gear review - saucony run mitt

just when you thought that it was safe to go back out in the water winter ... 

as an all-conditions winter runner i knew back in november that i needed to acquire some new hand-gear.  i have always felt like i have particularly poor circulation to my extremities, and specifically to my hands (although it's not anything as serious as raynaud's phenomenon/syndrome/disease) so this season i decided to invest in a good pair of winter running mittens.  after scouting some reputable reviews i narrowed my choices down to the saucony run mitt and the sugoi wind mitt, both of which were available (at the time) online from my sponsoring LRS (local running shop) Running Free. 

why did i end up going with the saucony run mitt?  

advanced snot-wiping technology. 

seriously, here's a lowdown of my experience with these mittens after almost 4 months of winter running:

• lightweight - normally you wouldn't factor weight into consideration for a mitten, especially since that doesn't play into its primary function.  but when you're swinging your arms back and forth over 15-20kms i don't want to have anything particularly bulky or heavy at the end of those pendulums.  the run mitt is practically not noticeable when put on.
• reflective accents - as a pre-dawn/low-light runner, every little bit helps.  the stripe and reflective wordmark on the back of the mitt swinging back and forth into view certainly draws attention from shining car headlights.
• fleece nose-wiping surfaces - i wasn't joking about snot management!  my nose starts to run after about the first five metres of winter running, so this was a must-have for me.  the back of the thumb and back of index finger panels are great for making sure that the face stays mucus-free.
• extended cuff - on some of the reeeaaalllly cold days it was reassuring to know that i could go out on my runs with next-to-no skin exposure, and certainly not when it came to my wrists.  the cuffs either tuck under my jacket arms or bunch up in a way that still ensures protection and capturing of warmth.
• tundra ready - as a wind and water resistant mitt, on its own this saucony product really did the trick for me for as low as -15°C windchill temperatures.  anything colder than that and i would simply complement the run mitt with a thin pair of cotton mitts underneath (the size that i selected would easily accommodate a second set of mitts without being too sloppy when worn on their own), and this saw me through several runs at -40°C windchill or colder.
• durability - besides surviving regular trips through the washer and dryer (did i mention their ability to absorb sinus sludge?), i wore these mitts on a snowshoe adventure race where they had to endure several encounters with thick brambles.  aside from a small tear (which was easily repaired thanks to my nifty darning skills) they took a licking and kept on ... well, keeping on.

here's a quickie video review of the saucony run mitt, complete with nasal DNA:

if you are stubborn enough to avoid the treadmill (and ignore everyone's advice) and run outside through the harshest of winter conditions, i will happily endorse the saucony run mitt as a worthwhile investment!

gear review - saucony run mitt

race report - 2014 mississauga marathon

two words really sum up the key variables that affected the experience and outcome of this year's mississauga marathon for me.

pacer.

wind.

pre-race
i was genuinely excited to visit the expo this year - in previous years it was a pretty utilitarian visit, getting my kit and a few gels (at the normal 'expo special pricing') in record time and heading back home.  the expo is straightforward enough but nothing at which to particularly linger around.

what was different this year was the Skechers sponsor booth.  i was eager to meet some of my contacts with whom i gotten acquainted vis-à-vis the Skechers Performance Division brand ambassador program.  it was well worth the visit - Skechers had two exhibitor locations - one just past the t-shirt pick-up table and one at the end of the first exhibitor row.  both were high-visibility high-traffic locations, so they were really featured in a way like no other sponsor at the expo.  i was able to meet several Skechers staffers, plus the national manager for Skechers Canada - who when introduced to me by the marketing manager said "oh, you're that patrick?" and then proceeded to show me that he had the rendezvoo point blogpost why not skechers ...? bookmarked on his phone.  how cool is that?

photo from Skechers Performance Canada

apart from the meet-and-greet with Team Skechers, i didn't pick up my usual complement of gels as the next day i would be stopping by our local Running Free store to pick up my team kit gear which had arrived, so i figured that i would also take advantage of my team member discount to get the gels there.  instead i spun the Subway Commit To Fit wheel and had to run 30s on the spot for a prize - and took home a cool Subway water bottle.

race day

with a usual 4:00 am rise-and-shine alarm i started off my day with a peanut butter/honey/chia bagel, a bowl of quinoa-oatmeal and some gatorade-beet juice mix.  apart from the juice combo, i'd never tried this kind of breakfast before (note to kids and first-time marathoners:  don't do this).

i arrived at the start line area about an hour before the gun would go off, providing me ample time to suit up, grab a couple of selfies, get in and out of the porta-potty as well as squeeze in a warm-up jog.

putting the GOMeb Speed 2 to work again!

it didn't take long to realize that the wind would play a factor on this day ... with reported gusts up to 50 km/h it wouldn't matter whether it was coming at us from behind, the side or in front because running on a windy day is always going to require more effort than a non-windy day.

as i proceeded into the starting chute there were three key people that i ran into:

1. stan ong - my pal who was targeting a sub-1:25 HM time, but at that moment was scurrying around looking for another friend who was to meet him with his bib for the day!
2. cris from Skechers Performance Division (Canada) - he was there photodocumenting the event for Skechers, who was a first-time sponsor of the Mississauga Marathon.  he also snapped a quick pic of me in my newly acquired (yep, never wore this shirt for any run before - again, don't try this at home) Skechers technical tee.
   
   
3. peter, the 3:20 pace rabbit - the strategy which i'd clearly laid out in my mind since the hamilton marathon last november was to run with the 3:15 pacer until about 35k, and then race through the finish.  in the chute i looked for that pacer, but could only find a 3:20 pacer whom i'd recognized as peter - a guy who paced for 3:15 the last couple of years at the same race.  when i asked him whether or not there would be a 3:15 pacer this year he said no, and essentially i took away that he thought that it would be better for him to pace a 3:20 race.  this of course bunged up my plans to not only follow a pacer but also to take advantage of running with a group.

kms 1-5:  22:34

i wanted to start off conservatively, not expending extra energy weaving through the crowd and getting a rush from passing slower runners.  i'd read that starting out too fast and surging past runners uses up exponentially more glycogen than running at the same paces in the latter stages of the race - so the game plan was to play it nice and easy.

which worked until after km 2 when the 3:20 pacer went flying by me, easily clocking a 4:00 min/km pace.

what was he doing?  was my garmin giving me a misread?  and how would i ever hope to finish in 3:15 if the 3:20 guy was ahead of me?

enter cardinal mistake #1 - i pushed it to try to keep up with him.  i definitely felt the increased effort, and was hoping to God that i wouldn't pay dearly for it after 30k.

kms 6-10:  21:55

at km 8 i once again did something that i've never done before in a race - i made a quick dash into the bushes for some bladder relief.  it didn't actually feel too too urgent a call to nature, but i figured that i needed to slow down anyway and that i would feel better without the pressure at my waist.  

kms 11-15:  21:59

a fairly uneventful block of 5k - i felt like i was in a good rhythm and was running alongside someone from the brampton benders running club.

kms 16-25:  45:07

just after 15k a funny thing happened ... i caught the 3:20 pacer!  i asked peter whether or not he had gone out faster than required and he answered yes, but that now the toughest part of the course was behind us and that they would ease back on the gas at that point.  i didn't check, but i think that if he did have any aspiring 3:20 racers with him they would have been already sucking wind if not left trailing somewhere behind him.

after this i also felt the burn from going out hard, and wanted to cruise for a stretch in the hope of having something still left for a kick at 35k.

kms 26-35:  46:25

toughest stretch - not only because this covered the section where most runners experience 'the wall', but also because the wind was at its most active as we ran out toward the lake and made the u-turn dead into it.  the 29th km was my second slowest at 5:00 min. because there were times that i was leaning forward so much to counteract the wind's effect.  

kms 35-42:  38:21

at the 35k mark i mentally switched gears into racing mode - i pitched the gloves that i'd been wearing (and at the same time inadvertently threw away the boston marathon-coloured rainbow loom bracelet that my daughter had made for me) and started to activate my glutes for a stronger push-off.  three steps into racing mode and my right hamstring started to spasm and threatened to seize up altogether if i didn't put an end to all this nonsense ... so looking at my watch and recognizing that at this point i could cover the remaining distance at 5:00 min/km and still hit the BQ mark i decided to stick with the simple cruising pace that i'd maintained to this point.

discretion is the better part of valour, they say.

as i hit the finishing straight i took off the bandana that i'd been wearing and started whipping it around in the same fashion that tsegaye kebede had done as he approached the finish line in the 2013 NYC marathon.  that guy is so much fun to watch, and reminds me that you can compete at the highest level and still let everyone know that you're having a blast.

as i crossed the timing mats i could see that my gun time was pretty much 3:15:00 bang on, and simply trusted that my chip time provided me with the slightest bit of buffer to come within Boston Qualifying time.

gun time:  3:14:59 / chip time:  3:14:43 / garmin time:  3:14:52 (42.7 km)

post-race
as i didn't have any one travel down to the race with me, the first person to greet and congratulate me when i crossed the finish line was nick from Skechers ... they really are my family, already!

aside from a calf cramp that ambushed me while wandering in the post-event picnic area, i was feeling really quite good after putting out a PB effort - but the chill in the wind was especially noticeable after i'd stopped running, so i headed immediately for the shuttle buses back to the start line parking lots.  

while in transit i wound up chatting with a guy named george who'd finished a few minutes ahead of me - i recognized his shirt because i was drafting off of him for a bit, and found out that while he's run marathons in places like boston, san francisco and even sydney (australia), he's not even what he would consider a runner.  he's a cross-country skier, which just serves as a reminder that when it comes to running endurance events the key to a great performance might just be more the 'endurance' part than the 'running' part. 

all in all, i'm very pleased with my effort to finally attain a BQ time - and while a trip to the boston marathon in 2015 is still by no means a given (the registration process may just weed me out because i cut it so close - 17 sec. under my qualification standard), i know that i've outdone my old self and claimed the title of boston qualifier ... and no one can take that away from me.

many thanks to all those who helped me to reach this milestone in my running career:

• my family, for putting up with loads of running-only laundry and days and nights spent wondering if i'd gotten lost or run over in polar vortex weather
• my former coach, rick ball, for invaluable lessons and insisting that i get a garmin
• stan ong - age grouper extraordinaire, top-rate blogger and huge cheering section
• Skechers Performance Division (Canada) for not only great equipment but also outstanding support!
• the barrie roadrunners for pushing the pace on me during our wednesday night outings
• the MEC barrie running ninjas for helping me to tackle 32+ km days on my scheduled training off-day!
• Team Running Free - it was great to see so many Team RF representatives at the race
• my pal mike st. john - my first running partner and inspiration to go hard no matter what the elements might bring.

next stop is the limberlost challenge on july 12 - my 'A' race and the next new title to adorn ... ultrarunner!

#GOlikeneverbefore!

race report - 2014 mississauga marathon

go pro! ... or as close to the big time as i'll get

about this time last year i first read about the Running Free sponsorship program and inquired about how to become part of the team.  at a number of races i'd seen various runners (of all ages, shapes and sizes - so i knew that this wasn't just an 'elite runner' thing) sporting official Team Running Free gear, and that piqued my interest enough to want to find out more.

as my timing for the 2013 season was off, i was able to re-apply (as directed) last november and was subsequently notified late last week that i had been accepted into their 2014 cohort.

it's one step toward a dream come true.

i'm now a sponsored athlete.

from a certain distance that sounds all prestigious and glamourous.  but know this first:  the perks are basically a free running kit and some store discounts.  no race entries, no appearance fees, nothing crazy like that.  still enough to entice me to want to be part of Team Running Free.

more than that however sponsorship is about being a brand ambassador.  what i do very much appreciate about Running Free is that they endorse people simply getting outside.  they not only want to be active in the community but encourage an active community.  plus they have this really nifty recycle-your-shoes program that benefits countries like haiti and sierra leone through micro credit loans.  

these are all principles and programs that i'm happy to get behind.

the opportunities to promote Running Free are varied, and that's definitely an attractive piece to the program.  as the program offers 'points' for various levels of representation/involvement, sponsored athletes can choose from a variety of options such as:

• wearing the Team Running Free apparel in races
• conducting clinics
• assisting with Running Free booths at specific competitions
• contributing articles to the Team Running Free website
• purchasing merchandise from Running Free
• distributing the member discount coupon for use in Running Free retail locations.

go ahead - print it off and use it!

the bottom line is that i'm eager and excited to be able to give back to the running community in some small way.  i've benefited so much from those who have taken the time to make available the resources, races, equipment, training tips, running groups and other experiences that have enhanced the past few years of my life (and untold years of my future) that it's the very least that i can do.  i do hope that by participating in the Team Running Free program all 200 some-odd of us can help build on the running/health & fitness momentum in ontario and beyond.

if you're at all intrigued by this program, i encourage you to apply for the 2015 sponsorship program next fall - mark it on your calendars (like i did!) and check back here:  http://www.teamrunningfree.com/apply/

go pro! ... or as close to the big time as i'll get

road review: nike shox turbo oz

i bet that emil zatopek never tried to run in high heels.

given my love for second-hand shopping, and the fact that i believe only one or two pairs of shoes currently part of my training rotation are winter-worthy (remember, i'll be facing 10-20cm of snow quite regularly and -15°C to -25°C over the next few months), i found a pair of nike shox turbo oz at the local goodwill store on 50% off footwear day.

(left side, top to bottom:  adidas trainers of some sort, skora phase, skechers gorun 2, inov-8 bare-x 180

right side, top to bottom:  asics gel galaxy 4, merrell road glove, new balance 1400v2)

while feeling like a bit of a traitor to the cause of minimalist runners everywhere, i decided to add these shoes to my repertoire.  as a bit of a spoiler, i've run once in the nike shox and decided to retire them to my local running free shoe re-use program drop-off box.  i recognize that this may feel like pronouncing a premature judgment on these shoes (after only about 10k) but allow me to still flesh out the pros and cons leading to this short and torrid relationship.

• fit - having previously worked several years with nike, i've almost always had to go to a size 10.5 for a proper fit.  these shox turbo oz were a size 10, and to my surprise they fit fantastically, both in terms of length and toebox width.  it may have been that their previous owner(s) had stretched the synthetic leather out a bit, but it didn't appear as if there were significant stress marks on them.
• upper construction - it appears that they have a fairly resilient synthetic leather upper that while not being weatherproof will provide a better-than-average barrier against the cold and snow/slush.  they also have enough protection to not get immediately beat-up by the copious amounts of road salt that the city lays down around here.
• outsole design and traction - the semi-knobby look of the forefoot (reading:  landing) pad on the shox turbo oz leads me to believe that they would provide sufficient grip on the wintery roads.



• weight - ok, here's where things start to go south.  these bad boys tip the kitchen scale at a whopping 13 oz.  by comparison my next heaviest pair of shoes (the asics gel galaxy 4) are a mere 11 oz.  add to that the collection of snow/slush/ice that can sneak into the shox plate area, and now i'm definitely giving zatopek a run for his money.
• heel-to-toe drop - you probably don't have guess very hard at where i'm going with this comment.  dominic grossman at irunfar.com says in a passing comment that the nike shox turbo exceeds a drop differential of 15mm.  jinkies!  this totally made for an almost debilitating experience for me - with every forefoot strike it felt like my foot was prevented from actually dynamically compressing the way that it should on impact because of the ramp effect.  it could have been that as more forefoot was landing and sinking somewhat into the snow that the heel/shox plate was not depressing into the snow to an equal extent, exaggerating the degree of incline.  afterwards my calves were killing in a way that they hadn't since i first transitioned to forefoot striking ... honestly, it was like running in a combination of high-heeled platforms and jump-training shoes.
  
  
  
• shox technology - even when i deliberately tried landing on my heel to alleviate some of the excess (and static) pressure on my forefoot, the shox absorption unit provided me with the sensation that it was encouraging/forcing my feet to pronate excessively.  it was a nasty feeling.

all told, i have to chalk this up as being perhaps the worst $6.00 that i've spent on running gear.  i have no problem mixing up the styles of my running shoes, but this turned out to be just a bit too extreme.  as much as i still feel some allegiances to my former employer, i have to give these shoes a measly two footprints out of five.

road review: nike shox turbo oz

runners can change the world

i will likely never chain myself to a tree to stop a forest being cut down.

but that doesn't mean i'm not vitally concerned with how we're treating our planet.

around my house, i'm the nag who's on everyone's case about leaving the lights turned on in rooms where there's nobody.  i scour packaging of all shapes, sizes and materials to make sure that they shouldn't go into the recycling bin before they're dumped in the trash.  i'm willing to risk foul odours and the occasional maggot in order to collect compostables in our 'green bin'.

with that kind of MO, it's only natural for me to wonder how as runners we can contribute to a brighter ecological future.  

aside from the "well, you can use your feet to take you places instead of your car" suggestion (which is an entirely valid one, by the way), i often wonder about the waste that we produce in purchasing and using so much gear.  maybe that's one reason why at least 70% of all my running equipment (apparel, shoes, even timepieces) have been purchased from second-hand stores.  there's enough good stuff that people give away that i'm prompted regularly to ask do we really need to give the merchandising industry any more reason to keep the production lines running overtime?

but given that i myself am a creature addicted to novelty, one of the other ways in which i compensate for my own consumerism is to pay close attention to recyclability:

• i've always wanted to own a pair of the brooks green silence (in the original hansons-brooks colourway) because of all of the intentional effort invested to make it an environmentally friendly product ... i still hold out hope!
• numerous pairs of shoes that have been retired from my collection have found their way over to the local Running Free store where they have a receptacle for good condition shoes that can be re-distributed to local and global populations in need
• i just read about Soles4Souls, whose express purpose is "to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty" - i can totally get behind that.

as my friend lewis has often challenged himself (and me in the process), the question to ask while running is how am i saving lives by doing this?

i hope to always have a good answer to that question.

runners can change the world