material did its job well on a hot Sacramento day, which was a relief because no one wants soggy drawers. The leg and waistbands held up admirably through several cycles of regular washing and hot drying. I did this just to give them a workout, as I always send my running gear through the gentle cycle and never put any of it in the dryer.

But RUEZ is not your standard fitness underwear. I’ll let them explain:

The concept originated to keep the male body parts from sticking to other parts of the body during or after a work out. After four years of development, the correct fit and solution to the age old problem, RUEZ was born. The briefs and boxers were designed with a Performance pouch to be used under running shorts and biking shorts to add a layer of warmth in the winter and be breathable and provide comfort in the summer.

In other words, the shorts have two layers of material in front, with an opening cut into the layer closest to the body. The idea is to slip your junk through the opening, allowing it to be cradled in the pouch. You are thus surrounded by material and separated from contact with your body.

I hope that’s clear enough, because in its efforts to avoid an X rating, RUEZ has a dilemma between explaining how it works and scaring people off. It’s a unique problem, as I don’t think there are too many sports bras which cause women to ask, “But where do I put my boobs?”

For the first couple of seconds it felt a little weird – kind of like Vibrams for your family jewels – but then I didn’t notice any difference at all. I went for a 4-mile run and the boxers were extremely comfortable, much more so than the pair of ASICS underwear I own, which tend to squash. Afterwards, my stuff wasn’t stuck to my body, although I have to say I’ve never encountered this particular problem myself in the past.

My running tights are stored away so I wasn’t able to test the RUEZ in them. That’s unfortunate, as there might be one drawback in their design. I wear the ASICS under my tights not just for additional warmth in the winter, but to reduce and obscure my, uh, profile. I suspect the RUEZ may tend to increase and emphasize one’s profile. I’m already self-conscious in tights; I don’t want to wear an overcoat out of embarrassment.

At $30 for the boxers and $28 for the briefs, the RUEZ are competitively priced. If you find other brands too constricting and going commando too insecure, RUEZ may be the Goldilocks solution you’re looking for – solid support without sacrificing comfort.

Coconut Shells For Your Feet

This guy is way too happy about his socks.

Add these to the list to new or strange things to put on your feet for running.

The ToeSox people are very excited about their Ultra Sport ToeSox with Cocona® Natural Technology™. I’ll let them explain:

Cocona® technology utilizes recycled coconut shells (not husks) that would have gone to landfills. Suppliers convert the coconut shells into activated carbon, primarily for the air and water filtration industries. We purchase the particles that are too small to use in water and air filters, make them even smaller, apply our patented process, and embed these active particles and proprietary minerals inside man-made fibers like polyester and nylon. This natural technology™ provides the ultimate in evaporative cooling and odor management. And since the technology is permanently embedded into the fiber, they will retain or even improve their performance over the life of the product.

Well, if you’re going to wear coconut shell socks, you might as well be Miss Matchy Match and pair them with Running Is Funny’s top-of-the-line Coconut Shell Sports Bra® and Palm Grass Running Skirt™. Here is our lovely model wearing her marathon gear:

Compression Depression

After a long and fruitless search, I finally found an online retailer with long-sleeve running shirts from Brooks and Asics in medium. I have plenty of cold weather gear, and these were for those 45-50 degree, rainy, windy days we often get during winter in Sacramento. I chose Asics compression shirts (one black, one navy blue) and they arrived yesterday.

I like the colors. I like the no-chafe feel. I like the thinness of the fabric. There is nothing wrong with these shirts.

I wish I could say the same about how my body looks in them.

I’m not particularly self-conscious when it comes to running gear. I even penned a column on the do’s and don’ts of running tights. But if you’re going with the superhero look, you want to resemble Fandral the Dashing…

…and not the vociferous Volstagg.

I look like a retired ninja who stopped working on his abs and pecs. So I went for a run today wearing the compression shirt covered with an older, looser Mizuno that I had been planning to toss. Otherwise I’m going to have to go the gym, and I haven’t got the superpowers for that.

Information Overload

I’m very happy with my Garmin Forerunner 305 but, as with any new technology I adopt, I spend most of my time discovering what the device can do, then finding ways to ignore or delete most of it.

I rarely use more than one-quarter of my computer’s memory, I have a ridiculously small number of software applications, and all I really want from my Garmin is super-accurate time and distance. I don’t need to know its estimate of calories burned, or elevation to the tenth of a foot, or where its satellites are.

In sharp contrast to the device itself is the weak-assed Garmin Training Center, which allows you to download your workout history into your computer, add notes, etc. Its file system is terrible, and it won’t even let you designate Monday as the first day of the week.

My mad research skillz failed me until today, when I discovered DC Rainmaker’s two-year-old (but updated) review and how-to guide for the Forerunner 305. It has absolutely everything you need to know about the GPS and Garmin’s associated software and services. And if you can’t find it there, you can find useful tips elsewhere on his blog, like using a pencil eraser to clean the exposed contacts. But his best advice resides in “Ten Random Tips for your Garmin Forerunner 305,” the first of which reads, “Never ever use/open up GTC (Garmin Training Center) again. It’s crap. Instead, go download (for free) Sport Tracks (either 1.3 or 2.0 Beta): http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks.” (The latest version is 2.1.3478).

I took his advice and I have to tell you SportTracks is far superior to GTC. Sure, it also has way more information than I can ever possibly use, but it lets me organize my log my way. This is essential for someone making the big move from dead-tree logs (ha!) to digital logs. It’s easy to use and easy to personalize.

Who knows? If this keeps up, someday I might even have my own iPhone and Twitter account.

Personalized Finish Posters for Runners

I’ve posted about the good folks at Far Gone Greetings before, because of their excellent greeting cards for runners. They have a new product line – customized finish posters with personalized details of your race, such as name, race name, date, finish time and pace.

I think it’s a great idea, even though I have received no freebies! That’s how much I like it! Check out the poster page here. Prices vary according to size.

Do You Have Monkey Butt?

When you host a world-famous running site, people seek out your expert opinions on all sorts of great and useful products related to running – shoes, apparel, detergent, iPods, Garmins, you name it.

When you host a running site called Running Is Funny, people immediately think “monkey butt.”

The good folks at Anti Monkey Butt Powder believe this is the perfect vehicle to let you know about their product. And, fortunately for both of us, they’re right.

AMBP is a powder designed to prevent and relieve chafing caused by the friction of clothing on “sensitive” areas. This is a problem common not only to runners, but cyclists and long-haul truckers as well, which results in the unsightly and painful monkey butt (or monkey thighs, but I digress).

There are a number of solutions to this problem, the worst one being to walk out of the bathroom with your pants around your ankles, shouting, “I have monkey butt, honey! Look!” Not that that is something I would ever do, you understand.

Better yet to apply AMBP as a preventative or treatment. It’s not a magic formula; it’s sensible. It contains talc, calamine powder, and fragrance (which is neutral and pleasant). Calamine has been used for generations as a mild anti-itching agent. So even if you have chicken pox rather than monkey butt, it will bring you some relief.

I don’t get monkey butt, but I do suffer from occasional thigh chafing after long runs, so I applied AMBP liberally - too liberally, actually. A little bit of the product goes a long way, and if you’re not careful you could end up with paste pants. It worked just as well as my usual application of vaseline, though I do have to say the vaseline held up better over the very long haul. You’re probably also better off with a lubricant on your toes, rather than a powder.

Once you get a hang of the dosage, it feels better on your skin and you don’t have to deal with the goopy mess than vaseline can cause. But its biggest advantage is that the calamine powder will soothe your inflamed skin if you already have chafing and want to feel better.

You can purchase Anti Monkey Butt Powder directly from their web site at $5.95 for a six ounce plastic bottle, or at a Rite-Aid or Walmart near you. I suspect six ounces will last a long time. They also sell Lady Anti Monkey Butt. I have a pretty good marketing idea, but I’m trying to keep this G-rated.

Anti Monkey Butt Powder is for external use only, so no matter how ugly some of your friends may be, DO NOT rub Anti Monkey Butt Powder on their faces. It will not have the desired effect.

An Ode to Advil

Ah, the salad days of my youth, when I could run all day, party all night, and go straight to work the next morning without a care in the world.

Now I’m an old fart, who goes to bed each night wondering what kind of ache and pain I will wake up with in the morning. Sore shoulder? Tweaked back? Calf cramp? Pulled muscle? It’s agony roulette, but whatever number comes up, I still lose.

Training runs that used to begin with a deep breath of fresh air, now start with the question: “What the hell is wrong with my __________?” (Fill in the blank with knee, ankle, shins, quads, hamstrings, et al.)

But all is not gloom and doom. As I gingerly make my way back home after a long run or speedwork, I know a little green genie is waiting to grant my wishes for pain relief.

Oh, Advil Liqui-Gels, your 200mg of solubilized ibuprofen whisk away my cares and restore my creaking joints to relative normalcy. Not since Jack traded his cow for some magic beans have such little tablets brought so much comfort. Along with sugar and caffeine, you comprise the master runner food pyramid. While younger runners look to better shoes, vitamins, hydration, altitude training, etc., for improvement, I look to you, Advil, to get me to the next starting line.

When old age shall this generation waste, thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st, “I’m all Advil, are you all Advil?” That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.