Trail Toes Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}


This Giveaway has closed.  Check our most recent posts to see if we are running any giveaways.



There are a few running issues that no one likes to talk about.  Today I will talk about one.  Chafing.  I have chafed and blistered before, and I can tell you one thing - I'll do anything to prevent this.


Mickey doesn't like to blister or chafe!


As I've gotten more involved in trail running in preparation for my ultra, we did some research on what 'those guys' use.  You know - the crazy guys that run 100 mile races.  If the typical runner can get bloody nipples during a well-supported half marathon road race, imagine what might happen on 50 plus miles in remote and often harsh conditions - where aid stations are very few and far between. This is how we heard about Trail Toes and Trail Tape.  This stuff is designed for ultra runners. It is made to withstand hours and hours of water, mud, dirt, sweat, and more.  I just had to give it a try!

I was lucky enough to test out both the Trail Toes and the Trail Tape.  I have to say that I put them both through their paces and I am a huge fan.  I have tried a couple of other products in the past and they just couldn't keep up with me.  

My first test for Trail Toes was my Swamp Forest Half Marathon.  I slathered trail toes on my feet to try and avoid blisters and angry toe nails.  I also used some on what I will refer to my "bathing suit area".  While on long training runs, both areas have experienced chafing.  The trail was very wet from the rain, and it continued raining through the race.  The Trail Toes worked like a champ.  My feet were blister free and "my bathing suit area" stayed free of any chafing or irritation as well.  I will spare you pictures of my gross runner feet.


Muddy, wet, and very humid.  No "bathing suit area" chafing or blistered feet!

Following my trail half, I continued to use the Trail Toes on my runs.  I also put some of the Trail Tape on my feet to see if it would hold.  The tape held steady on my feet even through wet trails and humid and hot runs.  I also tested the Trail Tape on my nipples.  Being a larger guy, nipple chafing has been an issue for me.  I have previously been using a product called 'nip guards'. They work well, but each package contains just ten pairs and retails for about $12.  The Trail Tape works just as well for a fraction of the cost and at 10.9 yards per package, I think one box ought to last me for years, if I only use them for my nipples. Suggestion: pre-cut the tape before leaving for a destination race.  Don't be like me, frantically hunting for scissors on race morning.



Trail Toes protected me all throughout the the runDisneyDopey Challenge.  Four races and 48.6 miles and I didn't get a single blister on my feet.  I also found out that Trail Toes can help when you fail to ensure your race gear is ready.  Marathon morning, I woke up and got dressed only to realize that my compression socks had a hole on the heel.  DisneyBride freaked out and tried to talk me into changing into a different pair.  Nope, I decided to put the Trail Toes to the test and just slathered it on my heel.  It could've turned out badly, but to my relief - no issues at all. 


Holey sock, no problem, just add some Trail Toes.


48.6 miles is no problem when your feet feel great!

Probably my biggest test for Trail Toes and Trail Tape came from my 1st ultra marathon.  I ran the Destin Beach Ultra Runs 50K in Destin.  The race is 100% on the beach, features countless water-crossings, wet sand, and the ever changing tide.  One can only imagine what this puts your feet thorough.  I slathered my feet and "bathing suit area" with Trail Toes and protected the nips with Trail Tape.  Further, I left more Trail Toes in my drop bag with fresh shoes and socks at mile 16.


Sand and water was the ultimate test for Trail Toes! It passed!


I reapplied the Trail Toes and Trail tape at mile 16.

After 30 miles of wet sandy feet, not a blister could be found.  My "bathing suit area" was free of issues as well.  You might be laughing about the last comment, but a runner dropped out of the 100 mile race because he had rubbed his "bathing suit area" raw. He used a different term, but this is a family-friendly blog. 

The combination of saltwater and sand really beat up the feet of far too many runners that weekend.  Once across the finish line, many runners were catering to horrific looking blisters on their feet. I can't help but think that could have been avoided with some Trail Toes.


Wiped out after 31 miles.  My feet may be wet and covered in sand, but I don't have any blisters.



The following week after my ultra, I had another destination race event:  Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa, FL.  4 races, 2 days = 30.4 miles in temps that started near freezing and ended in mid 70s plus wicked humidity.  I don't have my race recap up for that one yet. But you bet I was glad to have the Trail Toes and Trail Tape with me.

That's 126.2 miles of races, plus countless training miles that this stuff has come through for me.  


Some final thoughts

Keep some Trail Toes and some Trail Tape in your running bag and in your car.  You never know when you (or someone else) will need it.  Trail Toes cleaned up pretty easily with some soap and warm water.  Don't remove the Trail Tape from your nips until you are in the shower and can loosen the tape with some soap and warm water (learned this one the hard way).

Trail Tape retails for $6.50 on the Trail Toes page.  For $6.50 you almost have a lifetime supply of nipple protection.  This is far cheaper than the method I currently use.  DisneyBride used the Trail Tape on the bra strap area, where she is prone to irritation. She finished all her events (on the beach and on the road) with no issues.

Don't forget, the tape can be applied directly to any part of your skin, including your feet.

Trail Toes comes in a 2oz bottle ($11.99) or in 7 gram single use packet($.99) .  I find the packets to be great for drop bags and for packing for racecations.  


1st prize
2oz bottle of Trail Toes
One box of Trail Tape


Second prize
10-single use packets
Trail Tape sample


Terms of the Giveaway
1) No Purchase Necessary.
2) Giveaway begins Monday March 2, 2015 and ends Monday Mar. 9, 2015 at midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog post. He or she will be notified Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident.
4) Two (2) winners will be selected. The 1st winner will receive one (1) box of Trail Tape and one (1) container of Trail Toes.  Approximate retail value is $18.49. The second winner will receive 10 (10) single-use packets of Trail Toes and a Trail Tape sample. 
5) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.
6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.
7) The winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.
8) In the event winner does not respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided within a one week period, another winner will be selected at random.
9) Void where prohibited.


a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We received product from Trail Toes in exchange for this review. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



For more great giveaways:click the image below


2014-2015 Race Season- #DopeyAintEnuf



It seems like all the cool running kids are coming up with names for their racing seasons.  Here are a couple of examples:
Not to be left out, let me introduce my race season name  #DopeyAintEnuf!  

I started contemplating a name for my race season a couple of months ago. 

No offense to Dopey, he and I go way back... but my running journey has brought me a long way in just one year.

I can't believe it was one year ago that I had just completed my first marathon (Running for the Bay) and was gearing up for my second (Space Coast), and then my first multi-day challenge: the Inaugural Dopey Challenge.  

The months of training was a lot of hard work, but completing the Dopey Challenge just left me with a taste for more.  

More distance
More multi-day challenges
More running

And that is what I am going for this year.

Originally, DisneyBride did not like the name, her Inner Grammar Cop was silently screaming. We batted a couple of other ideas around but never came to a decision.  Weeks passed and this package from Tervis arrived one day in the mail.




Apparently, a marathon is just not enough for me anymore.  I am either crazy (current leading theory) or I just haven't found my limit yet.  Either way, my upcoming schedule features a couple of marathons, several halfs, a pair of multi-day events, and my first ultra.  Some guys make their wives sports widows, I guess this season my wife will be a running widow. 

Here are the current races on the #DOPEYAINTENUF schedule (subject to more crazy additions):

    • Oct. 4th      Tower of Terror 10 Miler
    • Oct 11th   Pine Run 20K
    • Nov 27th  Tallahassee Turkey Trot 5K
    • Nov 30th  Space Coast Marathon
    • Jan 3rd     Swamp Forest Trail Half Marathon
    • Jan 8th     WDW 5K- Dopey Challenge
    • Jan 9th     WDW 10K- Dopey  Challenge
    • Jan 10th   WDW Half Marathon- Dopey  Challenge
    • Jan 11th   WDW Marathon- Dopey Finale
    • Feb 15th   Destin Beach Ultra Runs 50K
    • Feb 21st   Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K & 5K - Ultra Challenge 
    • Feb 22nd  Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon & 8K - Ultra Challenge 
    • Mar 1st     Excalibur 10 Miler
A few other races may get inserted into the calendar in the upcoming weeks. This racing thing has really become an addiction. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter; I'm @Disney_Groom on both platforms. And check in with the blog for more on my running Odyssey as it unfolds. 


What does your race season look like?

Are you running a Turkey Trot this week?

-DG

Recap: 2014 runDisney Tower of Terror 10 Miler



Let me start this recap with a couple of things you should never do just before a night race.
  • Don't schedule a fundraiser the morning of the race.  
  • Don't schedule that fundraiser 300 miles from the race. 
  • Don't check into your hotel at 5:00pm. 
  • Don't run without any rest at all. 
DO let your spouse/partner/BRF talk you into a last minute race. 

Ok, the weekend may not have had the most ideal beginning. But we had so much fun at the 2014 runDisney Tower of Terror 10Miler and Villains Bash, that all that was quickly forgotten.

Do get dressed up.  It should come as no surprise, I was dressed as Buzz.  DisneyBride tried to put together a Tron Legacy costume for me, but we had no idea finding reflective tape would be so difficult.  So my good ole stand-by just happened to be available for race day.  One day I will be an old man, and I will look back at all my race photos and not know which race was which - since I am dressed as Buzz in half of them.  ha ha.

I also strapped on my NoxGear Tracer 360 vest.  If you recall, DisneyBride wore the light up vest during her 5K and 10K events during Princess Half Marathon weekend this year.  With the Tower of Terror 10 Miler starting at 10pm and the after party continuing until 3:30am, it wouldn't be a bad idea to assist my visibility.  As it turns out, a lot of runners had the same idea, and I spotted several NoxGear vests on the course.

If it's not readily apparent, the ToT trip was a very last minute addition to the race calendar.  I didn't even get a chance to check out the road closures.  Thankfully, runDisney had plenty of traffic signs to detour us to WWoS.

After a quick bus trip from WWoS to Hollywood Studios we arrived at the race.  The starting area always has a really cool atmosphere.  The DJ got everyone pumped up, playing "What does the Fox Say?" --- perhaps one too many times for me  (DisneyBride still can't stop singing it three days later) and also they also did a good job making announcements to make sure all the runners get to their corrals in time.


The obligatory 'Portapotties in the Background' race pic. I take my DisneyBride to only the classiest places.


This starting area seemed far less crowded than previous runDisney events.  The official results show 9389 finishers - and the word is that there were 800+ runners swept.  So with less than 11,000 starting (half the size of the WDW Half and Princess Half) this felt much smaller to me.  

We've made so many 'runDisney' friends, we can never catch up with all of them.  And we are very sorry to have missed seeing some of our blogger friends, including Meranda, Pam & Christine, and Kimberly - to name just a few. However, we were fortunate to catch up with several of our running friends before the race and even to make a few of the pre-race photo meet-ups.  



Look! I found @DopeyRunr

There was a bit of a hike from the corral to the starting line, but soon enough we were off, and I was running my first ToT race.  The weather was great; not a drop of rain (it had been forecasted to pour cats and dogs all week) and the temperature was great (felt like high 60's).  Apparently, the temperature has been an issue in previous years.  RunDisney prepared for the heat this time. In addition to water and Powerade at the start and finish line, the course had 7, yes seven fluid stops, plus cool wet towels at the finish. 

The race was packed with pretty cool theming.  It seemed like at least every mile they had some sort of character, DJ, or creepy giant spider on the course. 

The lines were not bad at all - so I stopped for quite a few characters. 

I asked Jafar where his parrot was --- that didn't go over well...

Sure, you're powerful and come with your own army, but DisneyBride is the Queen of My Heart. Sorry, not sorry!

Hook told me a joke.  He isn't a bad guy really. Just cranky about losing a limb. Wouldn't you be?

A little ditty about Jack and Di...errr  SALLY!


ZOMBIES!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!


My only complaint about the characters- no Zurg. 
Seriously though, WHERE IS ZURG???
I didn't see him on the course or at the "Villains Bash". 
I guess he is hiding, since this is what happened last time we met.



The offroad portion (or trail) into the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex has caused some runners issues in the past.  DisneyBride had warned me that it was pretty dark last year and she convinced me to wear a small headlamp (it was clipped to my visor). RunDisney actually provided plenty of lighting along the path this time, and never did I need the headlamp or any additional light.
 
I had hoped that they would have used the space in WWoS to have the Headless Horseman or perhaps some roaming zombies.  Just seems like the fields and the track could have been used for characters. 

This is past the halfway point of the course, and the Grave Diggers were on hand - ready and willing to bury any runners who couldn't finish the race. 

It's okay... I'm not really dead.  Don't collect the life insurance yet, DisneyBride!

Following the WWoS, you make your way back to Hollywood Studios.  The last mile or so of the course leads you through the very short portion that is actually in the park.  I enjoyed running through Hollywood Studios, and only wish there was a way to increase the portions that we do run.

It was nice seeing Lotso outside of Toy Story Mania! 

Do you hear banjos? (Let's see how many of you get this...)
I told Lotso to save me a spot in the queue.  But he didn't.  Don't trust a bad guy.

As pointed out by @dopeyrunr, Lotso did NOT smell like strawberries.

The backstage finish at the Tower of Terror is great.  You get a great view of the hotel and the ToT sign as you approach.  I wish I had stopped to take a finish area pic with my medal.  I guess I need to add that to the "to-do" list for my next ToT race.  The ToT medal with the moving elevator may just be the coolest in my collection.

 This guy gave me my medal. We just love our race volunteers!


And speaking of volunteers, after crossing the finish line, I bumped into a few running friends helping out at the event. Caitlin from the Magic Milers was working the finish area for Trackshack, and Elizabeth (pictured)  was handing out bananas.



After collecting my snack box (still waiting for Tonga Toast to be offered at the finish line by the way- ahem), I hiked my way over to the Villains Bash after party. 

DisneyBride will post a recap of the Villains Bash.  The highlight for me was I was able to ride Toy Story Mania (with only a 15 minute wait!!!) and I was champion of my car.  That's a win in my books. 


We hung out with our friend and fellow Seminole fanatic, Avery

I really enjoyed this night race - a lot more than I expected.  Count me in for 2015! 

Some takeaways
  • Bring a REAL camera- the pics I took on an actual camera came out WAY better than my iPhone photos that you might have seen on my instagram feed.
  • Pay attention when the course makes sharp turns.
  • Make sure to stop for pictures.  The lines do move much faster than you expect.
  • Enjoy the after party. A lot of runners just go back to their resorts and crash.  You missed HALF THE FUN!
  • Unless you are an elite, this is not a race about finish times and PRs.  If you are in front of the Balloon Ladies - you are fine.  If you do get behind them, try your best to not to let them out of your sight.
  • Don't eat a big meal immediately after the race.  Don't stuff your face with greasy fries for your post race meal.  The giant turkey leg was my first choice, but that quick serve place was closed. boo!  
  • Do ride Toy Story Mania. 
  • Do ride Tower of Terror (I did fight it at first, but I'm glad I did).  Did have some major regrets about the aforementioned greasy fries though.
  • Nap a few hours before your night race. If you can't nap - then hydrate more than usual.  If you can drink caffeine, then have some right after the race, so you can enjoy the rides!
  • Sleep in the following day.


Have you done a night race?

What are some of your takeaways?

-DisneyGroom 

How We Beat the Blerch (Virtually)



So this past weekend, there was a highly anticipated race: the Inaugural Beat the Blerch Marathon, Half Marathon, & 10K in Carnation, Washington.  Originally planned to be a marathon, the interest was such that a half and a 10K event were added in the planning stages.  Then, the race sold out in record time - faster than a runDisney event - kind of record time, so a second day was added.  And that sold out in record time.  And a virtual race option was added - and that allowed Blerch fans far and wide to participate. 

Disney race events are, of course inspired by cartoon characters.  Similarly, the inspiration behind the Beat the Blerch event is a character from an online comic.  The Oatmeal is a popular digital comic by Matthew Inman.  One of the cartoonist's recurring themes is endurance running, based in part on his own experience taking up the sport.  A central character in the comic is "The Blerch" - a fat little cherub that follows you when you run. The Blerch "represents all forms of gluttony, apathy, and indifference".  For the whole story, you can find Inman's epic comic here.

The impish Blerch has been embraced by the running community. This is due in no small part to the hilarious nature of the comics themselves, but also to what the Blerch represents - the little devil on your shoulder:  tempting you with fatty, salty, sugary snacks, and encouraging laziness.


We were unable to get to Carnation, Washington for the Beat the Blerch race.  But we were thrilled when a virtual run option became available. This allowed us to Beat the Blerch, right in our backyard.  We were not the only ones in Tallahassee to sign up. We found a Facebook event for a locally organized Blerch run. It would be run on Sept 20th - the same day as the actual race in Carnation, Washington.

Race day approached and our packets arrived: tech shirt, stickers, magnets, a 'squeezeball' Blerch, a bib, and a really adorable Blerch medal.  Because we would be missing out on the cake, Nutella, and other snacks at the Inaugural event, they even included gummi bears and cupcake lipbalm - so we wouldn't feel completely left out.  As far as virtual runs go, this was excellent swag.




Race day arrived and we set out to meet our fellow Beat the Blerch runners.  As we arrived at the designated trail, a child's birthday party was being set up in the adjacent playground.  You know birthday parties mean one thing:  Birthday Cake!    The Blerch was hard at work here: encouraging us to do a run by and snag the cake. But in the end we decided against it.  But only because we brought our own!


mmmm CAKE!

The organizers laid out three courses: a 5K, 10K and a 12K.  There were no other takers on running a half (or full)  so I decided to run the 12K. The routes were all well marked on one of our favorite trails: Lafayette Heritage Trail at Tom Brown Park.  
   






Before the start, (in true Blerch fashion) they told us cookies would be available at the finish.  DisneyBride and I had brought some Blerch-approved fuel/recovery snacks to share.  I didn't fuel with one, but I did have a Zinger at the finish later, and it was delicious.  

Our puppy, Magnus the TrailDog made his race debut!  He ran with DisneyBride and she said he had fun.  Perhaps a bit too much as he was extremely excited to run with a bigger group than usual.

The organizers were kind enough to have a timer at the start/finish area. They also provided a water station at the 2.5K mark. Having course support like this was fantastic! 

Super awesome Blerchy touch from the organizers: at the turnaround for the 5K, they kept telling everyone they had run enough and we should just stop running.  They also notified us that they would be happy to give everyone a ride back to the cookies at the finish line.  Why run when cookies are waiting to be eaten?


Magnus enjoys the aid station

DisneyBride ran with our friend Michelle.  They covered 4.5 miles of the trail.  Since I am in the middle of training for the 2015 Dopey Challenge (48.6 miles of runDisney awesomeness), I had planned back to back training runs this weekend.  Of the three distances offered I decided to run the 12K, which would pair nicely with the 13 mile run the following day.  This Beat the Blerch virtual was a great way to get in some back to back runs.  I had some blistering from my shoes, but other than that, I crossed the finish line feeling pretty good, and of course - hungry for cookies and cake.

More Snacks! More Snacks! More Snacks. 
Who is that on my shoulder?
This is most of the group from Saturday, a few of the 5K runners finished early and are not pictured here.


Beat the Blerch - Tallahassee Edition

After we finished up at the park, we headed to lunch with a friend.  
Blerch Bling was proudly worn.  Cold beverages were enjoyed.


 And yes, DB even got me my very own  magical purple drink. 



We have heard that Beat the Blerch is expanding next year to the East Coast, so we are keeping an eye out for that.  If not, it would be great to run with the group again next year.  I may even come up with a Blerch suit to wear.

See you on the trails!
~ DisneyGroom

Are you a fan of The Oatmeal?

What is your favorite post-race snack?

Have you ever run a virtual race?
 

Race Recaps: Summer Trail Series 1 & 2

With the first two races of the 2014 Gulf Winds Summer Trail Series completed, I thought it would be appropriate to review  the first half of the series.  Both of these races were held on single track trails (trail maps) at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park in Tallahassee, Florida.  I love running on my local trails, so this race series was a no-brainer.  Running on trails is about the only way I can continue racing during our hot Florida summers. 
 
Reminder: 
Trails can be as much as 12 degrees cooler than running on the road.  


Race #1 6/21/14 6:00PM- Redbug Mountain Bike Trail 4.5 mi
 
Salomon is one of the trail series sponsors - so another cool thing is that the rep is at every event with demo shoes.  I ran in demo trail shoes for the first race.
 
Hanging out pre-race with some of our running buddies: Patty, Michelle, Charly, Karen, Jamie
 
I had also run the Monticello Watermelon Festival 5k that morning with a lot of the same running friends (Dopey Challenge prep can't start too early). 

 
 
The first race was an evening event.  Don't let the late start time fool you, it was brutally hot and humid.  The race was held on a mountain bike trail that makes an amazing race course.   
 
 
The race started off with the race director asking everyone to line up by expected finish times. I am always impressed by trail racers, they always seem to be far more honest with themselves (and others) about their times. 

 I only passed a couple of people, and only a couple passed me.  There was no constant passing, as that would have almost been impossible on such a narrow course anyway. 
Being a mountain bike trail (bike only, only open to runners for a couple of events a year), it is far more technical than I am accustomed to.  The constant turns, hills, and obstacles always keep you focused.

This race reminded me that I need to make sure to keep up with the Dopey training schedule.  Back to back races can be fun, but you always need to be prepared.
 
Sportkilt makes me faster!

Just a quick note on post race snacks.  We had the usual water, PowerAde, bagels, bananas, chewy granola bars. But our race director really treated us right.

Rice Krispie Treats! Clementines!  Roasted Peanuts!
Perhaps my favorite thing at the finish line waiting for the runners were ice pops.  You know the ones your mother would bring to your sporting events, when you were a kid.  The ones that come in the giant bins at your local super store. 
They were great when you were a kid and they are still great when you're an adult (Hey DisneyBride- why don't we grab a pack for the freezer?).

Absolutely great race- on to race 2!
 
 
 
 
 
Race #2 7/12/14 8:00AM- Swamp Forest Trail-  4.1 mi

Another brutally hot and humid day.  Why can't Race Directors control the weather?  This race was a different single track trail at the same park as the first race. The Swamp Forest Trail is my go-to trail for my weekend runs.  The trail is beautiful, challenging, and shaded.
DisneyBride is my favorite race volunteer and #1 cheerleader

This race starts off with about a half mile of an equestrian trail.  This gives everyone ample time to get spread out before hitting the single track trail.  I am glad that this was a trail I was very familiar with as my glasses kept fogging up.  Every 5 minutes or so, I would have to try and find a dry piece of clothing to clear them off (if you have a product or idea to prevent this, please leave a comment below). 

Was that The Flash?  Nope, it's me!

This race took more out of me than the first.  The humidity was that bad. 
Feeling pretty "Incredible" at the finish line
The series has been great so far and I am looking forward to the last two races.  Want to give a shout out to our awesome race director, Bobby York, who has really been working hard to put on top notch trail events here in Tallahassee.  This is the second year of the trail  series, and in January he served as race director for the Inaugural Swamp Forest Trail Marathon, Half, and 1/4 - that DisneyBride ran.

While I have no award/podium aspirations this year, but it will be neat to see my rankings through the four race series.  I'll write another post at the conclusion.

I'm going to add that I always say: "it's not a trail run until you fall".  And we've seen some pretty bad wipeouts and face-plants so far.  However, I have miraculously managed to stay on my feet for both races.  Now that I have said this, I am doomed to fall during race #3 this Saturday.


Are you doing any trail races this summer?

Do you do any of your training miles 'off-road'?


-DisneyGroom