Newton Stability Racer Trialing Run

The premise of barefoot running being the most efficient form of running is the basis for Newton Running's line of shoes. Incidentally we also tend to run the fastest when we land on our forefoot and toes (observe the next time you're out on your run). Remember the time when you're kicking like crazy towards the finishing line? Newton Running also believe that by landing in the sweet spot - that's the area in the metatarsal region - you also minimize injuries as you cut seconds and minutes off your PRs. Proponents of Pose and Chi Running would agree to that. You can check out the visuals on the optimal running form. The upper of the Stability Racer are like any other performance shoes but what I like was the minimal overlays and sock like feel. Everyone in the trailing group agreed that the fit is superb. They were in various stability and neutral models, while I was the sole (pun intended) runner in the racer. But flip the shoe around and you'll see the key difference - the beefed up forefoot with the red actuator lugs. These lugs are part of Newton’s Action/Reaction Technology. When executing the recommended landing form, the Land-Lever-Lift, the ART is supposed to return energy to your strides. But since the majority of the runners land on their heel rolling forward, changing and adapting to this new concept takes some practice.


In Newton Running's website, to adapt to the Action/Reaction Technology, start with short, slow runs (about a mile or so) a couple times a week for the first two weeks. Focus on good form and gradually increase your time and distance as your body feels ready. As with any sport, too much too fast can cause injury. That's a big disclaimer and in fact a few friends I know who are already forefoot runners also commented that they needed 2 weeks or more to adapt. For heel strikers, I'd put that period longer, to perhaps a month.


I'll share a bit of my experience culled from my short run in the racers last week. As mentioned, the fit was first class, very comfortable. At about 8.8oz for the size 9, the shoes gave me a light and fast feel. The forefoot lugs made for a slightly awkward feel, like wearing a pair of cycling cleats. Your forefoot are slightly raised, think reverse wedge of the typical running shoes. But when you start running, you'll automatically transit to a forefoot form. The running experience felt lighter but since I'm not fit presently, my form deteriorated after the 5K mark of the hilly route. It's noteworthy to point out that once you started running, the unusual mid/outsole configuration didn't feel as awkward. The stability racers have medial posts that extend from the arch area to underneath the metatarsal heads to combat early and late-stage pronation. After periodization in the shoes, I believe doing 15K in them shouldn't be an issue. During the periodization, soreness in the calves and lower legs will be the norm as your muscles re-learn the moves. And since this is a niche product, existing forefoot runners and runners intending to transit to the forefoot running form should be able to benefit from the Newtons. The Newtons come in an eco-friendly packaging as you can see form the picture above. If you're interested, you can check with Choi of CCube Sports Hub or contact him at 019-3289083.

Nike LunarGlide+ Trialing Run

I was among the approximately 50 privileged people who were invited by Nike Sales Malaysia to the launch of Nike's latest running shoe in the Lunar lineage - the LunarGlide+, the earlier 2 models being the LunaRacer and Lunar Trainer. As the name suggests, this iteration supports the use of Nike+ gear be it the Sensor with the iPod or Sensor with the Sportband. Among the invitees were models and celebs, triathletes, national athletes, bloggers, serious runners and members of the media. It was great catching up with many of the familiar faces again, including Richard (TimeOut), Niki (Bangsar Boy), Pueh Tian and Frank - all of whom were part of the party down in the Singapore leg of the Human Race. Other running friends - too many to list out - were also there. With the number of active people, the goodies which Nike laid out for us and the M&Ms, bananas, marshmallows and drinks, suffice to say that the energy levels in the Bowerman Room were pretty high.

Chien Yi and Wong Li-Zren (Nike's EKIN) were among those whom I met when I walked into the room and after registration and collecting my press kit and gears, I settled down in the role of a photographer. Afterall, I was trying to build up my experience of shooting with the flash. Back to the shoe.

The most obvious difference you'll notice when you pick up the LunarGlide+ is the increased weight. At 10.6oz for the men's US9, that would be like a brick compared to the sub-6oz of the flyweight racer and the 9oz of the trainer. The reason is obvious. The Glides are meant to cater to a wider spectrum of runners from beginners to the advanced. As a result it also sport a more plush build as well as having durability properties incorporated into its design. Flip the shoe over and you'll see the use of BRS1000 as the heel plug. You'll also see the that the outsole features cut-aways to reduce the weight. Though I don't think it contributed much, the grooves certainly will contribute to greater flexibility. The cutaways reveal the yellow LunarLite foam, which actually sits within the external midsole carrier.

The outsole appears unconventional, a mixture of mini waffle-like patterns. The upper has the usual Nike tech built in such as the Flywire support system and mesh fabrics for breathability. Other than the bold black and orange look, the shoe has minimal overlays, which I favour, regardless of brands and make. Runners who know their shoes would know that Nike incorporate several gender specific models on top of the generic product lineup. You can see the differences between the men and women Vomeros, Pegasus and Structure Triax - all part of the Bowerman Series - but the Glides have much more women specific features to differentiate from the mens. The women's model is lighter as 8.6oz since they averagely weigh lesser than men. Since women's forefoot are broader than men's the Women's Glides have Dynamic Fit Technology built into the medial side of their shoes. Women will also benefit from the Arch Strap (cosmetically similar to Saucony's Arch Lock, but less rigid). The heel counter of the women's model is a 2-part and softer design as opposed to the single cupped approach of the men's model.

The Arch Strap on the women's model

Both the men's and women's LunarGlides are much more padded than their predecessors, the Racer and Trainer. In fact the 3 are different shoes altogether. Perhaps the most important feature to me as part of making the shoe more appealing to the masses would be the Dynamic Support. The Dynamic Support system in the Nike LunarGlide+ midsole is comprised of the aforementioned LunarLite foam core that sits within a firmer foam carriage. The LunarLite foam core is cut to fit into the carriage at an angle creating a deeper cushioned lateral side. The medial side of the Nike LunarGlide+ mid-sole features a rear-foot wedge that has been contoured into the firmer foam carriage which provides stability on an as-needed basis. What this means to the distance runner is that the shoes will provide stability support in the later part of the run when you fatigued. When a runner is tired, it's an established fact that his gait and form can turn pretty inefficient and downright clumsy even. The angled wedge of the shoe's support system will kick in to provide the benefit of added support. See picture below.

This picture of the left shoe shows clearly the higher wedged of the medial foam.

Seamless inner construction will make sockless running a possibility

When I slipped into the shoe, I wasn't impressed with the flat and very firm forefoot. But the thick padding on the shoe's collar and the use of seamless contruction inside the shoe certainly upped the comfort level. Added to the roomier toebox, the fit was much better than that of the Trainer. Nike have obviously took into account the feedback provided by runners. After the briefing by Nike's Marketing Manager, Menaha, and the technical walkthrough by Wong, several personalities came up to talk about their experiences - just to get everyone in the mood for the impending run.

The light drizzle failed to cause much concerns and after taking the group through a short stretching session we were off. The plan was to run 5K but a misdirection saw us doing only close to 2.7K. Throughout the route, I made sure that I ran over different surfaces and the Glides maintained a firm hold on all the wet surfaces. The thing about this shoe is that it will feel bouncy and comfortable when you run in them but very firm when just casually worn. The larger toebox and the padded collar rendered the old problems afflicting the Racer and Trainer obsolete. No noticeable heat buildup in the shoe and it's one that I'll be quite at home up to 21K. Of course this theory will have to be tested during the long runs.

Now which of the Lunars do I like the most? Let's just say that the Racer is still my shoe of choice for key races while the Glides have overtaken the Trainer in terms of a training shoe role. Personally with Injinji socks I've very little problems with blisters when wearing the Racer. In closing I'd like to thank Nike Sales Malaysia and Wong for hosting us - with the latest gear, good food and good company.

Note to Nike: Any plans of including the Lunar Series into the Bowerman line?

Nike LunaRacer+ and Trainer+ Launch

Despite a hectic schedule, nothing was going to stop me from attending the Nike Lunar Trainer and Racer briefing at the Nike Sales office. To me at least, these duo act are even more revolutionary than the Zoom Victory, which is already quite a happening shoe. Therefore please indulge me if this seems like an extended writeup here. I entered the briefing somewhat informed as I've been tracking various running forums on user feedback. The shoes have been launched on limited distribution in the United States. I’m incidentally reading Geoff Hollister’s book Out of Nowhere: The Inside Story of How Nike Marketed the Culture of Running and I’ve to say that what Nike is doing right now certainly epitomizes the traditions and the visions of Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman.



My lunch that day consisted only of a slice of pizza and a bun at 3pm. I was still mildly hungry when I was walking with Loke and Geraldine to the Nike office but daren't eat anything more in anticipation of the 5K run following the briefing. We were greeted by Alison Lee, Nike Sales Malaysia’s Marketing Communication Manager soon after we stepped into the cool waiting area. Incidentally the décor was all about the upcoming Beijing Olympics. A section of the floor was even painted to look like a running track.

Read the rest of the report here.

Shoe Review: Nike Zoom Victory+

The first reaction when I put on the black and white pair of Zoom Victory was “Whoa!” Then I asked Wong, "Are you sure this weighs 10 ounces?" I'd laced it up after returning to the car park following a 19K Saturday morning run and was eager to try on the hot looking shoes. It certainly felt lighter than 10 oz and several Internet searches later on the online shoe retailers site such as Holabird to RoadRunnerSports had the weight pegged from 9.3 to 10 oz. Personally it felt like 8 oz.

The next feeling that ran through my mind was the low profile ride. It's almost like your soles are in direct contact with the ground. This immediately gives the shoes a go-fast feel. The next impression I had was that the shoe very nearly completely moulds itself to your feet. The strategically positioned strands of Flywire cinch the uppers together and wraps the entire shoe around your foot. Every part of its construction is aimed at giving you what the designers call “The Naked Ride”. They want you to forget the shoe and concentrate on the task at hand – running fast. 

For the rest of the review please hit this link. 

Gear Review: Nike+ SportBand

Confession: I'm having an affair. But don't tear your hair out! The fling - a second one at that - is with the Nike+ training tool. My first exposure to it was the Nike+ iPod combo [read the review here] where your iPod nano work together with the shoe sensor to provide you feedback while you workout. Key information like distance and pace are read (by customizable male or female voice) to you during your run accompanied by pumping tunes. Together, this virtual coach provide a mean motivational. Runners who run to music but aren't iPod users were left high and dry, nevertheless. To make sure that these non-iPod users are not alienated, Nike Sales Malaysia will be bringing in the Nike+ SportBand very soon. So fitness enthusiasts who don't want to purchase the iPod will soon be able to hop on the Nike+ platform.

Enter the SportBand
Thanks to Nike Sales Malaysia, I laid my hands on the hip looking SportBand in June. The packaging is compact. In the sturdy plastic case are the SportBand, a sensor and a pictorial and sparse user guide. It's very easy to set up, thus doing away with the need for a voluminous manual. Non-geeks will not complain on the usability.

Download and read the full review here.

Shoe Review: Nike Zoom Elite 3

My only experience with the Elite was the previous Elite 1 and 2, both of which were not only lighter that the 3 but featured less forefoot cushioning. The first and second versions, while widely liked, had durability issues.

To solve it, Nike increased the outsole thickness and as a result the weight went up by half and ounce. Naturally you can’t please everyone but the opinions are quite evenly distributed in the online forums. There were many who panned the increased weight of the shoe, but many liked the upgrade too. The Elite 3 were worn in training by Nike elites like Dathan Ritzenhein and Adam Goucher.

Having retired 2 pairs of Pegasus 2005, I was on the lookout for a lighter pair of go-fast training shoes that will double up as my marathon racing shoes. Choices were limited if you’re in the market for a lightweight yet stable (with a small medial post) shoe that’s cushioned enough for the longer distances. I found the asics DS Trainer too firm and flat for the marathon while I didn’t quite adapt to my Brooks Axiom 2. I found the Elite 3 on a big discount and since then it has become my favorite racing shoe for longer distances of 30K and above.

To read the rest of the review, hit this link.

Initial Take On The Progrid Guide

Choi finally delivered the Progrid Guide (the 5th edition in the Trigon series) yesterday morning. This mild-stability model feels slightly lighter than the 2120 and in fact in terms of build, the Guide appears to meld the 2120 with the Pegasus.


A friend complained previously of the old Trigon 3's smell out of the box and even after many miles in them but thankfully this pair smell somewhat like Bata! Which isn't too bad actually - brings me back to the school days. Slipped in my feet and the immediate feeling is that the arch area is well supported. The forefoot is roomy and walking around the office's thinly rugged floor felt very comfortable. Instead of the pillowy cushioning of the Vomero, it was more of the responsive and bouncy type similar to the Zoom Elite. I'm not sure if this was due to the Progrid but it certainly is more comfortable than the traditional Grid. Great! This is what I need.



I took it for a 7.8K run later and like the feel a lot. The bounce was there and it certainly is responsive enough to handle faster workouts. The laces are rather long and they flapped about a little. I'd have to triple knot them or tuck them under the laces on top of the tongue. The arch and medial area felt supported and the ride very smooth. With my iPod on, my run yesterday was the longest weekday run I had in a long while. Thoroughly enjoyable.



After the run I examined the 11.7oz shoe a bit. I took out the insole and saw that there's a layer of foam under it. This seems to be standard in midrange shoes these days. The forefoot is made of soft blown rubber that's as squishy as Nike's Duralon, while there are many flex grooves to make the ride flexible and smooth. The medial post is firm and placed more forward straddling the arch area equally. This placement will counter late stage pronation and is ideal for me as I don't need that much support.



Until I take them out longer I don't know about its ventilation properties, long run support and cushioning, and durability.



This shoe have seen changes since the last model. It felt more supportive and moulded to my feet. It's also definitely lighter. I think it can still be improved in that the ankle collar can be made thinner using memory foam. The heel area outsole can also be a tad thicker.



This pair will certainly be my main long run shoe for the NYC Marathon. I will only use the Vomero for 15Ks and below.

asics Kayano 12 Review

Finally, after over 500K of road test, here's my review of the Kayano 12. Click here to read my take on this shoe that's steeped in tradition.

I'm A Posting Beast..Today

After 2 years of service, the Triax 100 (pictured below) was finally lost. I don't know where it's gone - probably dropped out of the pocket of my backpack. Since taking ownership of my Garmin 205, I've relegated the poor watch to "wear to work, wear to sleep, wear to anywhere" service. The 205 is a Rolls compared to the what the Triax can do. The sad thing is that I will not miss it. After just 6 months of purchase, the PU material around the bezel started to peel. I pre-empted further peeling by tearing the whole darn thing off and super-glueing the hinges and joints. Another down side is the mineral glass face while scratch proof is to reflective, making it hard to read the display. Read my first impression report here. If you like to get the Triax, Isetan is selling them from RM149 onwards.

 

In Die Hard 4.0, the villain said to John McClaine that he's as outdated as a "Timex in the digital age". Granted there are the Garmins, Polars and Suuntos out there but I've always favoured Timex as an everyday watch (I wear a chrono to work! Save the dress watches for functions!), not only because they're are light, possessing a user interface that's intuitive and logical. My Timex Sleek 50 is still working sans its Indiglo nightlight and straps (gave up replacing it after twice breaking off). It remains one of the best chronos I've ever worn. So despite the fantastic clearance by Isetan KLCC on the Triax, I still settled for the Timex, this time around the RM200 30-lap Ironman. It has nearly all the Sleek's features and tactile buttons - only difference being the 30-lap memory compared to the 50 of the Sleek.

adidas Supernova Cushion 6 Review

Here's the long overdue review. I thought I'd better complete the report before the shoe reaches its expiry.

Click here to go to the Shoe Review page.

A Discovery & A Concealed Relationship

After clearing some work at the office last Saturday, my wife, C1 and I popped by to the newly opened mall, The Pavillion. While it's large - I figured larger than the equally upmarket Starhill Gallery located just a stone's throw away, it's definitely smaller than the 1U behemoth and the madness that's MidValley City. It was only to kill some time before picking up my brother at the bus terminal that I agreed to go there, not being a fan of the Bukit Bintang area on Saturdays or any other days. One has to be careful of the parking rates at these spots so I made a few calls to find out and as it turned out some colleagues who were there before informed us that for the 2 hours they were there, they were charged RM7. I figured since it will only be about 1.5 hours, the fee would be something we can tolerate, if barely.



So off we went. Parking spots were quite easily found. Plenty of traffic attendants, although seemingly clueless one, at every corner in the basement car park. The car park was well lit and didn't have the cramped feeling. Through sheer luck, we found a spot just next to the entrance. The lower ground floor was really happening. This floor is where the crowd is. Not surprising, since the eateries are all there. Most are on the expensive side and I was on the verge of giving up finding a reasonable place to eat until I found Pastamania! If you've followed my Singapore adventures the last few years, you'd know that this Pizza and Pasta chain is my favourite - food is OK, not spectacular but the price is very reasonable. I found their business concept very appealing and wondered at that time if it was possible to bring the franchise to Malaysia. Now they're here but nope, I'm not holding the local franchise, which was too bad. I'd have like to operate a running shop and a pasta shop - wouldn't that be great for a distance runner?



As I've mentioned Pastamania offers value for money meals with a personal thin-crust pizza from RM9.90 and a pasta (you can choose from 4 different types of pasta) from RM6.90. If you want drinks, soup and garlic bread, select from a set. The drinks come in slightly larger paper cups than the usual, so it's quite enough to share unless you're a soft drink guzzler. If you're there, remember to pick up the pocket menu, which will help you decide earlier on your next visit less you hold up the queue while thinking what to order from its extensive menu.



After that we popped by Tang's (although I wouldn't buy anything - correction "can't afford to buy anything there") and then Parkson where I bought 2 boxes of briefs. Now these are no ordinary Byfords. These are microfiber, butt-cheek holding Renomas. In my humble opinion, Renoma makes one of the best briefs and with these 2 boxes (2 in a box), the number of Renomas in my wardrobe is now 8. They're certainly better than the typical cotton ones or even the East India ones that I have. The reason for my enthusiasm for something that you won't see me with is because of the microfiber that they're made of. Coupled with runner-friendly designs, they're really comfortable. Runners typically have fantastic heinies (I kid you not. By the way, run more and see those toned and well-formed butts) that need form fitting underwear to support. We also need materials that won't chafe and will be breathable over the distances we covered. The last thing we need are soggy cotton ones. Check out the image below - I scanned the box here to show you the design. See the front and back? That isn't my butt and crotch of course, but that's not the point, but the grey areas on the brief are actually made of mesh. Not those big open-mesh that you find on your running shoes but the pin-holed type. So you don't have to worry about allowing too much draft in. In the front-center area where your, well, jewels are, is another thin piece of cloth underneath the mesh. I wore it for a test run yesterday and I didn't notice it at all, which is a good thing. If you start noticing your underwear, they're either too tight and are limiting the chances of (ouch!) or too loose. Or worse, they could be chafing you up.



Remember, in this part of the world, we don't find briefs and underwear made specially for running such as the ones by NB, UnderArmor or even asics, so finding something like Renoma is something like a heaven-sent. If you're interested, a box of 2 sells for RM27.90 but Parkson is offering a 10% discount right
now.

Further Take On The Forster Tri

I reviewed the Forsters earlier but I'd like to add further comments after wearing them for a few 10K races and faster training runs. I've since logged over 50K in them and I've nothing but praises for this shoe. The shoe didn't lose its stable properties at any time and provided excellent cushioning, heel and forefoot, regardless of the manner I land - heel, midfoot or forefoot. The wear and tear are minimal but I'm still limiting it for special races to preserve its lifespan. The recently acquired Brooks Axiom 2 which I will review in a few weeks' time will stand-in for faster paced training runs.

It's too bad that the Forsters are already discontinued - replaced by the Noosa Tri - but my good experience will only encourage me to explore the other performance trainers that asics has such as the DS Trainers.

The 205

I was a little late getting to the park this evening. Was supposed to have left at 5:20pm but somehow by the time I was changed, it was close to 6pm. I fired up the 205 anxiously as I walked to the usual starting point next to the mosque. Within a minute, the 205 acquired a total of 8 satellites and I was ready to go. Hold on!

Before that, a last minute check on the settings. I've set the autolapping by every K, adopted the 4 panel display, set the pace alerts. Everything was in order and off I went. It was an easy pace and I greeted Rohaizad just after the bridge. The first lap was spent scrutinizing the display just to check on the functions. Amongst those were the satellite signal strength (which was good), the return to start (amazing directional assistance especially in unfamiliar routes), toggling the 2 pages of display, verifying the lap distance (accurate to 0.02m!) etc... I almost forgot that I was running.

Then I just got back to focusing on enjoying my run for the 2nd lap. The autolapping function was excellent without me having to press the lap button. All in all, it was a great run although it was cut short by a sudden thunderstorm. Rohaizad and I sought shelter and chatted a bit. I could've gone 10K today if not for the weather. Hopefully it'll be better tomorrow. Below is the map overlay of my run at the KLCC Park.

Below is the SportsTracks screen cap. I think SportsTracks is one of the best GPS logger out there.

Saturday Ritual

In what's fast becoming a Saturday morning ritual when I'm not strapped to a marathon training program, Geraldine, Kenneth and I took on the Double Hill route this morning. While it was Geraldine's first return to the dreaded route in half a year, this was Kenneth and my 2nd run there in 4 Saturdays (I think). We attacked the hills with some vigour and was rewarded with a great workout. I believe the Double Hill route offers as good a workout as the Hartamas route, if ran at a steady to progressive paced effort.

Indeed many good hill runners in the Pacesetters club honed their strengths by making Double Hill their weekly training ground. As we all know incorporating hill training into a training program improves running economy besides the obvious improvements to strength. Mastering hill running will provide unparallel advantage as you'll be maintaining your effort going up when others are struggling. Blended into your racing strategy, hills can also be the times when you put in surges to drop your competitors.

I looked forward to this morning's run for another reason - the chance to test out the Brooks Nightlife long running tights. Recently purchased at a good discount, I wanted to experience the benefits of wearing compression tights. Of secondary interest would be on the thermal properties of the tights. Compression gear has a loyal following among a small group of athletes out there. The concept of compression gear is simple - provide support to the working muscles, making them less susceptible to fatigue. Strategically placed compression spots can sequentially target muscles much like a massage. This increases blood flow to the muscles while ridding the accummulated lactacte. This is the philosophy behind asics' Biomorphic Compression. Nike too have their own Nike Pro line (read review here). Under Armour also is a popular choice while CW-X's Conditioning Web technology (sexy gear, view the video in the website) are some pretty hitech stuff. Since these brands (except Nike's) are non-existent here, I settled for Brooks'. And I'm glad to say they're not shabby at all.

Incidentally the tights I bought complement the shirt which Ronnie bought for me for a mere RM15 at a warehouse sale. The Nightlife series are designed for early morning/night runs and incorporate many reflective detailing. I don't have to say that putting on and taking off a pair of tights require slightly more time than the conventional shorts. But I immediately felt comfortable in them and with the exception of the knee support, didn't notice that I was wearing them at all. Both the top and tights were light with the tights offering a little warmth to the legs. This is certainly an ideal gear to wear to a race where the temps are below 15C. And get this: I DIDN'T FEEL ANY MUSCLE FATIGUE following my workout. I'm a convert to tights! This doesn't mean that I will discard my airy shorts. I'm saying that tights has its place in a runner's wardrobe. And guys, you shouldn't be too self-conscious about wearing one. In fact with our tight rears, we should be proud to wear it :)

Check out Brooks tights at their boutique in The Curve or Berjaya Star City. They stock some good stuff there - gear and accessories that you can't find anywhere else in this country such as compression tights, Waterboy tumblers, blinkers and more.