55, heavy rain. Easy pace run. It is "thumbs up" for my new SealSkinz waterproof socks. Very pricey, but one of the great disadvantages of going to minimal shoes is that I have less and less of a barrier between me and the wet. Just the low profile alone puts me deeper into every little puddle. And, after all, I do live in a very wet climate! I've been contemplating these socks for quite a while. One reviewer hated them, which made me skeptical enough to pay even more to get them from REI, where I can easily return anything for any reason. I had my return speech all memorized, and was only wavering on how much hostility to put in my tone... But they felt as comfortable as any sock, and my feet did stay dry. At one point, I felt like there might be water coming in, because there was a chilly sensation. But it turns out that, if your shoe gets a bunch of cold water inside it, your feet are going to feel a temperature change even though they stay dry. This short run was a perfect testing ground. Next I'll try them on a little longer run, and eventually a 20 miler. I hear we are in a La Nina year, so there may be lots of opportunities to test the socks, and then hopefully to enjoy them. Can't wait to read everyone's race reports (from today) soon! | 