Running and Rambling

Patagonia Fall Inventory Sale; A Little Bit of Panic

2012-01-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

Before we get to today’s post, a quick announcement to help you grab some cool-weather apparel: from now through January 30, Patagonia is discounting its fall inventory to 30% off. They currently have plenty of options available – I picked up a nifty flannel shirt – and the timing is perfect to get some cozy goodies while it’s still chilly enough to put them to good use. So get going to the sale, then come back for my own little story that's been giving me chills.

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“How can you say you don’t want to know –
Don’t want to know the truth?”
- Sublime with Rome, “Panic” (video after post)

I don’t do this very often … but I’m actually going to make this post a lot shorter than I originally intended. (Usually, of course, it goes the other way.) Make no mistake, the subject is something of significance to me – but I’m just not sure I’m completely ready to talk about all the ramifications yet.

Have you ever been so excited about something that you’re hesitant to actually tell anybody about it, because doing so will trigger a whole lot of questions and discussions which make the whole thing that much more tangible, and you’re not quite sure you’re able to deal with those issues yet? If you’re a parent, think of that wonderfully head-spinning period in between the moment you found out you were expecting and the time when you finally announced the news to family and friends. It’s the time when you know the truth, but on some levels you don’t quite want to.

So I guess the best way to do this is to get straight to the point: a couple of weeks ago, I entered the Leadville Trail 100.

An old-school logo (courtesy of Wikipedia), but one of my favorites

And if you listen closely, that faint sound you hear through your computer screen would be me hyperventilating

The Race Across The Sky. The highest hundred in America. The 100-miler that’s second in age and prestige only to Western States – and many would argue that the prestige ranking should be reversed. In other words, it’s kind of a big deal.

Hope Pass above 12,000'; photo from race website

And, um … I think that’s all I’m able to say right now. Obviously there will be a lot of discussion about Leadville around these parts – and seeing as how I’ve already made the comparison to childbirth, the analogies are likely to get even crazier from there - but honestly, my head is still kind of spinning at the prospect of what I’ll be attempting this August. I know the truth, but I’m not sure I quite want to address all of the considerations yet.

Those discussions will play out in the weeks and months to come; in the meantime, it’s time for me to do a whole lot of training. And probably a little bit of panicking as well.

Sublime with Rome, “Panic” (click to play):

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Granola Bar Bonanza! CLIF CRUNCH Bar, NOW Bar Review and Giveaway

2012-01-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

In observance of the already-past and definitely overlooked occasion of National Granola Bar Day, today’s post is a celebration of granola bars. It also happens to be a celebration of two great companies who have each stepped up with cool giveaway offers for a few of my readers.

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The first company is no stranger to this website: I’m talking about CLIF Bar, whose products are longtime family favorites and whose business principles I admire tremendously. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a partnership with them for a few years now, and every time I think they’ve run out of ways to impress me, they step up and toss another dose of healthy mojo my way.

This time, in honor of National Granola Bar Day, they’re providing four boxes of CLIF CRUNCH, the company’s crunchy granola bars that contain a full serving of organic whole grains in each bar. Their ingredient composition is 70% organic, and each bar contains 3 or 4 grams of protein depending on the flavor.

Last fall CLIF introduced two new flavors, blueberry crisp and chocolate peanut butter, making a total of six different varieties. My favorite is white chocolate macadamia, but one reader will get to sample four CRUNCH flavors and decide for him- or herself, because that’s the prize: four 10-bar boxes (there are 2 thin bars per pack) of CLIF CRUNCH, all for the cost of one lucky comment. I’ll pick the winner at random and announce the result this weekend.

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Today’s second company is a newcomer to my blog, and a relative newcomer to the sports nutrition game – and they’re the brainchild of a somewhat unexpected founder.

If you watch The Amazing Race, you’re familiar with host Phil Keoghan, who is a globetrotter and adventure athlete in his own right. In addition to The Amazing Race, Keoghan hosts a show in his home country of New Zealand called No Opportunity Wasted, which gives contestants 72 hours and $3000 to fulfill a long-held dream. (Apparently one of Keoghan's own dreams is to take Oprah skydiving, but that's neither here nor there.)

NOW Bars borrow the acronym from Keoghan’s show, and they reflect his desire to have a great-tasting energy bar to sustain him for long days of filming, travel, or endurance exploits such as his bike ride across America in 2009. They come in two flavors, and feature a secret ingredient of sorts: manuka honey, a naturally occurring product of New Zealand honeybees that provides unique flavor and potent nutritional benefits, and is even thought to have some medicinal properties.

Manuka honey has increased anti-inflammatory properties and higher antibacterial potency compared to regular honey, and has even been shown to accelerate wound healing. It’s as effective as glucose for replacement of carbohydrates during endurance exercise, and can also accelerate post-workout recovery. From a taste and texture standpoint, it makes NOW bars sweet, moist and chewy, and makes them more resistant to temperature extremes (i.e., they don’t freeze or melt very easily).

NOW Bars come in two flavors: Peanut with Caramel, and Honeycomb with Chia and Raisins. I’m not a huge caramel fan, but I really love the honeycomb flavor, both because of its taste, and because it includes chia seeds, which are a nutritional powerhouse all their own. The bars are pretty good-sized – each one is 2.5-oz, compared to the 1.5-oz CLIF CRUNCH – with 11oz of protein to help keep your hunger at bay for a while. Both flavors have all-natural ingredients and are completely gluten-free.

NOW Bars are available for purchase from Amazon.com as well as other online vendors, but in conjunction with today’s review (and National Granola Bar Day!), the company will provide 2 winners with a 12-count box of each flavor. We’ll go with the same rules for this one as for the CLIF giveaway.

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So in case you’re losing track, allow me to recap: I’ll randomly select a total of three winners from the comment box below. One winner will receive four 10-bar boxes of CLIF CRUNCH, and the other two will receive a box of each flavor of NOW Bars. Winners will be announced this Saturday night. Thanks very much to CLIF and NOW for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everybody!

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National Granola Bar Day; Help Will Harlan Support the Tarahumara; Random Shots of Beauty

2012-01-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

It’s one of those wonderfully lazy days around Running and Rambling headquarters, so I’ll keep the posting brief in order to get back to doing nothing – because those opportunities seem fewer and farther inbetween all the time. So here we go …

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First, the winner of Ashish Mukharji’s barefoot running book: Jen Small, e-mail me your address – you’ve won! Thanks very much to all the ladies who entered, and remember that the book is currently available - to both men and women! – for $14 at Amazon.com.

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Were you aware that today is National Granola Bar Day? It’s true. Honestly, I wasn’t aware of it until just recently, but I’m hosting a belated celebration next week with not one, but two granola-bar related contests. And yes, the page I just linked to will be involved.

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In case you’re wondering why I’m in such a lazy mood, allow me to present this weekend’s Random Shot of Beauty:

The view across Carmel Valley from my deck after a morning rainfall, a harbinger of the first winter storms of the season in our area, bringing some long overdue precipitation to Monterey County. Sure, running in the rain is fun, but sleeping in and spending the day watching storms outside your window while doing puzzles, reading books, and taking catnaps is equally enticing. In fact, it’s probably the thing I like the best (from an admittedly short list) about winter.

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Finally, there’s this: Probably the coolest item I came across this week was a video from Chris McDougall’s website featuring Will Harlan and his experience with the Tarahumara, the indigenous people of Mexico’s Copper Canyons made famous by McDougall’s landmark Born to Run.

Upon watching the piece, I had had two immediate thoughts; 1) Will looks kind of odd when he runs, but 2) He is doing something absolutely inspiring.

Will clearly has a strong connection to the Tarahumara, and he has made it something of a mission to help support their way of life. In addition to being an immensely talented runner, he and his wife are certified organic farmers, and operate a nonprofit farm that provides fresh organic produce to low-income families in need. The farm also assists migrant workers in their home state of North Carolina as well as more remote areas like the Copper Canyons.

Barefoot Farm (great name, right?) is Will’s 501c3 which directly assists Tarahumara farmers by providing them with native maize seeds, basic tools, and assistance with water resources and land protection. He has spent many years with the Tarahumara, building relationships, learning their methods of farming, and assisting them with the necessities to continue their traditional subsistence.

Will is currently in Mexico dealing with what’s reportedly a significant drought situation, which is what triggered McDougall’s blog post. So watch the following video for your own dose of inspiration, then check out this link to assist Will in his remarkable humanitarian efforts.

"Copper Canyons Ultramarathon" from Being The Diablo (click to play):

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The Splitting Tree

2012-01-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

With all the recent giveaways around here lately, it’s beginning to seem a little bit like Christmas in January. (And on that note, you ladies have one more day to enter my Run Barefoot, Run Healthy book contest.) The contest train keeps rolling next week – but in the meantime, I’ve been delinquent in writing about any actual running to go with all my rambling. The good news is that I finally have some semblance of a race calendar sketched out. It’s not super dense, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up in quality. The bad news is that I’m going to hold off just a bit longer before going into the details.

In the meantime, I want to tell you about a tree. It’s a tree that I run past fairly often in one of my favorite parks, whose appearance is very distinctive for reasons that will become obvious shortly. Whenever I run past the tree, I feel like there’s a story waiting to be told … but I’m not sure what exactly that story might be. Perhaps it might be symbolic of something, or portray some larger meaning that’s applicable to our own lives; perhaps instead of a story, it could more rightly be called a parable.

Since I never know for certain, I tend to make up the parable in my head after I pass by the tree – and the version that follows is a decent representation of what I usually come up with. Let’s call it the Tale of the Splitting Tree.

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In the middle of a sunny valley there stood an oak tree. It was tall, strong, and majestic, and captured the attention of all who wandered past. The tree was so beautiful that it was a source of great pride among everything in nature that contributed to its development.

Two elements of nature, the earth and the sky, each wanted to claim the tree as its own, and often argued as to why they should be the rightful recipient of praise for the majestic oak.

“I protected this tree before it was even born,” said Earth. “I nurtured it in fertile ground, provided rich soil for its growth, and left plenty of space for its roots to anchor themselves. If not for me, this tree wouldn’t be nearly as tall, strong, or majestic as it is today.”

“I sustain this tree every day of its life,” replied Sky. “I give it fresh air to breathe, water to quench its thirst, and sunlight to remain healthy. If not for me, this tree wouldn’t be nearly as tall, strong, or majestic as it is today.”

Earth and Sky happened to be siblings, so one day when their argument turned nasty, they called upon their Mother Nature to determine who was more responsible for the tree’s beauty.

“True beauty isn’t to be possessed,” Mother Nature responded, “It is to be shared. You have each contributed to the majesty of the tree, so you should share your joy and pride with each other, along with all the other elements in nature.”

The siblings were dissatisfied with their mother’s answer, and insisted that she declare one of them more deserving of praise. “Your request is impossible,” said Mother Nature. “You have each played equal roles in the tree’s development, and with this knowledge you should be content.”

But Earth and Sky were far from content, and refused to accept the notion of sharing the tree equally. They continued to bicker and argue, and finally wore down their mother’s patience. Saddened that her children failed to see the error of their ways, Mother Nature lashed out in anger to demonstrate the folly of their greed and possessiveness:

Earth and Sky were shocked and saddened, but finally understood. From that point on, they recognized that beauty can't be possessed, and agreed to share their joy and pride for all of nature’s creations.

As for the tree, it remained beautiful - in some ways, even more so than before.

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Run Barefoot, Run Healthy: Book Review and Giveaway

2012-01-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

One indicator that the barefoot revolution has attained some significant critical mass over the past few years is that minor factions are beginning to develop. Like any grassroots movement, as this one grows and expands, there are bound to be some differences of opinion on the nuances and complexities of a full-fledged paradigm shift. (And if you don’t believe me, look at the Occupy movement, whose most outspoken proponents can’t seem to agree on much of anything.)

Today’s review and giveaway touches on a few of those issues; more specifically, I’ll point out some examples of areas where I have a difference of opinion with author Ashish Murharji. That’s not to say his book isn't worth reading – only that you should read it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

The book in question is Run Barefoot Run Healthy: Less Pain More Gain For Runners Over 30, and it’s essentially a question-and-answer compilation on a variety of topics related to barefoot running. Murharji – who also goes by the moniker “Unshod Ashish” – is a longtime runner who dealt with chronic injuries over a twenty-year period before finally kicking off his shoes in frustration and realizing that virtually all of the problems he had ultimately disappeared. His experience is representative of a great many runners who have found that the first step toward wellness was to ditch their traditional footwear.

Ashish now runs up to 70 barefoot miles per week, and runs marathons on a regular basis without any of the injuries that used to hamper him. His book discusses the biomechanics that explain such a transformation, and it also draws heavily upon anecdotal reports from several other barefoot runners who have found success without shoes. The book references dozens of research papers, but also makes some assertions that are based as much on anecdotes as they are on scientific analysis. For example, he points out that elite runner Haile Gebrselassie grew up running barefoot, and implies that he only wears shoes today because he’s paid endorsement money to do so, and that his shoes were the cause of injuries Geb faced later in his career.

Another point of contention I have is Ashish’s position on minimalist footwear. In response to a question about Vibrams, he notes that his cousin and next door neighbor both suffered stress fractures in them, then cites an article which points out that shoes interfere with sensory feedback of the feet. He remains fairly absolute in his assertion that barefoot is always the best option for running, which for my own purposes I’ve found completely untrue. I’ll happily trade a little bit of sensory feedback for protection from the discomfort of gravel, burrs, dried oak leaves, thorny grass, lava rock, or countless other potential hazards I find on the trail, especially since the biomechanic advantages of minimal footwear are the same as going barefoot.

One more issue is that Ashish tends to play up the inevitability and severity of running-related injuries in shod runners while minimizing the very real and often extensive problems that new barefoot runners can encounter. At one point he even states that blistered toes don’t happen to barefoot runners, but later clarifies that to say blisters can happen if you’re practicing bad form. From my own experiences, both anecdotally and as a physical therapist, I’d reply that novice barefoot runners are equally likely to get injured as novice shod runners, and that people can enjoy many long and fruitful years of running in either traditional or minimalist footwear.

As you might have guessed, my overall impression of Ashish’s book is that it tends to be a little overzealous in its defense of purely barefoot running above all else, but that’s the nice thing about where the barefoot movement is today: we don’t all have to agree on everything to learn and benefit from each other’s point of view. There’s a lot of good instructive material in Run Barefoot, Run Healthy, and it would be especially helpful if you happen to be bothered by chronic injuries from regular shoes and are just starting to consider going barefoot.

Run Barefoot, Run Healthy is available for purchase from Amazon.com, but Ashish has agreed to provide one signed copy to a reader selected randomly from the comments below. However, I’m adding one new wrinkle to the ground rules on this contest for a couple of reasons …

1) There’s a perception in the barefoot community that females are significantly underrepresented in comparison to men (I’m not sure whether this is actually true, but the notion is out there), and …

2) I had two contests last week that featured prizes only for men.

You can see where this is headed then: I’m making this giveaway contest open only to the ladies. Obviously, the more women we get onboard this movement, the better it will be for all of us. So if you have double X-chromosomes, leave a comment below to enter, and I’ll announce the winner this Saturday, January 21.

Thanks very much to Ashish Mukharji for providing this book for review, and good luck to everybody!

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Merrell Barefoot Road Glove Winner; RUEZ Underwear Winner; Random Shots of Beauty (and Mojo)

2012-01-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

Before getting down to business this weekend, let me say this: my readers are awesome.

Not only did you provide an overwhelmingly favorable response to Merrell’s Road Glove review and giveaway contest, but when I enlisted your help to come up with an outlandish number of male euphemisms to help me prove a ridiculous point, you managed to surpass the number I threw out there (100) and completely crack me up in the process. The RUEZ contest had so much crazy momentum that the owner of the company actually logged in a couple of times to join the festivities. Now that's a contest.

So hey, that was fun - we should do it again sometime. Maybe one of these days we can come up with a list of nicknames for women’s breasts. Until then, let’s get to the items at hand.

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First we’ll announce the winner the aforementioned RUEZ contest. 51 Feet Under, e-mail me your contact info – you’ve won a pair of boxers and briefs from RUEZ. In case you’re curious, the winning comment (randomly selected, of course) from 51 Feet Under was “tallywacker”. Have I mentioned how amusing that contest was?

Now for the grand prize for the week: a pair of Merrell Barefoot Road Gloves. Jeff Gallup – you’re the winner! E-mail me your contact info so I can pass it on to the Merrell rep. For everyone else, you’ve got another chance to win a pair of Road Gloves here on the Maple Grove Barefoot Guy’s website – but you may have to write a poem or something, so, you know … good luck with that. I'll also post an update and sale link on this website when the shoe is officially available to the public.

Obviously, I owe a huge thanks to the companies who sponsored these contests, and another big thanks to everyone who entered. This was one of those weeks that makes it fun to be a blogger. The festivities will continue next week with more giveaways, so stay tuned. Until then, a couple more items to keep you occupied on this long weekend …

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… starting, of course, with our customary Random Shot of Beauty. Like our previous installment, this one comes from the Big Sur coastline:

A view looking north from a region called Garrapata, as seen during a family geocaching outing this morning on another delightfully warm January day in Monterey County.

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Also, since I’m finally starting to get a handle on my running plans for the year (separate post coming soon), here’s a bonus item I stumbled across that got my adrenaline pumping for some outdoor adventures in the weeks and months to come: a trailer for the upcoming Sheffield Adventure Film Festival.

There’s obviously no chance that I’ll make it to Sheffield to see any of these films, and I don’t even do the vast majority of the activities depicted here, but just knowing there are people out there doing things like this helps me get my own mojo cranked up an extra notch or two – which will definitely come in handy as I get into training mode again.

“Sheffield Adventure Film Festival Trailer 2012” (click to play):

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RUEZ Performance Underwear Review and Giveaway (And a Fun Little Name Game)

2012-01-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

A couple of administrative notes before today’s post …

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Thanks for the great response to the Merrell Road Glove review and giveaway. You’ve still got a couple of days to enter, so if you haven’t done so already, go over there and throw your name in the hat.

While you’re there, scroll through a few of the comments; when I mentioned that you could leave any fool comment you like, quite a few people took me literally – which is awesome. A few of the comments made me laugh - which is always a good thing – and the notion of creative commenting gives me an idea for today’s post, which also happens to be another contest.

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Today’s offering is another “males only” product, which makes two giveaways in a row where the women have been left out. Fear not, ladies – I’ll make it up to you. I have a review and giveaway for Merrell’s female-specific road shoe scheduled in the next month or so, and I’ll rig another contest next week so that only females are eligible. So there – are we still friends?

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As I mentioned above, today’s contest is for the boys: in the literal sense, since it’s a product designed just for men, but also in the figurative sense, because, well … it’s made to protect your boys.

RUEZ underwear ... on a model that's NOT me. I've mentioned it's my off-season, right?

Yes, that’s a euphemism for male private parts, and if you’re wondering where I got the idea, look no further than the e-mail I received from a marketer representing RUEZ performance underwear. These are actual excerpts from her description of the product:

The company’s founder created RUEZ to address one very specific problem: package chafing.

He’s designed RUEZ with two layers on the front panel. The one closest to the skin (which is made from a wicking compression material) holds the family jewels in place.

A strategically positioned hole separates and protects your joystick.

The founder is a serious innovator with a HUGE … sense of humor.

You get the idea. And all this is without even mentioning the name of the company, which could apparently be pronounced “Are you easy?” (although according to the website it isn’t) while addressing all the benefits in store for your package.

So clearly, the company and its founder, Chris Varney, have a clever sense of humor. It was enough for me to give RUEZ a test drive and see how they compared to other performance underwear I’ve used.

RUEZ briefs feel something like a thin swimsuit instead of cottony underwear, using a neoprene-like 85% polyester fabric instead of the more cottony material of other wicking underwear. It also has 15% elastic for some slight compression that does indeed keep things in place, and both the interior and outer surfaces are silky smooth, which, um … feels nice.

The main feature of RUEZ is the performance pouch, an extra layer of wicking fabric in front of the briefs, which could potentially be used as a storage area if there’s something you wanted to stash there. While stuffing the front of my shorts might me look a little more impressive from a distance, the notion of actually carrying anything down there that I’d be touching with my fingers later was a bit more than I cared to try.

Actual size of your banana may vary

The interior layer also has a notch cut out of it, in case you want to separate your banana from your berries. This might be beneficial in the summer when the weather gets warm, but for me, the main benefit of the pouch is that there’s an additional layer of insulation and protection from cold winter air. In the summertime, I’ll just use the regular lining of my running shorts, but for cold-weather situations RUEZ definitely provides improved insulation compared to other brands I own.

RUEZ come in boxer or brief versions, both of which feature the performance pouch. They’re available for purchase on the RUEZ website – the briefs retail for $28, and the boxers are $30.

Another dude who's not me ... and I suspect he might have a stuffed pouch.

Of course, we’re doing a giveaway contest here, so one person will receive a pair of boxers and another pair of briefs for himself when this review is all said and done. However, in keeping with the creativity of the previous comment thread and the humor of the RUEZ company, I’m adding a twist to this giveaway – and before I explain it, I have to describe a conversation that took place between my wife, son, and me about a year or two ago.

We were having one of those “coming of age” talks and discussing some of the language he was starting to hear at school when the topic turned to slang terms for the male sex organ. I started rattling a dozen or so off the top of my head - some of which my wife hadn’t heard before – and when I continued on, we had the following exchange:

Wife: How many slang terms do you think there are for that?

Me: At least a hundred. Probably more.

Wife: You’ve got to be kidding.

I wasn’t kidding – and here’s your chance to prove my case. To enter the contest for two free pairs of RUEZ underwear, leave a comment below this post with a slang term for that piece of anatomy. Consider it a game of Name That Junk. Here’s the catch: you can’t use a term that’s already been used by a previous commenter – or for that matter, in this post. If your term is already on the list, you're disqualified. So “package” is out, as are boys, family jewels, joystick, banana, berries, junk … and come to think of it, let's take “performance pouch” off the list as well. Obviously the earlier your enter, the easier the task is, but I can't imagine there's going to be a shortage of options out there.

Here’s your chance to crack me up, fellas. Ladies, feel free to play along as well – maybe you can win your man a nice little reward. The winner will be announced this Saturday night. Thanks very much to RUEZ for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to all the boys out there!

*Product provided by RUEZ.
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Merrell Barefoot Road Glove Review and Giveaway

2012-01-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

In last month’s Gear of the Year post I mentioned that 2011 might be considered the year that Merrell caused a seismic shift in the footwear landscape with its outstanding Barefoot series of shoes.

Here was a major industry player embracing the minimalist movement, taking the lead in instruction and promotion of natural running technique, and creating several different varieties of shoes to choose from – with each one maintaining the company’s high standards of workmanship and performance. Two of their shoes ended up on my Keeper List – the Trail Glove as an all-purpose trail runner, and the Tough Glove as an everyday office / casual shoe – and their Kids Glove was a narrow second place to the VIVOBAREFOOT Neo. (All of the previous links are my product reviews.) All things considered, it was a pretty good rookie season.

Merrell Barefoot Road Glove

Noticeably absent from that initial lineup, however, was a dedicated road running shoe – but Merrell has now filled that void with the Road Glove. It’s not officially available for purchase yet, but one lucky reader of mine will get an opportunity to try them on very soon; that’s right, we’re doing a giveaway! You know the drill here, though: review first, then contest details. So let’s get to it.

Here are your vital specs on the Road Glove: it’s a zero-drop shoe with a 4mm midsole and a standing height of 10mm. It's completely flexible and allows full range of motion throughout the foot and ankle. Its weight hasn’t officially been verified from Merrell, but my size 11 model weighs slightly under 8oz, so I’m guessing that the official spec will be around 7.5 oz. [*UPDATED: per the Merell rep, the weight is 6.6 oz. Perhaps I need a new scale.] That last number is probably my biggest drawback about the shoe, as I’ll explain later.

Breathable mesh upper; rubberized toe bumper

From a design and construction standpoint, the top half of the Road Glove looks remarkably like last year’s Trail Glove. The uppers primarily consist of breatheable mesh with some synthetic overlays to aid in with lateral stability. There’s a thin rubber bumper at the front for a bit more protection from stubbed toes.

Seamless interior footbed

Like other Merrell Barefoot shoes, the Road Glove is designed to be worn without socks. Both the sockliner and the interior surface of the upper feel smooth against the skin, and the seamless footbed effectively keeps the foot in place while providing soft comfort as well.

The heel area is also similar to the Trail Glove, with a synthetic foot sling for stability and a thin collar that sits comfortably against the skin. In my testing, there is very minor “gapping” on the inside surface of the ankle, which is only a drawback if you do a lot of trail running in these (as I do – see photo further down).

Fit through the upper feels slightly wider to me than the Trail Gloves, which I found quite narrow in the midfoot region. I haven’t had any issues putting these shoes on, even on the infrequent occasions when I wore them with socks. The lacing system is also somewhat different, with a more traditional setup than the Omni-fit system on the Trail Glove. This could be bad news if you like to really customize your lacing, but not a big deal if you’re mainly a “lace ‘em up and go” person.

There appears to be a bit of confusion about the midsole of the Road Glove – specifically, whether or not it has a rock plate. The “place holder” product page on the Merrell website indicates there’s a forefoot plate, but I’ve seen other reviewers say there’s no plate. I’ll clarify this with the rep and report back here. [*UPDATED: there's no plate.] Otherwise, the 10mm standing height of the Road Glove is approximately 2mm lower than the Trail Glove, and ground feel is noticeably better than the Trail Glove, thanks also to a more streamlined outsole.

About that outsole: it may be designed for road running, but it’s more than adequate to take on the majority of trails you encounter as well. In fact, probably 75% of my mileage in testing these shoes was done on gravel fire roads and groomed trails, and I had very few problems with gripping the ground. Needless to say, there’s absolutely no problem gaining adequate traction on roads or all-weather track surfaces. The rubber compound is Vibram’s TC-1, the same material that’s used on the Trail Glove, which has proven remarkably resistant to wear after high mileage (probably 300-400 miles total) on my pair.

On the trail in Toro Park

Honestly, the outsole traction seems almost like overkill - which leads to my primary issue with the Road Glove: mainly, it’s a bit too much shoe. If my recorded weight is correct, it’s actually heavier than the Trail Glove, when road shoes are generally lighter and leaner than their off-road siblings. It’s worth noting that despite their extensive outdoor footwear credentials, Merrell has limited experience with making a dedicated road shoe. Consequently – and this could be just wild conjecture by me – they’ve made their first road running shoe by starting with a trail shoe and stripping it down, rather than making a running shoe from the ground up. In my opinion, when they stripped stuff away, they didn’t go nearly far enough: the outsole could be carved out more, the uppers could be thinner or lighter, and some of the support elements could be reduced or eliminated.

There’s a relevant comparison to be made to New Balance, another established company who has embraced minimalism over the past couple of years. Before making minimalist footwear, New Balance had a wealth of experience with racing flats and track spikes, and presumably had a good understanding of what parts of a shoe were essential and what others could be removed. Accordingly, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the New Balance Minimus Zero road shoes I’m currently testing are significantly lighter than Merrell’s Road Glove – but I’ll wait until that review goes live (probably in February) to give you details on that one. [*UPDATED: with the corrected weight, the discrepancy between New Balance and Merrell isn't exceedingly large. New Balance is still lighter, though.]

So I’m not wild about the Road Glove as a dedicated road shoe; however, I think it’s an outstanding hybrid for runners who spend a lot of time on both paved and dirt surfaces. If this review had posted before the end of last year, I would have included the Road Glove on my 2011 Keeper List as my favorite hybrid. And if you don’t happen to be a shoe reviewer and have to actually pay money for your shoes, the Road Glove just might give you the most value for your buck when it comes to a “one style does all” training shoe. Wear them on the roads, take them on the trails, go off course to visit the cows … it doesn’t really matter what you do in these; the Road Gloves can probably take it.

Road Gloves and cows ... because why not?

Merrell’s Road Glove will most likely retail for $110, but they aren’t scheduled for release until “early 2012” per the website. When I have a definite release date, I’ll make an announcement on my main page and update this post with a retail link. In the meantime, it’s time to get your lucky commenting hat on, because we’re doing a giveaway.

In conjunction with this review, Merrell has generously offered one pair of Road Gloves to a winner selected at random from the comments below. Keep in mind that this is a men’s model, so the ladies are entering for a boyfriend, spouse, or relative here – and if a girl wins this one, that dude had darn well better appreciate it.

Since this is a fairly substantial prize, my “major” contest rules are in effect: you’ll get one entry just for commenting and saying any fool thing you like. You’ll get an extra entry for linking to this post from your blog, and a third by linking from Facebook or Twitter. When you comment below, please let me know how many entries you’ve earned – up to three total – along with a link so I can verify if necessary. The winner will be announced this Saturday evening, January 14th.

Thanks very much to Merrell for sponsoring this giveaway, and good luck to everybody!

*Product provided by Merrell
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Patagonia Capilene and Merino Wool Discount Sale; Random Shots of Beauty

2012-01-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Remember how I said that every now and then I have a spontaneous confluence of blog topics that I didn’t exactly plan? Another one is happening this weekend, and it’s also an opportunity for you to get some great bargains from Patagonia.

In my Gear of the Year post I raved about Patagonia’s Capilene baselayers, and described how I made it the short of choice for my Team Soft Star uniform at the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-miler last summer. I mentioned the material again in my Kourage shirt review, which was almost-but-not-quite as silky soft as the Capilene. To borrow a theme from my gear review, Kourage was a worthy challenger, but Patagonia is still the champion.

And now this weekend you can get any one of those champion garments at half-price: through January 9, all Capilene baselayers - bottoms or tops, short sleeves or long, in various thicknesses – are on sale for 50% off at the Patagonia website. The only exclusion is the new Spring 2012 performance line – but anything from the Fall 2011 line or earlier is fair game. Use some warmer layers right now for your winter sports, and grab a couple of t-shirts for the warm days of summer. (Or as the case has been around here lately, the warm days of January. Not that I’m complaining.)

Check out the Capilene sale with this link, and while you’re there, take a look at Patagonia’s merino wool baselayers, which are also 50% off this weekend. The sale is limited to stock on hand, so get going.

**
The first Random Shot of Beauty in 2012 actually dates back to 2011; not terribly far back, however, as it was taken just one week ago:

A beautiful, characteristically hazy vista of the Point Sur Lighthouse, as seen during a family hike high above Big Sur on New Year’s Eve 2011.

You can have Times Square; I’ll take this kind of celebration every time.

(*One last note: be sure to check back on Monday for a killer giveaway contest. Trust me.)

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VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail First Impressions Review

2012-01-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I expressed some indecision as to what shape my ultra calendar will take over the upcoming year. I’m happy to report that some pieces are slowly falling into place … but not really enough to mention yet. More to come soon, I hope.

In the meantime, I can confirm with 100% confidence that I have a handful of sweet shoe reviews coming up over the next several weeks, from some of the biggest players in the minimalist market: Vibram, New Balance, Merrell … and today’s offering from VIVOBAREFOOT.

VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail

With many of these models, I’m prohibited from saying (or showing) too much in advance of the official product release; other times I’m allowed to offer a few perfunctory thoughts before a full-fledged review is published closer to the release date. Such is the case with the VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail, which will be released in February. I agreed to post some first impressions here just as I did with the company’s Neo Trail shoe last fall, and then follow-up later on as I’ve logged more miles in them.

After 2 runs and 27 miles

I’ve had my Breathos for all of a week, and I’ve done two trail runs in them totaling 27 miles. Like pretty much every VIVOBAREFOOT shoe I’ve tested, there’s never any issue of a breaking in period; I can pretty much lace these up and go for as far as my legs will carry me without worrying about discomfort or hot spots at my feet.

The premise of Breatho Trail is essentially to combine the off-road innovations of the Neo Trail with more lightweight construction that would appeal to runners in warmer climates (in other words, runners like me). Accordingly, the outsole is identical on both shoes, featuring 4.5mm directional lugs on a 2.5mm-thick base layer, for a total standing height of 7mm …

… unless you include the removable insole, in which case you have an additional 3mm of thickness. Both of my initial runs included the insole, but I’ll definitely experiment with removing it soon.

Ventilation on the Breatho is much improved, with mesh uppers that are thinner and more open than the Neo Trail. How open, you ask?

So open that you can practically see through them. (And how about my artsy photo skills here, huh?)

One question mark I have is with the top of the midfoot, where a conventional tongue has been replaced with a moderately thick neoprene-like sleeve. VIVOBAREFOOT uses a similar style of upper construction on its dress shoes, and I like the convenience of being able to slip the shoes on without lacing. On the Breatho, I’m not so certain; even though you can tighten the laces down to secure the fit, on both of my runs I’ve felt that the midfoot area loosens up in later miles. I checked to see if the laces were untied, but they were still securely fastened – which leads me to think their “grip” on the neoprene upper is somewhat tenuous. This will obviously be an area of closer attention with increased mileage.

My biggest issue with the Neo Trail was its relatively heavyweight 10.5 oz spec; in my book, anything over 10 oz stretches the boundary of minimalism. The Breatho marks a modest improvement, weighing in at 9.3oz, minus another half-ounce or so if you remove the insole. However, this is honestly still a source of mild frustration for me with VIVOBAREFOOT.

Here’s what I mean: VIVOBAREFOOT’s first-ever running shoe, the Evo, weighs in at 8oz. It’s a high-performance shoe that I used extensively for road running as well as trail ultramarathons. Over the next two years, the company has released no fewer than three different running models (the Neo, Neo Trail, and Breatho*) which all weigh more than the original Evo. While most other minimalist companies are striving for lighter weight – for example, all of the brands I mentioned at the top of the page are releasing lighter versions of their previous models this spring – VIVOBAREFOOT can’t seem to dip under their very first offering, at least from a weight standpoint.

(*UPDATED : I forgot about the Ultra, which is super-lightweight but billed as more of an amphibious / cross training shoe than a running shoe. With the same outsole as the Evo, it could probably be used for running, although I haven't tested it.)

I get that the trail outsole on the Breatho and Neo Trail is bigger and therefore heavier than the Evo outsole. However, I wish the company could experiment with ways to carve more weight away from the upper, or with a lighter outsole material that offers the same performance features – especially because weight is one of my most important criteria when choosing shoes for long training days. Yes, this is asking a lot … but I’m a shoe critic, after all. It’s in my job description to nitpick.

Perhaps the coolest feature of the Breatho isn’t pictured here: the proposed price tag, which is currently set at $90. VIVOBAREFOOT has a reputation for high-end pricing, but the Breatho price point is right there with Vibram, New Balance, and Soft Star in terms of affordability, and a little bit lower than Merrell. I have a feeling the Breatho will be in the same category as the best offerings from those other brands as far as top trail running options in 2012, but that’s still to be determined throughout this winter and spring.

The VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail is scheduled for release in February, and you can get first dibs on them by signing up here on the company’s wait list. Those who register on the wait list will be the first ones notified when the shoes are in stock, and there’s even a chance that you’ll get your Breathos for free. That’s right … free.

Here’s how it works: everyone on the wait list who eventually orders a pair of Breatho Trails will receive a coupon code for free shipping. On top of that, once the global release is announced to the wait list group, the first 10 approved transactions will be reimbursed for the entire cost of their order. All of the details haven’t been worked out yet, but the company will likely have some sort of announcement of who the 10 lucky winners are so that people who purchased immediately aren’t kept in too much suspense. Keep an eye on their website for contest details, and on this one for a follow-up review of the Breathos in the next couple of months.

*Product provided by VIVOBAREFOOT.
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Kourage Athletics Shirt Review

2012-01-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires Kourage.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, OK … that’s not precisely the way Emerson wrote it, but that’s the way the quote reads on the website of the company in question today.

The quote itself is pretty cool, though; it certainly sounds like something an ultrarunner can identify with. However, in this context we’re not talking about ultras or epic adventures – not directly, anyway – we’re talking about a brand of clothing.

Kourage Athletics is a Kenyan company that exists for two primary purposes: to make high-quality performance apparel, and more importantly, to reduce poverty through creating jobs in Kenya. According to the company website, the name reflects “A choice to be kind and compassionate and to do the best to make the world a better place. Kourage is making the daily attempt to become a better individual. There is no better agent for improving ourselves and the world than Kourage.” So now the intro quote makes perfect sense, right? The final word is courage, but spelled with a capital K for Kenya. See? Clever.

Kourage factory; photo from Kourage Athletics website

As for the product itself: all Kourage apparel is designed and manufactured in Kenya by Kenyans, then exported and sold to developed countries, with revenues reinvested into the Kenyan economy. The production factory is in the Rift Valley, otherwise known as home to the highest concentration of elite distance runners the world has ever seen. It currently employs over 200 Kenyans where each employee works 45 hours per week at national wage standards in a comfortable work setting. For most workers, employment at Kourage makes the difference in their families’ ability to afford school, medical care, meals, and enjoy a meaningful quality of life. You get the idea: it’s a good company to support.

Their product inventory is quite limited, with only 6 shirts in either male or female cuts. They are built as performance shirts, reportedly tested by Kenyan runners at the top of 15,000’ Mt Kenya and in the scorching plains of the African desert. However, they are also extremely comfortable and somewhat stylish, and would be perfectly passable as casual wear as well.

I’ve worn mine in both casual and athletic capacities; when I first received mine (the Stripes model here), I wore it around the house and as an everyday shirt. I also happened to wear it to Disneyland on a day in October when the temperature topped 100 degrees, and the shirt remained very comfortable even while worn underneath a backpack for most of the day.

Lately I’ve used my Kourage shirt strictly for running, and it works as effectively as any other moisture-wicking garment I have. It dries quickly and feels silky soft against my ski - in fact, it feels nearly as comfortable as Patagonia’s Capilene material, which as you’ll recall just landed on my Gear of the Year list for 2011. It’s also a nice change of pace from my standard race-or-company-logo shirts; I like the colorful print, and the slight V-neck offers more cooling than a traditional crew collar on hot days. It has also held up well after multiple trips through the washer and dryer.

The company rep explained to me that with their initial offerings, the Kourage product line was kept intentionally small, so they could focus on quality manufacturing and performance. More products will be introduced as the company grows in years to come; in the meantime, their shirts are definitely one of the most comfortable and versatile garments I’ve tested in quite a while.

Kourage shirts retail for $39 from the company website, which offers free shipping to customers in the United States. If you can’t run like a Kenyan, perhaps dressing like one while supporting their culture would be the next best thing.

*Product provided by Kourage Athletics.
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Shaking the Devil; A Barefoot Resolution

2012-01-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

“I like to keep my issues drawn -
But it's always darkest before the dawn -

Shake it out, shake it out - shake it out, shake it out, oh woah …
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back –
So shake him off, oh woah.”
-Florence + the Machine, “Shake It Out”, (video after post)

**

The first days of the calendar year are always somewhat anxious for me, in that it’s time to shake the devil off my back and get reacquainted with the routine of training on a regular basis.

I usually give myself permission to be a complete slacker during the month of December, so there’s very little guilt about sleeping in when it’s dark, drinking wine when I want to loosen up, or eating cookies when they magically appear around Christmastime. The whole process is so predictable, it’s become almost a holiday tradition for the family to guess the date when I’ll finally pop a button on my pants. (They don’t make Hallmark cards for that, I’ve noticed.)

New Year’s Eve tends to be a symbolic rock bottom, the darkest point before I start crawling toward the glimmer of good habits and self-discipline dawning on the horizon. Once January rolls around I can usually step up and start making some tangible progress toward whatever goal I’ve set for myself further down the calendar. But this year I seem to be struggling a bit more than usual, in that I have absolutely no idea what I want to do in 2012.

I don’t know if I want to chase far-off windmills or hunker down closer to home. I don’t know if I want to do something epic and inspiring or something more mundane and manageable. I don’t even know if I want to do formal races, or have more of a “choose your own adventure” year of visiting places and trails that I’ve been longing to explore. Especially considering that the Northern California ultra scene is currently wracked in so much unfortunate drama and shocking grief, it’s hard to elevate the importance of any particular race (or for that matter, running in general) in the grand scheme of things.

So … yeah. I’ll manage to shake something out, but it might take a little bit longer than usual; the devil on my back feels especially heavy this time around. In the meantime, I was asked to author a piece in a local magazine on the subject of New Year’s resolutions; instead of doing the regular “you should start running” spiel, I decided to put a spin on it that might grab the attention of anyone who has started and eventually given up a running program in New Years past. You probably know where this one is going – and the full article follows below.

**

“Resolve to Start Running – Barefoot!”

In the long, storied, frequently disappointing history of New Year’s resolutions, perhaps the most common one is this: I’m going to get in shape this year. I’m going to start running.

Certainly that’s a good idea … but what are you going to do differently this time to make sure you enjoy it more, avoid injuries, and stay consistent until January 2013 and beyond? If you want to make a major change in your previously unsuccessful or long-dormant running habit, here’s a radical notion to try: ditch your running shoes.

(You may recognize these photos - they're all recycled from past blog posts. They were also used in the magazine article last week. )

Barefoot running isn’t exactly a novel idea, but it’s currently the most revolutionary (and often controversial) movement the running community has witnessed in quite a while. Runners with chronic injuries often find that going barefoot solves their problems, and veteran runners experience joy in their training that they haven’t felt since running across the playground as children.

More recently, the movement has gained increasing legitimacy. Barefoot running – as well as its close cousin, minimalist running – has progressed from a weird fringe element to popular fad to the subject of research studies. There’s mounting evidence that the natural running style associated with naked feet has multiple biomechanical and health-related benefits for all runners.

Here’s the premise: Over the past 30 years, modern running shoe technology hasn’t reduced the injury rate among runners at all. No matter how many cushioning, support, or stability features are crammed into your expensive high-performance training shoes, you’re no less likely to become injured – in fact, you’re probably even more so. By contrast, when you strip away the so-called protective and corrective features, your running form changes toward a style with less impact, and a lower incidence of most running-related injuries.

The primary downside of barefooting is that to get started, you must proceed extremely slowly. As in one minute at a time slowly. 20-minutes-per-mile pace slowly. So slow that it feels like you’re not actually running. Barefoot running is a skill developed over months and years, not days and weeks. If you’re not the patient type, you’d better make a resolution about that one as well.

Start anywhere you like – and believe it or not, asphalt is an ideal surface for your first baby steps. Remove your shoes and socks, and run for a minute or two, landing softly on the front of your feet before lightly touching your heel to the ground and then repeating with the opposite foot. Take very short steps, and don’t worry about how slow you’re going.

Build up the length of time gradually over a period of many weeks – and if you have any significant pain, stop your run and try it again another day. You’ll probably get some blisters or hot spots on the bottom of your feet; they’ll eventually become callouses that aren’t nearly so bothersome, and the underside of your foot will gradually grow firm yet supple, like the leather of a well-worn baseball mitt. Your feet, ankles, and calves will get very sore when you start; remember, those muscles are being stretched and used in ways they never were when confined to clunky cross-trainers.

Look online for barefoot running resources to help you get started, or check out two outstanding books: ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer, and Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler, who also operates the website RunBare.com. The support and instruction you will find from like-minded souls online will be helpful as you progress.

Of course, it’s January, so you can’t always run outside with nothing on your feet. That’s where minimalist shoes come in. These products allow your feet to move as they would without shoes, while providing a small amount of warmth and protection for external conditions.

Minimalist shoes are built as lightweight, flat, and low to the ground as possible, without any unnecessary cushioning or support. The most popular models are Vibram’s FiveFingers – those strange “toe shoes” you’re starting to see everywhere – but there are literally dozens of options on the market to choose from. The topic of minimalist footwear is an article all its own; for now, check out my Running and Rambling website for some ideas and other good resources.

Once you’ve built up to it properly, barefoot running is simply a lot of fun. You’ll feel like a kid, and exercise starts feeling like recess. If your goal is to maintain a running program throughout the year, the ability to enjoy yourself will be one of the greatest contributors to your success. Kick off your shoes, and go have some fun!

**
Florence + The Machine, "Shake It Out" (click to play):

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The Keeper List: Running and Rambling Gear of the Year 2011

2011-12-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

Before today’s post, an overdue announcement of sorts: over the holidays, I was pleased to see a small spike in sales of my running book. If you don’t recall my book, I can’t really fault you, because I do a lousy job of actually promoting or marketing the thing.

Each time a sale came in this month, I thought to myself, you know, I should announce some sort of reminder on the website about this – the book might make a good Christmas gift. And then in typical slacker fashion, I kept postponing or forgetting about doing so, until Christmas came and went and I completely missed the holiday shopping wave.

But since we still have a decent supply of books available, and since New Year’s is about doing the stuff you want to do rather than worrying about pleasing everybody else, I may as well mention it again here: Hey, I have a book for sale! It’s mainly geared toward novices and anyone who wants insight into life as a runner, but in my humble opinion there’s stuff that anybody will enjoy. And if you order from our website – where it’s less expensive than Amazon.com for some reason – we can autograph it or do any other special requests you’d like.

With that, I’ll stop the pandering – but today’s post is all about grabbing some additional stuff to make your running life more enjoyable.

**
It won’t particularly come as a news flash to anyone when I say that I get a lot of gear to review. What might surprise some newer readers is that I review even more stuff than you see here on this website.

Most of my shoe reviews end up here, as minimalism has become a nice little niche I’ve settled into, but I also contribute to other websites and magazines after testing apparel or other trail running gear. The biggest portion of this extracurricular product testing goes to FeedTheHabit.com, with whom I’ve partnered for more than two years now.

I recognize that I’m in an enviable situation, so I pay my good fortune forward as often as possible by giving almost everything away. Running partners, family, and non-running friends have all been the recipients of gear from top (headlamps, hats) to bottom (socks, shoes) and everything in between (clothes, food, watches). They get free stuff, my wife gets her closet space back, and I feel good about sharing the wealth; it’s a winner for everyone involved.

Here’s my caveat, though: if there’s a piece of gear that I love, or one that I get a ton of great use out of, I keep it for myself. Accordingly, my Gear of the Year review should rightfully be called the Keeper List, because it’s all about the stuff that’s too awesome for me to give away.

However, my Keeper List differs from other annual ratings in one important way: the best gear isn’t necessarily from 2011. Rather, my list is a Jeopardy-style competition where the only way to become champion is to defeat the current champ. (Completely tangentially, it’s the same way I choose my wines.) Sure, the newer stuff will tend to be better – but if I have a Ken Jennings-like piece of equipment that crushes all potential challengers year after year, there’s no reason to take it off my Keeper List. And yes, there are a couple of those items included below.

Finally, before we proceed, a note on formatting: The first link of each entry will go to my original review of the product, and the second will go to a purchase link from Amazon.com or one of my other affiliate partners. Remember, affiliate sales support Running and Rambling, so, you know … help me help you, and all that. Now let’s get to the list; these are my keepers for 2011.

Part 1: Gear and Apparel

Headlamp for roads: Black Diamond Sprinter. A 68 lumen headlamp in front with a blinking red LED in back for an unbeatable combination of visibility and safety. The entire lamp weighs a mere 3.5 oz, and the lamps are completely rechargeable. Black Diamond is updating this product for 2012 (yes, I’ll have a review), but until then you can get the current version for $64 at Amazon.com – it’s the best investment you can make in your safety this winter.

Compact headlamp: Petzl Tikka XP2 with CORE rechargeable battery pack. There’s nothing better than a headlamp that’s bright enough to light the trail before dawn, and small enough to tuck in a pocket afterward. This category has stiff competition, most notably from Black Diamond’s Spot, which is a little bit brighter. However, what tips the scales for me is the rechargeable capacity of the XP2 with the CORE pack: it’s eco-friendly, easy to recharge, and saves a ton of money in the long run. The headlamp sells for $41 from Amazon.com, and the CORE pack sells separately for $39.

Headlamp for ultras: Black Diamond Icon with rechargeable NRG battery pack. I don’t think twice about it anymore: if I’m running through the night, the Icon is on my head. It’s relatively lightweight (6.6 oz), super bright (100 lumens), with enough battery life to burn high all the way to morning. Best of all, if you purchase an NRG battery pack, it’s completely rechargeable – and just to remind you, I love being green. Black Diamond is also updating this lamp next year, and I’m very curious to see if or how they can improve it. The current Icon is discounted to $55 from Amazon.com, and the NRG pack sells separately for $25.

Nightlife at Western States 2011: Black Diamond Icon, Nathan Endurance vest, and one very fast ultrarunner (hint: not me)

Jacket: Patagonia Nine Trails. You’ll see this name again further down the list as well; basically, 2011 was the year that Patagonia became my go-to ultrarunning brand. I wore the Nine Trails jacket at three ultras and during countless training miles last winter and spring; for lightweight weather-resistant insulation, there’s nothing better. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available on the Patagonia website, but TravelCountry.com has a closeout price of $60 on remaining stock.

Shorts: Patagonia Nine Trails. Are you sensing a theme yet? My first ultra in the Nine Trails shorts was the Miwok 100K in May, and I never looked back. Anytime I’m running for more than 4 hours, these are the shorts I’m wearing. Like the jacket, the shorts aren’t currently available from the company, but TravelCountry.com has a few pairs in size small available for $60.

Shirt: Patagonia Capilene Silkweight. I never reviewed this shirt, but here’s a true story: Back in the spring, when Soft Star offered to put their logo on any shirt I wanted to use for my upcoming ultra calendar, I told them to buy this Patagonia shirt. I have a couple other capilene shirts from past races; they’re not only the most comfortable items in my collection, but they’re remarkably durable after multiple runs and washings. So my official Team Soft Star kit this year featured Patagonia shorts, shirt, and jacket – a nearly clean sweep in the apparel department (the only exception was my socks). The shirt is available for $39 from the Patagonia website – and if you’d like your own Soft Star logo on it, I’m sure the Elves would be happy to oblige.

At the Tahoe Rim Trail 100: Patagonia shirt and shorts, Ultimate Direction Uno waist pack

Gloves: Sugoi Firewall LT. Sorry, no review link on this one either: I did a glove comparison for Ultrarunning magazine this fall, and these ended up being my favorite from the bunch. It’s a nice upgrade from the previous Firewall gloves, with similar water resistance and slightly better insulation. $35 from Amazon.com.

Small hydration pack: Ultimate Direction Uno. I’ve had my current model for years – and before that, I used an older version for several years as well. It fits me well, I like the upright bottle position, and the separate pockets give surprisingly ample storage for such a small pack. I use it anytime I’m running between 90 minutes to 3 hours. $17 from Amazon.com.

Large hydration pack: Nathan HPL 020. How awesome is the 020? Not even Nathan can beat it. This year they released the Endurance, a similarly-designed and very strong vest that I wore while pacing at Western States (see WS photo above, and see my Endurance vest review here) – but when it comes to selecting one pack as my gold standard, I still prefer the 020. And when you consider that they’re available at the extreme discount price of $53 at Amazon.com, there’s no reason this vest shouldn’t be in every ultrarunner’s gear closet.

Break time in Zion National Park with the HPL 020

Tights: Salomon Trail III. Full disclosure: I don’t wear a lot of tights - fortunately in California, I don’t have to. So my list of contenders in this category isn’t huge, but these tights have been the most comfortable of those I’ve tried over last winter and this fall. Available for $69 at Amazon.com.

GPS: Soleus GPS 1.0. This review just posted a couple of weeks ago, so I don’t need to rehash things here, other than to say that I’m a big fan. It’s basic, high-quality, and extremely affordable at $87 from Amazon.com.

Socks: Drymax. This is the true Ken Jennings of the group: I’ve probably tested a dozen other brands over the past few years, and none compare to Drymax. I wear their lite trail model ($12 from Amazon.com) for training, and the max protection model ($31 from Amazon.com) for ultras. The Drymax reign continues.

After 50 rainy, muddy miles at Woodside in Soft Star RunAmocs and Drymax max protection socks

Part 2: Footwear

As you might expect, my shoe list can be broken down into several categories – in this case, I went by primary use, starting with …

Minimalist road shoe: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS. Vibram came up huge this year with the advent of their LS models – laced versions of popular models that made the footwear easier to use and more accessible to a larger variety of people. From its inception, I’ve labeled the Bikila my gold standard for minimalist road running shoes, so you can imagine how impressed I was when the company managed to improve it this year without sacrificing anything that made it awesome in the first place. Right now they’re discounted to $70 at TravelCountry.com, so grab ‘em while you can.

At play in the Salinas Valley in Bikila LS

Minimalist all-purpose athletic shoe: Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport LS. I’ve worn mine for running, basketball, tennis, floor workouts, and just plain goofing around. They’re getting very popular with CrossFit and Paleo workout enthusiasts as well. If you have multiple activities to do and only enough money for a single pair of Vibrams, this is the one. They’re currently discounted to $80 at TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist trail running: Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove. 2011 may well be remembered as the year Merrell triggered a seismic shift on the minimalist landscape with its Barefoot line of footwear. In my review I called this shoe minimalism for the masses, and since then I’ve recommended it to a lot of trail runners. They retail for $110 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist hybrid trail/road running: Altra Adam. They’re not the ultimate trail shoe, or the ultimate road shoe, but they’re a pretty solid combination of the two. They normally retail for $100 on the company website, but if you use this link you’ll get them for a 10% discount.

Minimalist hiking: Vibram FiveFingers Trek LS. My first-generation Treks had defeated all challengers as my favorite hiking shoes until Vibram topped itself with the Trek LS. Rugged leather, durable outsole, crazy comfort. They’re also nice enough to pass as dress shoes if you so choose (but I don’t – see below). They’re currently discounted to $112 from TravelCountry.com.

Rock scrambling at Lava Beds National Monument in Trek LS

Minimalist dress shoe: Merrell Barefoot Tough Glove. This shoe took out one former champion (the VIVOBAREFOOT Oak) in my collection, and has been an almost-everyday shoe since April. It looks sharp, it’s super comfortable, and it’s got all the right mechanics. It retails for $120 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist kids shoe: VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Kids. I was lucky enough to have several brands of shoes for my children to test, and the Neo Kids emerged victorious. Their minimalist construction is unbeatable, and the styling is ideal for kids to use like good old-fashioned sneakers. They retail for $75 from the VIVOBAREFOOT website.

Transitional trail shoe: New Balance Minimus Trail. Yes, it’s odd that the shoe with the most minimal-sounding name is actually the least minimal of the group mentioned here, but there’s no question that New Balance means business when it comes to cruising light and low to the ground. The Trail version of this shoe (also called the MT10) has a slipper-like feel, lightweight flexibile construction, and rugged traction underfoot. Its principal drawback to pure minimalists – the 4mm heel to toe drop – is precisely what makes it ideal for transitioning from a structured, supportive shoe to the minimalist end of the spectrum. The 2012 version will have a flat platform, but in the meantime you can get the 2011 Minimus for $100 from TravelCountry.com.

**
Do you have enough items for your shopping list yet? I’m already waist-deep in reviews for 2012, which I’ll collectively preview sometime next week. There are some very strong offerings from most of the heavy hitters mentioned here; it will be interesting to see if any new products wrestle the title of “keepers” away from the current roster. Time (and miles) will tell, I suppose – so let’s meet back here again next year and I’ll let you know for sure.

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VIVOBAREFOOT Book Winner; Random Shots of Christmas

2011-12-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

A couple of brief notes before an equally brief post ...

1. Thanks to everybody who commented on my Christmas cookies and entered the VIVOBAREFOOT book giveaway this week. The winner is Adelyn, who I've already contacted via e-mail.

2. I'm taking a brief digital siesta after this post, but I hope to be back by the end of next week to officially close out 2011.

And now your Random Shot of Christmas:

The town Christmas tree in Carmel, CA, as seen a couple of hours ago this evening.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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Frosting and Rambling, Part 3 (With a Secret Giveaway Inside!)

2011-12-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned previously, the primary theme of this post is Christmas-related. In particular, it has something to do with these:

(Click to enlarge any of these photos)

Christmas cookies that my wife makes and the entire family decorates as one of our Advent traditions. It’s a subject I’ve described here a couple of times before, and one that’s typically reliable for some fun responses.

However, the topic of Christmas cookies doesn’t really have anything to do with running – at least, so I thought until earlier this week. That’s because it wasn’t more than a day after putting the finishing touches on our family’s batch of goodies that I received a package in the mail from VIVOBAREFOOT. Here’s what I found inside:

A thin book, a small goodie-shaped box, and a note of some kind either wishing me a Merry Christmas or thanking me for my support this year or something along those lines … honestly, I was a little distracted by wondering what the heck was inside the box.

I’ll get to that in a second, but first, about the book: it’s a glossy version of VIVOBAREFOOT’s very informative eBook about minimalist running. I downloaded and printed this when it was first released online this summer, and found it to be a nice overview of the benefits of barefoot running and the philosophy of minimalist footwear. It also has some drills and stretches that I found quite helpful and that I continue to practice today.

However, since I already have a copy of this book, and since we’re ostensibly talking about holiday cheer, I’ve decided to conduct my own little flash giveaway right now. If you’d like my copy of the book for yourself, leave a comment below this post and I’ll pick a winner on Saturday night. I figure I may as well pay this one forward.

On the other hand, I’m not offering the contents of the box, because, well … they’ve already been taken care of, so to speak. Imagine my delight when I found these cool little VIVOBAREFOOT cookies waiting for me. They lasted just long enough for this photo session to wrap up before getting consumed by my “product testing crew”; when the subject is cookies, it’s amazing how quickly my family steps up to offer assistance.

In their defense, my family could have very well been experiencing cookie-separation anxiety at the time, because of all those cookies in the top photo, only a small portion ever make it into our own bellies. Most of them are given away to friends and neighbors, which is the Christmas-y thing to do and all that, but it does require a little more restraint than most of us (well, OK … mostly me) are comfortable with.

Instead, the joy in our cookie tradition is in the decorating, which different members of our family approach in different ways. For example, my wife excels at classic beauty – I dare say it comes naturally for her – although she’s experimenting with swirls and twirls and expanding her skilled repertoire with each passing year.

My 8-year-old daughter is still growing into her own artistic identity; a couple of years ago her works had a prominent Jackson Pollack feel to them, but I’d now say she has more of a cubism-era Picasso vibe going on.

My son follows in his mother’s cookie-styling footsteps quite closely, which fits his own personality as well; he’s a straightforward, no-nonsense kid who does things pretty much by the book. Not that there’s anything wrong with that … and I suppose if he had to pick one parent to emulate, he certainly made the responsible choice.

His 10-year-old sister apparently would make the opposite decision, in that when it comes to cookie designs, she and I are kindred spirits – so much, in fact, that it’s become hard to distinguish her own works from mine.

For example, here’s a small sampling of our creations. Some of them are hers, others are mine – and it’s honestly hard for me to tell which ones are which. They’re all kind of fun, however …

… such as this pair: Elwood Blues on the left, and Fozzie Bear on the right. One's on a mission from God, and the other's wearing fart shoes. (Yes, we saw The Muppets this year; and no, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.)

Here we have SpongeBob’s friend Patrick on the left, and a tie-dye hippie angel on the right. This is Northern California, after all.

This pair needs some explanation. On the right is my attempt at Perry the Platypus. On the left is a Christmas tree with an identity crisis. If anyone ever claims that a Christmas cookie can’t be introspective, send them my way.

And with that, we’ll call it a wrap on the 2011 cookie report, but not on the holiday cheer. If you want in on the VIVOBAREFOOT book giveaway, drop a comment in the box below, and I’ll announce the winner on Saturday night. Happy Holidays and good luck to everybody!

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Huge VIVOBAREFOOT Discount Sale at PlanetGear.com

2011-12-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

It’s funny the way some of these post topics intersect sometimes.

I had planned a Christmas-themed post for tomorrow night, which then became a Christmas-and-VIVOBAREFOOT-themed post, which is still on deck as scheduled. However, in the midst of all this I received an e-mail from PlanetGear.com regarding a massive VIVOBAREFOOT sale going on this week, and it seemed significant enough to interrupt regular programming (or non-programming, as the case may be) to fill everyone in.

Here’s the deal: VIVOBAREFOOT’s outstanding minimalist running shoes, the Evo and Neo, are currently on sale for ridiculous discounts at PlanetGear.com. As in Evos for $55 ridiculous. Neos for $45 ridiculous. There are a couple other models thrown in the mix for good measure, but basically it’s a minimalist runner’s bonanza.

(Feel free to check out my Evo review here or my Neo review here if you need refreshers on either one.)

Obviously, selection is limited to stock on hand, and right now there are quite a few more women’s colors and sizes available, although men can still find something pretty cool as of this writing. Go check out the sale, and grab yourself or a loved one an early and very affordable Christmas gift.

And since this isn’t a regular post and the whole thing is pretty self-explanatory, I guess that’s all I need to say until tomorrow night.

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kigo drive Review and Coupon Code

2011-12-19T23:04:00.000-08:00

In contrast to the number of companies who have moved into the minimalist arena recently, it’s worth noting that kigo is already on their third generation of minimalist athletic shoes.

That’s not to say that they’ve perfected their craft, though – in fact, when I reviewed their second generation edge* shoe, I came away fairly disappointed, in that there wasn’t really much to distinguish the newer version from the previous one; more specifically, a lot of the deficiencies I identified in the first-generation shel shoe went largely unaddressed. Not that I expected the company to jump through hoops for me, but it’s always a cool thing to see a company respond to user feedback.

(*in case you’re wondering about the convention here: all kigo shoe models, just like the company name, are written entirely in lower-case. I explained why in my edge review.)

kigo drive

That’s why I’m happy to report that this time around, kigo has indeed made some significant changes to their flagship athletic shoe, and that the new drive is very close to what I was hoping the shoe would be more than two years ago. It’s not 100% perfect, but it’s a significant upgrade to a shoe that already had a lot of attractive features to begin with.

One of the things I appreciate about kigo is their commitment to responsible shoe construction, and everything about the drive is true to that mission. Material construction of the outsoles and insoles utilizes PLUSfoam, a compound created from various combinations of reclaimed consumer products.

The uppers are constructed of a CYCLEPET compound made from recycled plastic bottles. All dyes, glues, and water- or stain-resistant elements are certified non-toxic. And when you’re done with the shoes, you can send them to the company’s recycling center so the materials can be reconstructed for the next pair.

Like its predecessors, the drive has outstanding minimalist specs as well: it’s a completely flexible, pure zero-drop shoe on a 2mm outsole, weighing roughly 4.5 oz. This is approximately a half-ounce less than the edge, which is impressive considering how light it was to begin with. If you want to leave the removable 2mm insole in place, your standing height is 4mm, otherwise there’s a mere 2mm of thickness between your foot and the ground.

drive on top, edge on bottom; the edge is my son's everyday school shoe, thus explaining the heel wear

Now for the improvements. Previous kigo shoes were uncomfortably narrow through the entire foot, particularly in the toebox area. Even though the CYCLEPET upper material is somewhat flexible, it wasn’t enough to make up for the narrow last which restricted natural toe splaying. kigo fixed that with the drive, creating a wider footprint front-to-back, most notably in the toebox, which now allows plenty of room for all your toes to do their thing.

The upper has also been revamped, and now features a speed lacing system for ease of entry and for custom tightness around the midfoot. This is a huge improvement over the previous versions, but there’s still one aspect I’d like kigo to tinker with: when you tighten the laces, the fit improves around the midfoot, but remains somewhat loose around the heel. It would be great to see a strap or some other means of construction that incorporates the ankle collar into the midfoot area for more uniform tightening.

kigo’s outsole was one of its strengths from the start, and I still give it fairly high marks for traction on roads and dirt, in dry and mild-to-moderately wet conditions. The problem here is that while kigo has stayed the same, other brands have made remarkable advances in minimalist outsole traction for off-road use (in particular, a 2012 Vibram model that I’m not allowed to talk about yet), so now this fingerprint pattern is just a “solid but not outstanding” feature of the drive.

Sizing was also an issue with previous iterations of kigo shoes, but the drive runs true to size. However, it’s (somewhat oddly) only available in half sizes, so if your size happens to be an even number, you’ll have to wear something a little bit roomy or a little bit snug. Sizing is still unisex, which might be an issue if you’re a male with excessively wide feet or a female with unusually narrow feet.

Last year I expressed some concern to the kigo owners that their window to get established in the minimalist athletic shoe conversation was closing, thanks to the influx of so many new companies coming to market. With the drive, kigo appears to have raised their game sufficiently well to remain near the forefront of this category - and they offer a relatively unique product in terms of design and material construction that makes it distinctively attractive and sets it apart from most other minimalist shoes on the market today.

The drive retails for $91, which is a less fortunate upgrade compared to the edge*. However, from now through the end of the year, you can use coupon code SHIPKIGO to get them with free shipping here from the kigo website. The offer ends on December 31st, so take advantage of it for a late Christmas or early New Years gift.

(*See the comments section for a brief exchange with one of kigo's owners regarding the price point.)

*Product provided by kigo
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Honey Stinger Contest Winners; Random Shots of Christmas

2011-12-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Before today’s Random Shots of Christmas (as I’ve decided to call the weekend posts this month), let’s wrap up the Honey Stinger contest from earlier this week. Thanks very much to everyone who responded, especially those who already use Honey Stinger products and provided positive feedback; I had no idea that so many people were already so crazy about the waffles.

So let’s get to the winners: Derrick, Mary Shannon Johnstone, and Maggie Wolff: e-mail me your addresses – you’ve got a sample pack of Honey Stinger stuff headed your way. To everyone else who wants to get their hands on the new strawberry waffles, here’s the link to purchase them from Amazon.com.

**
On to the customary weekend RSOB, er … RSOC. The first comes from my own Carmel Valley neighborhood, on the road that brings me back home after every morning’s run:

As it happens, my house is only about two-thirds of a mile from this sign, so I haven’t really seen any red-nosed reindeer crossings further out in the valley. But it’s getting close to the right time of year, so I’m definitely keeping my eyes peeled.

The other is from Salinas, from the same chocolate shop that went into patriotic mode on September 11th:

So apparently the shop has a muralist on the payroll. As for what I’m doing at a chocolate shop so frequently in recent months, that’s none of your business; it’s still my offseason. That is, at least for a couple more weeks.

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Soleus GPS 1.0 Review

2011-12-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

I typically shy away from GPS reviews, partially because the whole prospect seems entirely overwhelming, but also because I have very simple tastes.

The only piece of information I really care about getting from a GPS device is “How far have I run today?” I don’t care about vertical gain or compass direction or barometric conditions. I don’t care about my heart rate zones or calories burned. I don’t care to upload, map, or otherwise analyze any data after the run. I don’t care to maintain a digital training log or join yet another online community. Just tell me how far I’ve run.

Although it’s a simple premise, it’s also an important one, for reasons that might have more to do with my own neuroses than any physiological rationale. When I’ve got an ultra in my sights, 30 miles is kind of my standard benchmark when it comes to completing a good long training run. 30.5 miles is a legitimate long run, but 29.8 is woefully inadequate. (OK, yes … it’s not the physiology; the problem is me.) Therefore, it’s also crucial for the device to be accurate, so I’m not always wondering if the distance it says I ran was the distance I really ran. Honestly, I can drive myself crazy with this stuff.

Finally, from a practical standpoint, I’m absolutely terrified of taking on in-depth GPS reviews. There are too many technological considerations than I can legitimately understand, and too many features and components that I don’t adequately utilize; consequently, it’s hard for me to deliver an authoritative opinion on whether a device is worth the (normally very hefty) cost. Especially when my friend DC Rainmaker has become such a guru on GPS devices, there’s no way I can pretend to match that kind of expertise.

So why am I reviewing a GPS watch today? Because the product in question is almost revolutionary, in all the ways that are most important to me. It’s basic. It’s affordable. It’s eco-friendly and low-profile. Best of all, it’s highly accurate, and tells me exactly how far I’ve run.

Soleus GPS 1.0; photo from Soleus website

The Soleus GPS 1.0 has the potential to be a game changer. It retails for $99 (actually, even less than that – see the end of this post), a price point that is less than half of the lowest-cost wrist-mounted GPS from Garmin. It offers the basic features you need – plus a few others – without needing a software program or tech support to figure out how to use the darn thing. For technophobic runners who appreciate simplicity, accuracy, and affordability, the Soleus GPS gives you exactly what you’re looking for.

Continuing the theme of simplicity, my review is going to be somewhat stripped down as well, for reasons I explained earlier. However, I’d be negligent to not refer you to DC Rainmaker’s full in-depth review of this same device, which he breaks down in his typical “all the information you ever wanted plus a lot of information you didn’t realize you needed” fashion.

Timex sleek Ironman on L, SOleus GPS on R

Here’s what you get with the Soleus GPS 1.0: a GPS watch that is roughly the size of the Garmin 401 and Garmin FR610. It’s marginally bigger than my customary Timex Sleek Ironman watch, but with a weight of only 2.0 oz, it’s not much of an extra burden on my long runs. It has an alarm, chronograph, lap/split tracking, 100-lap memory, 12-second backlight, and a USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The casing is water resistant to 30 meters so it’s fine to wear in the rain.

Additional features that are nice (but which I don’t really utilize) are calories burned – calculated by an algorithm using body weight and distance run – and your current pace or speed in metric or English notation. Like I said, I’m not so much into those things; I mainly want to know how it works in measuring distance.

First and most importantly, the Soleus GPS is super accurate. I did my first test runs at the track, where the readings were spot-on. While running with training partners, I did comparisons to their various Garmin units, and distance measurements were usually within a few hundredths of a mile for runs in the 10- to 12-mile range. On trail runs, it appears to hold its satellite signal quite well in canyons and under tree cover. The signal also holds steady when the device is underneath a jacket sleeve, which is pretty much every day at this time of year.

Top to bottom: chrono, distance, time of day

While running, you can choose from a few different displays; the one I use most frequently is stopwatch / distance / time of day, which are the only three things I’m concerned about when I’m on a long training day. You can take split times or create lap markers at regular intervals, but I don’t even do either of those things. Like I said, I’m basic.

There are a few minor drawbacks that I’ve encountered in daily use, the first of which is a slow satellite acquisition time. It often takes up to a couple of minutes to lock into a signal, which is significantly slower than my friends pick up signals with their Garmins. I’ve also had some difficulty with the size of the “stop/save” button, in that it’s small in relation to the others, and it’s sometimes difficult to keep pressed down for long enough to save your data. When I’m wearing gloves – which again, is almost every day this time of year – the button is even trickier to push firmly.

Finally, the size of the display numbers is fairly small in comparison to most other watches or GPS devices I’m familiar with. If you have difficulty with small readouts, this might be problematic, but luckily for me it’s just a minor inconvenience.

Aside from those issues, the Soleus 1.0 is everything I want in a GPS – and more importantly, it doesn’t bother with the things I don’t want. I suspect that I’m not the only one who appreciates a simple, straightforward GPS, and there could potentially be a big market for something like this - a highly accurate device that tells you how far and fast you’re running, for a price that won’t set you too far back.

The Soleus GPS 1.0 normally retails for $99, but you can currently find them on sale for $87 from Amazon.com.

*Product provided by Soleus
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Honey Stinger Waffles, Energy Bars, Energy Chews and Gels: Product Review and Giveaway

2011-12-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

Without going too far out on a limb, I predict that the winners of today’s contest will be at least 75% satisfied.

That’s because the prizes in question come from Honey Stinger, and of the four products I had the opportunity to sample, three of them were delightful; the fourth one, not so much. Then again, your tastes may vary from mine, and you could get 100% enjoyment out of them - but we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here. First let’s get to the review.

Honey Stinger is a sports nutrition company based in Steamboat Springs, Colo, that has developed a fairly diverse line of honey-based products using all-natural and organic ingredients. Since their inception they’ve sponsored cyclists, runners, and triathletes, and in early 2010, they turned quite a few heads by welcoming Lance Armstrong to their ownership team.

Armstrong’s influence is evident in Honey Stinger’s most distinctive product: an organic energy waffle inspired by a traditional Dutch pastry enjoyed by cyclists throughout Europe for many years. The stroopwafel originated in the Netherlands over 200 years ago, and consists of two thin layers of baked batter with a syrup filling. They’re sold by sidewalk vendors and are a longtime favorite of touring cyclists looking for a quick boost of energy.

Honey Stinger’s version comes in three flavors: original, vanilla, and a new strawberry flavor released this fall. I received a batch of vanilla and strawberry waffles for family sampling during a couple of long geocache hikes, and my kids absolutely went wild for them. I really like the taste as well; they remind me of a softer, sweeter Pop Tart, which used to be one of my favorite cheap breakfasts back in college (I liked the unfrosted kind, and didn’t bother to heat them). They make a nice diversion from traditional energy bars – and if that isn’t enough to impress you, rumor has it that Lance rides with these in his back pocket. In case that matters.

I was also impressed with Honey Stinger’s Rocket Chocolate energy bars, which are made with 30% honey and contain 10g of protein each, along with 22 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and calcium. These are great for the middle of a long bike ride, but I also used them as a post-run snack. They have a nice chewy texture and a very pleasant chocolate taste – certainly more than I expected from a honey-based product. I suspect my kids would have agreed also … except that I didn’t share these items with them. Being the blog owner has its privileges.

Before you feel too sorry for them, the family also got to sample two varieties of organic energy chews, in lime-ade and pink lemonade flavors. These are the Honey Stinger equivalent of CLIF Bloks or GU Chomps, but they are slightly smaller and their texture is much softer, making them easier to chew than those other brands. Our family’s consensus was that the lime-ade flavor is decent, but the real star is the pink lemonade. It’s a unique variety among any other energy chews we’ve tried – Honey Stinger also has other unusual flavors like fruit smoothie and pomegranate passion fruit - and the taste is a nice balance of tart and sweet. They were voted a close second behind the strawberry waffles as our favorite Honey Stinger product.

The only disappointment in the group was Honey Stinger energy gels, but that may be partially due to the fact that I only tested one flavor. I sampled the ginseng flavor, and found it to have a strongly bitter aftertaste that was very unpalatable. I first tested these on a long run with my wife, and just to confirm my initial reaction, I asked her to taste the same pack I had just opened. She hated it as well; honestly, the taste was so bad that we squirted the rest of the gel pack onto the ground.

Honey Stinger gels come in five flavors, and I suspect that the banana or strawberry flavors might not have as strong an aftertaste as the ginseng ones we tested, but that’s just a hypothesis. These honey-based gels have a thinner consistency than regular energy gels, so they would be easy to dissolve in a bottle of water as some runners and cyclists like to do – that would probably dilute the aftertaste as well.

So there’s the lineup, and here’s the contest: in conjunction with this review, Honey Stinger will provide three winners with a sample pack of the products I’ve described here. Quantities and flavors may vary depending on availability, but you’ll get a good cross-section of what the company has to offer – and obviously, I highly recommend the waffles. Leave a comment below this post to enter, and three winners will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday.

If you can’t wait that long, here are product links for purchase from Amazon.com:

Honey Stinger organic strawberry energy waffle - 16-pack for $22.50.

Honey Stinger Rocket Chocolate energy bars - 15-pack for $20.

Honey Stinger pink lemonade organic energy chews - 12-pack for $17.

Honey Stinger energy gel assortment pack - 24-pack for $27.

Big thanks to Honey Stinger for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everybody!

*Products provided by Honey Stinger. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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13.1 Los Angeles Giveaway Winner; GU Roctane Drink Mix Giveaway Winner; Random Shots of Beauty

2011-12-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

I’ve got a slightly extended Random Shot of Beauty post for today – but first, it’s time to announce the winners of two separate contests that took place this week.

As you’ll recall, the 13.1 Marathon Los Angeles road race drawing was conducted in my typically random fashion – but as it turns out, the winner ended up being in the same neighborhood as the race. Lauren L: e-mail me – you’re the winner, and I’ve got a free registration code for you.

On the other hand, the GU Roctane drink mix contest was completely subjective, and I had no ground rules other than to do something to make me choose you. This one was decided pretty early in the game, when RD Jim dropped his comment in the box. I mean … the dude made a video for me; after that, everyone else was pretty much competing for second place. (Although Anthony’s comment and link to the mobile app page certainly piqued my interest – this is something I need to investigate a bit further.)

Anyway, congrats to the winners, and as always, thanks to everyone else for playing. Stay tuned for another giveaway contest next week.

**

With the holiday season in full swing, I’ve decided that for the rest of the month I’ll change these weekend posts to Random Shots of Christmas instead of the customary RSOB. (Besides, there’s beauty in Christmas, so I’m not breaking form too dramatically here.) On that note, I had my camera with me this morning …

… while hanging out with practically everyone else in town at a dilapidated airstrip in the middle of Carmel Valley Village …

…. where everyone awaited two special passengers arriving by air ...

Santa and Mrs Claus, making their customary appearance at the annual Santa’s Fly-In event that has everything you could ever ask when it comes to quaint small-town traditions. After Santa mingles with all the kids, the fly-in is followed by a parade through the village …

… where Santa’s sleigh gets towed by a tractor. It’s just another of those distinctly Carmel Valley scenes that makes me happy to live here.

One unfortunate but unrelated postscript to the story is that while all this Christmas cheer was taking place, I was being left out of the Western States 2012 lottery. Now it’s on to Plan B for next year, which is, um … actually, I don’t really have a Plan B. So I guess my new Plan A is to come up with a Plan B. As soon as I figure something out, I’ll be sure to let you know.

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Orbana Healthy Energy Drink User Reviews

2011-12-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

A brief admin note before today’s post: You have one more day to enter 2 contests: one for the 13.1 Marathon Los Angeles and the other for a tub of GU Roctane drink mix. Head over to this post to enter both contests, but be forewarned: the competition for the GU mix is pretty formidable.

*
Today’s post is born from one of the most remarkable acts of generosity I’ve ever seen from a product sponsor.

Back in October, I did one of my typical review and giveaway posts for Orbana healthy energy drink, with the stipulation that the winners would send me their feedback for a follow-up post. Shortly after I chose the winners, the company rep offered a seemingly crazy proposition: the company wanted to provide samples for ALL of the people who entered.

And that’s exactly what happened: everyone who entered that contest was sent a few samples of Orbana to try, on the condition that they would send feedback for this review post. Unfortunately, I didn’t get 100% return on user feedback – on a related note, if you received samples and never sent me your review, shame and bad contest karma on you – but I still collected a fairly significant sample size, whose feedback makes up the remainder of this post. (Yes, it’s a long one).

The ground rules for this were very straightforward: Be honest. I wanted true feedback, good or bad. As you’ll see, the good feedback far outweighs the bad. Some users also posted reviews on their own websites, so in those cases I’ve included an excerpt here and a link to their sites for the full review.

Finally, if you need the original links, here’s my previous Orbana review, and here's the link to buy Orbana from Amazon.com. On with the user reviews:

**
From Chris:

I tested it at a 30-mile trail race on a 10-mile loop at McNaughton Park in Pekin, IL. I started with a 20oz water bottle mixed with Orbana. At the 5 mile mark, I'd be done with the drink and simply fill my bottle with pure water for the next 5 miles. At the start/finish area, I'd refill with water and mix in the Orbana. I used 3 packets for the three 10-mile loops. It would have been nice to have more Orbana at the mid-point aid station so I would be drinking it for the full 30 miles.

I did feel the drink worked better than just water and better than my typical Gatorade. It tasted fine, gave no energy highs/lows, and supplied a modest amount of electrolytes. I think the calories, and extra vitamins and amino acids, helped provide a bit more energy than I've had in recent runs and races. For what it's worth, I did feel better AFTER the race than I typically do.

My main complaint with this drink is that it's rather expensive and bulky to carry. I can find solutions to the bulkiness (loop courses, drop bags, friends/crew, etc). The cost is another issue, but if it really does make a positive difference, it would be worth the price. I'll buy a bigger supply and try it out on some fall and winter long runs (20+ milers). I'm willing to pay extra for a product that would get me through a long ultra marathon. For now, I think it's a good product with high potential for endurance athletes. I'd suggest other runners giving it a try.

See Chris’s full review here on his website.

**
From James:

I used a packet mid race at a 50k trail event this past weekend. My honest opinion is this... the taste is fine. Tangy, citrus like, not too sweet and so much more palatable than Vespa (not to mention more affordable). Dare I say even better tasting than the new Nuun flavor I was also using? Unfortunately, about a mile after filling my handheld bottle I wiped out on the trail, awesome spread eagle, face first type of action, and wasted a bunch my fluid in the process. I decided against putting the newly made puddle of mud in my mouth. However, I really did feel a boost in my energy level for maybe an hour. I had been struggling with fatigue for a few miles before that.

(My reply: obviously Orbana needs to include some balance-enhancing agents for their next formulation.)

**
From Andrew:

Overall I found the Orbana to be very beneficial. I find that the claims made are an accurate representation of what the product is capable of in both usage and performance. I liked it so much that I went ahead and ordered a whole tub to use in my daily fueling activities. I will not
hesitate to recommend Orbana to anyone looking to add a new fueling product or replace an old one. So glad that I got this opportunity to test out this great product.

See Andrew’s full review here on his website.

**
From Mike:

I am currently training for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January (my second Half), and right now I am running about 25-30 miles per week. I received two packets of the Orbana powder, and I used it in two different scenarios: (1) As a pre-run drink before a 10-mile race; and (2) As a replenishment drink instead of water during a 13-mile long run during training.

I had better experience using the Orbana as a pre-run drink. For the 10-mile race that I used it for, I felt very strong throughout the entire run and was able to keep a pace about 30-40 seconds per mile faster than my goal (this increased speed may have had as much to do with the course, but I feel that the Orbana definitely helped keep me well fueled). Normally for runs of 10 miles or more, I would carry and use an energy gel, and although the race I ran provided Hammer Gel, I felt fine and decided not to use it. I also felt fairly well hydrated throughout the race. Overall, I think the Orbana drink gave a nice boost without making me feel jittery or anxious.

For the 13-mile training run, the Orbana was fine as a replenishment drink, but it wasn't really to my liking. Although the Orbana has a pleasant taste, I still prefer just plain water for rehydration during a run.

As far as the taste of Orbana, it is pleasant and better than most sports drinks. It is considerably less sweet and sugary than other drinks, and doesn't have the "sweaty/salty" taste than some have. It doesn't taste great, but it has a somewhat pleasant citrus flavor that is easy enough to drink. The pre-run formulation was a bit strong and left an aftertaste in my mouth for awhile, but I think that is fairly typical of sports drinks.

I was impressed enough with Orbana that I plan on buying a box of it off Amazon and using it for my remaining long runs and my upcoming race, but only as the pre-run version.

**
From Tomislav:

I got it a couple of days before the Lagvitrek 16-mile mountain race, and my plan was to use one sachet before and one sachet after the race. I was really pleasantly surprised by taste. It was much better than other BCAA stuff I used before and on a scale from 1 to 10 I give it a high 8.

Performance wise I didn't had any spikes and/or crashes during the race and my energy level was quite good through the whole race. I recovered only two days after the race so I give it two thumbs up.

I will probably not use it as my training and racing drink cause there are cheaper options available. For a recovery drink the price is on par with other stuff I use but with much better taste (other drinks with BCAA are usually bitter).

**
From Stephanie:

I'm not exactly a fast runner, so I was hoping to finish the 10-mile race I did in under 2 hours.

The morning of, I drank a packet at about 6:30, because it was a pretty decent drive to get to the start of the finish line. To me it tastes like the little cans of Dole Pineapple Juice, which is fine except I don't really like pineapple juice. It went down just fine, though, and no GI problems. I was very well hydrated, actually, and just fine in regards to energy for almost the whole race. I finished in 1:51:52, which is (I think) 11 sec/mi faster than McMillan predicted. Was it the Orbana? Who knows.

I'm willing to say that it kept me hydrated at least a little longer than plain water or Gatorade or Nuun would have and that it provided more and more sustained energy than any of the previous. (To be fair, water and Nuun don't have any sugar in them, so it would be disingenuous to expect actual energy from either.) It did take a little more prep time than one of the fizzy tabs, I guess--I ended up stirring it with a butter knife in a pint glass half full of water for probably a full minute. On the other hand, it didn't taste chemical-y at all and there were no strange aftertastes from various kinds of non-standard sugars.

**
From Adam:

I started with dumping the Orbana mix in a 8-10 oz. glass of water. The mix made this strange looking blob in the water that would float for a bit, and when mixing it took a good while to get all of the product dissolved into the water. If anything that would have to be my biggest issue with the product, and definitely not a big deal.

Taste is awesome! I absolutely loved the citrus flavor of the mix, and had no issues downing the product once dissolved. The overall sensation of drinking it is that the drink is very refreshing. I do not like things overly sweet, and one thing I think Orbana succeeded at here is having an excellent balance of sweetness to citrus sourness.

Both times I used Orbana as directed before my activity. The first time I went out I had come home from work a little tired, and wasn't sure how I would feel on my run. I had planned a 5 mile trail run at a local trail system, and once I got out on the trail I felt a little sluggish. However, I seemed to get more energy as time went on, and by the middle to the end of the run I was feeling great. The second time I used the product I went for an 8 mile road run about a week and a half after getting a sinus infection. Once I started my longer run I again felt a little sluggish to start, but about 3 miles in I got into a groove that carried me to the end of the run. I had no expectations of what my pace might be like going into that longer run, but I maintained a pretty decent pace and felt very good at the end.

I would like to think Orbana helped me through those runs, but in all honesty I have no idea. I just can report that I seemed to have a pick-me-up a couple miles into each run I used the product for. That pick-me-up seemed to last the rest of my runs, and so leaves me wanting to purchase some more Orbana to try.

**
From Trinity:

Pros:

1. It comes in powder form.
2. Small travel packets are available. Nice for race day.
3. It didn't taste like an energy drink i.e. Gatorade or Powerade
4. I was experiencing some cramping in my calves on some of my long runs during training. I tried Orbana for a long run and did not have cramping. Coincidence or not it made me a happy runner.

Cons:

1. I know I should know my measurements better, but I don't know my metric very well and had to look it up. This would only be a problem the first time using.
2. I thought it took a lot of stirring and a little more time for the powder to dissolve.
3. The flavor was a little strong for me. I don't drink sodas, and find that sports drinks give me headaches on long runs. It had a reminiscent taste of my childhood i.e. Tang, and although it was reminiscent I don't care for the Tang flavor anymore.

Would I buy Orbana?

For the most part when running I enjoy just plain old water. But living in the hot Texas summers and running longer periods of time I know I need more. But I don't feel that my liquid intake needs to deceive me with overly sweetness to get me to drink. Just give me something that is mainly water with a few extra nutrients and I'm happy and my body's happy. I would probably not buy Orbana for this reason. If they could provide a product that would be less sweet and maybe provide a different flavor than yes. I appreciate their intention to provide the most nutritional sports drink out there on the market. And I wish them all the best.

**
From Jimi:

The first packet I drank before going to my cardio kickboxing class. It was a little clumpy, but that was my fault, as I don't think I mixed it well enough. Taste was good...subtle. I liked it.

Here's the kicker. I actually did notice something different after my kickboxing class. Every class before that one and every class since that one, I've always had to get a drink of water whenever the instructor gives us 45 seconds in between routines to relax. This was the only class that I didn't feel the need to stop and get water. It wasn't until after class that I was thinking about Orbana that I realized "Hey, I didn't have to drink any water during class".

The next packet I drank before going out on a mini brick (bike + run). To be honest, I didn't really notice anything special about the workout. It was a good workout and I wasn't extra thirsty or anything, but I still felt like I needed the same amount of fluids.

However, the experience I had with Orbana during my cardio kickboxing class makes me think that this is indeed a good product.

**
From Frazer:

As for flavor, the first time I had it, I loved the taste. I have basically been drinking Gatorade and recently switched to HEED, so Orbana was a nice break from the ordinary flavors. The second time I had it, the flavor was not nearly as tasty as I remembered, but it was not bad.

As for performance, the first time I had it, I had a good training run and no issues, but I did not notice anything especially wonderful or amazing and the recovery seemed normal also. On Thursday, I went out and PR'd a 10K, at a pace that was my second best among all races. I felt incredible during the run; I was pushing pretty hard and overall, it was probably the best feeling run I have ever had. Also, I was not especially sore considering the effort I put forth to make this happen. I am not sure that its the Orbana, but that was basically the only thing that was different.

I would get some more, but I would definitely need a sale or discount because, in the words of Cosmo Kramer, "retail is for suckers" unless I am supporting a local store or company I really like. All that to say, I liked it and would get more and use it regularly, depending on the cost.

**
From Lisa:

I was very interested to try Orbana because, on the recommendation of my nutritionist, I have been mixing a “home brew” BCAA drink that I use for muscle recovery after exercise. Honestly, my home brew tastes like crap. I was very curious about how Orbana would be able to mask the distinctive bitter taste of the BCAAs.

Orbana tastes predominately like citrus, with a distinctive pineapple flavor. I used two dilutions, and swished both around in my mouth and consciously searched for the bitter BCAA flavor. It just wasn’t there. Orbana has successfully masked the flavor of the BCAAs. However, my home brew has more than twice the amount of BCAAs as Orbana, and Orbana also has a lot more calories than my home brew.

I like Orbana a lot. I like that it is all natural, with no artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, or synthetic gunk. Orbana has succeeded beyond my expectations in masking the flavor of BCAAs. This energy drink was formulated for the hard-core endurance athlete, and I think Orbana’s status as a great-tasting natural drink can gain a footing in the endurance product market.

See Lisa’s full review here on her Facebook page.

**
From David:

The drink itself is quite palatable and does not give the sickly sugary feeling when the water is not cold. Somehow the taste and smell were vaguely reminiscent of the McDonald’s orange juice I so liked in ages past. The citrus-pineapple taste is free from the usual acidic feeling from citric acid - although the taste is subtle, it was a bit much for me since I’m not a pineapple fan.

I am not a big sports drink fan since I usually have problem digesting them and experience gastric weirdness on long runs from the caffeine and truck load of sugar, but Orbana mix is pretty easy to digest, no burps and no upset stomach … sweet “nada”.

Thanks to the nice mix of amino-acid and electrolytes, it is also a good hang-over remedy: drink one glass of water mixed with Orbana before going to bed after a big party, and the morrow is less painful by far …

Bottom line is, Orbana offers a great product. If they were to offer a different flavour (like one that does not taste like pineapple) I would definitely buy a box.

**

So there you have it: perhaps the most exhaustive, comprehensive review on any single product in the history of this blog. Obviously, I owe a very big thanks to the Orbana company for providing so many samples for review. You can purchase their product here from Amazon.com.

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Soft Star Merry Jane Review

2011-12-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing like closing out a good year on a high note … and this month, Soft Star has released a new moccasin that’s really the icing on the cake to celebrate a very impressive 2011.

Obviously, for me the Soft Star highlight of 2011 was running 100 miles in my RunAmocs – but setting aside the whole minimalist running phenomenon for a minute, Soft Star accomplished something else quite extraordinary this year: they made it possible for all of us to wear moccasins to work.

First it was the RunAmoc Dash, which was ostensibly created as a running model – and which I wear-tested for 50 muddy miles in March – but was quickly adopted by office workers who realized the smooth black leather option looks remarkably like a traditional office shoe – except, you know, without the heel and midsole and stiffness and narrow toe box or any other evils of modern footwear.

Unfortunately, this only benefited Soft Star’s male clientele, so in order to achieve workplace equality, the next logical step was to develop a work-friendly shoe for the ladies. And with that, the Merry Jane was born.

Soft Star Merry Janes!

But before we get to the details, two quick notes about the name: yes, that’s the correct spelling, and no, I don’t really like it*. I mean, it’s kind of neat right now with the holidays upon us and all, but I suspect these shoes will get especially popular in the summertime - and it might seem kind of odd to order something in July with a product name that sort of sounds like Christmas. But perhaps that’s just me being quirky – because aside from the name, there’s not a whole lot to complain about with Soft Star’s new ~~Mary~~ Merry Janes.

(*Apparently I’m vastly outnumbered, because when Soft Star took a poll on their Facebook page, people overwhelmingly loved the name. Just one more reason for me to dislike Facebook.)

From a functional standpoint, the coolest thing about the Merry Jane is that they’re equally suitable for a professional setting, casual use, or good old-fashioned child’s play. The stock colors are black and chocolate brown, either of which can easily complement formal office attire. However, if you’re like the girls in my family, you can customize your colors to show off your personality a little bit.

For example, you can make the heel color different from the toe color, as my wife did with this pair that kind of reminds me of a lipstick container, or you can go with some eye-catching options …

… such as this pink model my oldest daughter wears. She’s the more “girly” of my two daughters – the one who loves dolls and enjoys nurturing people (mostly her father) with massages or baking cookies – but she also likes to catch people’s attention. So it didn’t surprise me at all that this was the color she picked.

My youngest daughter is perpetually sunny and cheerful, so the lemon option she chose fits her nicely as well. She’s also the adventurer / explorer of the family – and this color just screams “I can’t wait to get these things dirty!”

Remember what I said about child’s play? Soft Star’s Merry Janes are also available in youth sizes, where the stock colors are fuchsia (the pink pair above), platinum, and black. Construction of the adult and youth versions is essentially identical … which reminds me that we really haven’t started the spec rundown yet.

Like most Soft Star mocs, the Merry Jane consists of a two-part leather upper – but in this case the midfoot area is scooped low to create the classic Mary Jane styling. The adult version weighs in at just over 4oz on my kitchen scale, although weight will be somewhat variable depending on the size – regardless, these will certainly be among the lightest shoes in your collection.

One primary departure from normal Mary Janes is that the strap doesn’t really buckle into place; instead, it’s attached by Velcro to make for easy on/off – a convenience feature for adults, and an extremely helpful feature for little fingers when you’re rushing to make the school bell in the morning. If you prefer, you can also remove the buckle completely for a more casual look.

The interior lining of the uppers and the insole consists of soft suede that all of my testers reported feels quite comfortable against bare skin. There isn’t any traditional insole or footbed with these shoes – just a suede layer on top of the outsole in a simply minimal, back-to-basics arrangement.

For the Merry Jane outsole, Soft Star went with the same Vibram outsole that is used on their adult Rambler, which is designed for durable outdoor use. The outsole is 5mm thick, which combined with the suede insole lining gives the Merry Jane a total standing height of approximately 7mm. It is also fairly soft, and over a period of several days it will mold slightly to your foot for a practically custom fit.

More importantly, the outsole is completely flexible, allowing your foot to bend and flex in any direction necessary. Encouraging natural foot movement has been Soft Star’s specialty from the very beginning, and it’s great to see that as the product line expands, they haven’t lost sight of this most critical element of shoe construction.

So despite my objection to the name, I’m really a big fan of the Soft Star Merry Janes – because they look cool, they’re extremely versatile and functional, and they are as minimal as minimal can be. Best of all, my wife and daughters all love wearing them – and anything that gives the ladies in my life happy feet is highly valued in my book.

If you want some happy feet of your own, here are your links from the company website:

Soft Star Merry Jane women’s version in black – prices starting at $75.

Soft Star Merry Jane women’s in chocolate brown – starting at $75.

Soft Star Merry Jane youth version in fuchsia – starting at $54.

Soft Star Merry Jane youth in platinum – starting at $54.

Soft Star Merry Jane youth in black – starting at $54.

*Products provided by Soft Star
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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Altra Adam Shoe Review and Discount Code

2011-12-05T23:20:00.000-08:00

When I reviewed Altra’s Intuition shoe this summer, I described how the company has obviously done its homework about what natural runners are looking for. They also offer something for almost everyone in the new running paradigm: the Intuition and Instinct are zero-drop trainers that are the natural running counterpart to traditional trainers, while the Adam (along with its female partner Eve) is a pure minimalist model that I’ve been testing for the past few months.

The Adam combines many of the features I love about minimalist footwear, with only one noteworthy drawback that I’d like to see improved upon. For a first-time offering, however, it’s really quite impressive, and strikes me as something of a combination of my two favorite minimalist brands: Vibram and Soft Star.

Altra Adam

Think of it this way: if you took an old-school Vibram KSO and did away with the toe pockets, and instead made a roomy, comfortable toe box like a moccasin, you’d have something very close to the Adam. By appearances, the Adam bears a strong likeness to Vibram, and tends to draw a lot of comparisons to that groundbreaking KSO model. I actually find some of the specs on the Adam to be superior to the KSOs, such as its overall weight of 4.7 oz (compared to 5.7 for the KSO) and some other points I’ll mention shortly.

Mesh uppers with dual Velcro straps

The Adam’s uppers are composed of a breatheable mesh that’s very similar to the KSO, along with two separate straps that help secure the foot in place. I found that if I pulled the midfoot strap too tight, I had some discomfort at the base of my pinky toes, but the good news is that I didn’t really have to cinch either strap very much at all to get a secure fit. The toe box is very roomy without allowing excessive movement of the foot on the insole. Combined with a gender-specific last, the feel of the upper is very slipper-like around the foot, almost (but not quite) comparable to Soft Star’s Moc3.

One of the major advantages of having a single toebox instead of toe pockets is warmth – and with the Adam, my feet tend to stay comfortable at temperatures about 10-15 degrees colder than I’d attempt to wear my Vibrams. However, the mesh is also quite breatheable, so your toes won’t overheat in hot weather.

Strengthening insole in place; compare with 2 photos down

There isn’t a lacing system on the Adam, but unlike some Vibram models, the mesh is flexible enough that it’s easy to work your foot into the upper. Loop straps in front and behind the ankle are helpful in getting the heel in place.

That's a fig leaf ... just like the original Adam wore

The heel collar of the Adam is similar in appearance to another Vibram model – in this case the Bikila. It’s got just the right amount of padding to provide comfort without adding excess bulk, and stays very secure on the heel even in muddy conditions or on irregular terrain.

Internal seams on footbed

Like all Altra shoes, the Adam comes with two insole options: a support insole that has a slight arch and a little bit of padding, and a strengthening insole that is completely flat and less than 2mm thick. You could remove the insoles entirely, but I prefer to leave them in due to some mild irritation from longitudinal seams on the interior footbed surface.

3.4mm razor-siped rubber outsole

Adam’s outsole is extremely similar to Vibram’s siped rubber KSO outsole, and at 3.4mm is just barely thinner than the KSO’s 3.5mm spec. I’ve found the Adam to be much more flexible in all directions while offering a similar ground feel as the KSOs. Traction is outstanding for road running, and is generally decent for trail conditions except on steep hills with mud or loose gravel. It’s ideally suited for hybrid use, such as a run I did on Thanksgiving morning.

Our family was signed up for a trail 5K at a park in Salinas – but because I knew I’d eat more than 5K worth of food that day, I decided to wake up early and run to the course. My route ended up including about 14 miles on roads and 5 on trails; it had also rained the night before, so trail conditions were wet but not terribly sloppy. The Adams went seamlessly back and forth from one surface to the other, and kept my feet cozy and comfortable even after several hours of wet wear.

Making my way to the Salinas Valley, Thanksgiving 2011

However, for my ultrarunning purposes, I prefer an outsole with a bit more grip to it, and this is the primary drawback I have with the Adam. Coincidentally, it also happens to be the main criticism I had when reviewing the KSO. Of course, Vibram kept tinkering with their outsole designs for dedicated trail use, and there’s no reason to suspect that Altra won’t do something similar in future iterations of the Adam. They do have a more aggressive outsole on their zero-drop Lone Peak, and if Altra could combine a bit of the Lone Peak’s traction with the current design of the Adam, it would vault very close to the top of my list of favorites.

Outstanding flexibility; razor sipes visible on curled outsole

For the time being, the Adam is a very attractive minimalist option for general all-purpose use, especially for those who are reluctant to wear Vibrams or want something a little more sporty than moccasins. It draws from both of those concepts and has some clear advantages over each one, with potential to become even more compelling in the future, particularly for trail running. Given what I’ve seen from Altra in their premiere models, I’m excited to see what the future brings from them.

The Altra Adam retails for $100 from the company website but if you use this link to do your shopping, a 10% discount will be deducted from your purchase price at checkout.

*Product provided by Altra
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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13.1 Los Angeles Entry Giveaway; GU Roctane Drink Mix Giveaway; Random Shots of Beauty

2011-12-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

Last Friday afternoon I received two opportunities to offer cool prizes for the right kind of readers - the trouble is, I have no idea who those readers might be. Furthermore, I have no experience with either product to tell you anything insightful about them, although in one case I’m going to be quite envious of the winner.

But first, since I was a slacker on my normal weekend posting, here’s a quick Random Shot of Beauty:

An evergreen vista in the Santa Cruz Mountains, as seen from the Christmas tree farm our family has been patronizing for 30 years. As usual, we came home with a tree that looked significantly bigger in the back of the truck than it did when it was still standing in the forest. As to how it looks when it’s decorated, perhaps that will be the subject of an upcoming RSOB.

On to the giveaways …

**
The first offer is a free entry to the 13.1 Marathon (kind of a confusing name, but it is indeed a half-marathon) taking place in Los Angeles on January 15, 2012. A PR person offered me an entry, but considering that 1) road races aren’t really my thing nowadays, and 2) I don’t live in Los Angeles anymore, I figured the opportunity was better suited for somebody else. When I suggested as much to the contact person, we worked out a scenario for a giveaway.

Here’s the deal: if you want a free entry to this race, leave a comment below this post and I’ll pick somebody at random as my winner. I’ll send you a code for free online registration, and all of the other logistics are up to you. After the race, you agree to write a brief race report and/or offer some constructive feedback for the race committee about your experience at the event.

I don’t endorse or promote races I’ve never done, so I have no idea whether this event will be a bust or a smashing success. (On a related note, if you win the contest and the race turns out to suck, don't complain to me.) I do know that 2012 marks the third year for this particular race, and that it’s part of a larger half marathon series with eight events nationwide. The course traverses a quintessential Southern California backdrop, starting in Venice Beach and looping around Marina Del Rey before taking a long out and back down the coastline and finishing in Playa Del Rey. It’s also pancake flat, so it would make a great course for a first-time half-marathoner or anyone looking to blaze a new PR.

I figure I must have some readers in SoCal who might be interested - or some non-SoCal runners who would be interested in visiting LA in the middle of winter - so if you’re one of them, let me know in the comments, and I’ll announce the winner here next Saturday night.

**
This next contest is the one I’m envious of, because you’ll get the opportunity to test an as-yet-unreleased product that I haven’t even laid eyes on yet. What’s more, it’s from one of my favorite companies, GU Energy.

Their PR person sent me a surprise e-mail announcing GU’s Roctane Drink mix, which apparently is to standard GU Brew what GU Roctane is to standard GU energy gels: a unique formulation specifically designed for long aerobic endurance activities. Because I train with GU Brew on a daily basis, and since I’ve used Roctane gel for virtually every long run and ultra I’ve done over the past year or two, the rep pretty much had me at hello.

Sorry the pic is so small ... they only sent me a lo-res thumbnail

And then … well, I’m not really in the mood to talk about it, so I’ll just copy excerpts from her e-mail here:

Sounds great, right? Well … sorry, it’s not for you. It’s for your readers. Specifically, it’s for your Reader of the Year.

Roctane Drink isn’t available to the general public yet, but in the company’s tradition of hands-on athlete development, we would like to extend an exclusive product testing opportunity for one lucky reader.

We’d love to reward your most loyal fan and send one tub of the drink to them, as well as a complimentary GU Sample Pack for them to test out. There are only 29 sample tubs of the powdered drink mix in existence; you announce the giveaway, and we’ll handle all of the fulfillment from here.

Needless to say, this bums me out a little bit – not only because I don’t get to try any for myself, but also because I have no Earthly idea how to determine who my most loyal reader might be. I actually made an argument to the rep that I could be considered my own most loyal reader – after all, I've read every single one of my own posts, something that probably nobody else can claim – but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

So congratulations, everybody but me: you have an opportunity to test a sweet new product from perhaps the best sports nutrition company around. Meanwhile, I’m going to keep reminding myself to handle this situation gracefully.

As for how we run this contest, I’m not really interested in having anyone prove their loyalty or otherwise suck up to me in any way. Therefore, I’m leaving the creative aspect up to you, and making one simple ground rule: if you want to win a sample tub of Roctane drink mix, tell me why I should pick you. Maybe you have a big event coming up, maybe you have some special dietary concern, or maybe you can just make me laugh somehow. I have no idea what I’m looking for, really – but hopefully I’ll know it when I see it.

Leave a comment stating your case below this post, and I’ll choose the answer I like the best to receive the prize. The winner will be announced next Saturday night along with the race contest winner above. (In case you’re wondering: yes, it’s OK to enter both contests at once.) Thanks very much to sponsors GU Company and US Road Sports & Entertainment Group, and good luck to everyone!

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