Peter Larson's Runblogger Posts

Amby Burfoot on Energy Return in Running and the adidas Boost Midsole

A bit over a week ago adidas introduced their new Boost midsole technology. Based on mechanical testing, Boost is touted as providing the best energy return of any cushioning material currently incorporated into a running shoe. This finding was confirmed by Runner’s World Magazine, who put the shoe to the test in their shoe lab […]

What Fatigue Looks Like

I’m teaching Exercise Physiology this semester, and my lecture topic on Thursday is fatigue. As I always do, I start the lecture with a video that demonstrates extreme fatigue pretty vividly, thought I’d also share it here!

New Balance MT110WR Winter Running Shoe Review

The New Balance MT110 is a trail shoe that held  lot of initial promise for me, but was done in by a sole that was overly built up under the lateral forefoot. This caused my feet to tilt inward simply standing in the shoes, and led to a bout of posterior tibial tendonitis after a […]

Brooks PureDrift Running Shoe Review

I’ll start this review by saying that I am loving the Brooks PureDrift, but with a big caveat. That caveat is that I didn’t love the shoe out of the box, and I needed to make a modification for the shoe to work for me. So let’s start with my problem. The Brooks PureDrift is […]

My Problem With the adidas Boost Marketing Approach

Time for a bit of a rant, hold on tight. My Wednesday mornings are typically reserved for Daddy-dates with my 2-year-old son. Sometimes we hang out and play trucks, sometimes we go out on an adventure. Today we decided to hit what he likes to call “the gym” (it’s a gymnastics training center that doubles […]

adidas Officially Announces Their Energy Boost Shoes

adidas Energy Boost Collage via Runners.fr A few weeks ago I wrote a post about adidas’ new midsole technology that is being referred to as Boost. They formally introduced the Boost sole material in NYC today, and video of the event was streamed live. I just finished watching the video and a few things struck […]

Teach Every Child About Food: Jamie Oliver TED Prize Talk

One of the projects I’m about to get involved in is to help the PTO at my kids’ school organize their second annual 1-mile fun run. I ran the “race” last year with my children, and we all had a blast. I got to watch my oldest son blaze the first half in the lead, […]

Mizuno Wave Evo Ferus Preview via Running Warehouse

Running Warehouse just posted a preview of the Mizuno Wave Evo Ferus trail shoe – they report that the Ferus “…features all of the characteristics of the Evo line: a zero drop platform with midfoot Wave technology, low toe spring, and a wide forefoot for toe splay.” Feel is supposedly similar to the Evo Levitas […]

Dirty Runner: Brooks Pure Grit 2 Review

Yes, the traction is better! End of review. Ok, all kidding aside, I’ve been looking forward to testing the new version of the Brooks Pure Grit since I saw pictures of the new tread pattern.  What was not immediately apparent when I first saw those pictures was that a few other changes were made that […]

Shoe Preview Videos: Saucony Kinvara 4 and TR 2, Merrell Ascend Glove, New Balance 1010v2, and Pearl Izumi EM Road N1

The folks at RunningShoes.com just posted a bunch of videos from the 2013 Winter Outdoor Retailer show. Among them are previews of the Saucony Kinvara 4 and TR 2 (trail Kinvara), Merrell Ascend Glove, New Balance 1010v2, and Pearl Izumi EM Road N1. Of these, I had the chance to see both Saucony updates in […]

Puma Mobium: A Running Shoe That Expands Underfoot

A Facebook friend (thanks Joel!) just sent me a link to a really well-designed website for a new shoe that was just released by Puma. The shoe is called the Puma Mobium, and it has a sole that can apparently spread out to increase width on contact. Interesting concept – I’ve never tried a Puma […]

97 Year Old Woman Sets 100 Meter Age-Group Record

Ida is amazing! Watch the video and smile. Also love that she’s wearing Nike Mayflys :) Apparently the YouTube video is not viewable outside of the US. Below is another version that may or may not work: Secret Lives of Seniors: 97-Year-Old Breaks Track Record!

Skechers GoRun Speed (aka GoMeb) Review: A Traditional Racing Flat from Skechers

I’ve been flooded by questions over the past week or so about the new racing flat that Skechers is about to release. The shoe is officially called the Skechers GoRun Speed, but has also been variously referred to as the GoRace or GoMeb. Given my wear testing relationship with the Skechers design team, I was […]

Skechers GoRun 2 Review: How a Running Shoe Update is Made

Back in the summer of 2011 I was contacted by the design team from the Performance Running division at Skechers to see if I wanted to try out a new shoe that they had developed. The shoe was the original Skechers GoRun, and it was the first offering from the Go team at Skechers. I […]

adidas Energy Boost: Will The New adidas Midsole Compound Revolutionize Running?

(Note – this post was edited from its original form at the request of adidas) I’ve been hearing a lot of hushed rumors lately that adidas is up to something. Apparently they have a new cushioning material that they are calling BOOST that is composed of thermoplastic beads that are fused together to form the […]