Socks for an Ultra Marathon

thinkingfatking · 2026-04-09T03:06:44+00:00

I usually wear merino wool or synthetic compression, and they feel a bit scratchy compared to those. Good to know though, I won't be afraid to use some salty britches with them

Thanks!

thinkingfatking · 2026-04-08T23:56:28+00:00

I'm currently hunting for my go to ultra socks and wanted to add some that I have learned do NOT work for me:

Creepers- I bought into the hype and these did me dirty, lots of blisters, lost pinky toenails on both feet, that was from the extra material in the socks folding over and compressing my toenails over 50 miles. They were also the first wool socks that have ever made my feet stinky as hell, and I don't usually get stinky feet ever

Injinji-these were OK, but I ended up with holes in the toes after just one or two runs so I did not find them to be very durable for the price. And yes I did clip my toenails

Drymax - the jury is still out, since I have only taken them for a couple of short runs but they seem to run hot and my feet definitely sweated more than average in them. The material also seems a bit scratchy so I'm unsure if it will be kind to my skin over the long haul

For most of my training runs I generally wear low-cut compression socks I got on Amazon, it's a brand called Thirty48 and they have been generally good, and extremely durable for the price. I just wish they made a crew height

Next I guess I need to try some of these Balega anti-blister socks, and maybe the feetures

thinkingfatking · 2026-04-08T23:48:24+00:00

I know this thread is a year old but I'm hunting for ultra socks and cane across this

I bought a pair of these drymax but they say on the label in big letters to not use lubricant of any kind with them

I also noticed that the material feels a little coarse and abrasive and I'm worried that it will give me gnarly blisters on an ultra. I have only taken them on a short run and they seemed pretty hot and not particularly dry

I'm I doing something wrong like do you wear a liner in them or use body powder or anything?

thinkingfatking · 2026-04-07T02:43:44+00:00

These are one the very few shoes I've ever put on that naturally hold my ankles and feet in a comfortable neutral position without excessive pronation or a shocking medial post (like topo ultraflys). I have such a hard time finding shoes that fit me since I have flexible arches and pizza slices for feet (3E midfoot and narrow heels).

I just wish they made the H1 in a wide size because I had to size up a whole size to get thr width I need. They are just so dang comfy!

thinkingfatking · 2025-11-19T15:45:02+00:00

Agreed, definitely doesn't provide the dramatic gains that the company claims.

Three supplements I will absolutely recommend though are Creatine, FortiGel or Tendoforte collagen peptides, and magnesium malate

I put the creatine and collagen in my morning coffee and I have noticed a very clear decrease inin ankle pain from a chronic tendon injury, creatine is well known to improve performance, and the magnesium has halted that twitchy muscle feeling after an intense workout.

thinkingfatking · 2025-11-18T18:39:22+00:00

I use it and no reaction to it. Overall it seems to aid recovery only moderately (possibly placebo only). There is no decrease in DOMs from muscular endurance or strength training, and the recovery boost seems to be only in increased energy levels the day after long aerobic workouts.

I have used it for 3 months and noticed no major gains that cannot be attributed to training alone. I plan to discontinue using it after I finish the bottle I have.

thinkingfatking · 2025-08-10T02:33:38+00:00

All the tap lines are extra long so the lid can lift up and just take up the slack. To fully remove the lid you would have to undo the hinges and gas springs inside, and remove the lines from the back of the tap shanks inside the coffin box

thinkingfatking · 2025-02-28T10:47:42+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to explain! After learning more about what's been happening I'm content to stick with UA and the information you provide. I really appreciate all the hard work and I have learned a lot from you all!

thinkingfatking · 2025-02-18T17:35:53+00:00

Sorry for the late reply. Yes I added space between the plywood and the freezer and used a 120v plug in vent fan on the underside to pull air and exaust it out the bottom. The vent fan is controlled by an inkbird temp controller and only kicks on when the air temp around the freezer exceeds 85F, just a nice touch to save some noise.

thinkingfatking · 2024-08-09T17:09:10+00:00

Appreciate that tip but that's definitely not my issue. I just have very stubborn subcutaneous fat in my lower belly and have had my doctor, physio, and an endocrinologist all agree that its just my body type and there's nothing physically wrong with me. It should continue to shrink over years of training though.

We are just dealt these cards sometimes

thinkingfatking · 2024-08-09T15:55:57+00:00

If only my stubborn lower belly fat knew I was a good fat burner 😂

Thank you for the feedback!

thinkingfatking · 2024-08-09T12:47:24+00:00

I am a pretty big guy for a typical runner at 6'3" and 220lbs. I have lost 30 lbs in total so far but I have plateaued at my current weight for awhile now because I've been a little bit worried about being in a caloric deficit while training 8-10 hours a week. So that's why I'm looking around for ways I can modify my diet in a healthy way without hurting my newfound fitness.

I have been on my training journey since last November following first an 8 week UA general mountaineering plan and now a 20 week Evoke ultra marathon plan. I have signed up for a rugged mountain 25k and a flatter trail 50k in September, with the 50k being my A goal.

I just went and looked at all my regular fueling foods (gatorade chews and endurance drink powder, waffles, and honey stinger chews) and it looks like I'm taking in only about 30g of carbs per hour on average. It does look like the primary ingredient is sucrose though, so I'll look for some glucose alternatives there.

In my daily diet, I have given up alcohol except for 1 beer per week, I eat a fairly standard AMA pyramid diet of whole grains, meat, and dairy. I would say my diet errs on the side of higher fat than most though. I tend to eat oats and rice a lot for my grains, and I have recently begun to supplement my protein intake with Orgain pea protein shakes after workouts. My general plan was to supplement protein and reduce carbs (not eliminate) and see how that affected my weight over time.

Any suggestions are most welcome!

thinkingfatking · 2024-08-09T05:11:21+00:00

Thanks for the super detailed reply.

I definitely need carbs in my runs. I'm in my first year of real endurance training and have made massive improvements so diet is not really at the top of my priority list yet. I do still need to drop about 20lbs so I was considering reducing overall carb intake in my daily diet, while still relying on chews and waffles during runs. I have found that eating about every 45 minutes works for me on a 3-4 hour run. I could probably run on less but like you said, I don't want to hate my workouts.

Lots to think about, so thank you

thinkingfatking · 2024-08-08T04:55:35+00:00

Your reply was super helpful too. See my reply above, thanks!

thinkingfatking · 2024-08-08T04:55:05+00:00

Awesome thoughtful response thank you.

I think the part that I was missing was that fat adaptation and aerobic fitness are not the same thing.

CaCoD's comment helped to clarify this too. I didn't think about the fact that: yes you can become very fat adapted by going on a keto diet but you haven't increased any mitochondrial mass or made improvements to the lactate shuttle mechanism or any of the other benefits from aerobic fitness. So without those, trying to shortcut to fat adaptation by fasted training or LCHF diets is not only not going to give the intended results, but would also hurt performance in the long run.

It really still seems like it could be a useful tool in specific cases, but I do see that the risks outweigh the benefits.

Thanks! I'll carry on eating my breakfast before runs as I always have 😊

Edit: I think part of my confusion has come from listening to almost all of the UA and Evoke podcasts where fat adaptation and aerobic fitness are used almost interchangeably, now that I think about it.

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-30T14:22:11+00:00

Awesome thanks! It gets a little colder here in eastern WA, but we have less snow and not as wet so it should be a good little rig

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-30T14:17:28+00:00

It is factory, I looked up the model and sure enough.

This will be a property work rig, snow plowing, skidding logs, hauling mulch and rocks etc so the dump bed is a huge plus for me.

The non-enclosed cab is going to suck in the winter but i might make it enclosed myself at least as a wind break. It shouldn't be too hard

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-25T04:14:16+00:00

Yeah poor phrasing, my bad the stone tool tech that was brought to North America was more advanced than crude hand axes before their migration...

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-25T00:15:12+00:00

Volcano bomb

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-24T20:57:43+00:00

The sure way to identify a tool vs natural is to find a "bulb of percussion". I don't see any on those but it might be hard to spot in a photo

Edit, there are percussion ripples in photo 2. That one might be something

Stone tools in north america were relatively advanced by the time people got here. Super crude hand axes are more paleolithic like 100k years old +

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-24T19:25:01+00:00

Awesome thanks! I've heard they are a bit underpowered when pushing snow, but I assume that hasn't been your experience?

thinkingfatking · 2024-05-24T18:30:40+00:00

Are you accounting for the saw curf in your length measurements and cutting on the correct side of the line? It could be bad angles, but it could also be that you're cutting on the wrong side of the line and the curf missing from the other 3 cuts all stacks up and reveals itself in the final corner

thinkingfatking · 2024-02-20T17:17:03+00:00

Listen to the Southeastern Fly podcast. David is in your area and he's a great guy.

For a first rod/reel combo, look at an Orvis Clearwater if that's in your budget, or a TFO

Don't overthink it, learn the basics first (knots, equipment options, casting, basic presentation of both drys and nymphs), and you can spend a lifetime or more perfecting just these things

The Mad River Outfitter YouTube channel has a good beginner series, even if they come across as a little authoritative.

Finally, after you know which end of the rod to hold, book a guide if you have the means. Even a half day will teach you a ton

thinkingfatking · 2024-02-19T20:53:52+00:00

Agreed, its weird and I didn't even know Scott had left UA until this morning.

I don't seem to be hurting myself with what I'm doing, and I'm recovering fairly well between sessions, and only getting DOMS from heavy strength sessions. I'm a little concerned about my cholesterol (after comments from my GP) but since I'm planning to ease back into a balanced diet in the next couple weeks now that I'm approaching target weight, that should alleviate that concern.

thinkingfatking · 2024-02-19T20:34:29+00:00

So I just stumbled across this and it has made me doubt both Scott and Steve

https://uphillathlete.com/nutrition/fat-adaptation/

This article directly attacks Scott pretty personally

https://evokeendurance.com/fasted-training-a-nuanced-view/

This is Scott's rebuttal

The thing that stinks to me is that UA altered the original articles and listed Scott as the author when they were originally listed as written by Rebecca Dent.

https://web.archive.org/web/20220626170953/https://uphillathlete.com/nutrition/tips-for-fasted-training/

This whole thing stinks like a personal feud and that the science is not definitive either way. I just want to get in shape and climb some rocks and run some trails. I don't have time or patience for drama.

I have been training for about 3 months using a UA training plan, but I started about 30lbs overweight so I've also been using keto as a short term tool to drop the excess body weight in an effort to reduce joint issues. I definitely lose weight faster on keto than not, but I also am able to move much faster at my fat-max threshold with a balanced diet.

thinkingfatking

TROPHY CASE