Do you train with no socks or just race?

I get blisters even with special "anti-blister" socks for running and body glide on my feet. Sockless? I get a blister in about a minute of running.

I would think that if you didn't run sockless in training, you might get blisters on race day????

Train like you race.

I decided to go sockless...period. Except for work and church and certain 'dress up'events, I ditched socks from my life. I do like to keep some body glide handy for contact points, though.

I like to train the way I race and visa-versa.

Edited by nxm165 2009-08-12 11:19 AM

Eh, depends on the shoes I'm currently wearing. This summer, I haven't, as the trainers I've been using aren't real conducive to it. BUt if the shoes allow it, I will.

Right now, I only race sockless.

ETA: It never shortened the life of my shoes, but it does make 'em rank nasty, esp. if you use body glide a lot.

Edited by mmrocker13 2009-08-12 11:20 AM

I made the mistake of trying to run sockless in a race on Sunday.  No idea why I didn't put my socks on.  I am paying for it now with two huge blisters - one on each arch.  Very painful!!  Definitely train sockless if you want to race that way.

I mix it up, both pairs of running shoes are comfy sockless, but they stink so bad after they dry that I don't like to do it everytime.  A cheap way to help fight the stink is to put a dryer sheet in your shoes.

I train AND race in socks, personally.  I'd rather focus on running rather than if I'm developing a blister on a given day at a particular distance.

(It's the gloves on the bikes at sprint and Oly distance I need to talk myself out of wearing.) 

i go sockless, my tri shoes and running shoes are designed for no socks. until it gets cold...then i wear socks regardless

Bike - no socks
Run - 6ish mile cut off. >6 socks, <6 no socks

Temp about 50 or lower and I'm wearing socks

I never wear socks training or racing.  I broke myself in this year.  At first, only short runs without socks, and then got longer.  Now, I never wear them.  Both my trainers and my racing shoes are made for no socks, as are my tri bike shoes.  Luckily, part of my disease makes it so that my sweat doesn't have a scent, so I don't have to worry about stinking uo my shoes. 

bike never
run yes, 6+ miles without socks is not that much fun

always race sockless, i suck it up when i get blisters.  will body glide help?  I am thinking of just putting ducktape next time in the places where i know i get them.

train and race no socks for both bike and run.  for runs above 8 or so miles i'll put some socks on.

i have specialized trivents as my bike shoe so i never wear socks on the bike

I just made the transition to going sockless for (running) races this season.  My racers are sized and have heel cups to prevent blisters.  I train with socks as my trainers are larger and have more "slippage."  I did my brick sockless today to make sure it worked on bike as well and plan on doing that way for my tri on Monday. 

It goes without saying test out going sockless BEFORE the race.  Even just a two-mile jog will tell you if it's going to work or not.

Off topic...sorry! My sweat barely stinks. I rarely wear deoderant. Am I a freak of nature? Never heard of anyone else like me!

In all actuality - this is how the doc explained it to me anyway, sweat itself does not smell.  Sweat starts to smell when bacteria from the skin starts to mix with it and that mixture starts to magnify.  This is why my kidney disease keeps my sweat from smelling.  I don't have a lot of bacteria on my skin (it doesn't have to do with cleanliness - people that clean themselves well can have a lot of bacteria on the skin).  As I understood, we all have an aspect of how much bacteria we carry (like hair growth or skin pigment) and those of us who have less don't smell when they sweat.  After sweat becomes stale - it starts to smell more, meaning that most of us can stop sweating, clean up right away and there is little or no smell.  If you sit around after sweating and let the bacteria "enhance", then there is smell.
This should also not be confused with body odor.  Body odor and sweat smell are two completely different animals.  There are numerous reasons that people have body odor without sweating, some of them controllable and some not.  The presence of sweat can intensify these odors (through the moisture and bacteria mixing), but they can be present anyway (stand next to a 13 year old boy in an elevator that hasn't used deodorant if you need proof). 

No socks for me!!! At first I would just go sockless on runs under 3 miles - then I went all the way. I alway put body glide on my ankles though - I have a little spot that sometimes get raw.