It is probably safe to assume that most, if not all, of the people who will read this have been to a running store (hopefully Running Free!) at some point in their lives, which means that you are probably at least dimly aware of the vast quantity of products out there that claim to provide a benefit to runners. Naturally, while some products live up to their claims, others may not provide the level of benefit that they claim, and some fail to provide any benefits at all, except perhaps to make your wallet thinner and thus reduce drag.
The CW-X line of running gear came to my attention fairly early in my running career. I recall seeing a mannequin decked out in CW-X gear at the expo for my first marathon. It looked like the headless statue of some mythical superhero. Picture the black leather costumes from the X-Men movies, only in spandex. The promotional materials made many bold claims about reducing muscle and joint pain while improving endurance, and the products had a price that suggested that they just might live up to the claims. After all, who is going to pay $125 for a pair of running tights that don’t do anything except make you look like you’re on your way to a comic convention? But there was the real question; do they work? While I am not a particularly competitive runner, I am also not above using specialized gear to improve my times and save myself some pain and suffering. The problem was that the articles that I read frequently contradicted each other regarding whether the products lived up to the hype. Some went so far as to suggest that they provided an unfair advantage, while others claimed that they did nothing at all. Also, no one I knew used CW-X gear because no one could afford it, so I had no one to ask.
Since the only way that I could see if the gear worked as advertised was to buy some, and I wasn’t about to shell out that kind of money just to show the world how great my butt looks in spandex, I decided to live with the mystery. Jump ahead a couple years and I was lucky enough to be given a spot on Team Running Free, and to be given the chance to get some free CW-X gear. I picked out a pair of full-length Stabilyx tights and a pair of 3/4 length Expert tights. As luck would have it I was busy training for the Sulphur Springs 100 Miler, so I had plenty of opportunities to put them through their paces.
Did they live up to the claims? Hell yes! I love this product. My friends and I refer to my CW-X gear as my “magic pants”, and not just because of the super-fly fashion statement that they make. I usually only break them out for important events since the effects rely on compression, and I’ve heard that wearing them stretches them out over time. I certainly don’t want to wear them out since I can’t afford to replace them.
The real trial by fire for my magic pants was the 100 miler itself. During the day the temperature rose to over 30 degrees and I wore my 3/4 length tights. At night I wore the full length tights. Both preformed admirably. The 3/4 length tights provided support for my knees and thighs and were breathable enough to keep me as dry as could be expected. This certainly helped keep chaffing to a minimum, which is always a concern when you are running for over 24 hours. The full-length tights provided extra support over the entire leg and my lower back, which was particularly fantastic since by the time I changed into them simply staying upright and moving was a chore.
While I can’t really speak to the specific claims made about CW-X gear which gets into percentages of improvement in specific areas, I can says this: the days after my first 100 miler I was barely able to walk. It was weeks before going up and down stairs wasn’t painful. In the days after my second 100 miler, which I ran while wearing my CW-X gear, I was sore but fine. Within days I felt like I could run. I didn’t run, because I’m not crazy, but I felt as though I could. It should be noted that my second 100 miler was on a different course than the first, so a direct comparison between the two experiences isn’t really fair, but I ran in my CW-X gear for 28 hours straight and within a few days my legs felt fine. That is darn near miraculous!
It’s fine for me to get some gear for free and then rave about how great it is, but the real question is: would I buy it? The answer is an enthusiastic yes. For me it is worth the price to save the wear and tear on my legs, and particularly my knees, during the long races that I enter. Whether the gear is worth the money to other people will depend on the individual. If you are a casual runner with no joint problems and who usually sticks to shorter races (10Km or less), it probably won’t make enough difference to be worth it. However, if you are plagued by sore knees and/or lower back, or if you are drawn to the longer distances like me, then I would definitely recommend that you give them a try.
Kudos to you, Michael, for the 100-milers! I can’t say that I’ve ever gone that far, but I do love my CW-X tights for the distances I go. I really notice a big difference in how my knees feel after a run.