I have a LOT of running shirts – either store-bought tech shirts or race shirts, the composition of which ranges from 100% cotton to poly blends. I tend to wear short-sleeve, mesh-like wicking fabric tees in the summer months, but lately this has been causing me some problems.
I start running in the morning around 7:00 am, heading out just as the sun is climbing up over the treetops. The temperature is usually around 75°F and the humidity is high (80%+). It’s a fairly typical Atlanta summer and by the time I reach work, I have sweat a lot; as in my shirt is drenched. That’s normally fine, but when that is combined with a backpack that moves just a little, chafing can become a problem if you are running a longer distance. And it has affected me for the first time this year.
I figure that it’s not just the tiny amount of pack movement, but also the type of fabric and weave style of my shirt. After running a while and building up a good sweat, I found that a more open, rough weave acts like sandpaper on your skin. So to attempt to remedy this issue (since sweating can’t be corrected), I tried out a shirt from a recent 5K race. Continue reading “Review: Sport-Tek Competitor Tee”