What is a technical shirt?

MarynJoe

I entered my first 5k, and they said they give us a technical shirt.  Is that the official race t-shirt?

Joenali

usually a wicking type of shirt.

GRKaters

Not cotton

 

foundmylazybum

Technical tee(def)= Wicking shirt that is usually a size smaller than what you usually wear (IE FMLB wears a size small but when she gets a size small in a tech tee it's a baby tee) Most people find them awesome but really they are generally scratchy and ill fitting. Oh and they wick away the sweat but hold the stink.

Generally overrated. 

 

GRKaters

foundmylazybum:

Technical tee(def)= Wicking shirt that is usually a size smaller than what you usually wear (IE FMLB wears a size small but when she gets a size small in a tech tee it's a baby tee) Most people find them awesome but really they are generally scratchy and ill fitting. Oh and they wick away the sweat but hold the stink.

Generally overrated. 

 

Guess who's had some rotten luck with tech shirts? 

foundmylazybum

GRKaters:

foundmylazybum:

Technical tee(def)= Wicking shirt that is usually a size smaller than what you usually wear (IE FMLB wears a size small but when she gets a size small in a tech tee it's a baby tee) Most people find them awesome but really they are generally scratchy and ill fitting. Oh and they wick away the sweat but hold the stink.

Generally overrated. 

 

Guess who's had some rotten luck with tech shirts? 

I think they are completely overrated, yes. But I also think that I have some fair complaints that aren't just based on my opinion but others experiences as well.  I also think that they always seem to get this amazing review--but they aren't THAT awesome. They don't breathe that well--they always seem hotter than just a regular cotton shirt (we had them as our coaches shirts for the team I coached and that was the overall agreement and we went back to cotton for T&F) It was also a complaint for those shirts that they ran small and we all wanted a size up.  If you can really make an argument that wicking shirts and material don't wick the sweat and hold the smell...I'd be seriously amazed. Because that's pretty commonly held knowledge. I also would never spend money on one in a store and I run in cotton (*gasp*). It's probably important to remember that I've been running for a long time, and I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on what works and why---and what doesn't work and why...when you run for a long time and try a lot of things, you take note of them--and then you ask others.."Hey have you ever noticed this?" and find out if their experience is the same.

Outside of this board, with a fair amount of other runners--tech shirts aren't that awesome. 

GRKaters

Reading about people wearing cotton for running makes my armpits chafe. :z Does *not* work for me. If you have to size up, size up! I just buried my nose in three of my nearest running shirts, and two of them did not stink in the least. I think it's awesome that more races are offering non-cotton shirts.

 

cole

Mmmmm ... a cotton t-shirt on a hot day of running. Lovely to carry around an extra pound of dripping sweat. Might as well throw on a pair off 100% cotton socks to keep your Hokas nice and squishy, too. Cotton is an absolute disaster for athletic endeavors. While polyester is a better host for pungent bacteria than cotton, sweat is sterile and doesn't on its own create odors, so laundering regularly is important. Also, manufacturers are adding antimicrobials like nanosilver to their tech lines.

If your tech shirt isn't cooler than cotton, then you bought the wrong shirt. And if you prefer running draped in sopping fabric, cotton is the way to go. As for sizing, I've found that Nike Dri Fit is very much true to size. Perhaps the cotton lover was confused with compression clothing.