Best Reason to Run

Aug 11, 2011 by Greg Fowler

New shoes.
Race t-shirts.
Weight loss.
Lower cholesterol.

These are just some of the good reasons to take up running. Do you know what the best reason is, though? Here’s a hint: It is something you probably loved as a kid but gave up once you “grew up”.

Chocolate milk. That’s right. I no longer have to pretend I’m buying chocolate milk for the kids. Studies show that chocolate milk is about the best thing you can drink right after a hard run or workout to help  your body recover.  So go ahead, buy that chocolate milk on your next trip to the grocery store. I do.

Here are some links for more information:

ChocolateMilk.com

RunningPlanet.com

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Newton Shoe Hunt 2011

Aug 8, 2011 by Greg Fowler

If you’ve looked around my blog, you’ve seen that I have been moving toward minimalist shoes.  This seems to be going well, but my Kinvaras are getting high in miles and I don’t plan on using them much longer.  Also, I currently don’t have a long run shoe, having abandoned my Mizuno Wave Inspires after my foot injury in February.  What to do with half and full Marathon training looming?

As I mentioned, in my last post, Summertime Blues?, one of the motivation steps I planned to take was to purchase  a pair of Newton Running Shoes.  Why Newtons?  These are not marketed as minimalist shoes.  Having read reviews of Newton shoes from the Natural Running Center and Runblogger, I believe a pair of Newtons will help me on my journey to better form, less heel to toe drop, and ultimately, no more left foot pain. Maybe I’m just buying more magic beans.  We’ll see.

Since Newtons are not sold in my part of South Carolina, I planned to drive to Charlotte, North Carolina to see them.  Sure, I could order online, but I wanted to try them on and not hassle with any possible returns from online retailers.  I called a Newton dealer in Charlotte,  and they held a pair of Distance Racers for me.  Well, the Distance Racers did not work very well.  They were tighter in the toe box than I expected, rubbing my pinky toes.  Unfortunately, the store did not have my other choice, the Distance Trainer.

Hmm. Slight Change of Plan

After reviewing the specs and some reviews on the shoes (thanks, iPhone), I decided the Distance Trainer or Gravitas (a trainer also) would probably make more sense, since they should last longer and Newton shoes are pricey.  However, the Distance Trainer is cut the same as the Racers, so I expected them to be tight on my toes as well.  Long story short, I ended up at another running store, Charlotte Running Company, where I purchased a pair of the Gravitas model.  They fit much better across my toes due to different styling.  Also, I liked the blue color much better than the green  Distance Racers.  The heel to toe drop on the Gravitas is listed as 3mm, instead of the 2mm Distance Trainer or Racer. As an added bonus, the store was giving 10% off all purchases, and it was a back-to-school sale tax free weekend in North Carolina, so I saved a good bit of money on the shoes.

First Impressions

From a distance, the Newtons, look like most other traditional running shoes.  Upon closer inspection, though, you can see that the sole is different.  There are 4 lugs that provide the action/reaction system Newton describes on their website.  My wife said I was getting my own pair of Shape-ups…arggh.

Both stores warned me to take it easy transitioning to the Newtons.  So does the literature that comes with the shoe.  As a first run, I only did one mile.  The feeling is definitely different than any other shoes I’ve had.  With the lugs,  I felt like I was landing on a small ball under the balls of my feet.  This seemed to engage the muscles and tendons of my feet more than other shoes, especially that tendon on the outside of your foot that is about the size of 1/2 a golf ball (Fibularis brevis tendon maybe?).  They also seemed to work my right calf differently.  The next morning, my left arch was a little more sore than usual.  I plan on running a little bit every other day this week to ease into them.  I’ll update my progress in future posts.

Here’s a video of my form on the treadmill with them after the road run:

Newton Gravitas on Treadmill

POFIFOTO!

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Summertime Blues?

Aug 3, 2011 by Greg Fowler

Is there a cure?

I don’t think I have the blues, but I am certainly tired of the the South Carolina heat and humidity. Seems like we don’t even get afternoon thunderstorms any more to give us a short break.

The other night, as I was running the trails in 95 degree heat,  the conversation with myself went something like this:

Why are you out here in this heat?

Because this is fun!

You’re a moron.  Shouldn’t you hit the exercise bike inside?

Nah, that’s boring.  And besides, the cross country team is practicing right now, too.

Yea, but they are 25 years younger.

Right.  Oh well, I’m slower, so I’ll be OK. This will pay off in the fall.

If that’s what you believe, OK.  Now, take another sip of Gatorade.

Oh yea, thanks.  Needed that.  4 miles are enough.  Let’s go in.

If you find yourself having such conversations with yourself, maybe it is too hot to run.  Laps in the pool might be wiser.

Does the heat of August zap your energy and motivation?  You are probably not alone. Here’s my plan for motivation this August:

1. Plan out a few fall races.  I already have the Governor’s Cup Half Marathon penciled in for early November, but I need a couple of others in there for September or October. If I have races scheduled, the temptation to slack up tends to go away.

2. Purchase new shoes.  I plan to purchase some Newton Distance Racers this weekend.  Even though I am working on barefoot running, I still need some new long distance shoes. Having new treads underneath always motivates.

3. Run with family members. My son is now in his second season of cross country.  We’ll do weekend runs together, and I’ll try to keep up.  Last year we had a lot of good runs training together for a half marathon.  I also plan to do a 1 mile fun run with my 7 year-old daughter later in the fall.  So, it is time to get her back in training! Finally, there is one other household member that may get back into running soon.  I’ll keep encouraging/pestering her until she get back out there with me.

Good luck with your August running.  The South Carolina humidity should break in a few weeks!

POFIFOTO!

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Product Review: New Balance Minimus Trail

Jul 31, 2011 by Greg Fowler

 

New Balance released their MT10 shoe, also called the Minimus Trail, earlier this year.  I had tried them on several times in the spring but did  not pull the trigger.  I was torn between the Merrell Trail Gloves and the MT10’s.  I have owned several Merrell casual and hiking shoes over the years, and I’m a Merrell fan.  I had never owned a pair of New Balance anythings.  In the end,  the New Balance just fit my foot better, and I finally purchased my MT10’s in mid May.  Last night I saw an updated and slightly different version in a shoe store at the mall (MT20’s maybe?), so I figured I better post my review of the MT10’s.

Initial Thoughts in Store

Sometime you try a shoe on in the store and immediately go “Oh, yeah”.  This was one of these cases.  These shoes are extremely comfortable.  They have no insert and invite you to go sockless.  I have not done this yet, though.  Size-wise,  I had to go up a 1/2 size from my normal 10 to 10 1/2.  I made sure I tried them on with my favorite Injinji socks.  I probably could have gone with 10’s, but I decided to err on slightly bigger than smaller.  The toe box is wide and is exactly what I was looking for.  The specs on the shoe say it has a 4mm drop, but I guess because there is so little midsole compared to my 4mm drop Kinvaras, it seems like 0 drop to me.

On the trail

I have put about 90 miles on mine since May.  This includes a few 10+ mile trail runs and a 5 mile beach run.  At first, I had some hot spots on the balls of my foot due to the shoe sliding around on downhills, but I changed the way I laced the shoes to prevent the sliding.  More on that in a minute.  You can definitely feel the terrain.  They are very similar in feel to  Vibram Five Finger Bikilas and almost as flexible.

I did compare the two on some gravel rock paths  and the slightly thicker MT10’s did feel better on the gravel.  Overall, I am very pleased with MT10 performance and happy to be able to run in so little shoe on the trails.   So far, though, I have not tried them in slick/wet conditions.  Summer has been very dry here.  I really don’t think they will be offer great traction in wet conditions.  We’ll see.

Dislikes

I only have 2 complaints about the MT10’s.  First, the shoe strings are too long.  Simple enough fix, I guess.  I could replace them, but for now I just double lace them to keep them from hitting the opposite legs when I run.  Second, they need one additional lace hole past what they have.  You know that additional hole in most shoes that is slightly lower than the next to last hole and 99% of people probably don’t use?  We’ll, I use it to lace my shoes so they don’t slip on the heel.  This keeps the shoe from sliding around and helps prevent blisters.  I make do with the last two holes that are there, but I am tempted to add my own additional hole.

Final Thought

I like these shoes so much, I have decided to violate one of my personal rules – not wearing current “active” running shoes for casual use.  What a rebel.

 

Additional Reviews can be found at the links below:

Natural Running Center

Runblogger

POFIFOTO!

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Three Rivers Greenway Run

Jul 27, 2011 by Greg Fowler

Last weekend my son and I needed a place to run in the shade. We decided not to go to the trails and instead hit the Three Rivers Greenway path along the Congaree River in the West Columbia/Cayce area of the Midlands. The website lists the path as 3.2 miles from end to end. We parked at the Gervais St. bridge entrance (free parking!)  and ran south toward Cayce.  Here’s a link to the map. At the end of the official path,  we went a bit into the neighborhood there before turning around and heading back. We ran about 5.5 miles total.

This turned out to be a really good place to run. The path surface is a mix of concrete and boardwalks and was plenty wide enough to share with a few cyclists and dog walkers . The path was very shady, the views were scenic, and there were a few gentle slopes.  Hard to believe downtown Columbia was just across the river.

This would be an excellent place for beginners.  If you are  looking for a longer run, the map shows you can cross the Gervais St. bridge and access Riverfront Park on the Columbia side of the Congaree.

As I mentioned before there was no fee to enter or park and the two restroom facilities were clean.  I snapped a few pictures along the way with my  phone. Hope you enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find out more about the park here.

POFIFOTO!

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