Humble Running Newsletter #23
A Bump in the Road
It’s looking like I’ll need to pull out of the Banana Slug Backyard Ultra. If you’ve been following my videos over the past months, it would appear as if everything is all good.. but it hasn’t exactly been. I’ve been dealing with nagging “hip” irritation for the past 3+ months, which has now been diagnosed as a stress reaction in my femur. I’ll probably share more in an upcoming video (for my own sake, just to vent), but for now let’s catch up..
Adidas TT - Coast to Coast
I was holding off on reviewing the Adidas TT - feeling like it really needed to be tested in true technical trails. I had to head back to New Jersey, and with no snow on the ground this time - I got to cover some of my old hometown trails.
It’s just so darn rocky over there, entirely different from here in Boise, and even many places out west. Just non stop rocks everywhere! The TT won’t be a shoe for everyone, but it worked really well running at the type of cadence and style that you need to handle “Beast Coast” terrain.
I missed my connecting flight back home, so I got to explore some trails within an Uber-ride from the San Francisco airport. More of a scenic fun run here - the TT held its own on the California Carpet.
On Cloudsoma
The title says it all - is an On shoe an On shoe without the PODS? The Cloudsoma replaces traditional Cloudtec pods with new Cloudtec Connect technology. With a unique articulating sensation underfoot - since this initial review, I’ve been digging them more and more.
If you’re interested in these, pay attention to my analysis of the upper. The sock-style design has quite a bit of volume to it. You might need to size down if you are in between sizes.
Training “Yards”
While keying in on the upcoming backyard race, I started doing some training sessions where I simulated the 4.1666 mile “yard” distance, with short breaks in between. In this session I did 4 “yards” in 4 different road models - just for fun!
#1 Salomon Aero Glide 4, #2 Brooks Glycerin Flex, #3 Speedland RX:FPY, #4 Mizuno Neo Zen 2. These are not actually models I planned to use in the event, but it was an effective session for testing and comparison. All 4 road shoes, but really no two close to being similar.
Craft Endurance 3
Another kind of simulated backyard session here - 2 x 7ish miles in the new Craft Endurance 3. 9mm drop here, which typically doesn’t agree with me, but I find this one to be quite smooth on varied terrain, including the treadmill.
Also some gear and apparel testing - the Hypervent Light Wind Jacket, also from Craft.
and some shades from Tifosi
Plus, for the sake of going hands-free on the road - let’s throw in the Nathan Aerozip 1L vest.
Fabric-like in fit, this shirt-vest(?) provides easy hydration access and storage pockets up front. This setup works well under a light shell as seen here, or you could go topless as the inner material is super-smooth.
BIG Speedgoat 7 Comparison
I might have jumped the gun earlier in calling the Kipsummit Max the natural evolution of the Speedgoat model. Then the Speedgoat 7 came out - and I now see these as two really great, adjacent models.
They are not the same shoe though - there are notable differences.
Check out this one for all the details! Or here for some other Speedgoat 7 comparisons.
Wear Foehn
Premium apparel from Foehn in for test - I took a big spill towards the end of my Kipsummit Max / Speegoat 7 test run - and the Foehn kit proved to be quite durable!
I absolutely love the Cortes Delta shirt - the fabric feels fantastic and super premium. The Relais Shorts (2-in-1 style) have build in storage loops and pockets for multiple gels - more to come as I will certainly see how many I can pack in there. Stay tuned!
Scarpa Golden Gate LT
I discovered the Golden Gate LT one as I was browsing the Scarpa site. I hadn’t heard much about it, but it sparked my interest as I am a huge fan of the Golden Gate ATR 2.
This one has similar design cues, as well as a focus on Door to Trail running. I finally nailed my Scarpa sizing here - EU 43.5 (US 10). Previous Scarpa models that I’ve tested have also been tagged as US 10, but EU 43. Pay attention to Euro sizing - especially for Euro-based brands!
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