In Defense of Cotton

Lyle Eldon Case of Greenwood Village died in his sleep on August 16^th.  He was 79 years old.  Though I never met him, he had an impact on my life.  If you run along the Highline Canal path, he impacted yours, too.  A Geologist during his professional career, Lyle was responsible for building the tunnel for the Highline Canal path under University Boulevard.  Old-timers will remember what a freak show it used to be at that intersection.  This week’s entry is dedicated to Lyle.

I have a very famous relative named Cotton.  He lived in New England at the turn of the 18^th century and was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister and prolific author.  He left no name-bearing descendants.  If he’d had an iPod, he’d have listened to Bach.  He is often remembered for his role in the Salem witch trials.  I am not writing about him.  I am writing about cotton, the fiber. 

The weather has changed.  The temperatures during my early morning runs have been in the 50s this week, 52 on Thursday.  The humidity is steady and below 30%.  The grass in the open spaces is turning yellow, like the color of sweet Vidalia onions.  With this change I have been running in cotton T-shirts instead of technical shirts.  What a great feeling.

Cotton holds water, so it gets wet when you sweat.  I like that feeling.  It reminds me that I am working.  Cotton gets stronger when it gets wet so it almost feels like it is hugging you.

Here are some of the other benefits of cotton:

It is hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant, which means it is the best choice of material for people who suffer from asthma or allergies, or those who have sensitive skin prone to irritation. 

For people concerned with environmental issues, cotton clothing makes a lot of sense. Cotton is biodegradable and a renewable resource.  During processing, less than 10 percent of it is lost or deemed non-usable.  

Organic cotton clothing is even better: no pesticides are used to grow it, which means fewer chemicals in the environment and less exposure for the people growing it. 

Cotton clothing is inexpensive, durable, and easy to care for.

There are times when I prefer the wicking benefits of technical fabrics, like in races or during the winter or when it is really hot out.  But there is a window when wearing cotton feels better.  Wicking fabric is a term most commonly associated with performance and technical t-shirts.  This style of t-shirts is used most in athletic events because of its ability to breathe and keep the user's skin dry from sweat.  

Wicking is the flow of liquids through porous media.  In t-shirt terms, this translates into the fabric being breathable, allowing sweat to transfer from the wearer's body to the air around them.  This has a few extra benefits to it including being antimicrobial and lightweight.  Wicking material is typically a synthetic fabric such as polyester or a combination of polyester and cotton.  Since wicking fabric is so technical, it does in fact cost more than standard t-shirts.  

The main drawback to technical shirts is odor retention.  There are a lot of nooks and crannies for your bacteria to nest.  The result is a stinky shirt.  The solution is to run the shirt through the dryer.  This kills the bacteria and makes the shirts less stinky.

So I am in the eighth month of this quest.  I am trying to find the meaning of life through running.  I have run on dirt, grass, cement, asphalt, cinder, ground up tires and rock.  I have run in the rain, snow, hail; in blazing dry heat and 80% humidity.  I have run at an hour some people consider the middle of the night and when the sun has been high in the sky.  While I log my miles, I could not tell you how many I have run since January 1^st.  There’ll be time enough for counting when the year is done.  So far I have come up with more questions than answers, but it has been a great trip.  And so, that is why I lace up my shoes and head out the door; one foot in front of the other.