I have been trying to prepare the team for the 2 marathons in 8 days in October – Amsterdam and then Dublin, or Dubsterdam as it is known, will be a challenge, so any tweaks to the gear to makes things more acceptable will be good.

The Socks issue…

has been resolved. I tried the Injinji original weight toe socks.

Which have seams and lines stitched into them that make them feel tighter around the toes, thinner and actually of a material that I believe will actually cause blisters rather than stop them. We shall see in the long run as there are 3 pairs of Injinji and 2 of Nike around now.

Hydration…

My current hand held bottle, you know the oval ones with a hole in the middle, does not hold nearly enough water for a half. And so I bought this, with an additional pocket for hotel room or front door keys, GU sachet, iPhone, anything really. This is going to get a testing out on Sunday.