Showing posts with label technical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technical. Show all posts

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Why I INB

In the five years since I've started running I have learned a valuable lesson. It's fine to be a bargain shopper... but not when it comes to your athletic gear.

When I first started the Couch to 5k program I wore some craptastic shorts from the bargain basement and a cotton t-shirt. I would slap on the same socks I would wear for every other activity and the same shoes I wore to mow the lawn or walk the mall. I've never been a fashionista and that applied to my workout wear as well.

Then I graduated to half marathon training and, with the longer distances, came more discomfort. Chafing, blisters, sweat that just wouldn't dry, even nagging injuries. You name it, I had it. I realized that I had to invest in my gear so I could live this new, healthy lifestyle. I started with a real shoe fitting at the local running store and then I started paying attention to what other runners were wearing or talking about.

I'm not sure how I found INKnBURN to begin with but I'd guess it was a post on a running forum. I went to their site and found so many styles and colors that I really wanted to try. I decided to start with a Run or Die shirt and fell in love from there.

There are three very important factors in athletic wear: fit, function, and flattery. INB has all of this! Every article of clothing is designed to fit your body. Not hug it, not squeeze it, not hide it, just lay over it like a second skin. The function of the INB line is unbeatable. Want to run a 100 miler and never change your clothes? Do it in INKnBURN! Want to feel dry in humid weather? Do it in INKnBURN! And, as for flattering, the colors and styles speak for themselves. Who doesn't love to wear fun clothes?

Everything I do... I do in INKnBURN
 
I'm not even close to kidding when I say that you need to go to INKnBURN's website, register an account, and then use the code 'saratoldme' at checkout. It's not because I'm an ambassador. It's not because I was paid to say that (I wasn't!). It's seriously the best and coolest athletic gear ever made.You won't regret it!
 

 
I wouldn't own this much INKnBURN if it wasn't true!

Monday, December 24, 2012

A Technical Miracle

Shane loves to wear his race shirts around the house and to work. Pretty much on a daily basis he's wearing a race shirt. This also means he destroys a lot of his shirts pretty quickly. The latest casualty was a white tech shirt from a Christmas race last year. It looks like he got oil or grease from the garage on it.


The photo above isn't really a 'before'. I took it when I realized I might actually be able to save the shirt. I'm sure most people know that tech fabric is awesome but also fragile. Put it in a dryer and you'll lose the wicking ability and softness. Stain it and most stain removers or laundry treatments will kill the fibers too. Needless to say I was pretty sure a white tech shirt with black grease (that had already gone through the wash once) was a lost cause.

So how did I save it? Two things any woman will have at home. Hair spray and dish soap!

Steps to save technical fabric:
1) Apply dish soap (I used Palmolive) to the stains and let it sink in.
2) Rub it into the areas with your fingers.
3) Spray hairspray on the stained areas and rub it into the dish soap. A really cool foam appeared!
4) Rub gently with you fingertips or a soft brush (toothbrush?) until stain starts to lift.
5) Rinse in cool water and repeat steps on areas that are still stained.

By going through these steps twice I think the shirt is saved! As you can see in the 'after' picture there was still a spot in the seam that I couldn't seem to get to. The shirt is in the washer right now after soaking that seam with dish soap and hair spray for an hour so I'm hoping it will be completely clean when it comes out. Either way, I think Shane will be able to wear the shirt for work or play again!


I'll update with a final picture when it comes out of the wash!

UPDATE:
Post-wash perfection! It's like brand new again!

Have you found any stain removal tips for tech fabrics? Do you wear your race shirts for purposes other than running?