Thursday, 05/03/12 Update and New Shoes

Have been getting in some great runs as of late on Green, Bear and SoBo, a few baby jogger runs and some biking here and there.  I have also had some great company, in the form of Dave, Brandon, Aron and have bumped into a few other acquaintances on the trail which is always fun.  Fitness is coming along and I am close to about a minute off my Green PR and I feel like I am about where I need to be at this point in the season.

I even had a rare and elusive GZ sighting on Green last Friday (flipping me the double bird no less) and about jumped out of my shoes in shock.

Shoe testing has been quiet for the past few months.  Just as I thought I was running out of shoes and might have to run barefoot, the new round of test shoes have recently started to pour in.

I got these Nike Free 4.0 V2 s back in January (along with the 3 below).  I have to say, these shoes are about as comfortable as any shoes I have ever put on my feet.  I wear the 4.0 every day, as they are like wearing slippers and are super easy to get on/off, are light and have a unstructured heel cup that does not press on my Achilles all day long.  My only complaint is that the nifty out sole collects rocks, wood chips, etc....

Nike Free Run 3, a bit more cushion and structure than the above 4.0.

Brooks Glycerin 10, somewhat heavy neutral road trainer (11+ oz. I think?), but I really like them.  Super great cushioning, great fit, enough traction/cushion/protection that they are great off road and they really look cool.

Nike Lunarglide 4.  Feels pretty light and has a lot of cushioning, super comfortable.  Only gripe is that the heel cup is a bit overbuilt and the heel feels kind of higher than normal.

Newton Distancia,  ~7.8 oz. neutral trainer.  I had a pair of Newtons a year and a half ago, but traded them off to Justin, as I was at the height of my Achilles pain and they really aggravated it on .5 dog jog.  Now that I feel good, I am eager to give them a second chance.

Puma Faas 900.  Have not run in these yet either, but just wearing them around the neighborhood, they feel amazing, perhaps runner up to the Hoka Bondi B for cushioning, majorly stable too.  When I wear Pumas though, I just cant help but to think back to the break dancing days of the 80's and the fat laces ;).