If I were in the habit of giving “best update” awards, the Hoka Clifton 2 would be a solid contender for 2015. It’s not so much that I love the shoe – it’s actually a bit on the soft side for my personal taste. Rather, Hoka did a great job addressing problems that people had […]
Do Maximalist Running Shoes Reduce Impact Forces?
June 5, 2015 By 31 Comments
One of the drawbacks of the scientific research process is that it is slow. It takes time to run experiments, write up results, and get those results published in a peer-reviewed journal. As a result, popular trends tend to take off before science has a chance to validate the beliefs that sparked those trends. We […]
BBC Documentary Examines Doping Allegations Against Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project
June 4, 2015 By 2 Comments
The big news in the running world yesterday was the release of a documentary and several associated articles alleging doping among members of the Nike Oregon Project. I just finished watching the documentary on YouTube and thought I’d share it here. Below also are several links to articles about the allegations. It will be interesting […]
Form Differences Among Barefoot Running, Minimalist Shoe Running, and Standard Shoe Running
June 2, 2015 By 9 Comments
Based upon research published over the past several years, I’ve come to believe the following about the effects of footwear (or lack thereof) on running form: 1. Barefoot running is different and no shoe perfectly replicates the barefoot condition. Running barefoot, particularly on a hard surface, increases the likelihood that a runner will adapt a […]
New Runblogger Tool–Shoe Finder
June 1, 2015 By 21 Comments
Quick post to announce a new tool that I put together – I spent several days last week pulling data from nearly every shoe listed on Running Warehouse, as well as from a few brands that they don’t carry. I input all of the data on price, weight, stack height, drop, etc. into a spreadsheet, […]
Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit 2015 Review: Flexible Sole, Sock-Like Upper, and Solid Cushioning in a Lightweight Package
May 28, 2015 By 23 Comments
The Nike Free line of running shoes was originally designed to mimic barefoot running on grass. All shoes in the line are characterized by an extremely flexible sole, and the three models vary in upper construction and the amount of sole cushioning. The Free 5.0 has the highest heel-forefoot drop and a more traditional, though […]
Nike Pegasus vs. Nike Free 3.0: Does a Moderately Cushioned Shoe Encourage Barefoot-Like Biomechanics?
May 20, 2015 By 13 Comments
Nike has long touted the design of their Free line of running shoes as having been inspired by barefoot running. Indeed, the newest Free shoes have the phrase “Barefoot Ride” written right on the insole (see photo at left). Personally, I’m a fan of the Frees since they suit my preference for light, flexible, moderately […]
Nike Free 5.0 2015 Review: Yes, You Can Run in Them!
May 18, 2015 By 43 Comments
Over the past several years the Nike Free 5.0 has consistently been one of the best selling athletic shoes in the United States. Go to any school and you’re likely to see many kids sporting the flexible and colorful 5.0s. When I was in Disney World earlier this year the Free was probably among the […]
Polar A300 Fitness Watch and Activity Monitor Review
May 12, 2015 By 6 Comments
I’ve been using some form of activity tracker for a few years now. For a while I had a Fitbit (which went missing in Florida a few years ago), but my go-to device for the past year or so has been the Garmin Vivofit. For the most part I really like the Vivofit – solid […]
Respecting the Heat on the Run–I Never Seem to Learn
May 11, 2015 By 4 Comments
I feel like I write this post every spring. In fact, I probably do. I figure that maybe if I keep writing it, one year I’ll learn to do things differently. This was not that year. Yesterday I went for a seven mile run. Nothing too special about that, but it was the first really […]
Announcing Running Warehouse Europe
May 6, 2015 By 20 Comments
If you’ve been a regular reader of this website, you’re probably familiar with Running Warehouse. They are a large, online retailer of running shoes and gear, and have been an advertising partner of this site for many years – I’m grateful for the support they have provided me since starting this blog back in 2009. […]
Reflections on a Killer Trail Race
May 4, 2015 By 10 Comments
I ran my first race of the year on Saturday. It was a 10 mile trail race, but I feel like I just ran a marathon. My body is pretty well wrecked, but in a good way. As is often the case with races, the pain I felt during has been replaced by a feeling […]
Brooks PureFlow 4 Running Shoe Review
April 30, 2015 By 17 Comments
I’ve had mixed experiences with the Brooks PureFlow series in the past. The PF1 was a solid shoe that provided a springy ride and served me well over longer distance runs. I didn’t try the PF2, but came back to the model with the PF3. Version 3 was a nice looking shoe, but I just […]
Skechers GoRun Strada Running Shoe Review
April 23, 2015 By 8 Comments
I’ve probably put more miles on the Skechers GoRun Strada over the past year+ than any other shoe model. The reason is that I’ve been involved in wear testing the shoe since its earliest prototype iterations. The shoe has come a long way in that time, from a first run where I was ready to […]
Running Article Recs: Heat Training, Overtraining, Neuroplasticity, and More!
Last year I started sending out a weekly newsletter with recommended articles from around the web. I stopped producing the newsletter in the Fall because it was sometimes tough to come up with articles on a weekly basis, and I simply ran out of steam trying to keep up with it. I thought I might […]