It's spring-like in Hog Heaven today: temps in the 50s under sunny skies. The only fly-in-the-unseasonable-ointment is the March wind that's gusting up to 40 mph. I celebrated by doing a hill workout. The wind was from the south and the hill is on an east-west axis. So, the wind wasn't much of a factor. I did 6 x .5 mile hills at a 5K effort. Short of a 5K pace but not by much. So, I'm getting stronger on the hills at least. Counting my warm-up and cool-down jogs, I logged almost 9 miles. Not a bad workout. Tomorrow will be a slow-and-easy one-hour recovery/maintenance run.
Joke of the Day
How many marathon runners does it take to change a light bulb?
Marathon runners aren’t afraid of the dark.
Shoe Update: I retired a well-worn pair of ASICS GT-2150 shoes Sunday. They were still in serviceable condition but had accumulated 517 miles. That seems like a lot to me. I'm hard on shoes and they tend to wear out/break down in various ways between 300 and 400 miles. I have no idea how many miles a training shoe can safely handle, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. I'll replace the GT-2150s with a new pair of their immediate successor, the GT-2160 that I bought on sale before Christmas. The latest shoe in the series, the GT-2170 is already out, but I want to take a look at other models, the ASICS Gel-Neo 33 for example, before committing to another pair of the GT series.
Right now, I need to put more miles on the Brooks PureFlow that I picked up last Thanksgiving at the Amica Seattle Marathon expo. I've only run in them twice, but I love the fit and the feel on the road and hope that they turn out to be durable. If so, I'll keep them in my shoe rotation and perhaps add the Brooks PureGrit as a trial shoe. Before I buy the PureGrit though, I'd like to see the new Saucony Kinvara TR, a trial-running cousin of the popular Kinvara. Both the PureGrit and Kinvara TR can be classified as minimalist shoes. The PureGrit weighs in at 8.9 oz. and the Kinvara TR at 8.5 oz. (For men's size 9)
I'm not sure when the Kinvara TR is coming out, but Saucony is rolling out the new Kinvara 3 in early May. I expect that the Kinvara TR won't be far behind.
I already have a pair of the Kinvara 2 shoes in my rotation, and they're great, but I'm concerned about their durability. So far, my concern is intuitive, not concrete. As in no evidence. So, we'll see. Right now, I'm using them exclusively for speed work, but I'm considering wearing them for the Colorado Marathon. The alternative is the ASICS Speedstar 5 that I ran in for the Seattle Marathon and the Capital City (Olympia, WA) Marathon last year.
Showing posts with label Brooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brooks. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Shoes R Us
The weather girl on the local Fox affiliate lamented last night that it looks like we're in for another spell of "boring weather." I almost jumped out of my chair. Boring weather is a good thing. To news-people, a string of unseasonably mild, sunny days is boring, as in bad. To the rest of us, it's good news. We can get outside more and stay longer. The furnace will run less and we'll save on the heating bill this month. Where's the downside?
"If it bleeds, it leads," is the mantra of television news. Bad news for you and me is good news for journalists. Have you ever noticed how excited the folks at the Weather Channel get when there's a hurricane churning up in the Atlantic? They seem to forget that hurricanes mean death for some people and loss of homes for many others. To the Weather Channel, hurricanes mean eyeballs, and eyeballs mean advertising revenue.
Anyway, I've been loving this winter's boring weather. And, today is another example. Although we got a dusting (less than an inch) of snow overnight, we're quickly warming into the 30s with sunshine and light winds. I took advantage by doing a leisurely one-hour maintenance run this morning. Since the weather wasn't chasing me back inside, I followed it up with a two-mile walk. Just to be out longer. Burn a few more calories. Be pleasantly bored!
Tomorrow is cross training. Friday is another maintenance run. Saturday is cross training. And, Sunday is the season's first speed workout. I'll do 4 x 1 mile repeats at a pace to be determined. Probably 9:30.
As regular readers of this blog know, I'm a running-shoe junkie: http://runningthrutwenty12.blogspot.com/2012/01/channeling-my-inner-imelda-marcos.html
So, it'll come as no surprise that I'm always on the lookout for intriguing new shoes. I've already reported that I'm looking forward to the May 1 intro of the Kinvara 3. That's not all. Yesterday, I came across another promising new shoe: the ASICS Gel-Fuji Racer. Right now, my go-to shoe for trail races is the Saucony Peregrine. I ran the Madison, Wisc., North Face Endurance Challenge 50K last September in the Peregrine and experienced no problems. What attracted me to the Peregrine was the weight: 10.2 oz. Given the cushioning and support, that's excellent. But, the Gel-Fuji Racer promises to deliver similar cushioning and support in a shoe weighing only 8.7 oz. If ASICS can deliver, the Gel-Fuji will find lots of fans.
I've thought about taking a closer look at the Brooks PureGrit, the trail model in their popular new Pure series. The PureGrit comes in at an advertised 8.9 oz. That's plenty light for a trail shoe. I own a pair of the PureFlow, but I haven't taken them out of the box. I've had them for over two months now and need to give them a try. My son likes his PureFlow's, but is ambivalent about his PureGrit's.
I'm somewhat amazed that Brooks can build a trail shoe (the PureGrit) that's only .2 oz. heavier than its road-shoe cousin (the PureFlow). Considering the extra hazards of trail racing--rocks, roots, mud, etc.--that a trial shoe needs to protect against, .2 oz. isn't much.
"If it bleeds, it leads," is the mantra of television news. Bad news for you and me is good news for journalists. Have you ever noticed how excited the folks at the Weather Channel get when there's a hurricane churning up in the Atlantic? They seem to forget that hurricanes mean death for some people and loss of homes for many others. To the Weather Channel, hurricanes mean eyeballs, and eyeballs mean advertising revenue.
Anyway, I've been loving this winter's boring weather. And, today is another example. Although we got a dusting (less than an inch) of snow overnight, we're quickly warming into the 30s with sunshine and light winds. I took advantage by doing a leisurely one-hour maintenance run this morning. Since the weather wasn't chasing me back inside, I followed it up with a two-mile walk. Just to be out longer. Burn a few more calories. Be pleasantly bored!
Tomorrow is cross training. Friday is another maintenance run. Saturday is cross training. And, Sunday is the season's first speed workout. I'll do 4 x 1 mile repeats at a pace to be determined. Probably 9:30.
As regular readers of this blog know, I'm a running-shoe junkie: http://runningthrutwenty12.blogspot.com/2012/01/channeling-my-inner-imelda-marcos.html
So, it'll come as no surprise that I'm always on the lookout for intriguing new shoes. I've already reported that I'm looking forward to the May 1 intro of the Kinvara 3. That's not all. Yesterday, I came across another promising new shoe: the ASICS Gel-Fuji Racer. Right now, my go-to shoe for trail races is the Saucony Peregrine. I ran the Madison, Wisc., North Face Endurance Challenge 50K last September in the Peregrine and experienced no problems. What attracted me to the Peregrine was the weight: 10.2 oz. Given the cushioning and support, that's excellent. But, the Gel-Fuji Racer promises to deliver similar cushioning and support in a shoe weighing only 8.7 oz. If ASICS can deliver, the Gel-Fuji will find lots of fans.
I've thought about taking a closer look at the Brooks PureGrit, the trail model in their popular new Pure series. The PureGrit comes in at an advertised 8.9 oz. That's plenty light for a trail shoe. I own a pair of the PureFlow, but I haven't taken them out of the box. I've had them for over two months now and need to give them a try. My son likes his PureFlow's, but is ambivalent about his PureGrit's.
I'm somewhat amazed that Brooks can build a trail shoe (the PureGrit) that's only .2 oz. heavier than its road-shoe cousin (the PureFlow). Considering the extra hazards of trail racing--rocks, roots, mud, etc.--that a trial shoe needs to protect against, .2 oz. isn't much.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Channeling My Inner Imelda Marcos
Today was another relatively typical winter day in Hog Heaven with temps in the low 30's and moderate winds. The only difference from yesterday is that the sun is hiding today. I did a typical one-hour mid-week maintenance run this morning. Nice and slow. That finishes my recovery from Sunday's long run. After a day of cross training tomorrow, I have a hill workout scheduled for Friday. The only potential problem is the weather. Right now, the Friday forecast calls for a chance of snow showers. A forecast of show showers indicates that the snow, if it materializes, will be light and intermittent, so it won't be a game-changer. But, hill repeats are enough of a challenge already. Anyway, as my mom used to say, "Don't buy trouble." For those of you not into folksy wisdom, that means don't worry about something until it happens.
For those who don't remember, Imelda Marcos is the former Philippine First Lady (wife of the late President Ferdinand Marcos), whose extravagance sparked outrage among Filipinos. Mrs. Marcos was especially fond of shoes, and owned no less than 2700 pairs. That's enough shoes to wear a different pair every day for seven years without wearing the same shoe twice.
Now, I'm the kind of guy that Benjamin Franklin would have loved. "A penny saved . . ." "There are no gains, without pains," "Get what you can, and what you get hold," etc. If I have a weakness, it's running shoes. I hate to admit it, but I own seven pairs at the moment: Asics GT-2150, Asics GT-2160, Asics GT-2160 Trail, Saucony Kinvara 2, Saucony Peregrine, Brooks PureFlow, and Brooks Adrenaline. BUT, the GT-2150s have over 400 miles on them and are near the end of their useful life as training shoes. Ditto the GT-2160 Trail shoes which have over 450 miles on them. PLUS, I have yet to wear the Brooks PureFlow that I bought at the Amica Seattle Marathon expo back in late November. DOUBLEPLUS, the Peregrine is another trial shoe.
Anyway, despite my protestations above, I'm a sucker for a new running shoe. And, right now, I've got my eye on the new Saucony Kinvara 3 that is scheduled to debut on May 1. I'll be wearing my Kinvara 2's in the Colorado Marathon on May 6, and the Kinvara 3 will be my reward for a job-well-done.
The shoe companies are always busy looking for a competitive edge and that means a smorgasbord of new-shoe choices for runners. If you're eager to see what's coming in 2012, check out this two-part sneak-peak from Competitor magazine here: http://running.competitor.com/2011/12/shoes-and-gear/a-sneak-peek-at-2012-running-footwear-part-i_43837, and here: http://running.competitor.com/2011/12/shoes-and-gear/a-sneak-peek-at-2012-running-footwear-part-ii_43903
For a closer view of my next must-have shoe, the Saucony Kinvara 3, see here: http://running.competitor.com/2012/01/videos/less-is-more-in-the-saucony-kinvara-3_45120
For those who don't remember, Imelda Marcos is the former Philippine First Lady (wife of the late President Ferdinand Marcos), whose extravagance sparked outrage among Filipinos. Mrs. Marcos was especially fond of shoes, and owned no less than 2700 pairs. That's enough shoes to wear a different pair every day for seven years without wearing the same shoe twice.
Now, I'm the kind of guy that Benjamin Franklin would have loved. "A penny saved . . ." "There are no gains, without pains," "Get what you can, and what you get hold," etc. If I have a weakness, it's running shoes. I hate to admit it, but I own seven pairs at the moment: Asics GT-2150, Asics GT-2160, Asics GT-2160 Trail, Saucony Kinvara 2, Saucony Peregrine, Brooks PureFlow, and Brooks Adrenaline. BUT, the GT-2150s have over 400 miles on them and are near the end of their useful life as training shoes. Ditto the GT-2160 Trail shoes which have over 450 miles on them. PLUS, I have yet to wear the Brooks PureFlow that I bought at the Amica Seattle Marathon expo back in late November. DOUBLEPLUS, the Peregrine is another trial shoe.
Anyway, despite my protestations above, I'm a sucker for a new running shoe. And, right now, I've got my eye on the new Saucony Kinvara 3 that is scheduled to debut on May 1. I'll be wearing my Kinvara 2's in the Colorado Marathon on May 6, and the Kinvara 3 will be my reward for a job-well-done.
The shoe companies are always busy looking for a competitive edge and that means a smorgasbord of new-shoe choices for runners. If you're eager to see what's coming in 2012, check out this two-part sneak-peak from Competitor magazine here: http://running.competitor.com/2011/12/shoes-and-gear/a-sneak-peek-at-2012-running-footwear-part-i_43837, and here: http://running.competitor.com/2011/12/shoes-and-gear/a-sneak-peek-at-2012-running-footwear-part-ii_43903
For a closer view of my next must-have shoe, the Saucony Kinvara 3, see here: http://running.competitor.com/2012/01/videos/less-is-more-in-the-saucony-kinvara-3_45120
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