You’ve spent your hard earned money on your exercise gear like Running Shorts or Compression Socks and now it’s time to put it to the test. After a grueling workout, you and your Lycra® containing gear are ready for a bath. By the way, Spandex is the generic Lycra® version. Lycra® is a brand name trademarked by DuPont.

After Your Workout

As much as we hate it, we’re all drenched in sweat after a good workout, which means our clothes are, too. If you don’t have time to wash your clothes right after your workout, or you’re too tired like me, then hang dry your workout clothes, making sure there are no wrinkle or overlaps. This prevents your gear from turning into a mildew breeding ground. Gross! It also helps prevent weird stenches from staying trapped inside your clothes.

Getting the Stink Out

The best method for remedying smelly gym clothes is to give them a prewash. Soak your Lycra® outfits in one part vinegar, and four parts water for at least 30 minutes before hand washing, or throwing them into the washing machine. Rinse your clothes thoroughly before washing them to get rid of any vinegar.

Some Dont’s to Remember

Do not mix vinegar and bleach ever! If your detergent contains bleach rinse out your vinegar soaked clothes before throwing them in the washer. Do not use vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washer if your detergent contains bleach.

Do not use heat for any of your Lycra® garments. Heat will destroy the elastic properties aka the Lycra® fibers of your outfits. Avoid the dryer, ironing and the sun. Remember: Heat is bad.

Do not use chlorine or bleach. This will destroy the fibers of the fabric and you will get “bag and sag” syndrome.

Do not use Fabric Softener. These are used to soften clothes and will make sure your expensive garment will never retain its shape. Avoid the fabric softener.

In the Wash They Go

Although it is said that hand washing is always the way to go, most of us don’t have time for that. Don’t fret though! It is safe for your Lycra® garments to go into the washing machine following these steps. First, make sure that all of your zippered garments are zipped all the way up to prevent the zipper track from snagging onto other fabric during the washing cycle. Turn your clothes inside out. Put delicate items into a mesh laundry bag, lingerie bag, or pillowcase to protect them (Definitely do this for Bib Shorts).

The Set-Up

If you are worried that a pre-soak just won’t cut it for getting all the smells out, you can put some vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of your washer. This will make sure your washer will dispense vinegar in the rinse cycle. Always use cold water when washing your Lycra® garments. Heat will destroy them. Set your washer on the “Delicates” setting to prevent damage of your clothes.

Less is More?

Use less detergent than you normally would for your Lycra® clothes. While detergent cleans your clothes, you definitely don’t want a build up of it on your workout clothes. A build up of detergent will trap in dead skin cells and trap bacteria into the fabric. If you want to make sure your clothes last, try a detergent designed for washing workout clothes.

Finishing Touches

After the washing cycle has been finished, hang your clothes up, or lay them down flat to dry. Never put them in the dryer. Remember heat is not friendly to Lycra® clothes. Lycra® is a fast drying fiber so your clothes should not take too long to air dry.

Last weekend my brother, father and made our way to South Bend, Indiana to catch the Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game. Growing up in an Irish Catholic household, so many Saturdays were spent at my grandparents house with a Notre Dame football game on the television and growing up in the movie Rudy generation sort of carved a special affinity for Notre Dame football and making our way to South Bend and watching a game there was nothing short of amazing.

The morning of the game, I noticed that there was a road race called the Game Day Chase that kicked off directly near campus and immediately in front of the apartment where we were staying. Though the morning brought some ferocious rains as I made my way over to register for the race, the rain actually broke just prior to the 5K kicking off and made for some nice running conditions.

The race took runners away from the Notre Dame campus and into some neighborhoods within South Bend. A great stretch of the race was on the East Bank Trail which hugged the St. Joseph River and made for some nice scenery along the race route. The course was overall hilly and a couple of rolling hills kept the legs honest during the run. There were ample volunteers and police officers patrolling the course and assisting runners at each turn.

As you made your way into the finish line, runners were greeted by the Notre Dame mascot and Notre Dame cheerleaders adding a sort of pre-football game feel to the race. A band played live music after the race while runners had post-race food and listened to the results being announced.

I finished the Game Day Chase 5K with a time of 24:05, good for 7:46/miles. The road race was a nice complement to an amazing trip and added to the overall charm of the entire long weekend trip.

Proceeds from the race benefitted the Kelly Cares Foundation. The Kelly Cares Foundation was established by Notre Dame head coach Brian and Paqui Kelly family to support organizations, initiatives and programs that closely align with the goals and values of the Kelly family. A strong emphasis has been made on three main pillars: Health, Education, and Community.

Looking for a great fall trail run? Look no further! The Discover the Woods 5K Trail Race and 1 Mile Fun Run is scheduled for Saturday, October 1st and will take place at Holly Hill Farm located at 236 Jerusalem Road in Cohasset, Massachusetts.

The start time for the race is at 10am for 5K and 11am for the  1 mile fun run. The race is timed by farm staff and volunteers.

All proceed from the race benefit the Holly Hill Farm Frank H. White Scholarship Fund.

For more information about the race and please visit www.hollyhillfarm.org  and to register online visit https://racewire.com/register.php?id=7003

As a runner, we all know that from time to time once finished a run we are left a little less than fresh. Okay, okay. You’re right. We all know we smell and feel absolutely gross when we finish a run but often times chalk it up to a feeling of despair and think to ourselves, “Is there really anything I can do to help get rid of this post-race funk?” Thankfully, runners no longer need to worry about having that caked on salty white grime on your forehead and don’t need to worry about smelling like a wet llama after a run thanks to Epic Wipes!

Epic Wipes are towel-sized wet wipes that are strong enough for a mud-caked mountain biker yet gentle enough for a s’more covered munchkin. This line by Epic Wipes basically sums up their functionality quite well. Having two kids who have been known to demolish a s’more, knowing the task of cleaning chocolate and marshmallow is something all too close to home.

Think of Epic Wipes as being a really large moist towelette that you get at a restaurant as it relates to functionality but not to size or quality. When unfolded, Epic Wipes measure in at 2 feet 6 inches long and are made with bamboo and other natural ingredients.  With a light scent of eucalyptus, these towels knock the post-race funk right off of you and do so in an environmentally friendly way.

I have used Epic Wipes after a 10K through asphalt streets to simply freshen up after a run and have used them after a trail race to take a healthy amount of dirt off my shins and calves and in each scenario have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of Epic Wipes. They hold up extremely well and have enough moisture in them to allow for a true cleaning to take place. I’ve used Epic Wipes on my face, as well, and the refreshing nature of the wipes leaves the skin feeling pre-race fresh and clean without causing any irritation.

Epic Wipes were created by Dr. Aeneas Janze, a physician and war veteran who saw a need for a practical, eco-friendly alternative to showers while stationed in Afghanistan. Let’s support a veteran and purchase some Epic Wipes today! You can purchase Epic Wipes online by clicking here.

For more information about Epic Wipes, please check out their website by clicking here. You can also “Like” Epic Wipes on Facebook and “Follow” them on Twitter.