tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82722025662933685752024-03-12T19:25:49.646-07:00Am I a Runner Yet?Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-33598530276643825322013-03-11T22:40:00.001-07:002013-03-11T22:42:38.028-07:00Race Report: Running Is My High 2013Just came back from a local 5K in Oakland, CA. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjKbIoQEHyI">Running Is My High</a> is a charity 5K/10K to support healthcare availability in the local Native American community and the atmosphere really reflected the casual exercise + health-centric nature of the race. In fact, the race was open to anyone, regardless if you registered or not. Registration netted you the bib, time chip and a pretty cool hat or bag. There weren't any sporting brands at the "expo," mostly healthcare organization info booths. As someone in the healthcare field with a deep interest in social support and physical activity events as under-promoted strategies to combat chronic health problems, I never really gave it a second thought as to whether I was going to register. I had actually registered last year but got called up to work a shift a the last second and didn't end up running.<br />
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Oakland Lake Merritt is one of the more beautiful parts of the city. I know a lot of folks imagine Oakland as an inner-city cesspool, but there are certainly gems to find all over the place and Lake Merritt is one of them. The 5K course is basically a run around the lake and what makes it nice for a competitive runner is that the lake course is USATF certified as a 5K. My GPS read it as 3.28 miles, the extra distance to which I attribute to some recent construction blocking the normal route. Its incredibly flat over 85% pavement with a smattering of packed dirt trails. One rolling hill over a bridge and that's it. I consider it one of my primary training grounds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1DUB_4O8DCsCO3hj1-0xTlf-P89HOdmo8QFwCeN4LOWaoV45AUYDTx11iJ-LIDhBYAaxiVIukbTmkdVgSlzsKxsy5eaniM_n2Pw9rRfjbe_tgp0_GwN3LyHWW-yFsBhgdD0xXXV6R6M/s1600/merrittpostcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1DUB_4O8DCsCO3hj1-0xTlf-P89HOdmo8QFwCeN4LOWaoV45AUYDTx11iJ-LIDhBYAaxiVIukbTmkdVgSlzsKxsy5eaniM_n2Pw9rRfjbe_tgp0_GwN3LyHWW-yFsBhgdD0xXXV6R6M/s400/merrittpostcard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oakland Lake Merritt.</td></tr>
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Start time was newbie and recreational runner friendly at 9am. About 450 runners registered, a record for this race. After picking up my bib and running swag (a well made running cap), I started warming up 20 minutes before the gun in my Vivobarefoot Ultras. I picked them up office shoes as my back just can't handle super high heel lifts of dress shoes anymore. Been one of the best shoe purchases I've made and I'll be posting a review on them soon. I noticed the casual nature of the crowd, with only one other person wearing racers (Lisa with the cool looking New Balance 1600s). A few strides here and there and I laced up my <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/mizuno-wave-ekiden-in-depth-preview.html">Mizuno Ekidens</a>, ready to race and taking a spot right at the front of the pack.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swag.</td></tr>
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After a few words from guest speakers on the topics of Native Americans and the state of health along with running heritage (which was pretty motivational), we took off. As this was a casual crowd, it was no surprise to see a couple of teens take off at a good 5:30/mile pace. While high school track kids can certainly pull this kind of pace off, judging from the dress of the sprinters (basketball shorts), I made the assumption that they were simply misjudging their race pace by quite a bit and weren't actually trying to establish position. I made the decision to pull back to an early 6:30/mile pace for about a quarter mile before settling into my 7:05/mile target pace. This paid off by the end of mile 1, when just about all the early sprinters began to drop off rapidly. As it was hectic in the beginning, I couldn't tell how many were in front of me. I could see Lisa, whom I had seen at a previous race in which I volunteered and I knew her to be around the 21:00/5K mark. I considered trying to pace her but felt she was probably too fast and would burn me out early. I decided on a steady 7:05/mile even splits race, even though I felt I could push it to 6:50/mile. I was treating this race as a practice run for my real goal: <a href="http://www.oaklandmarathon.com/site10.aspx">The Oakland Running Festival</a> coming up in two weeks.<br />
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Two males began to catch up and slowly pulled ahead of me. I decided not to give chase until I was in the final 0.5 miles of the race. At this point we hit construction, and after nearly getting lost, I found my way up a bridge. This rolling hill caused the last of the teenagers to drop out. At around this point I got to test out some offroading for my Ekidens as I had to make a course correction by running through a severe downhill slope of woodchips. I was expecting lots of pointing jaggies stabbing my foot, but the Ekidens were surprisingly tough.<br />
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For mile 2 through 2.5 I was just about alone (or so I thought). I could spot Lisa about 200 meters ahead, a teenager about 100 meters ahead and one male who had passed me keeping a steady 30 meters distance from me. I was never able to catch him, but I did catch up to the teenager as he began to gas in the final quarter mile. At this point in my head I knew there were at least 4 males ahead of me along with Lisa. I had already given up on placing as I couldn't even spot any of the males other than the teenager now pulling away again. I began to gas myself and was entering the "just push it" section of the race. When I spotted the finish line about 100 meters ahead, I put myself into 70% sprint speed, figuring I would just finish it strong but not give it my all to save myself for the Oakland race. The crowd was roaring as I came in, which surprised me a bit. I found out why about 10 meters from the finish line as a teenager sprinted past me at full speed.<br />
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I learned from my exacerbated friend 5 seconds later that that teen took 3rd place from me. I hadn't realized that the 2 other adults who were ahead of me were actually part of the 10K race. I guess I'm maturing in my racing career because I just had a little laugh about it. I switched to my Vivobarefoot Ultras, which felt like Heaven at this point. Grabbed some free snacks and introduced myself to Lisa (she won the women's division!). At this point the teen who beat me by a few meters came up kind of upset as he had looked at the printed results and claimed he wasn't on the list at all and wanted me to talk to the organizers. I was a little turned off by how seriously he was taking it, but hey, who knows, making sure he got the recognition for his running achievement might encourage him to get deeper into the sport (he was wearing basketball shorts, so I was assuming he was a newbie like me). Which would be a good thing and very much in the spirit of this particular charity race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHJnLXl4T6SSTGS2GDTzwNFdB5lL1P30hHYrlHowwSXTGNlpD0G5JPbkwlhee_KXnWjKuwIDPA6adOtCqKBEdRjYkEd0hKAgYBCN375iHKWF_4Trxlib_By7nYPvArVP14N07obh_Ywg/s1600/photo+(48).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHJnLXl4T6SSTGS2GDTzwNFdB5lL1P30hHYrlHowwSXTGNlpD0G5JPbkwlhee_KXnWjKuwIDPA6adOtCqKBEdRjYkEd0hKAgYBCN375iHKWF_4Trxlib_By7nYPvArVP14N07obh_Ywg/s400/photo+(48).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best. Post-race shoes. Ever.</td></tr>
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After a quick talk we corrected it with the timers. I and the organizer who witnessed the "sprint off" held back a chuckle when the timer asked the excited teen how much further ahead he thought he was of me by the finish and he replied with an answer of 12 seconds. My estimate was maybe 0.5 seconds (3 meters at sprint speed), but I went ahead and said 2 seconds. Organizer agreed to that. We discovered at that point that the reason his time didn't registered is because he tied the wrong strip for his D-chip to his shoe. Definitely a newbie.<br />
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And that was it. I had a great time, $15 for a timed race was insanely cheap, got to meet a fellow runner whom I expect to meet very often from this point on (I even convinced her to race the Oakland Running Festival with me!......so I can secretly pace her, haha), got some swag, contributed to a good charity, tested out my Mizuno Ekidens in race conditions and got a good estimate of my abilities for the upcoming Oakland 5K, which holds particular importance to me as it will be my 1 year anniversary racing.<br />
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And oh, final time: 23:24. Exactly matching my Oakland 5K time from last year. Except this race was 0.12 miles longer on my GPS watch and I definitely wasn't going all out. Goal in two weeks: sub-22. Wish me luck.Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0Oakland, CA, USA37.8043637 -122.271113737.6035952 -122.5938372 38.005132200000006 -121.9483902tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-91302846377845103912013-02-27T21:37:00.005-08:002013-03-03T21:09:38.717-08:00Tips No One Told Me: Shoe PartsBelow is a list of stuff I always found annoying as a total newbie reading about running and would have to look up. Even then, half the time the definition or concept wasn't spelled out (I like to tell people to explain things to me like I'm five).<br />
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<b>Upper:</b> It's the soft "clothey" parts of the shoe that hugs over your feet. Everything that isn't the insole, midsole and outsole. Basically the part of the shoe you're not stepping on. When I was a newb newb I imagined that this only referred to the tongue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsdYkwtK3CYVrE2LqdhxNRIvf2r5fUig3kqU3lEZgPQMvvD1o6599sC17tMCvPCLCS4cMIk_1vkyLibNNeZIgr_hcCr56R2XbOVk39jvW_UPCk-YmHuJZJ03jXCUuAlqBnfWm__D1Auw/s1600/shoeupper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsdYkwtK3CYVrE2LqdhxNRIvf2r5fUig3kqU3lEZgPQMvvD1o6599sC17tMCvPCLCS4cMIk_1vkyLibNNeZIgr_hcCr56R2XbOVk39jvW_UPCk-YmHuJZJ03jXCUuAlqBnfWm__D1Auw/s1600/shoeupper.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper</td></tr>
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<b>Midsole:</b> It's the part of the sole that does most of the cushioning. Generally shoes have a removable piece of smooth cushioning called the insole. This is the piece you're usually directly stepping on. Under that is the midsole, most often the foamy white "meat" of the sole. When I was a newb newb I thought <i>everything</i> you were stepping on was called the midsole. I was wrong. It was insole-midsole-outsole.<br />
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<b>Outsole:</b> This is the "hard" piece of rubber stuff under the meaty midsole. The outsole often isn't one piece, instead made up of patches of hard rubber under the midsole at highly used contact points with the ground, in order to extend the life of the shoe. Otherwise, the soft midsole would wear away quickly. Many minimalist shoes barely have an outsole at all, instead having just a few patches of rubber lugs and leaving the rest of the midsole exposed. This contributes to the relatively short life of minimalist shoes. Personally, I don't like outsole material as I find them to neutralize some of the shock absorbing quality of the midsole. I've actually had cobblers shave off the outsole on some of my shoes (pics to come).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCh7TIcl75SMFnQhZQJ1pGQLwJaG-2TIDpkZrCRexHdGJBKAyQhrBkrPHxqgw0o4rywG1q6mHnmhp5I02CYXxv3d4R3qhdFlMBhUB-zPUNgesOjlSV-QDyDW3-qj9_RpOcixYNcJZDTbg/s1600/outsole.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCh7TIcl75SMFnQhZQJ1pGQLwJaG-2TIDpkZrCRexHdGJBKAyQhrBkrPHxqgw0o4rywG1q6mHnmhp5I02CYXxv3d4R3qhdFlMBhUB-zPUNgesOjlSV-QDyDW3-qj9_RpOcixYNcJZDTbg/s400/outsole.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Laces: </b>Yeah, we all know what shoelaces are. The key is that there are generally two main kinds, flat and round. Most people prefer flat laces as they feel it relieves pressure on top of the foot (when the laces are twisted, anyways). Round laces on the other hand, are stronger and last longer, which is why they come on hiking boots. I personally think round laces look cooler, too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkKuCbOk_IySpLMB4mIJEzpnMx5zEgxD_Ov51Qui8xsdVerqn4zSc1qdzY4-VL_dyup0EcVDX0lucgtkaWVKcf8CmIU5o-9z-XhLp5bE7HLgWOrw2W6iHHP8iiCcnPIUV-njRWWLxDOA/s1600/round+laces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkKuCbOk_IySpLMB4mIJEzpnMx5zEgxD_Ov51Qui8xsdVerqn4zSc1qdzY4-VL_dyup0EcVDX0lucgtkaWVKcf8CmIU5o-9z-XhLp5bE7HLgWOrw2W6iHHP8iiCcnPIUV-njRWWLxDOA/s1600/round+laces.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To some people, barbwire.</td></tr>
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<b>Toebox:</b> I consider this part to be from the forefoot and on. Basically, the widest part of your foot and on, not just the toes themselves. In "barefoot" style running, often associated with minimalist running, the ability of the toes to splay (spread) onto the ground becomes more crucial in order to dissipate shock and to induce good running form. Eventually, most people prefer to stick with shoes with wide toeboxes once they run minimalist, partly because your toe and footshape itself can start changing (no, really).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsciCivlJ2b4pEVbWZT5Kw_a_GZzFE7t0bPncGMDfD2pV7qtGlF54dxSlkIdBP5eiqguxm3cHC1lEEFIw1z1W-Fdk2HZQlUH70n7yZvw5Zvp1QmgTMGbj1iSNtdqroPJaSylV4LRpzB8/s1600/toebox.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsciCivlJ2b4pEVbWZT5Kw_a_GZzFE7t0bPncGMDfD2pV7qtGlF54dxSlkIdBP5eiqguxm3cHC1lEEFIw1z1W-Fdk2HZQlUH70n7yZvw5Zvp1QmgTMGbj1iSNtdqroPJaSylV4LRpzB8/s400/toebox.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is why some minimalist shoes look so funky. Because they actually follow the shape of a human foot.</td></tr>
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<b>Heel counter: </b>The hard thing that keeps the <a href="http://www.feetrelief.com/feetrelief/heel_counter.html">back part of the upper stiff</a>. Shoes have varying degrees of firmness and support to them, which minimalist runners preferring less heel counter (surprise!). The advantage of them is that they give support and heel stability. The disadvantage is that some people hate support and believe it's best to let the body do its own thing. Heel counters also add weight. Lastly, shoes without heel counters feel super comfy (check out the Nike Frees as an example).<br />
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<b>Overlay: </b>It's the hard stiff material manufacturers use to add structural support on the outside of the mesh upper. If you were to take a look at the Asics line of shoes, they clearly use the Asics "criss cross" design to double as structural support for the shoe, which helps it hug your foot and give the shoe its shape.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCh7TIcl75SMFnQhZQJ1pGQLwJaG-2TIDpkZrCRexHdGJBKAyQhrBkrPHxqgw0o4rywG1q6mHnmhp5I02CYXxv3d4R3qhdFlMBhUB-zPUNgesOjlSV-QDyDW3-qj9_RpOcixYNcJZDTbg/s1600/outsole.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCh7TIcl75SMFnQhZQJ1pGQLwJaG-2TIDpkZrCRexHdGJBKAyQhrBkrPHxqgw0o4rywG1q6mHnmhp5I02CYXxv3d4R3qhdFlMBhUB-zPUNgesOjlSV-QDyDW3-qj9_RpOcixYNcJZDTbg/s400/outsole.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The black lines on the side.</td></tr>
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<br />Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-19754217716190443022013-02-24T22:23:00.002-08:002013-02-24T23:00:40.642-08:00Skechers GoRun Ride - Early ImpressionSo I decided to exchange my <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/skechers-gorun-speed-unboxing-preview.html">Gorun Speeds </a>and head completely the other way and pick up a pair of the GoRun Rides instead. Reason being that I had already just picked up a pair of the Mizuno Ekidens and was still in the process of breaking them in when my friend purchased the Gorun Speeds for me. The soles were simply too firm for me to run in comfortably (or even safely, as I developed some shin pain early on with those shoes). I figured having four racers in my rotation was a little overboard and what I really needed was a cushioned long run trainer. I decided towards the GoRun Rides rather than the GoRun 2s as the tapered toe-box in the new GoRun 2s really turned me off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuPR5fPKrvyydt0AWaOd947CWOuVvO4v2fn9Xj2-9bcZ3rKDsSGrqeGxiEaLht9MDCTvOxZcFF5SGS8WhSbkwXZb5pAOCNFxI7gpesJgUCGs7vEOEO8F0Swo6l4TaIqOxFtEfjaasDHA/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuPR5fPKrvyydt0AWaOd947CWOuVvO4v2fn9Xj2-9bcZ3rKDsSGrqeGxiEaLht9MDCTvOxZcFF5SGS8WhSbkwXZb5pAOCNFxI7gpesJgUCGs7vEOEO8F0Swo6l4TaIqOxFtEfjaasDHA/s640/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skechers GoRun Rides brand new out of the box.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1324931636"></span><span id="goog_1324931637"></span><br />
This is actually the second pair of Go Run Rides, as the first pair had a manufacturing defect (more on that below). So that made it TWO exchanges I made at the San Francisco Skechers store without any hassle. Have I mentioned how much I love the folks who work there?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND9FgUkO7SfwnXb3Ot3NrhAr52Rv2mDV9s4tlkfbMpUIqlhYdMPKh4Q8ETWQRzz1MBHMsoEYDrPGZu_uWejZFasfj0ezZJStoAQuOxfuLYD57rDZpLb4BZgEXUlvpJ9H898kcF5mHALQ/s1600/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND9FgUkO7SfwnXb3Ot3NrhAr52Rv2mDV9s4tlkfbMpUIqlhYdMPKh4Q8ETWQRzz1MBHMsoEYDrPGZu_uWejZFasfj0ezZJStoAQuOxfuLYD57rDZpLb4BZgEXUlvpJ9H898kcF5mHALQ/s400/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They look kind of wide and heavy, but are in fact super light. As light as most racers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHmkhB1CI307QFNl9xXyjhmX1JwS2mmtlEtHIzrpgVV_IdXAN0JEJh8b0d1wF8vjgOnVGh7LWDkfXwfnABXFI1TtK_Ynktqg0FPjbmuV0UC-lNbgIY4b97hZ1Pl-BQTmRnwTGXR_BENc/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHmkhB1CI307QFNl9xXyjhmX1JwS2mmtlEtHIzrpgVV_IdXAN0JEJh8b0d1wF8vjgOnVGh7LWDkfXwfnABXFI1TtK_Ynktqg0FPjbmuV0UC-lNbgIY4b97hZ1Pl-BQTmRnwTGXR_BENc/s400/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While I wouldn't say the wideness gives you significant stability, the Rides don't feel<br />
nearly as nimble as the regular GoRuns.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My very first impression just slipping them on: COMFY. My mother actually thought they were hospital recovery shoes when I had her try them on. The upper is similar to the regular GoRun 1 but with a more accommodating toebox. You feel a very distinctive "squish" when walking in these. Some have compared it to the Saucony Kinvara, but I feel like these are much cushier than the Kinvaras (note: I have the Kinvara 1s and have heard the more popular Kinvara 2s are a tad cushier). They are by far the cushiest shoe I own. This isn't necessarily a good thing for a lot of people and I personally own mostly firm shoes. But that's why I chose these, to go to the other end of the spectrum and hope they would work for me. And they have so far.<br />
<br />
One of the most distinctive traits of the GoRun series is the M-strike technology. Whether this specifically refers to the fact that the mid-sole is thickest in the mid-foot or to the cutaway heel or both, I'm not sure. But the result is a claimed disposition towards a mid-foot strike and for once, a claimed gimmick for a shoe clearly works. Not only do I distinctly feel myself running with a mid-foot stride and strike, the sole wear confirms it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubFb9mNulg7e-jKDDFvyHaMQm64J1VxxiozzopYNLiCVEdbSbTCAXhyphenhyphenFgKWn9oVnyjxfV13ke5nMC-tB49E7NLWGVGmwh9R7YYun3kMGhIL3PgyytF2xQKQmyE3MStacNpHpGZjviG_g/s1600/photo+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubFb9mNulg7e-jKDDFvyHaMQm64J1VxxiozzopYNLiCVEdbSbTCAXhyphenhyphenFgKWn9oVnyjxfV13ke5nMC-tB49E7NLWGVGmwh9R7YYun3kMGhIL3PgyytF2xQKQmyE3MStacNpHpGZjviG_g/s400/photo+%252819%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sole of the GoRun Ride. The white pillars are super squishy Resalyte EVA compound. The black pillars are much firmer carbon rubber-type compound that are supposed to give your feet tactile feedback and encourage a mid-foot strike. I personally found the pillars a little bit too firm in the GoRuns, but the extra cushioning of the GoRun Rides neutralizes this.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4xAkFzM45H6IL-o9OO51GVMsMEKpzUMpnwK9u1q45I96EZHGV2IIvooY6Op8LvXCKIO2RwOOvhN6C0T_BMQpNHEZ5c2LV12I6NcJzV0pw9vE_ohjq4q2oYJmpZwryevFBr_heAvZiSA/s1600/photo+(31).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4xAkFzM45H6IL-o9OO51GVMsMEKpzUMpnwK9u1q45I96EZHGV2IIvooY6Op8LvXCKIO2RwOOvhN6C0T_BMQpNHEZ5c2LV12I6NcJzV0pw9vE_ohjq4q2oYJmpZwryevFBr_heAvZiSA/s400/photo+(31).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wear on the sole. Note the clean heel. Most of the dirt on the heel is probably<br />
from me putting my heel down as I drive my car. Also note that the criss-cross Go Impulse sensor is more towards the heel than in the Go Run 1s. I suspect this may encourage a semi-heelstrike.</td></tr>
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I've run a total of about 12 miles on them now. No need to break them in. Any breaking in pretty much occurs within the first mile as I've detected no change since then. They feel just as they're marketed: the big cushy brother of the regular GoRuns. They weigh just a skosh more (a reported 0.2 ounces more), are wider, both on the sole and in the upper, have significantly more cushion, and don't have nearly as pronounced a "hump" feeling on the midfoot like the GoRuns, making these very walkeable (though I definitely wouldn't wear them as casual kicks to walk in). Related to these traits, they also don't feel nearly as nimble and fun as the GoRuns, which made you want to just run faster for no reason all the time like some never ending fartlek. I wouldn't call these slow, but to give you an idea, I just came back from a tempo run today and while I felt a perceived effort of 7:15/mile (close to my threshold pace), I looked down at my GPS to see it clocking at 7:30. If you are looking for a 5K racer, this is not it. The comfy squish sucks away some energy and pop and minimizes ground feel. They are also the lowest in ground feel of any athletic shoe I have (including my basketball high tops). I actually run over these bumps San Francisco places at intersections to compare ground feel in different shoes when I'm running.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EpsG786P1JCvJGxKBLaQics3U-XbxumKnj8xgGmpDLeaatOhPt7gQn-X-QpMEnMeZZ-JPnj5cp1Og33-OSDqQs4Im7KaSh2mEgnVEdeBfj_dk-EFRrhUi97B-gE23540xmdYXgeIo5g/s1600/photo+(32).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EpsG786P1JCvJGxKBLaQics3U-XbxumKnj8xgGmpDLeaatOhPt7gQn-X-QpMEnMeZZ-JPnj5cp1Og33-OSDqQs4Im7KaSh2mEgnVEdeBfj_dk-EFRrhUi97B-gE23540xmdYXgeIo5g/s400/photo+(32).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy. I feel almost no bumps through the sole of the GoRun Rides.</td></tr>
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Comfort level is again, high. The upper is reminiscent of the Nike Frees and offer very little support. They are a stretchy elastic polyester-type material with decent breathability and is mostly seamless. The insole is significantly thick and was somewhat rougher as I did develop blisters on the bottom of my feet under the big toes on my first 3 mile run and then again on my second 3 mile run with these shoes. Both times they appeared around the end of the run and continuedly lessened. On today's 5 mile run, I did not get any blisters. I do not wear socks. I also suspect that my first pair was so significantly "off" that they were partly the source of the blisters.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u4FzGUViMf3YUQ9vyvagIrLPMzmTz9dBCGEDd4NR2WT662wKpKpcsxG4UlDmJD-0df73jQZN_w_jYsJrdp4BnqG8nvqEgqt_pJKF7yCsNP43KFEvdcWIsVQcRCVIEWCbxy85AYCgyqA/s1600/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u4FzGUViMf3YUQ9vyvagIrLPMzmTz9dBCGEDd4NR2WT662wKpKpcsxG4UlDmJD-0df73jQZN_w_jYsJrdp4BnqG8nvqEgqt_pJKF7yCsNP43KFEvdcWIsVQcRCVIEWCbxy85AYCgyqA/s400/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear of the shoes on my new pair.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-L3Sj9tR_lHdmy4lyG_682bn1gFSOiuhIW4qeYtG0_O2FgoIX6T4JkWN527ieOvzQmbGNH7_pD8WTN6prco4W4DIJVdVWzg4fZHiGBoVsnkbchWO-g7PS6MYUuWqzwjvHK7T92z6uq8/s1600/photo+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-L3Sj9tR_lHdmy4lyG_682bn1gFSOiuhIW4qeYtG0_O2FgoIX6T4JkWN527ieOvzQmbGNH7_pD8WTN6prco4W4DIJVdVWzg4fZHiGBoVsnkbchWO-g7PS6MYUuWqzwjvHK7T92z6uq8/s400/photo+%252830%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear of the shoes on my first defective pair. Note the left midsole's uneveness which I could<br />
feel while running. This pair also had a tighter toe box.</td></tr>
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There are no reflective material on the shoe that I could find, so night runners take note. The laces are flat and do not cut on top of the foot. However, I found the ankle locking ability of this shoe sub-par, even with the "Vari-lock" holes. They are simply too low to offer good leverage even with a lace-locking setup. There is no heel-counter to speak of, but the heel collar runs a tiny bit lower than I would like. I believe 1/2 size up would net me the perfect heel collar height.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV_QK_x87h-PBTo3qM5akswhto-Uet0qHCjWpR2OHIXwokz3IKbiPzNWfmiwDRf5hCeqLUVzHOWZH-CODvQiEEiPyx8OAUIt3TbQ48PVHREUJjoucQq2sBr2-1OfbcQSD2yKLYsLqRjw/s1600/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV_QK_x87h-PBTo3qM5akswhto-Uet0qHCjWpR2OHIXwokz3IKbiPzNWfmiwDRf5hCeqLUVzHOWZH-CODvQiEEiPyx8OAUIt3TbQ48PVHREUJjoucQq2sBr2-1OfbcQSD2yKLYsLqRjw/s400/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like "Vari-lock" is too fancy a name for extra holes that most running shoes already have.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAANrGQvAi2g-SbOOO38bq5H1g2VSrKye73UUS0Mcvs7KjaJNNmCoTdIUEqLov60DxqSP9mo61y6_nAF2p9t-Ecp4t6mjLWV8U62gbwLHBEOgYKC0PWjSQTfW887L3LySQ6uiA4d8QO04/s1600/photo+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAANrGQvAi2g-SbOOO38bq5H1g2VSrKye73UUS0Mcvs7KjaJNNmCoTdIUEqLov60DxqSP9mo61y6_nAF2p9t-Ecp4t6mjLWV8U62gbwLHBEOgYKC0PWjSQTfW887L3LySQ6uiA4d8QO04/s400/photo+%252824%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These may be reflective, I'm not sure. It may be enough to stop a Hot Wheel car.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4D7iBlUP0B5ZiiDEgWJ6RdiTZGkS8azlcpO8xMJ1NrjUwERm0uTei-yIvsVZ7D26kb1uVKlNKZz6yfto4MLDs009140YVQ_Kfj3fhQMojshTbpx8EVv3J8HqMn30BoAT8j9rQKTkias/s1600/photo+%252826%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4D7iBlUP0B5ZiiDEgWJ6RdiTZGkS8azlcpO8xMJ1NrjUwERm0uTei-yIvsVZ7D26kb1uVKlNKZz6yfto4MLDs009140YVQ_Kfj3fhQMojshTbpx8EVv3J8HqMn30BoAT8j9rQKTkias/s400/photo+%252826%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heel collar is comfy and completely disappear for me on the run, despite being a tad bit low.<br />
The shoe comes with an extra set of different colored laces, in this case an alternate grey.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HjDiEAoYdKZSQZf-nQMPad2W2uEVUL6JkZQT_cllslUB1npaKt3EdqUDBAsWRfuj42A-CKDnD2EiGz8kAMLkXBhlLUgCT7NHkPyma_YIO2hpiblb5llBO4mFu8xQ6xSmcdzko-PnHrc/s1600/photo+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HjDiEAoYdKZSQZf-nQMPad2W2uEVUL6JkZQT_cllslUB1npaKt3EdqUDBAsWRfuj42A-CKDnD2EiGz8kAMLkXBhlLUgCT7NHkPyma_YIO2hpiblb5llBO4mFu8xQ6xSmcdzko-PnHrc/s400/photo+%252816%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's one of those "completely collapsable heel counters" heel counters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ride is smooth and these are one of the quietest shoes I've run in, especially once you settle into the mid-foot stride. I find myself "gliding" along the ground even moreso than in my other shoes in which I mid-foot strike cleanly. Impact is low when running in these shoes both due to the ample cushioning and to the mid-foot strike. The mid-foot to toe transition is smooth probably because of the super flexible nature of the shoe itself but not effortless due to the squish and moderate stack height. Some may find it too "squishy." What I mean is I feel that as you land, you go through 80% of the compression very quickly before you finally get to the end where you feel surefooted enough to begin the toe off. On the topic of flexibility, these are one of those where you can fold it into a ball if you wanted to. Less so than the regular GoRuns because of the thicker mid-sole, however.<br />
<br />
Unlike the GoRuns, I DO feel like its possible to heel-strike in these, but I haven't naturally settled into that so I could not speak as to what that would feel like in these shoes. I recall that in the GoRun I had to lean forward and almost initiate a fore-foot strike to get the best stride out of them (which I think gave me that "fun nimble feeling" that the GoRuns are known for). I do not have to do that in these.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj4pHJuchVGwJ1i7TQhjrOJid5Ye263uPHeBulaapWxcM7dwbfXGu__OBDYBm-YlOZ3f1ei9Cex2t2_0qDOM6LKG7ytJjZjyy7ujT-Va5UoSxxqWXIKEwO38TobaDGEUAqdCidjJUjl4/s1600/photo+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj4pHJuchVGwJ1i7TQhjrOJid5Ye263uPHeBulaapWxcM7dwbfXGu__OBDYBm-YlOZ3f1ei9Cex2t2_0qDOM6LKG7ytJjZjyy7ujT-Va5UoSxxqWXIKEwO38TobaDGEUAqdCidjJUjl4/s400/photo+%252817%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The insoles. I recall the early production runs being green. On closer inspection, it looks like these are "spray painted" grey. Maybe it'll rub off after some more runs and I can confirm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQvCYqRKUkHDZCyw49mUI8wRIZS7LsZEyMuHehPJsnOxhuFfCW1vUmvWMg9lmU-jgQXggf1_3sReOWJqVcK6xibZbKwvkMRjb2y1rAsHaExHrbYtG63pKv7P45JibFBEo7jcOr0uIt18/s1600/photo+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQvCYqRKUkHDZCyw49mUI8wRIZS7LsZEyMuHehPJsnOxhuFfCW1vUmvWMg9lmU-jgQXggf1_3sReOWJqVcK6xibZbKwvkMRjb2y1rAsHaExHrbYtG63pKv7P45JibFBEo7jcOr0uIt18/s400/photo+%252823%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Insole is removable. I tried it once. Did not like the odd cushioning feeling and never tried again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Durability has been reported to be very high, at least 300 miles. In my experience with the GoRun 1s, I believe it as the sole never seemed to <i>ever</i> show any wear. Even my GoBionics have no signs of sole wear other than a gash from something gnarly I ran on. I suspect the upper will be the first to go on these.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHY_SVtMgLF8zNDHQAfE7098z2Rf1cLThmZP2fXpHpQX1JByAzzKtxmaShP7Gos2jFwBP3a3ATVYrCDhqQWUyzzDtLF-c_p3s6WZzzIXgZeVusL4h6ex_svi4YgD7foV5Ob2HOY_3hiE/s1600/photo+%252820%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHY_SVtMgLF8zNDHQAfE7098z2Rf1cLThmZP2fXpHpQX1JByAzzKtxmaShP7Gos2jFwBP3a3ATVYrCDhqQWUyzzDtLF-c_p3s6WZzzIXgZeVusL4h6ex_svi4YgD7foV5Ob2HOY_3hiE/s400/photo+%252820%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer view of the GoImpulse units.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzfbJyAHOBT0QaB14l8iI4vEJiaiNrDtlZol7gg1A0C4tzQxkxgUt7NrsXAXfu9VtFwPK5Y5C5Ogl3phXzTJNT4FdksOOMZBPomfZzG3i4p3YIJl-w3S7EBGJbE1tW-gLQycikcELimc/s1600/photo+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzfbJyAHOBT0QaB14l8iI4vEJiaiNrDtlZol7gg1A0C4tzQxkxgUt7NrsXAXfu9VtFwPK5Y5C5Ogl3phXzTJNT4FdksOOMZBPomfZzG3i4p3YIJl-w3S7EBGJbE1tW-gLQycikcELimc/s400/photo+%252821%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tend to wear out the tip quickly on shoes. I suspect these will be able to resist that.</td></tr>
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Weight is reported to be 7.9oz for men size 9 and 5.9oz for women's size 6. Forefoot stack height of 12mm, mid-foot of 19mm, heel of 16mm netting you a heel-drop of 4mm. It should be noted that every millimeter at the smaller sizes nets you a more severe ramp angle than for the larger sizes so that a 4mm in a small shoe will feel more severe than 4mm in a larger shoe. Higher heel-drop seems to be one of the factors that encourage a heel-strike. I wear smaller than average shoe size but found the M-strike to work just as it claims.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MI0uyNcFtmPqmZ_4fdWVcsUcTsSaZxVvncoRlssARp8swNrzUQNBxJ4X-0e1ni1JN5WfRyd247M6RKV3227BAyVAhVByctZaT7vw75XuBAYhDIrO_430kXukiAMa3KJ8MbTrJ2rBftY/s1600/photo+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MI0uyNcFtmPqmZ_4fdWVcsUcTsSaZxVvncoRlssARp8swNrzUQNBxJ4X-0e1ni1JN5WfRyd247M6RKV3227BAyVAhVByctZaT7vw75XuBAYhDIrO_430kXukiAMa3KJ8MbTrJ2rBftY/s400/photo+%252818%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front. The toe-box is wide enough that I don't have to alter the lacing scheme to free<br />
up toe-box room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLNHOO1hrI9QrkQFIeH8XBE3vLcgv7rv9h6geAhF8rQ2tNaeO0dTZU3U8_w6SfWc8bfitKXw9awhEtB25rIHED06Dn6gQuCvc5WspJBIJHQtEFLiTZk-lWwlZNHVPkmUYIbgyrWRzM5I/s1600/photo+%252827%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLNHOO1hrI9QrkQFIeH8XBE3vLcgv7rv9h6geAhF8rQ2tNaeO0dTZU3U8_w6SfWc8bfitKXw9awhEtB25rIHED06Dn6gQuCvc5WspJBIJHQtEFLiTZk-lWwlZNHVPkmUYIbgyrWRzM5I/s400/photo+%252827%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up. Note the mesh toe box. It's not super airy but more airy than a<br />
traditional trainer and airy enough for me. I don't recall getting swamp feet in these.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Early impression: I think I've found <i>one</i> of "the" shoes for me (I've given up on trying to find "the" shoe as I have too many needs. Just going to try to find "the shoes" from this point on). For me this will be the long run trainer both for easy runs and higher half-marathon pace long runs. I may occasionally take it out for tempo runs but I think I have better shoes for that. I've found these to be incredibly comfy both in regards to the upper and the ride due to the minimalist upper and non-minimalist mid-sole. And the fact that it still accomplishes the promised mid-foot strike without effort in such a cushy shoe with little ground feel is impressive to me. Style-wise, it's meh, but I wasn't able to snag the <a href="http://www.skechers.com/style/53572/skechers-gorun-ride-warrior/orlm">Warrior colorway</a>. I've found the price to be as low as $50 if you don't mind hideous colors and as high as $80 for the aforementioned Warrior colorway. It's too early to recommend this shoe yet but I'm having very positive impressions. I'm even starting to think this may be a good "gifting shoe" to get friends to run more.<br />
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I would love to hear other people's experiences with this shoe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NjATwDC4L6OFOHrUf2yDwIB_njwL7En244w2qE5axDjoEFSZlrC6LpBgslrWDPKYNpj0ygt7q5aVIBdmLHZI0-HlplVmRw9IoyeRlmzqm7dbCMuhJxqFNzDkNHjnmP_s1XZS0GmUOFo/s1600/photo+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NjATwDC4L6OFOHrUf2yDwIB_njwL7En244w2qE5axDjoEFSZlrC6LpBgslrWDPKYNpj0ygt7q5aVIBdmLHZI0-HlplVmRw9IoyeRlmzqm7dbCMuhJxqFNzDkNHjnmP_s1XZS0GmUOFo/s400/photo+%252822%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medial side.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AYDc8rHc9irMxCW45y4xTS6XrPJzjqB-lk9aZ4hkf2AZc0Cc-lctp2bbEIqSvOBOVD-qgUUdOBsBDZC7xSKzATbGrsfZWIQ5vFS4cCvV3tB7oPT9GTf1s695EQE3xlCFvNEWAIvUqBY/s1600/photo+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AYDc8rHc9irMxCW45y4xTS6XrPJzjqB-lk9aZ4hkf2AZc0Cc-lctp2bbEIqSvOBOVD-qgUUdOBsBDZC7xSKzATbGrsfZWIQ5vFS4cCvV3tB7oPT9GTf1s695EQE3xlCFvNEWAIvUqBY/s400/photo+%252828%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resalyte mid-sole. It's cushy. Definitely one of those "It's like running on marshmallows. I hate it!/I love it!" shoes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkdc5_QJG2_VfjU4lI7rqGojGCOXvVngBI9ueB-xERuFCeAa_wLptADlmQiUix38sDsG6m1Qs0icd7kO7QoxPYRsoKcZIdc-cke7J2Y1NdBmZ9VHaksfknOj5dmm9IR-wtTMigIOhQxc/s1600/photo+%252829%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkdc5_QJG2_VfjU4lI7rqGojGCOXvVngBI9ueB-xERuFCeAa_wLptADlmQiUix38sDsG6m1Qs0icd7kO7QoxPYRsoKcZIdc-cke7J2Y1NdBmZ9VHaksfknOj5dmm9IR-wtTMigIOhQxc/s400/photo+%252829%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M-strike. The upper overlays do not protrude to the interior of the upper like the regular<br />
goRuns did, which was the source of some arch blisters for me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPf61YPapjAlGZmFzfU9-a47pUzP-9jfTZ6kbOfOmQn43ZadtlXTZo4sGUQTH4W7uNYdr5n4sac4k8oCtxC6-mrY9JGW983jBKThqiE22dTZvTkKXkqNn3NSJipvWmhjSg8VlY8MaWk_o/s1600/photo+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPf61YPapjAlGZmFzfU9-a47pUzP-9jfTZ6kbOfOmQn43ZadtlXTZo4sGUQTH4W7uNYdr5n4sac4k8oCtxC6-mrY9JGW983jBKThqiE22dTZvTkKXkqNn3NSJipvWmhjSg8VlY8MaWk_o/s400/photo+%252811%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front.</td></tr>
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="250" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6628217.3750;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463915;pid=5182164-EC1321089-11.5M;usg=AFHzDLukEDEw-CYgvWhxipcCk3i3gcD3kw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.shoes.com%252FShopping%252Fproductdetails.aspx%253Fcatalog%25255Fname%253Dweb%2526pg%253D5182164%2526p%253DEC1321089;pubid=619068;price=%2476.00;title=Skechers+Fitness+Go+Run+Ride+Shoes+%28Charcoal%2FOrange%29+-+Men%27s+Shoes+-+11.5+M;merc=Shoes.com;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shoes.com%2Fproductimages%2Fshoes_iaec1321089.jpg;width=135;height=135" vspace="0" width="300"></iframe><br />Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-11949856737154269142013-02-13T23:54:00.001-08:002013-02-14T00:03:20.917-08:00Skechers GoRun Speed Unboxing & Preview<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So my friend bought me a pair of the Skechers GoRun Speeds for my birthday!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've uploaded an unboxing and preview video onto youtube (even though I'm not a giant fan of unboxing, but I figured this is kind of unique in that this shoe isn't really being sold widely yet).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall impression of the construction is positive, but after my two runs I have to admit the ride is not as positive as I first thought. I think it would work well for certain folks who do really long distances and have excellent bio-mechanics, but I don't think that's me, unfortunately. The sole is really firm. My initial sense of there being significant cushioning when I wore them at the store was probably sensing the stack height along with the give in the hardwood floor. It's like, really really firm. I have the Mizuno Ekidens, a very low to the ground dedicated 5k-10k racer and I feel these GoRun Speeds are much firmer. The stiffness also feels like its fighting me on the heel to toe transition. Again, I think if you've got great form and technique, I think this could actually be a positive thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm considering exchanging them back at the store or selling them on eBay (my friend fully approves). Or I'll keep them and just run more and put up a full review.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The audio is really jacked up by the way. My voice is not that low. I had to mess with it in post processing to sync up the visuals to the audio.</span></div>
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Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-70962718090494488382013-02-07T18:58:00.003-08:002013-02-09T20:13:33.501-08:00Tips No One Told Me: Shoe Lace Tying<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most important if not the most important aspect of a running shoe is fit. If it doesn't fit right, I just don't go with the shoe, no matter how much I wanted to like it. What I didn't know when I first started off was just how much the shoe laces affect fit. It may sound extreme, but I feel like you can control the feel of the shoe almost as much as the original designers just by playing with the shoe laces. Ok, maybe not that much, but I definitely think you can ruin the fit of a shoe enough to be a deal breaker by having inappropriate lacing for your foot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My go-to lace is the standard <a href="http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/crisscrosslacing.htm">Criss-cross lace</a>. I have this on almost all my running shoes. The key is that most shoes out of the box come with <a href="http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/displayshoelacing.htm">Display Shoe lacing</a>, which is like Criss-cross but (and here's the key), the row closest to the toe is inside out. Display Shoe lacing tends to make the toes cramped. Flipping it inside out with the front row starting from under the eyelets frees up a lot of room. It was enough for me to finally keep my Mizuno Ekidens, which originally had Display shoe lacing. I'm even considering taking it a step further and trying it with Parallel lacing to free up even more room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, for every single one of my running shoes, I use <a href="http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/locklacing.htm">ankle lock lacing</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's another link with video: http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/custom-tie-your-running-shoes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if anyone's tried the <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000613802463717&pid=17048&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campmor.com%2Flock-laces-elastic-lace-lock-device.shtml&usg=AFHzDLtu2m_hAq3PgLfzcxz4-cE8gLYV-Q&pubid=619068" rel="nofollow">Lock Laces</a> and like them, let me know, would love to hear how they are for runners. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjY-f2Mrj0RbJ0vmSWzBO_7gbOUotmxYoPNXyfzD6DtN9b1nJlPw-nK6fqb-JsXCtJoGK6cC5polRdxlm7cAE_iRdMrndUcBMQeDG3EyeBlde_WTjGV5hty0uj6Q2v8qRDxwjMM949W4/s1600/knot-bone-lace-lock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjY-f2Mrj0RbJ0vmSWzBO_7gbOUotmxYoPNXyfzD6DtN9b1nJlPw-nK6fqb-JsXCtJoGK6cC5polRdxlm7cAE_iRdMrndUcBMQeDG3EyeBlde_WTjGV5hty0uj6Q2v8qRDxwjMM949W4/s400/knot-bone-lace-lock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-45293726561389800352013-02-07T10:11:00.001-08:002013-02-07T22:12:39.640-08:00Nike Lunaracer+ : My Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FWTjHFwOMZXqEpVaIZXG3-_qEQmqr2_CQBVHSC47iRog7WFs-Oa4ZeUw5h3jTUgGh2cgxcPg2i4BIEQad-u6QOBAVrwDhRMBTm12DFvcpZJjPaybgw-9G092Wq2OMtpy5S_5KR4sLa0/s1600/photo+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FWTjHFwOMZXqEpVaIZXG3-_qEQmqr2_CQBVHSC47iRog7WFs-Oa4ZeUw5h3jTUgGh2cgxcPg2i4BIEQad-u6QOBAVrwDhRMBTm12DFvcpZJjPaybgw-9G092Wq2OMtpy5S_5KR4sLa0/s400/photo+%252830%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Nike Lunaracer+ Reissue (thanks to Pete Larson for the composition for this photo)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Nike Lunaracer+ is the third(ish) iteration of this lightweight racer. <a href="http://www.runpals.com/nike-lunaracer.html">The first</a>, Lunaracer (I don't believe the + was out yet) was <a href="http://www.runblogger.com/2010/03/nike-lunaracer-running-shoe-review.html">beloved</a> for its performance. The Lunarlite cushioning received rave reviews for the combination of cushioning without sacrificing performance as a racer. The <a href="http://www.jamiepang.com/blog/?p=4279&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=revisiting-the-lunaracer">Lunaracer 2</a> wasn't as well received. Actually, it was apparently so bad the Lunaracer 1 was reissued. But the reissue had one major change, with the sole converted to the Lunarlon sole. Me, I haven't had a chance to try the original Lunarlite, but supposedly the Lunarlon is a little less cushy, which is good or bad depending on your preference. What's interesting is that it's a two part midsole with a harder outer "shell" and a cushier "meat" filling it. Honestly, the exterior is pretty darn cushy as it is.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYi1qt9ZAKGeEpXUW6pi-j5R8MjMN7SCJpGTXpZuDZqBePFnFec4ZPTXPwHytoHmQnUzKaffCoN7pf0-_5K1aoiE-lUgl6jQWrNxvyj7HAjCXENG0N0vTw26R4lDffIvpV2vuaVCwANs/s1600/photo+%252834%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYi1qt9ZAKGeEpXUW6pi-j5R8MjMN7SCJpGTXpZuDZqBePFnFec4ZPTXPwHytoHmQnUzKaffCoN7pf0-_5K1aoiE-lUgl6jQWrNxvyj7HAjCXENG0N0vTw26R4lDffIvpV2vuaVCwANs/s400/photo+%252834%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medial (inside) portion of the shoe. Note the Lunarlon sole.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7FmEsEQlbpXN7O7dZdn2hi4pIeExfPlj-E_dasTbPNieooU9ZD3WZZAipZmcdwKN1HSfBuPwcXlINwwU49hNqzCdPJikC3yJDDmtC1za2cfCtx_lQdljn5YzTRFNgLDjqM9nsyAVp8M/s1600/photo+%252829%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7FmEsEQlbpXN7O7dZdn2hi4pIeExfPlj-E_dasTbPNieooU9ZD3WZZAipZmcdwKN1HSfBuPwcXlINwwU49hNqzCdPJikC3yJDDmtC1za2cfCtx_lQdljn5YzTRFNgLDjqM9nsyAVp8M/s400/photo+%252829%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3/4 front</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenZyRyM1qePs7pya8mV78w8MJiXzRuaNlCups5mlnw7vJ0amCeQhASjKZYs1eJMJOQHnWzI6oZdbkjGj9NXvsRQ7bbuhThc-xLX7Yu_v9lPI5BwT-u8QKGwTeRvM1Yc2UIp3TBIsUweY/s1600/photo+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenZyRyM1qePs7pya8mV78w8MJiXzRuaNlCups5mlnw7vJ0amCeQhASjKZYs1eJMJOQHnWzI6oZdbkjGj9NXvsRQ7bbuhThc-xLX7Yu_v9lPI5BwT-u8QKGwTeRvM1Yc2UIp3TBIsUweY/s400/photo+%252828%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3/4 rear. Note the siping that runs along the sole. I've heard this makes it more flexible.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've run in a pair of reissues for about a year now, putting maybe about 100+ miles on them by now. My final impression: I love them and have been my shoe for almost every single race this year, from 5Ks to my <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/first-half-marathon-race-report-kaiser.html">first half-marathon</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stated weight for a US size 9 is 6.6 ounces, pretty standard for a racer nowadays (this shoe came out back in 2009). But where it still shines is the sole. I've found the Lunarlon cushioning to be perfect for long runs, providing ample amounts of protection without sucking away spring and pop that you want from a racer. Ground feel isn't great as the stack height is significant at 17mm forefoot and 23mm rearfoot, but the low 5mm drop helps me achieve a good mid-foot strike to make up for it. In fact, I feel like my best running form comes from these shoes. It just feels like I get my best footstrike and toe-off from these shoes. So performance-wise, these are my favorite.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglfu6EalcxWdbXh0a1gs7sNgCB52gRMU0cV5O4pQC5rCw53iaG_fPdhQro7E9KqLcI8rB_UB8j_DuJVxs90k0CTUMpnLb-UlDsIiJBDKF_5HCdpmIsyygrBcr6l_dunPGg72UugZdrRY/s1600/photo+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglfu6EalcxWdbXh0a1gs7sNgCB52gRMU0cV5O4pQC5rCw53iaG_fPdhQro7E9KqLcI8rB_UB8j_DuJVxs90k0CTUMpnLb-UlDsIiJBDKF_5HCdpmIsyygrBcr6l_dunPGg72UugZdrRY/s400/photo+%252816%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's about average to below average in flexibility for a racer. This is me pushing it to<br />
what I thought was comfortable to bend by hand. Generally with racers, some stiffness is<br />
acceptable as its part of the pop it gives you for speed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEWpyZdDOh8cp4-Itt-T8lkPM7sWg4upVAw6bIlX0MbWrI8GHkbxUn0psZ45QZvZmtHccHGQzy8umybNYCzMoFUVtHqE3NFQi5_zo6uZZlfNYjBtknPVZxekgXie2nFxvLyIOKWXV0vM/s1600/photo+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEWpyZdDOh8cp4-Itt-T8lkPM7sWg4upVAw6bIlX0MbWrI8GHkbxUn0psZ45QZvZmtHccHGQzy8umybNYCzMoFUVtHqE3NFQi5_zo6uZZlfNYjBtknPVZxekgXie2nFxvLyIOKWXV0vM/s400/photo+%252817%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heel collar is slightly stiffer than I like but has been a complete non-issue for me.<br />
Some folks prefer flexible, some prefer support. If the Nike Frees are a 1 and a traditional<br />
trainer is a 100, I would put these around 40.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ride comfort is excellent due to the Lunarlon midsole, but overall comfort is significantly hampered by the mediocre upper, something that was addressed in the 4th iteration, the <a href="http://www.jamiepang.com/blog/?cat=66">Nike Lunaracer 3+</a>. It's pretty universally accepted that this shoe is too narrow. And I mean even for narrow feet. Everyone buys these shoes at least half a size up and a full size up is fairly common. I went half a size up and after breaking them in and stretching out the upper over the course of maybe 15 miles, they felt a lot better for me. Then along the way I stopped running in socks. At that point the shoe fit great if I did the lacing right. Still, the upper material isn't as comfortable as minimalist shoes or even other new racers on the market. I would describe it semi-breathable and I invariably get blisters on the top of my instep and under my arches after 5 miles. This happens on the same spot in both feet. And always at the 5 mile mark. I wear socks with this shoe now for long runs.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB19lz-W5KM9bYwL8Pyw4HN3dAZFjyL4V7f_cTddstByMseCn3K6uicwgc4wrfi_uRZd8OyYgIE-Est28t_YSip3lNR10aoy7xyf2cDekR0zNZp8y1T_tE5r76W9YvOuUsAR8edS2MYn8/s1600/photo+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB19lz-W5KM9bYwL8Pyw4HN3dAZFjyL4V7f_cTddstByMseCn3K6uicwgc4wrfi_uRZd8OyYgIE-Est28t_YSip3lNR10aoy7xyf2cDekR0zNZp8y1T_tE5r76W9YvOuUsAR8edS2MYn8/s400/photo+%252819%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of the tongue. Seamless and comfortable, but tends to slide off to the side almost immediately.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-7CQTJDsk4QBstBhB1Abu0D5-IBTa_0Z2EyP4fvAO64XSDDnhuqS5Iku3Va3bAtq3icJZrBTPTkBQ9KeT_zj-xfXejJ37wu4YkYokw2Kcf5yAtjfiOUKjRvyEJLGdrB1aV_XgKY2yf8/s1600/photo+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-7CQTJDsk4QBstBhB1Abu0D5-IBTa_0Z2EyP4fvAO64XSDDnhuqS5Iku3Va3bAtq3icJZrBTPTkBQ9KeT_zj-xfXejJ37wu4YkYokw2Kcf5yAtjfiOUKjRvyEJLGdrB1aV_XgKY2yf8/s400/photo+%252822%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the tongue. The padding design with the padding centered in a bulge like that actually<br />
makes it less comfortable to me than one where its even all across.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd3O1CYzGAiilXqBEnbmdy9qmqpBy3F-bfgsELHK1VD1IY_ccuuiM_8h5we-_AUlAswCVOqdamUFxipMX6McfR4bCJzjjBcv5GRP99dQuYnni2OgMWuM0tzw5qOjW-v4ppByX5YD97j4/s1600/photo+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd3O1CYzGAiilXqBEnbmdy9qmqpBy3F-bfgsELHK1VD1IY_ccuuiM_8h5we-_AUlAswCVOqdamUFxipMX6McfR4bCJzjjBcv5GRP99dQuYnni2OgMWuM0tzw5qOjW-v4ppByX5YD97j4/s400/photo+%252818%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heel collar material and parts of the interior. The heel collar is stiff and irritated my ankle<br />
when I first ran in these. Over time it's disappeared.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hbJ8Rpf1qm1xvK0lBsJf4EDEoIdg7iVk3nHvzaFluHv1EUH2yu1nqISMoxjTKKUh-L-kMJZzJ1CpAlWEiOpv899QqkNcew3sqxD4aL-CvN8aQFeJjc43EdomdRfnCOi-INskwUVVjfw/s1600/photo+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hbJ8Rpf1qm1xvK0lBsJf4EDEoIdg7iVk3nHvzaFluHv1EUH2yu1nqISMoxjTKKUh-L-kMJZzJ1CpAlWEiOpv899QqkNcew3sqxD4aL-CvN8aQFeJjc43EdomdRfnCOi-INskwUVVjfw/s400/photo+%252821%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of the sole. I don't feel much arch support in these . Racers generally don't have support<br />
and I don't personally prefer it, especially since I train primarily for 5Ks. Insole is moderately thin but<br />
does add to the cushioning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g7m7j5EpywntlOylXc6XCDFt_tRMHLgv8ksNrkl-eSGmQ0EYwS_W-wNsC4yzZhXxwhPPQFjj3KKCDxrNhxFSjA7G-3Dv-VyhnBuoj0yObBKpOkbKApwpvSxDSrIys19xcNpuM-63QB8/s1600/photo+%252820%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7g7m7j5EpywntlOylXc6XCDFt_tRMHLgv8ksNrkl-eSGmQ0EYwS_W-wNsC4yzZhXxwhPPQFjj3KKCDxrNhxFSjA7G-3Dv-VyhnBuoj0yObBKpOkbKApwpvSxDSrIys19xcNpuM-63QB8/s400/photo+%252820%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removable insole. I have not run like this ever with this shoe. Doesn't look like<br />
its designed to be what with all that exposed stitching that could cause blisters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tongue is relatively thin and seamless, a giant kudos to the designers. However, the extra padding in the middle of the tongue causes the entire piece to always slide off to the lateral side of my feet. I mean always and all it takes is maybe 3 minutes of walking to make it do so. The collar can be a little on the stiff side and when I first ran in them I did get ankle irritation. This has disappeared so maybe I've developed callouses in those areas. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite all these discomforts listed, it's never really been an issue for anything under 3 miles and so most times I run in these shoes sockless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Style-wise, what can I say? It's Nike and they usually hit the mark here. I love the bright blue colorway on mine. Everything screams space-theme and even the details like the shape of the sole lugs makes you think that this is what an astronaut would wear to a lunar race. I love the style.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAZLCZlyLIn5Ewo22RxfZ6M3nOLgqicGKM37Juyt6HNJuUzfTJIFzIAJlBLdA9ah0BuojQq0XgwWuOQgp8o7CyPsOgvNjy35skc0bmrwbJ1sOervw2IYKlYko00YO1UshecdXVQNNtGM/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAZLCZlyLIn5Ewo22RxfZ6M3nOLgqicGKM37Juyt6HNJuUzfTJIFzIAJlBLdA9ah0BuojQq0XgwWuOQgp8o7CyPsOgvNjy35skc0bmrwbJ1sOervw2IYKlYko00YO1UshecdXVQNNtGM/s400/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top view. These shoes run very narrow to the point that everyone has to size up at least 1/2 size.<br />
Note the wide base relative to the upper. This can act as a tiny bit of support for a shoe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtguZEirjnfamSU0HiZ_hqNFLCYpm7JM5e4wJf1nizXWsXjpjjhaQ_RUi4XV0b1imi8ycJWL4ClCl9-zaJrh3atcJQwP2wPjPq1NU6zkUowi6us7AAJGzGHjX0FtuZPkBjc5rLPd0kb3s/s1600/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtguZEirjnfamSU0HiZ_hqNFLCYpm7JM5e4wJf1nizXWsXjpjjhaQ_RUi4XV0b1imi8ycJWL4ClCl9-zaJrh3atcJQwP2wPjPq1NU6zkUowi6us7AAJGzGHjX0FtuZPkBjc5rLPd0kb3s/s400/photo+%252814%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compared to my Mizuno Ronin 2s, which I consider the most perfect fitting for<br />
my feet. The Lunaracers are that much larger to make the width fit. I've been pleasantly<br />
surprised to find the extra length to not be an issue. My foot does not slide around in them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZI8ixir1bwprTwXRZKDuhZG1hx3ENhES5sJ455mI4yRrNEC0mMttbCRFF0uEwbHxWVnsvGesiKx-ucAQCClX302dlVFQ6CyT5HwownSKt1L071fFjUIMc3Pjh7nmr-Mvw9eH8B2YqVo/s1600/photo+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZI8ixir1bwprTwXRZKDuhZG1hx3ENhES5sJ455mI4yRrNEC0mMttbCRFF0uEwbHxWVnsvGesiKx-ucAQCClX302dlVFQ6CyT5HwownSKt1L071fFjUIMc3Pjh7nmr-Mvw9eH8B2YqVo/s400/photo+%252833%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front. Those are reflective dots in the front there. No, they don't do anything but look awesome.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-2ayz_KxPLXKkIv0Co9ETr931mmTftQB1-oLihwV-Gn5vn_QFzOfew7AtmYQX-2dRZxSRncU16JRjiBb0Am6fUmxS55gQ9dprrJ6i_3eHALQ8U9qsRzj-pAZsewFeAEGLjGsfQsbC0o/s1600/photo+%252832%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-2ayz_KxPLXKkIv0Co9ETr931mmTftQB1-oLihwV-Gn5vn_QFzOfew7AtmYQX-2dRZxSRncU16JRjiBb0Am6fUmxS55gQ9dprrJ6i_3eHALQ8U9qsRzj-pAZsewFeAEGLjGsfQsbC0o/s400/photo+%252832%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear with reflective dots and stripes. These look like they may be more noticeable<br />
but its difficult to really check if drivers can see them. I never do night running.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRHCY-hAuAgVIos7Hg-Mqjz2cS4XfhwrzlavJ0nFSzkQLtpLP8mKZgskv72r2BVBzbylGN4HAU19-tS7lS_07XN4p8Ebk7WLk8sW_PuWVozNpBhS6UAEQxvk1X92eGf6v2kKv3EIMZzI/s1600/photo+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRHCY-hAuAgVIos7Hg-Mqjz2cS4XfhwrzlavJ0nFSzkQLtpLP8mKZgskv72r2BVBzbylGN4HAU19-tS7lS_07XN4p8Ebk7WLk8sW_PuWVozNpBhS6UAEQxvk1X92eGf6v2kKv3EIMZzI/s400/photo+%252823%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the exterior Flywire which acts as an overlay to shape the shoe, support it and take<br />
some of the stress from the laces. The material from the forefoot on back is a semi-rigid<br />
plastic film that is only moderately breatheable. This has apparently been correct<br />
in the new Lunaracer 3+.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Durability is about average for a racer. Most racers last only maybe 150-300 miles. From the looks of the wear on mine, I suspect they'll go another 100 miles before I decide to get a new pair. And the replacement will almost certainly be either the <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-run-in-with-skechers-gorun-speed.html">Skechers GoRun Speed </a>or the Lunaracer 3+ with the improved upper. The comfy mesh toebox means I can wear my normal size in them too (yes, I've tried them on at the store and it was probably the single best update of any shoe I've tried)!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguArhDyAvWCz00Atxu0m3JM31lOooJS1qKNtbvdy1UuIQ3-_V8_6iSYaHpQOZ321bOQjhVUDh9RBeePN3FK6jII7juXFPi7zZZVQblXMj69eoRd8i2s0FJvVaV3XbLxeWP6kc6sX72hg/s1600/photo+%252827%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguArhDyAvWCz00Atxu0m3JM31lOooJS1qKNtbvdy1UuIQ3-_V8_6iSYaHpQOZ321bOQjhVUDh9RBeePN3FK6jII7juXFPi7zZZVQblXMj69eoRd8i2s0FJvVaV3XbLxeWP6kc6sX72hg/s400/photo+%252827%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astronaut footprint. Hard carbon rubber replaces some of the exposed foam lugs.<br />
Traction has been good, never had an issue. But I live in sunny California where<br />
traction and weather isn't an issue other than occasional rain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah51xd-WWQ7fRXzHDE-3Bflqn4Gv0cRpl8se5B3Sn94cM_YzdJeTIqbeqeps4Qnkf1RQ5hSAQjl4AmBBB5GNZWDwm0C2GVQiEjkVKhZrEUkNAlUYoPWn6THh3bpi6BJ8RLcbDLKxTxQY/s1600/photo+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah51xd-WWQ7fRXzHDE-3Bflqn4Gv0cRpl8se5B3Sn94cM_YzdJeTIqbeqeps4Qnkf1RQ5hSAQjl4AmBBB5GNZWDwm0C2GVQiEjkVKhZrEUkNAlUYoPWn6THh3bpi6BJ8RLcbDLKxTxQY/s400/photo+%252824%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5mm heel drop. I detect very little wear after 100 miles as I mid-foot strike cleanly in these.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r2PFTA1-TYEP_e_t8JDTdrrrOqZYV9az4-xxCyoW4CGhQdAR39Pl0S4OcdkaIG5lXFlKDiFRWXnY9i43bvFa9RQhHwOrjguxj5CTxGF64eoFJXRUDArNpR5hjoYXH3s5a4q6x2ix9Ww/s1600/photo+%252826%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r2PFTA1-TYEP_e_t8JDTdrrrOqZYV9az4-xxCyoW4CGhQdAR39Pl0S4OcdkaIG5lXFlKDiFRWXnY9i43bvFa9RQhHwOrjguxj5CTxGF64eoFJXRUDArNpR5hjoYXH3s5a4q6x2ix9Ww/s400/photo+%252826%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front shows signficant wear. The lateral (outside) portion of the foot almost always strikes<br />
first for all runners and can cause some wear there. It shows up clearly here with the nipples of<br />
the lugs just about worn away. The hard carbon lugs are running fine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKoFGtOSRjEXPEaOJ-90CGEhtL_FbKS-PPKzJxiVAXg0kZBaL-y82qpFvKmSoXT1G8EgCtWZnnrGYWoxKvAxXPJyBCTtr3Ubt70mUOc_CJO9-EPfilinvoKb53iE6KOAR_GVvBNIWg60/s1600/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKoFGtOSRjEXPEaOJ-90CGEhtL_FbKS-PPKzJxiVAXg0kZBaL-y82qpFvKmSoXT1G8EgCtWZnnrGYWoxKvAxXPJyBCTtr3Ubt70mUOc_CJO9-EPfilinvoKb53iE6KOAR_GVvBNIWg60/s400/photo+%252825%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another angle where you can see significant difference between the exposed foam and the<br />
carbon lugs, especially at the tip where it is half carbon half foam. My toes miss the tip of the shoe <br />
by maybe 3/4 of an inch so I'm surprised its wearing all the way up there. Toe-off gives you half<br />
your wear and primarily shows up on the medial (inside) portion of the sole, under the big<br />
toe. I'm surprised its showing up for me all the way to the tip in these shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it all goes back to the performance. The comfort is not bad, the style for me is excellent and the performance is top notch. Durability isn't an issue for me cuz hey, after one year I'm itching to try a new shoe anyways. Price is about right at $110 retail, but there are a ton of the Lunaracer reissues online for around $60 (I got mine <a href="http://www.eastbay.com/product/model:151514/sku:24909074/nike-lunaracer-+-mens/white/light-green/">for $40 from eastbay</a>). Final impression: an A-, excellent. Here's hoping the Lunaracer 3+ really earns that plus sign for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6832343.818;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464045;pid=385755-031_6_M_Y;usg=AFHzDLvZ6K7aceH_aP0J0ZhB-2NzMawsLw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.shoebacca.com%252Fnike%252Flunaracer-2-385755-031.html;pubid=619068;price=%2449.99;title=Lunaracer%2B+2;merc=Shoebacca.com;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fs7d1.scene7.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2FShoebacca%2F385755-031_1%3Fwid%3D1000%26op_sharpen%3D1;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6767619.2738;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463471;pid=58000000002640810140000M007.0;usg=AFHzDLsGDnyYvgJl-FSwukjPE6U_KxVsPA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.dsw.com%252Fshoe%252Fmizuno%252Bmen%2527s%252Bwave%252Bronin%252B3%252Blightweight%252Brunning%252Bshoe%253FprodId%253D264081;pubid=619068;price=%2469.94;title=Mizuno+Men%27s+Wave+Roni...;merc=DSW.com;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fs7d2.scene7.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2FDSWShoes%2F264081_014_ss_01%3F%24search%24%26wid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26fmt%3Djpg%26qlt%3D100;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe></span>
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Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-35155804726516402782013-02-05T20:51:00.001-08:002013-02-05T21:35:47.668-08:00Types of Runs (Part 1)I remember when I was starting out I would read these terms like "fartlek" and "tempo run." Honestly, it was kind of annoying not knowing what they were referring to. I eventually found <a href="http://running.competitor.com/2013/01/training/running-101-the-8-basic-types-of-runs_7984">this article</a> giving a quick blurb of what they were. However, it wasn't comprehensive enough and I felt like for newbies we could use a little more explanation and logic behind the runs. I for one just....."ran." I ran a moderate pace that made me feel somewhat tired and stopped, or I ran hard, trying to complete, say, 2 miles as fast as I could. And if I were just trying to keep fit and burn calories, this would have been perfectly fine. But I'm also interested in competition and decreasing my times and for that I've found structured runs in which each run had a specific purpose to be indispensable. So here's my list of the types of runs with my comments on them.<br />
<br />
<b>Interval Run</b><br />
This is to increase your <a href="http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/VO2_max.htm">VO2max</a> and your "speed." I think of it as a top speed increaser for long distance running (yes, this is a way over simplification). Usually what it consists of is running a set distance at a very fast pace and taking a "rest interval" of a set amount of time and then "repeating" the distance again at the same set pace. For example, say you ran your last 5K race in 23:00 minutes flat. Then "6x800 repeats" for you may mean you run 800 meters in 3:11 (the time should be at least your 5K pace, preferably faster). Then you rest or jog for the amount of time it would normally take you to run one lap, say about 90 seconds. Then you "repeat" another 800 meters in 3:11 and rest again for a total of 6 times. The key is to try to keep your 800 meter run at the same 3:11 (or whatever time) pace. You'll feel it in the later laps and that's where you're getting faster. This workout is usually only done once a week and you <i>should feel pooped</i> at the end.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOA4kYeDRyJeJ4289voY1DMdVdXLXyXP8kMT47uaqy-S28iLc4BImvfXV1A7rUlTQD4vsV2uk5qWu8_6pMs9sA8IuqRn46TeZYbuy3-_SlKR1Q-3R9oTunWZr5s98s16hedMFKUqVEsc/s1600/running-track-repairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOA4kYeDRyJeJ4289voY1DMdVdXLXyXP8kMT47uaqy-S28iLc4BImvfXV1A7rUlTQD4vsV2uk5qWu8_6pMs9sA8IuqRn46TeZYbuy3-_SlKR1Q-3R9oTunWZr5s98s16hedMFKUqVEsc/s400/running-track-repairs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intervals are almost always done on a track. One lap = 400m = about a quarter mile. Bring a watch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Tempo Run</b><br />
This is to increase your <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/lactic-acid-really-such-bad-thing?page=single">lactate threshold</a> and improve your ability to maintain your race pace. This is done by running at near 5K pace for a moderate distance, say 3-5 miles. Say you're that same 23:00 5K racer from above and now you want to run a half-marathon. <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml">Your 5K pace would be a 7:24/mile</a>. For a tempo run you'd run 3-5 miles at around a 7:45 - 8:15ish/mile pace. This type of workout will help your muscles to hold a 7:24/mile pace easily on race day. A <a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000613802463511&pid=1158887&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kohls.com%2Fupgrade%2Fwebstore%2Fproduct_page.jsp%3FPRODUCT%253C%253Eprd_id%3D845524892996469%26pfx%3Dpfx_shopcompare%26cid%3Dshopping3&usg=AFHzDLv6ubQLMRtwWLfqpHWzL833MzlHtQ&pubid=619068" rel="nofollow">Gps Watch</a> that can give you your current pace is pretty useful for this kind of run. This workout is usually done once or twice a week.<br />
<br />
<b>Long Run</b><br />
This is to build plain endurance for your slow-twitch/intermediate fast-twitch muscles and raising aerobic metabolism. For distance running ("distance running" usually refers to races over say, 800 meters. Middle distance being from around 800m to 3K and long distance from 5K and up), this is usually the core workout for all long distance races (though I <i>personally</i> see the interval and tempo run workouts as the core of the 5K race, but I'm a newb and have never won a race so whatdoIknow). It is usually done by running at about 20-40 seconds slower than your race pace for a long distance. If your <a href="http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm">expected goal</a> is a half-marathon at 8:00/mile, then your long run is run at about 8:20-40ish/mile pace. Normally you build up the miles until your long run is <i>above</i> your race distance. So maybe you'll peak at around 14-15 miles if you're training for a half-marathon. This workout is usually done once or twice a week. At the end of the workout your muscles <i>should not</i> be in pain like in a tempo run. Out of breath, sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplq24qtGHkAdUnVWHNdmOw_ejTLKXM0-_JkgL51S9zxHjjGFHxhTSevuTSygouDJ4sE141ofcUt8hI_w8bq8EOCwpTxfDGSZ-RneXOyKdV3spdTYgVU35zm5COM3eqNLPzHJznenU_2E/s1600/funny-girl-running-treadmill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplq24qtGHkAdUnVWHNdmOw_ejTLKXM0-_JkgL51S9zxHjjGFHxhTSevuTSygouDJ4sE141ofcUt8hI_w8bq8EOCwpTxfDGSZ-RneXOyKdV3spdTYgVU35zm5COM3eqNLPzHJznenU_2E/s400/funny-girl-running-treadmill.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Easy Run/Recovery Run</b><br />
This one really weirded me out as a beginner. The idea is that after a hard workout, say a crazy interval session, the next day you run again, only super slow in order to bring blood back to your running muscles to quicken recovery. How slow? <i>At least</i> 2 minutes slower than your 5K pace. Say your 5K race pace is 7:30/mile. Then your easy pace is <i>at least </i>9:30. If you run faster than this you are just doing a medium run, which I've found to not be productive when training for races. Me, personally, I can't run that slow. It screws with my mind and my form. I never do easy runs but it is considered a staple. I prefer to simply not work out my legs the day after a hard workout.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShC8ae8rPHi1yqYIEOWE8KrJC-Ev3jp7RIfoVnhEXkjJsCwYumqA5ZVQUDxGtl4RrfyzCGZVFDh34jfPjItoe8UwY3AhxM4di0Dhb8WDyGx_eYI2sblOJ5jtjdxLv5oKM2Ac__HhRxW8/s1600/funny-fingers-german-massage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShC8ae8rPHi1yqYIEOWE8KrJC-Ev3jp7RIfoVnhEXkjJsCwYumqA5ZVQUDxGtl4RrfyzCGZVFDh34jfPjItoe8UwY3AhxM4di0Dhb8WDyGx_eYI2sblOJ5jtjdxLv5oKM2Ac__HhRxW8/s320/funny-fingers-german-massage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's like a running version of this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Fartlek</b><br />
This is some Swedish word for "speed play." Its just a glorified way of what I see as "messing around." You ditch the GPS watch or any watch all together. You run at some moderate or slow pace, pass a stop sign, race fast to that bus stop down the block, slow down to a moderate pace as you pass by the blonde Swedish girl, race up the hill to that corner store, etc....Your fast sections might be based on distance, say around 200 meters. They might be based on time, say 30 seconds, its up to you. How hard should you run? "Kind of hard, but not too hard." No pace target and you make the distances up as you go along. It builds strength and speed, but I don't usually see it as an endurance thing. Also, it's fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKArfYe3kGy_hI4qh1zg7ssTI58xOsjp8R8wLzdy7nJ5UpcN_qOnQeplULt846UCU8vHytJ5Twf44Vweix05rdfVtUvKvVfEwwCB_ogmxNZ6Tj6EhBR8p6mFGCjljuiupXNbBPFao9gs/s1600/baby-flash-games9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKArfYe3kGy_hI4qh1zg7ssTI58xOsjp8R8wLzdy7nJ5UpcN_qOnQeplULt846UCU8vHytJ5Twf44Vweix05rdfVtUvKvVfEwwCB_ogmxNZ6Tj6EhBR8p6mFGCjljuiupXNbBPFao9gs/s400/baby-flash-games9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what good fartlek running form looks like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Strides</b><br />
Not a workout per se. But it refers to really fast portions in the middle of a workout or the "finishing kick" at the end of a workout where you run really hard to squeeze out the last bit. Usually you'll be doing say, a long run and at the end you speed up to near sprint speed and end it after 60-120 meters or so. It's also often done in the middle of a workout, say your long runs. One of the advantages I see for this over a track sprint is that your knees don't explode from the sudden acceleration of a true sprint. You also don't run as fast as a sprint which also saves your knees.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'll add more in a later entry. But I personally see these as the key runs. The FIRST program highlighted in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Runners-World-Faster-Revised-3-Run-/dp/1609618025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360125500&sr=1-1&keywords=run+less+run+faster">this book</a> I use sees the interval, the tempo run and the long run as the key runs you have to focus on in order to decrease your race times. The others can be left out if you adhere strongly to the rest of the program.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6695223.4120;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463717;pid=54482BLUM;usg=AFHzDLsDndx0y9gjeHL5mg6mImxYQidXdQ;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.campmor.com%252Fsalomon-xr-running-jacket-women-39-s.shtml;pubid=619068;price=%2444.95;title=Salomon+XR+Running+Jac...;merc=Campmor;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campmor.com%2Fwcsstore%2FCampmor%2Fstatic%2Fimages%2Fbicycling%2F54482%2F54482_blu.jpg;width=78;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><br />Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-4559213403503030382013-02-04T21:56:00.005-08:002013-02-14T16:13:56.352-08:00My Run In With The Skechers GoRun Speed (GoRun Racer)<span style="text-align: center;">I stopped by the San Francisco Skechers store and to my surprise found the Skechers GoRun Speed (the salespeople referred to it as this and not the GoRun Racer). I had heard through some forum talk that it would be released in April, but the salespeople told me that they actually had some men's pairs in stock about a month ago, sold the few pairs that they had and then got another small shipment of womens shoes two days ago.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB6ig7gbCGenIHoGdN0IBrsP4Mtr49qh5rEFIP1115iv7bmdPAcJQhc3yymjB354Ljb6uDgtxtMhcyTt9Q90dCrzhW8vyQGJ3iIG4Nvit2Lmqx38Ccshuy47BlsUGI3ohypPnnHcQdFo/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIB6ig7gbCGenIHoGdN0IBrsP4Mtr49qh5rEFIP1115iv7bmdPAcJQhc3yymjB354Ljb6uDgtxtMhcyTt9Q90dCrzhW8vyQGJ3iIG4Nvit2Lmqx38Ccshuy47BlsUGI3ohypPnnHcQdFo/s400/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was surprised to see that they kept the "GoMeb" on the heel counter. I like it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOCYKSDvIayMtyMEourODat9Toqea9uKi0vnlu-KTGKDsrxm8sHrtEzsO8A6Z6LVsoLHYEwaAjQ72EUHVAgDhWaYXHCdoeUM_QBeI3baSAmF8_R-8PGvUI6qk_QixATOU4adOrW_hsXE/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOCYKSDvIayMtyMEourODat9Toqea9uKi0vnlu-KTGKDsrxm8sHrtEzsO8A6Z6LVsoLHYEwaAjQ72EUHVAgDhWaYXHCdoeUM_QBeI3baSAmF8_R-8PGvUI6qk_QixATOU4adOrW_hsXE/s400/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though I thought it looked bullet shaped, I was happy to find the toe box could accomodate<br />
my toes just fine. This is the women's model, mind you. I am not a woman.<br />
<br />
*checks pants*<br />
<br />
Nope, not a woman.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlxpT9SPhOmd8rGl7xG9vTe8aOuf_Kqhhhz6PqoofSK4V32jAgidI7FHsWTDVtOiCcG9VbiVLOWoet1YzY-wDCpklD-91on1eDrGpj0h-jjhhz9ASvObfei4pFkkv3Orb3E-9CzmKwVc/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlxpT9SPhOmd8rGl7xG9vTe8aOuf_Kqhhhz6PqoofSK4V32jAgidI7FHsWTDVtOiCcG9VbiVLOWoet1YzY-wDCpklD-91on1eDrGpj0h-jjhhz9ASvObfei4pFkkv3Orb3E-9CzmKwVc/s400/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shoe felt light. Definitely racer category light, but not as light as my GoBionics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglazSxm51d663VnzUaXCMwviR6-2LqtZ2mYsOiEyLMvLJqDHADdcoMrNR784LyAgLYmN1Omo54IWvoNk0IqEbcI0u_2kFV80dDFU8KKirOW3ebxq8VX16B_aEJoWKBi0GbWUiX3Cwo_KI/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglazSxm51d663VnzUaXCMwviR6-2LqtZ2mYsOiEyLMvLJqDHADdcoMrNR784LyAgLYmN1Omo54IWvoNk0IqEbcI0u_2kFV80dDFU8KKirOW3ebxq8VX16B_aEJoWKBi0GbWUiX3Cwo_KI/s400/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though I could bend it to this degree, it took some force. Enough force to leave a permanent<br />
crease in the sole where it bent (sssshhhh). This being a racer, I didn't mind that it wasn't<br />
super flexible.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwrEHRazvvP9pzQeOmwa4ahdYDXacDyVlNEvmr0NnXjXu05mmm_7BDkTPnmNzW7vxacnxxDQF9D-Ks7PCFKFwfJ7nZ_GRJMhVpsMRRinVAozxbPqZKIBq-cF4rieZFwV6r_bubWh2VFg/s1600/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwrEHRazvvP9pzQeOmwa4ahdYDXacDyVlNEvmr0NnXjXu05mmm_7BDkTPnmNzW7vxacnxxDQF9D-Ks7PCFKFwfJ7nZ_GRJMhVpsMRRinVAozxbPqZKIBq-cF4rieZFwV6r_bubWh2VFg/s400/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sole. The purple GoImpulse sensors didn't feel like the hard rubber like in my other<br />
GoRuns. They actually felt kind of squishy, which I like. More notably, there seems to be<br />
a carbon plate in the middle of the sole that may run through the heel. I would <i>guess</i> (just a guess)<br />
that this gives it some extra spring and pop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyasxAfjAmPxYdiTrJHUYbx91Rf6Eh5KP8xKFuHM7B3TGQ63RC_6m9pSIGkTWNC_6B7vZI4P4t-NNkKYIKBxswuBHRo_-lbgjQEvCPjzv0IKj43rSBQquzJC-CuSizT_Y_hQVR2wEDNY/s1600/photo+(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyasxAfjAmPxYdiTrJHUYbx91Rf6Eh5KP8xKFuHM7B3TGQ63RC_6m9pSIGkTWNC_6B7vZI4P4t-NNkKYIKBxswuBHRo_-lbgjQEvCPjzv0IKj43rSBQquzJC-CuSizT_Y_hQVR2wEDNY/s400/photo+(13).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer view of the carbon (plastic?) plate. And the ummm, crease.<br />
I feel really guilty and totally intend to buy from this store now, especially since I've<br />
had a genuinely great experience with the salespeople. Positive word of mouth is all<br />
I can afford to give for now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWM-6EPu3TCTHrKlX64H83fLxtxoq-UMc-FxihEEyjSD8Tg7C8bHl97I2G3qRe3tISrzjFh-_IHO2W9EStiwbnbO_4ZF9bmnBvpQ6iDcFmEzMDYWNoZI0Yv1LLWV-NY3u_X793KqAcyk/s1600/photo+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWM-6EPu3TCTHrKlX64H83fLxtxoq-UMc-FxihEEyjSD8Tg7C8bHl97I2G3qRe3tISrzjFh-_IHO2W9EStiwbnbO_4ZF9bmnBvpQ6iDcFmEzMDYWNoZI0Yv1LLWV-NY3u_X793KqAcyk/s400/photo+%25289%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heel counter was unexpectedly stiff. This is my real effort to make it collapse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoOLP-dVCT-XDcCyhXGDSLfvTnSEnGDwWkyS8wtySnxHADrE_mPkGqaH7Dz1db2ID76_PcGIhHusbU9EzsKqGk_Bcm1tCTuAg7CiaxfLvTk3avRiYg3BO7yLZXtxSBKx3_CcfV8l4KcA/s1600/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoOLP-dVCT-XDcCyhXGDSLfvTnSEnGDwWkyS8wtySnxHADrE_mPkGqaH7Dz1db2ID76_PcGIhHusbU9EzsKqGk_Bcm1tCTuAg7CiaxfLvTk3avRiYg3BO7yLZXtxSBKx3_CcfV8l4KcA/s400/photo+%25288%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note that the printed name as "GoRun S." The salepeople<br />
immediately called it the Gorun Speed when I asked for "that work of beauty in the window."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgnLI-qhmJO1WFMzoQf9MJHYMt9lowlGE_XUk-iTzqk2IaIWMxBrLZDnhya9PDTxDQp6_Xz-O9-JaOpmmQZMr0iXsxgiWOq6MqU7bK-y-NCGAVFBZ5Q9tRrFHLR4poyeAvCEBxOcNWB4/s1600/photo+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgnLI-qhmJO1WFMzoQf9MJHYMt9lowlGE_XUk-iTzqk2IaIWMxBrLZDnhya9PDTxDQp6_Xz-O9-JaOpmmQZMr0iXsxgiWOq6MqU7bK-y-NCGAVFBZ5Q9tRrFHLR4poyeAvCEBxOcNWB4/s400/photo+%252811%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The insole is NOT removeable. Or well, it is, in that it's glued on but only<br />
around the middle portions of the insole.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3TDeyOgEs2LVJv-wByL6_evSsBJVhGycx5F8idJr0HI4L5JvbHPvcEyEphuiQnBOiEErhSXQGVxX9tC2iPRy2E_1P_Qjeot-zyFPyxf6JHWs1HjavHe62N4CIIxYICzGNKEcNmoEq2U/s1600/photo+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3TDeyOgEs2LVJv-wByL6_evSsBJVhGycx5F8idJr0HI4L5JvbHPvcEyEphuiQnBOiEErhSXQGVxX9tC2iPRy2E_1P_Qjeot-zyFPyxf6JHWs1HjavHe62N4CIIxYICzGNKEcNmoEq2U/s400/photo+%252810%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front 2 centimeters had a lamination type of thing going on. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXR1AE567glSwQ-cT6LtuRucGzMH25NymsQbahmQkvUY9SgXJFUG0UN6g88wU4CAd0v0UWnxe3ay8w0SZkPNhiU4NnUNCxqCRn-z5WlepuHHA_Ld9aJUzoMmckEs9b8TWgVDPlyzrH1M/s1600/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXR1AE567glSwQ-cT6LtuRucGzMH25NymsQbahmQkvUY9SgXJFUG0UN6g88wU4CAd0v0UWnxe3ay8w0SZkPNhiU4NnUNCxqCRn-z5WlepuHHA_Ld9aJUzoMmckEs9b8TWgVDPlyzrH1M/s400/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the box. Looks to be the men's colorway.</td></tr>
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I got to put them on and jog in the store. Jogging 20 meters in a store on hardwood is by no means comprehensive, but I loved them. They felt pretty flat, maybe 4-5mm drop or so. The ride height felt significant along with the cushioning, despite being stiff when I tried to bend it. But it could've just been the hardwood I was jogging on and again, 20 meters isn't much to go on. They felt firmer than my Lunaracers. The M-strike technology felt almost non-existent but I was definitely mid-foot striking, so it at least wasn't making me heel-slam.</div>
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My initial impressions made me want to buy them right there and then, as I suspected they wouldn't have it around for long and if it was really only to be released widely in April, oh man....The only reason I didn't is that I can't afford to just keep buying $110US shoes (that was the retail price) as I just purchased a pair of <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/mizuno-wave-ekiden-in-depth-preview.html">Mizuno Ekidens</a> a few days ago. I felt (and apparently, so does <a href="http://www.vivagroup.com/uploadedImages/Pages/Brands/Skechers/News/skechers%20pr%20pic.jpg">this fellow named Meb</a>) that they would be very appropriate for long races up to a marathon so I considered it for my <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/first-half-marathon-race-report-kaiser.html">first half-marathon race the next day</a>, but even I know better than to make such a drastic gamble. But mostly, money.</div>
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Again, these were the women's shoes as that is all they had, but I thought the colorway looked fine for a guy, and the toe box fit fine for me.</div>
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*edit*</div>
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My friend recently bought me a pair. I have a (very long) unboxing and preview video in this post: <a href="http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/skechers-gorun-speed-unboxing-preview.html">http://newbierunnerblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/skechers-gorun-speed-unboxing-preview.html</a></div>
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6767619.2716;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463471;pid=58000000002653969200000M009.0;usg=AFHzDLsSQhqmWt9Gyhlee-8Ab0kRf_7GlA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.dsw.com%252Fshoe%252Fskechers%252Bwomen%2527s%252Bgorun%252B2%252Blightweight%252Brunning%252Bshoe%253FprodId%253D265396;pubid=619068;price=%2474.94;title=Skechers+Women%27s+GOrun...;merc=DSW.com;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fs7d2.scene7.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2FDSWShoes%2F265396_920_ss_01%3F%24search%24%26wid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26fmt%3Djpg%26qlt%3D100;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><br /></div>
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Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-55667635656077912652013-02-03T16:33:00.001-08:002013-02-04T22:58:53.789-08:00First Half-Marathon Race Report (Kaiser Half-Marathon)Just finished my first half-marathon about 5 hours ago and I thought I'd blog about it now while the memories are fresh in my mind. I'll never have another first half-marathon in my life again, right? Best time to share with my fellow newbs just how I felt.<br />
<br />
The race took place in San Francisco's Golden Gate part and has been voted one of the most scenic races in the US. I actually run Golden Gate park all the time and I would have to agree. I chose this particular race for 3 reasons 1) I live within walking distance of the start line 2) At $55 it is far less expensive than any other half-marathon I've found and 2) The timing in my schedule just worked well. I didn't see any charity it was donating to, but Kaiser is a non-profit health organization I support in and of itself as it is. Weather was 47 degrees and sun peeked out around 8:20am. I wore a long sleeve tech shirt, running tights and shorts over them to hold my gels and because I'm too modest to run in just running tights as a man. The shoes I wore for this race <a href="http://www.runblogger.com/2010/03/nike-lunaracer-running-shoe-review.html">Nike Lunaracer+</a> with a pair of polyester liner socks. They're a 6mm drop dedicated racer with a stiff springy bounce to the sole. The main reason I selected them however, was their lightweight combined with Lunarlon cushioning. For my 5Ks I usually go sockless and go with a firmer shoe. In my experiments during my longrun training, however, I've found the cushioning to be indispensable and the Lunarlon foam has that perfect balance of being very cushioned but not being mushy, robbing you of precious responsiveness and toe-off spring.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0R2sl1KjqIVEejdhynme34VNx1Vs9K3KzTYRBu4BVvQd5r1C_e1DP5Ku5Zb4QIp6fQMl3s2z0Jc-JJltxeKaPMwvGRsbES2OfAMvTGxE1tXF4qiMKGl-3HjYKlTnfK_6DxRTE9q7IXM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0R2sl1KjqIVEejdhynme34VNx1Vs9K3KzTYRBu4BVvQd5r1C_e1DP5Ku5Zb4QIp6fQMl3s2z0Jc-JJltxeKaPMwvGRsbES2OfAMvTGxE1tXF4qiMKGl-3HjYKlTnfK_6DxRTE9q7IXM/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When engaging an unfamiliar opponent, adaptability is key. Proper weapons selection,<br />
however, remains no less crucial to victory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The race started at 8am, which felt late to me as most of my 5Ks have started at 7am. My roommates were pretty darn rowdy and I couldn't sleep until 4am-ish. I've learned by now though that entering any competition with a negative attitude accomplishes nothing but to hinder performance and so I completely tossed it out of my mind the moment my alarm went off at 6:45am. I really feel like I can't stress enough how important it is to leave the negativity at home when you're trying to accomplish something monumental and positive like your first half-marathon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchD6O89blcn0anzkoDxJYtJSHrp37e1iG0WbrQ01VgRAuPskqhD4728tO0QJnrgGuZwa3tsSframEZof6By5a9IWFpFlnGMl62k7I1WoxmLWzVp26KGDnSbNdbnt3q-3Fg2GZwx9gLPY/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchD6O89blcn0anzkoDxJYtJSHrp37e1iG0WbrQ01VgRAuPskqhD4728tO0QJnrgGuZwa3tsSframEZof6By5a9IWFpFlnGMl62k7I1WoxmLWzVp26KGDnSbNdbnt3q-3Fg2GZwx9gLPY/s400/photo+(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I lined up at the front of the pack for the 8:00/mile pacing group, which was in fact my actual goal. The race started with some riling up for the SF 49ers (it's the Super Bowl today) and off we went, right on time. My plan was to run miles 1-6 at a 8:20 pace, miles 7-10 at an 8:05 pace and to gun it for the GO miles at mile 10.25 hoping for 7:30s splits for the final miles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqYC9kp-MBmBtTjTUYvewKPQKzDlWVW01Dxpbq0Xy-AvIK9q7MKtMPHTKAen7L4lPnKVHU8do9dnriyOEAPjZd_06QSeXDh3nQg28MRbBnmHRsqfYz_ZqZ-jh4WuQRghRyIQftYPe53Q/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqYC9kp-MBmBtTjTUYvewKPQKzDlWVW01Dxpbq0Xy-AvIK9q7MKtMPHTKAen7L4lPnKVHU8do9dnriyOEAPjZd_06QSeXDh3nQg28MRbBnmHRsqfYz_ZqZ-jh4WuQRghRyIQftYPe53Q/s400/photo+(2).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd. I noticed there were definitely a lot less brightly colored racer shoes and<br />
tech shirts from other races at this event. Don't know if that meant it was a less<br />
competitive crowd, cuz I'm not at that elite level to be able to judge,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Mile 1:<br />
Just flew by. I was still fumbling with my iPhone trying to get get a proper pace going as it was having trouble locking on. I made sure not to panic over it as the first few mile <i>should</i> feel too slow. By the time the phone was in working order and I got my facebook cleared up (yep, I facebooked during my first half-marathon), I was surprised to hear my mile time announced in my earbuds. 8:30 splits. Behind, but I knew that the silliest thing I could do was try to speed up to make up for it in the next mile. Just didn't let it phase me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1c5oDLT4JtrpwqRK6VBAChzREH15YrUSOxIcHK3TgZtT2CjeUQfvylm7fiSDMMiq7Et9mgMslnRQ-a1UwekKQbeJf6ScQagBQ3iPDMGH11-hTxu2_mqYICi5kWfwmkxOkoroP4ATMma4/s1600/aintevenmad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1c5oDLT4JtrpwqRK6VBAChzREH15YrUSOxIcHK3TgZtT2CjeUQfvylm7fiSDMMiq7Et9mgMslnRQ-a1UwekKQbeJf6ScQagBQ3iPDMGH11-hTxu2_mqYICi5kWfwmkxOkoroP4ATMma4/s320/aintevenmad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Mile 2:<br />
By the time I realized I was running without music, this mile flew by as well. The pitter patter of other racers is apparently sweeter music than anything coming out of my Ne-yo & Calvin Harris mix. However, I forced myself to turn on the music as I always did, because I wanted to deviate from my set habits as little as possible. At the 2.75 mile mark I stopped to the side to gulp down a non-caffeinated <a href="http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/nutrition/nutritiongels/">Gu gel pack</a>. 8:03 splits.<br />
<br />
Mile 3:<br />
This is when the first hitch came up. I suddenly had to pee. I had hydrated well into the night and woke up several times to urinate and didn't drink anything form the time I woke up to the time of the race. Where was this coming from? No idea. But I had to pee and at the end of mile 3 there some porta-potties wwwaaaayy off to the side. There was also a water station at this point. Another problem: during my longruns up to 12 miles, I never drank water. I am dead serious. Simply because I wasn't able to bring some and didn't trust the public fountains. Introducing water would be a new variable and like I said, I always want to decrease unknown variables. I compromised and took some some gulp and tossed the rest. In the hesitation of deciding whether to pee or not (I did not), I slowed down. 8:36 splits.<br />
<br />
Miles 4 & 5:<br />
This is when I forced myself to go into zen mode to ignore the decision of whether to pee or not until the next porta-potty station around Mile 6. As planned, I took a caffeinated gel pack at mile 5.50, doing it quite smoothly and losing almost no time. I also felt like I was getting a good feel for the pace and decided to go mostly by feel. End result? Both mile split times were 8:07. Zen.<br />
<br />
Miles 6 & 7:<br />
Forgot I had to pee for the rest of the race. Score. Now, the Kaiser race is known for having a net downhill. Unbeknownst to me, this is where it occurs. I noticed a downhill slope giving me a boost and decided to NOT let it take me for a ride. As in, I slowed down a little to conserve effort, thinking I would have to make up for it soon. Still, splits were 7:59 and 7:55. I thought, hey, it's past mile 6, time to ramp it up anyway.<br />
<br />
Mile 8-10:<br />
This was the hardest part. At this point the course goes onto the Pacific coast on a road known as the Great Highway. It's gorgeous. Well, usually its gorgeous, just as I got to it it became overcast. Which was good for me because hey, I can stop to appreciate the beauty anytime, I live within spitting distance of the coast. Overcast meant no unnecessary rise in temperature. So what made it so hard? Quite simply, the monotony. It's a straight road for over three miles including the turnaround. When you're trying to take the race one mile at a time, monotony basically tries to tear away the veil you're trying so hard to keep over your eyes. A second psychological factor was the fact that my iPhone GPS was now reading 0.25 miles more than each mile race marker that came up. I know it wasn't the phone because everyone's GPS watch would go off within seconds of each other every mile. The markers were just wrong and it began to worry me just a teeny bit. At this point the race leader came around the other way, which actually boosted my sense of motivation because DDAAANNNNNNG look at that form and speed!!! Splits were 8:10, 8:17 and 8:04. I took a non-caffeinated gel pack as planned at mile 8.25.<br />
<br />
Mile 10:<br />
It's GO time. Or so I thought. The mile markers they had actually seemed to be getting worse in their accuracy at this point which meant I had to be conservative when to gun it. I took my last caffinated gel pack at mile 10.25, a calculated deviation from my plan to take it at 10.50. I eased down on the pedal to mile 11, fully expecting the race to be at least a quarter of a mile too long. 8:04 splits.<br />
<br />
Mile 11:<br />
GO time. I didn't sprint but I started zipping by just about everyone in the pack I was with. Definitely didn't get passed any any point and people around me were beginning to pant. One fellow went down in front of me with a spectator stopping to help him. He called for a medic and a cellphone. I was in mid-stride to stop as I had a cellphone but it looked like another spectator had a phone as well. Very soon a motorcycle officer whizzed past me the other way, no doubt to help him. 7:59 splits.<br />
<br />
Mile 12:<br />
Had it in high gear now where my form was beginning to change. I could feel my footstrike shifting from midfoot to almost a forefoot strike and my arm swing was getting a little bigger. We were still on the Great Highway and folks were beginning to stop and walk, to my surprise. This was also the same time I passed by an older gentlemen who had also gone down and was being helped. I wanted to fully gun it but 2 things threw me off. 1) the mile markers were a full quarter mile off now and 2) my iPhone indicated my overall pace was now 7:55, much to my surprise, causing me to ease up just a tiny bit and focus on just keeping my current pace under 8:00. 7:48 splits.<br />
<br />
Finish:<br />
The course veered off the Great Highway and back into Golden Gate Park. With the turns and hills I couldn't tell where the finish line was and the GPS was no use now. I looked down and suddenly saw the GPS reading backtrack and say I was doing a 8:10 overall pace. Screw it, I was gunning it. It was all uphill at this point, however, so 90% throttle still meant a 7:20ish pace. Still, I was passing everyone and I kind of felt guilty at this point because I was hoping this would motivated everyone to join in on the kick. Instead I was just passing people at a solid clip. When I spotted the finish line, about 400m away.....<br />
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<br />
I full throttled it into a sprint. Honestly, I felt like a douchebag because everyone was just panting and no one joined in on my kick and I'm sure it was quite noticeable this one dude was just blasting past everyone down the final stretch. The announcer called it out, but he didn't call my name as I had my bib on my shorts, facing away from him. Just as well. Final splits including the extra distance: 7:30. Final distance: 13.37 miles on my iPhone GPS. Final time: 1:47:34. Average pace of 8:04/mile.<br />
<br />
<br />
Met my friend as I walked down the line, still having a lot left in me, not breathing nearly as hard as I should have been. Got my cotton t-shirt which was much better than I expected and got my first medal (yeah, finisher's medal, but whatever). I didn't really check out the expo much. I have to admit, for the past year I was one of those folks who cared A LOT about the t-shirt and swag. I won't lie that it has tipped my choice towards one race over the other before. But I dunno, this one was different. I just wanted to race it and finish it. I didn't even opt for the polyester wicking shirt option despite the fact that I dislike cotton shirts. It just felt different. And while I wouldn't dissuade anyone else from enjoying the medals and photos and swag (DO enjoy it, it's half the fun and it feels great to be celebrate amongst other runners!), I just didn't care for it this time. Probably because the half-marathon is such a longer endeavor than the 5K and for once I really systematically trained for a road race. And you know what? It feels great. Knowing "I did that," that's some permanent swag I'll get to bring with me everyday.<br />
<br />
<br />
Some highlights and lessons from the race:<br />
<br />
I never looked down. I noticed this around the time of the Great Highway. I looked down literally once during the entire race to check to make sure the time-chip tag was still on my shoe. Other than that, I literally stared straight down the road and I have zero doubts this increased my performance greatly. Head up and eyes forward is a universal trait of good running form and there are many many types of "good running forms." I don't know why it happened like this but I'll be sure to keep it for my future races.<br />
<br />
Carbo loading and tapering works. I don't carbo load and I don't taper. Because I do 5Ks where it's not as big an issue. I think this was actually my greatest mistake as to why I didn't reach my 8:00/mile target. I underestimated myself and was too conservative with my pacing. I could have easily ramped up my pace in each mile by 5 seconds, maybe even 10 seconds, and shattered my expectations.<br />
<br />
I stop to take gel packs. Literally, I've learned that for me it's not worth it to try to run and eat/drink at the same time. I just stop over, enjoy my 10 second break and the rest usually makes for a faster pace which makes up for lost time anyhow. And no stomach cramps and messy hands from trying to run and dine.<br />
<br />
I got to go pee afterwards. Best highlight of the race.<br />
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Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-26931879550285921362013-02-02T19:59:00.003-08:002013-02-02T20:06:18.045-08:00Calm Before the Storm (of my first half-marathon)So tomorrow morning will be my first half-marathon, the Kaiser Half-Marathon event in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. I've been running for almost one year now and have competed in over a dozen events, most of which were 5Ks. I signed up for this event about six weeks ago and only started training for it about five weeks ago. I know this generally isn't an ideal situation but I'm surprised at the progress I've made, with my long runs increasing by about two miles each week while also dropping down in pace. The honeymoon newbie period, I suppose.<br />
<br />
I decided to use the FIRST training schedule from a book I found, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Runners-Faster-Revised-Edition-3-Run/dp/1609618025/ref=pd_sim_b_6">Run Less Run Faster</a>. I've always preferred high intensity workouts and liked that this training schedule pushed for such faster times than most any other. At the same time, the three day a week workout helps make my life a lot easier with daily life to care of in between workouts. I would highly recommend it and I've gotten very obvious results from it. To give you an idea, I used to consider my longruns 4 miles. With this compressed workout schedule I've pushed that to over 12 miles without injury or severe discomfort.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqYryvD0bwy1AN3vml3BsUHsYVcfawrVEwLtad7u6WjBZLnSudZY-s0wPvBiLQuk5d2U-6F0NzPZ51FCgkWKqJT1z-JMu9nXCV3nZotYC6wrGo0P5bZSsO3TCSVeV6zL54aGUR4zAixQ/s1600/runlessrunfaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqYryvD0bwy1AN3vml3BsUHsYVcfawrVEwLtad7u6WjBZLnSudZY-s0wPvBiLQuk5d2U-6F0NzPZ51FCgkWKqJT1z-JMu9nXCV3nZotYC6wrGo0P5bZSsO3TCSVeV6zL54aGUR4zAixQ/s320/runlessrunfaster.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you, literacy.</td></tr>
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My only concern is my tapering schedule. With such a compressed workout schedule, I decided to do a 12.25-mile long run last 7 days ago, a shortened interval workout 2 days later (with incredibly poor times) and a 2-mile threshold run at under 5K pace 2 days after that. I've basically stopped running cold turkey for the past 3 days. This is considered a pretty abrupt taper and I'll know if it was a good idea or not tomorrow morning.<br />
<br />
I've laid out all my clothes (which I've already tested out in that exact combination for my longruns) with the gel packs inserted into the pockets in the exact order I plan to take them. I prefer my bib on the shorts because I've found sweat to accumulate under it when pinned on the shirt. So I've pinned the bib exactly on the shorts where I want them, ready to go. I'll be running with my iPhone in my hand with earbuds on, despite originally planning to run with my GPS watch. The reason for this being that I've trained the majority of my runs this way and the other being that I've found my GPS watch to give different pacing than my iPhone. So between saving some weight and risking inappropriate race pacing, I've opted to go with the iPhone like the newb I am.<br />
<br />
I don't really feel nervous (other than the obvious OCD paranoia demonstrated in the previous paragraph. To that I credit the very reason I chose to do a half-marathon when my body type and (lack of) training clearly dictates I should be a short distance runner. Namely, that I "shouldn't" be able to do it. I am not a long distance runner and to me, well, that just means I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Quite frankly I'm excited for the race itself. No matter what happens, as long as I finish I'll be getting a personal record and it'll certainly be faster than the alternate-universe version of me who decided not to try, right?<br />
<br />
This is my new wallpaper.<br />
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Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-61055434913560821172013-02-01T17:34:00.002-08:002013-02-04T22:59:05.787-08:00Mizuno Wave Ekiden In-Depth Preview<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So after a few weeks of mulling over it, calling stores all over the San Francisco Bay Area to try on a pair and scouring the web for reviews to no avail, I gave in and just ordered a pair of Mizuno Wave Ekidens (actually, two pairs and this turned out to be a good decision) from <a href="http://roadrunnersports.com/">Road Runner Sports</a>. My main concern was sizing as I feel like racers are more finicky than other running shoes in this area. Road Runner Sports has a 90-day exchange policy even after running in the shoes if you join their VIP status, so there we go.</div>
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A little background: My first pair of "real" running shoes were the <a href="http://www.runblogger.com/2010/11/shoe-reviews-mizuno-wave-universe-and.html">Mizuno Wave Ronin 2</a>s. 8mm drop semi-racer, about 7 ounces in my size. When I ran 1.5 miles non-stop that first day without the usual knee and shin pain from heel-striking in traditional running shoes that would've stopped me within one mile, I knew that this minimalism and mid foot strike business was going to be for me.<br />
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I've tried over ten pairs of shoes since then and the Ronins are still my best fitting and to which I set my gold standard to. The toe-box was roomy which allowed my toes to splay on foot strike to disperse the impact and gain some stability as they should. The light upper allowed wind to rush through and eventually had me running sock less, further encouraging toe splay and enhancing ground feel. 8mm of heel drop was lower than the 12mm found in traditional running shoes which helped me transition towards minimalism and mid-foot striking. Cushioning was firm, but on the softer side of firm. After a year I've developed a more solid mid-foot strike and have been most comfortable in heel drops 6mm and lower. So the search was on for a new lightweight racer with medium-firm cushioning for 5K races.<br />
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Got my Ekidens last night and the first thing I noticed: they didn't fit like my Ronins. The toe box was not nearly as wide as my Ronins and even worse, the roof of the toe box was uncomfortably low, so that it felt claustrophobic if I bent my toes up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUL78heZjZ7GjvMlbjy-zM5-NF8hPXCt3xhOK8pNmLgMnbhGrYAFDIPfBZGBqRtJ3zDqvZk35DN9ipi-PmWWVRoL9OGzxMSgb7lxTOKvKTT64xosm0AJAzz-67ZX4-3aIvIOnflTSe50/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUL78heZjZ7GjvMlbjy-zM5-NF8hPXCt3xhOK8pNmLgMnbhGrYAFDIPfBZGBqRtJ3zDqvZk35DN9ipi-PmWWVRoL9OGzxMSgb7lxTOKvKTT64xosm0AJAzz-67ZX4-3aIvIOnflTSe50/s640/photo2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower profile of the Ekiden (right). Toe box roof felt very cramped after wearing the Ronin 2s (left).<br />
It's like looking at a slick Corvette parked next to a dune buggy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztwpqqKLgMOoUdGckwy0aUq4ZqJV8MfvhFTJqA4Ms2p6KBGLBFDCXXqsSHYbYQ03mWbW4Jz1ixSim7QrnuJcLb2MEayMp1ACMR7Q-gRcRGaV4sN_AbfRZVGcHLH3OzR4iEDbhKDmaK8/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztwpqqKLgMOoUdGckwy0aUq4ZqJV8MfvhFTJqA4Ms2p6KBGLBFDCXXqsSHYbYQ03mWbW4Jz1ixSim7QrnuJcLb2MEayMp1ACMR7Q-gRcRGaV4sN_AbfRZVGcHLH3OzR4iEDbhKDmaK8/s400/photo+5.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the wider footprint of the Ronin versus the Ekiden...that's one-half size up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQj1NnqUXW24cJGWKfdts8-ymfMJik1f4vmIK5GnNogvAqhJCrrFburoNC9L5XPDzhkNfrWOfSitn7taz3ts9KOvf2zI4L56H6dX9ybkJj2hCTS8Bgi1ibTjvOaWbSQA0zKNkMhqSe78/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQj1NnqUXW24cJGWKfdts8-ymfMJik1f4vmIK5GnNogvAqhJCrrFburoNC9L5XPDzhkNfrWOfSitn7taz3ts9KOvf2zI4L56H6dX9ybkJj2hCTS8Bgi1ibTjvOaWbSQA0zKNkMhqSe78/s400/photo+%252813%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top view. The last looks straighter but it didn't feel much like it when worn.</td></tr>
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<br />
The heel fit felt fine and the midfoot was a little tight to the point that I could see that the shoelaces closer to the ankle was stretched MUCH further apart than the laces closer to the toes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_XKY9u18TTZ1tCCp3ZQR4_4tAwT8tYuN_KkvKhSTGafbt497vNu270IEm2KpPRRfPJB6CX79yaBww-RsqzabKmuCXQLwAc3HS7uk4SSrTQThabL-Kq1-iC6hQdHGc4vubvzF7qHWFUM/s1600/photo-%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_XKY9u18TTZ1tCCp3ZQR4_4tAwT8tYuN_KkvKhSTGafbt497vNu270IEm2KpPRRfPJB6CX79yaBww-RsqzabKmuCXQLwAc3HS7uk4SSrTQThabL-Kq1-iC6hQdHGc4vubvzF7qHWFUM/s320/photo-%252810%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This gave me a hint as to the problem. 1) It was too small (even though I ordered it the same size as the Ronins) and 2) the laces were set up to be too tight. Good thing I also ordered an extra pair half a size up, just in case. This one was straight across the laces and roomy enough in the toe box. However, now it was too loose and sloppy in the mid foot and arch. As of now I still haven't gotten a chance to actually run in my Ekidens, but I have put the smaller "correct" size on several times which I believe has stretched it out a little. I've also re-laced it to allow more room in the toe box. This seems to have helped significantly.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-onL_n665X08_f9oJAeYYIOlLdJA6b55nhtoc2UZlSiyjBHBqGQqS8glIcqaBAY8sIkLjt0aHiXRujWO3af1199qaEM6bw34h7QAA_-Aj0-y8Hm1j0z5ZTHqqHKpSxbY4Q3FIDaSXNY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-onL_n665X08_f9oJAeYYIOlLdJA6b55nhtoc2UZlSiyjBHBqGQqS8glIcqaBAY8sIkLjt0aHiXRujWO3af1199qaEM6bw34h7QAA_-Aj0-y8Hm1j0z5ZTHqqHKpSxbY4Q3FIDaSXNY/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lacing (note "under-over" and ankle lock)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRThlHUHixvko3NZxCPJGy_WuLZT5hjnXJ5EtVXZ5nqc2tr8f8ylB1tZ7wc6w8p1HHhPnk6nklu0IMPdaM5zWGRFJ6Bru2ffetSZn1xx9ebgLMujnf9Tfvr9GQRgGbn4X2h5uL94u3jk/s1600/photo5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRThlHUHixvko3NZxCPJGy_WuLZT5hjnXJ5EtVXZ5nqc2tr8f8ylB1tZ7wc6w8p1HHhPnk6nklu0IMPdaM5zWGRFJ6Bru2ffetSZn1xx9ebgLMujnf9Tfvr9GQRgGbn4X2h5uL94u3jk/s320/photo5.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original lacing (note the "over-under" lacing <br />
of the top lace)</td></tr>
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Further enhancing my suspicions that the Ekidens run small, I compared the length of the shoes from the heel to the toe.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI86OzCGl711ZbhArXAAcmlNysTEGY4GzmF77ZsmRx0tKzCIZ9pvGwzAYsnjNnUo87ncCkhMfzSK-_tMKGgQk20tgfat4tO06gSHRpmsuFkASgOm5htxdQGWv24Ht_e6tpGqq-M19TugY/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI86OzCGl711ZbhArXAAcmlNysTEGY4GzmF77ZsmRx0tKzCIZ9pvGwzAYsnjNnUo87ncCkhMfzSK-_tMKGgQk20tgfat4tO06gSHRpmsuFkASgOm5htxdQGWv24Ht_e6tpGqq-M19TugY/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same sized.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZykysFy80-mJhzD3LHBH6IZ9McHs65KW-efr679qV5-HMUIIwIV1J3z2sDOf0RiOd91rRHRI6z-VFkX5141TieU117fDl-5xsClBL0DtGxlT7edmX0vqgRb8H2yQKnKOnk4pu88olnio/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZykysFy80-mJhzD3LHBH6IZ9McHs65KW-efr679qV5-HMUIIwIV1J3z2sDOf0RiOd91rRHRI6z-VFkX5141TieU117fDl-5xsClBL0DtGxlT7edmX0vqgRb8H2yQKnKOnk4pu88olnio/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ekiden one-half size larger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Of course, what's important is how it feels on the inside, as one upper may be thicker than the other, the toe spring may be tricking your eye, etc. For now, just from feel, I would say the Ekidens run 1/4 size small after stretching out from a few wears. I've decided to keep the smaller pair and my hope is that they will stretch out to normal size once I've actually run in them. I do recall my Ronins stretching out once they were broken in.<br />
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Enough drama about the sizing. I will get into the actual cushioning, springiness and performance, etc. of the shoe in a future review once I've put miles on the shoe, but I can tell you about the construction. First thing I noticed in that regards: the ridiculously thin tongue.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z212YFVEUAp4E8e_WiChLIObjxR5Qgn8ydm-nDJCDTfGA9869t4c4yOoMhwIWPabSQsI4xCn5ipkQfIfcwDmIGyvTmmQPveCp2mB_PGZhqREEMykd7QEuyRo7gQylX0KALZ1jaN8TE4/s1600/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z212YFVEUAp4E8e_WiChLIObjxR5Qgn8ydm-nDJCDTfGA9869t4c4yOoMhwIWPabSQsI4xCn5ipkQfIfcwDmIGyvTmmQPveCp2mB_PGZhqREEMykd7QEuyRo7gQylX0KALZ1jaN8TE4/s320/photo+%252812%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is certainly one way to save weight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was kind of shocked they actually tried this, but it IS a dedicated 5K-10K racer, I guess. It's folded up on itself a few times when I've put it on and I'll have to see if it slips during running. Or maybe it'll just cling onto my sweat and solve the problem.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIXSpXs9OTBvqr7vHU0kUjxGglbulAXQA7-kjkerSkEUQVBzRS1P1mnszC6CIBTrO56l8Mn1XLxw0Q5K6Kqwp9aSZ-YykTLPmLztDwV_LQ0lPt_J9oYIfhHrHVDhQbFLeat_yBgqKFvc/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIXSpXs9OTBvqr7vHU0kUjxGglbulAXQA7-kjkerSkEUQVBzRS1P1mnszC6CIBTrO56l8Mn1XLxw0Q5K6Kqwp9aSZ-YykTLPmLztDwV_LQ0lPt_J9oYIfhHrHVDhQbFLeat_yBgqKFvc/s320/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Oh, you wanted an insole? Yeah, I bet<br />
you'd like me to stop cattle prodding<br />
you, too, huh? MAN UP, YOU."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The shoe weighs a measly 4.6oz in size 9 and they've done several things to achieve this weight. The other trick is that there's no real insole, a la the <a href="http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-MUNI4M3.html">Mizuno Wave Universe</a> 4, the most dedicated racer in Mizuno's lineup. It's just some white felt.<br />
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One very weird thing: there's this piece of plastic film that I think is supposed to be some kind of stabilizer sewn underneath the roof of the toe box. It's plastic, it's noisy, it's uncomfortable and I'm guessing it isn't necessary. I'm hoping it won't be an issue when running. I shoved my camera into the toe box to take a picture of it.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_ensIiq43Ljl7D6pQSPOgUPjCxNyTcXZkLMVn7Vis87DKlWNQwzQ2wPDvEf34nOfInzABiJxxC_iR_YMz2Zsrh3uhqVnnXC4e9hXvykWTww4omljHMdBAyH3M1ylBywhuQwiRsSXJFo/s1600/photo-(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_ensIiq43Ljl7D6pQSPOgUPjCxNyTcXZkLMVn7Vis87DKlWNQwzQ2wPDvEf34nOfInzABiJxxC_iR_YMz2Zsrh3uhqVnnXC4e9hXvykWTww4omljHMdBAyH3M1ylBywhuQwiRsSXJFo/s320/photo-(9).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wut. Is. This.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedy05Ua3lpznV2P65dufytejJKKCVDZqv_2EWiB8kBNqWz9h68VKJKNhCD3JAZi_ZGkGK5qMqmjrotm7gOsO1Iipc9nrEEv03dbFB8J-Tz6RSYTFaRm-NqvPh64m213AAZesixkqixG0/s1600/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedy05Ua3lpznV2P65dufytejJKKCVDZqv_2EWiB8kBNqWz9h68VKJKNhCD3JAZi_ZGkGK5qMqmjrotm7gOsO1Iipc9nrEEv03dbFB8J-Tz6RSYTFaRm-NqvPh64m213AAZesixkqixG0/s320/photo+%25284%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thin upper + visible backlight = weight savings!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The thin mesh upper feels surprisingly comfortable though not as smooth as the liner in the Ronin 2s. I don't expect any blisters running sockless, but again, I look forward to confirming.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8E_OH0u31hGrVKn0X8HovgrW9LZlG22kjuU8fXM4WXjy2CqCtF97DF7WRNNDqKlClwLXcj7XlDvQ_3Oano4-DIc1pTSCH_4HK1gmiAyCRI_6gO9FliCxqVNmK14bv3mIkKWGCh5mvtk/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8E_OH0u31hGrVKn0X8HovgrW9LZlG22kjuU8fXM4WXjy2CqCtF97DF7WRNNDqKlClwLXcj7XlDvQ_3Oano4-DIc1pTSCH_4HK1gmiAyCRI_6gO9FliCxqVNmK14bv3mIkKWGCh5mvtk/s320/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The ankle collar is a faux leather thing. They feel comfortable so far, but only time and a bleeding achilles will tell. There is a heel counter present and I would describe it as half the stiffness of the Ronin's, just as I was hoping.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBu4MPLd9vICkYC9NvCKFUhqe30auvzplgepl0VvnLEMNC2UPTnJDOciyz2lYIDxb5Oagj7wuvTGmC-T69KVPPdYIUIWj5E5MyUM8ixPCQqXewrDbJfLCt6oxLy5sUC3dhxQLQt1CRsOU/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBu4MPLd9vICkYC9NvCKFUhqe30auvzplgepl0VvnLEMNC2UPTnJDOciyz2lYIDxb5Oagj7wuvTGmC-T69KVPPdYIUIWj5E5MyUM8ixPCQqXewrDbJfLCt6oxLy5sUC3dhxQLQt1CRsOU/s320/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the gray thing. The white thing at the<br />
bottom is the "Wave plate."</td></tr>
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I think other than the Universe, I've never seen a Mizuno lacking in the company's <a href="http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-MPRO2M1.html">proprietary Wave plate</a>. While it's labeled as such on the bottom, I don't buy it that this is a Wave plate. I've never seen a white one and so far I don't really feel it in the shoe, either.</div>
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So far the Ekidens appear to live up to the hype as a middle ground between the true minimalist Universe and the transitional racer Ronins. The sole feels like a 5-6mm drop as advertised, it's flexible and can be folded into itself like the universe but it is stiffer as I would prefer it. The weight is also just in between the two shoes. I look forward to coming up with a review once I've put some miles on them and for now, if you're looking to purchase a pair, do consider ordering half a size up if you don't like your running shoes tight.<br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6767619.2718;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463471;pid=58000000002640810140000M007.0;usg=AFHzDLsGDnyYvgJl-FSwukjPE6U_KxVsPA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.dsw.com%252Fshoe%252Fmizuno%252Bmen%2527s%252Bwave%252Bronin%252B3%252Blightweight%252Brunning%252Bshoe%253FprodId%253D264081;pubid=619068;price=%2469.94;title=Mizuno+Men%27s+Wave+Roni...;merc=DSW.com;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fs7d2.scene7.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2FDSWShoes%2F264081_014_ss_01%3F%24search%24%26wid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26fmt%3Djpg%26qlt%3D100;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><br /></div>
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Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8272202566293368575.post-34551444549861858442013-02-01T16:57:00.000-08:002013-02-01T16:57:20.182-08:00A Little About MeI'll make this short and quick so you can move onto the good stuff.<br />
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I started running about a year ago, in my late-20s. Before that I could never make it more than a mile without succumbing to severe knee and shin pains. On the other hand I've always been good at sprinting short distances, faster than most others. I've also always been involved in high impact sports, particularly in a laundry list of martial arts which I still practice. So athleticism-wise, it just never added up that I couldn't run more than a mile before breaking apart.<br />
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So about a year ago I ran into a strange shoe at the sports shop called the <a href="http://www.runblogger.com/2012/02/new-balance-730-preview-minimalist.html">New Balance 730</a>. It caught my attention just for being so ridiculously light and connected to the ground when I put them on. As I read deeper into it I discovered the concept of minimalistic running and mid-foot striking, which I plan to go deeper into for the new runners.<br />
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And that's what this blog will be about: a blog for new runners. As I see myself at the tail end of the beginner stage of the sport and at the same time, more athletically inclined than most others who are starting off, I feel I'm good position to share knowledge to new folks just starting off. Sort of a "all the mistakes are still fresh in my mind and I can relate" kind of thing. I've also coached martial arts through the years and one of the key aspects I found to being successful at it was the ability to empathize with a beginner's mindset. So all in all, take my personal anecdotes and advice with a grain of salt.<br />
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Some additional information about me is that I'm a fourth year student in professional school in the healthcare field. I get sent all around California for my rotations but I'm primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. I also compete in triathlons (still only in the sprint category) and am always learning some kind of martial art at the moment (right now I'm exploring the different areas of MMA). I'm most interested in 5K distances and my favorite distance is the 1 mile. My best mile time so far is 6:21, my 5K 22:30 and in about two days I will be competing in my first half-marathon with a goal of 7:55/mile. I'm very open to new athletic areas and going back to my martial arts background, my first goal in any new sport is to study the correct form and technique before diving in deep with sheer willpower and athleticism.<br />
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And so that's it. I'm sure I'll keep revealing more as I blog. Here's to us newbs.Really Bad Renaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365276034372921954noreply@blogger.com0