GEAR: ToeSox

Hello, world, and Happy Thursday!  For me, Thursdays are basically always happy, and not just because they directly precede Fridays.  (If you REALLY want to brighten up your day, head over to Thankful Things Thursday at AliOnTheRun.  This girl will stop at nothing to make you feel grateful...think cute puppy photos.)

I spend most Thursday afternoons trading in my daily desk job in favor of teaching musical theatre to junior high and high school students.  Sometimes I'm choreographing, sometimes I'm filling in vocals for whatever kid decided to catch a cold/the flu, and I'm always laughing my head off at the crazy stuff that goes down.

But today I shoulda brought my rain coat:

Post-commute this fall...
love my bike, need this jacket

 I am planning on getting a run in after class, but was running late at 5-something this morning and dashed out the door without a minute to spare...and realized it was pouring.  And I didn't have my cute purple polka-dot Nike running jacket that I got on sale at the outlets.  (Yes, I like good deals.)  It will be a wet rat kinda run, folks.


GEAR: ToeSox

For Christmas with my husband's family, we draw names around Thanksgiving for the big gift exchange on Christmas Eve.  If you have a big (or rapidly growing) family, this is seriously a genius idea.  You usually end up with a different person to shop for each year (helping you get to know different family members better), and no one spends half a fortune and goes insane trying to hunt down gifts for the whole family!

This year, I got a pair of ToeSox from Aunt Brenda, Uncle William and cousins Esme and Analise.  (I took this to mean that Jared's family has fully accepted me for the little workout fanatic that I am.)

Esme and Analise at our wedding a few years ago - adorable!

 I was excited to try the ToeSox, because I've seen them around a lot but haven't known anyone who has used them.  I was really impressed!

Effectiveness: My mat doesn't have any "grip" to it, so the socks made a big difference for me in doing balance poses and even in downward dog.  I also like the fact that my toes poke through - one thing I've been working on with physical therapy is "holding my arch": not rolling my feet in.  This is easier to do when I can use all of my toes for balance.

The one thing I think these wouldn't work for is hot yoga...at least for me.  I sweat like a pig (thanks, genetics) and would slip right out of the socks while they stayed gripped to the mat and I landed on my butt or face.  Hilarious for the rest of the class, I venture, but embarassing for me.  Maybe if you are one of those lucky girls who just glows a little at the back of the neck, these could work for your hot yoga practice?  I just have no sweatless workout experience and couldn't say.

A fun side perk is that if, like me, you have to be really sweating for your feet to not be freezing, these keep you warm!

Cost: These run about $15 a pair on the ToeSox website, which is surprisingly reasonable.  (Have you seen those thin yoga towels that go for $65???  Yikes.)

The Cute Factor:  Personally, I think these are adorable.  They remind me a little of Doctor Seuss, and you can get then a wide variety of colors if you like to mix things up.

Verdict:  I would definitely recommend these for anyone practicing yoga at least a few times a week, whether at home or in a (not hot) class setting.

Thanks, Brenda and fam, for the awesome gift!


You tell me:  Did you get any super-awesome Christmas gifts?  Try any new workout gear lately?  Forget your rain coat on a soggy day?