New Altra Shoes!

Hello!

It has been quite a long time since I have last posted an update. My preparations for the Race Across New Mexico are going good, both in training and in planning the trip. I have been getting in a lot of good miles, and the weather here in Southern Colorado has been above 20 degrees (usually getting up to 50 during the day). I remember training for the Brew to Brew 44 Miler (Kansas City to Lawrence) in the winter of 2008-2009, putting in a lot of long runs in the cloudy and snowy plains of central Nebraska. In some ways, it seems like I was a lot more hardcore back then...just sipping Gatorade and eating PowerBars and busting out 30+ mile runs alone on the grid-like gravel roads surrounding my hometown. Now, I think that I need to consume state-of-the-art supplements, like those by Hammer Nutrition. Yes, it is nice to use one of their best products, Perpetuem, on a long run or bike, and it makes it entirely feasible to consume only liquid calories. But I look back on those early ultrarunning days with awe. All I needed was a pair of Nike Pegasus and a pair of shorts...although now, it seems that Nike does not make products like they used to. It seems like the Nike Free line up changed things, and now all of their shoes are sort of overpriced and not even that good!

This post is supposed to be about some new shoes that just arrived today! But first, here is a little history of my shoes:

From 2004-2011, I basically just ran in the Nike Pegasus. For my first ultra in 2007, I wore this awesome shoe by Nike called the Kyotee. Two months later, I didn't have any fresh Pegasus around, so I actually wore the Kyotee at the Boston Marathon. It was a light trail running shoe that wasn't too rugged, so it worked equally well on a single-track trail or wet, cold pavement (as it was at Boston 2007). I also ran in the North Face Fireroad for a bit.

In 2012, I switched it up to the New Balance 890. This was the time when the Pegasus was getting ridiculous and expensive and not really a performance shoe, in my opinion. The New Balance 890 worked great for me from 2012-2014. I first was drawn to it because of it's light weight (9 oz or so) and because it had a lower heel-to-toe drop (8mm compared to 12mm of most shoes). I also explored the New Balance Minimus Series, with the New Balance 1010 trail shoe (and also some other random Minimus road shoe). The 1010 worked perfectly for a trail marathon last summer, except that the gnarly trail frayed part of the fabric on the toes. Since then, the shoe has continued to deteriorate, even though it probably only has about 200 miles on it.

Anyway, I first discovered Altra shoes last May while looking for a low drop shoe. I ordered a pair called The Torin and loved them! I ordered a second pair and rotated these two shoes...until the first pair went straight to hell and, I think, contributed to the straining of my left soleus last October :( For such an expensive shoe, Altras seem to not really be that durable. Priced just a bit more, Hoka One One shoes are purported to last twice the miles of a regular shoe, but lack a foot-shaped design. Altra shoes look like a foot, and therefore allow your toes to splay out. Below is the same foot in an Altra shoe compared to a traditional running shoe:

More than anything, I appreciate Altra shoes for having this foot-shaped design. And since I usually wear zero-drop footwear such as XeroShoes in the summer, and Bearpaw in the winter, I want to make the same choice with my running shoes.

So, here are some images of the fun that happened tonight!

This is the box that arrived via UPS at like 6:30 pm or something...such a late delivery, and such a great surprise!

For a runner, this is probably the best site one can behold, aside from seeing the finish line at a tough ultra:

From left to right: Altra Paradigm, Superior 1.5, and the Repetition:

Right away, I can tell that the Superiors are going to be my favorite. They sit very low to the ground, and have this durable-looking (but not too rugged) outsole. To me, these seem like a more luxurious version of the New Balance 1010 trail shoe:

The Paradigms seem to be taking on the appearance of Hoka One One shoes. With a stack height of three inches (so it seems), these ones will be great for when my feet are feeling beat up. I would not feel comfortable with these on any trail or rugged terrain, as these shoes will break your ankles if you step wrong. But for the roads, they will be perfect:

Hmm...the Repetition shoes are interesting. They are a more of a stability shoe, with this firm wedge of rubber right underneath the arch to prevent over-pronation. For some reason I thought that a stability shoe could help in the 390 miles in 16 days across New Mexico, but trying on a stability shoe was jarring to my body after running in neutral shoes forever and the Minimus shoes as of late (I have only had two stability shoes, ever...and I only got them because they were on sale!). I do appreciate the design of these shoes, and heavier runners with low arches who severely over-pronate would benefit from this shoe. Also, Altra designed these shoes with a 4mm tilt from the medial to lateral side of the shoe to assist with motion control. A very radical idea, but this would simply mess up my legs and body if I ran in them...so, I will be sending them back!

Lastly, here are some images from my two pairs of Torins...they are pretty beat up, and seem to be unwearable for running now, especially since I think that the degradation of the blue pair caused my soleus strain.

You can sort of see here on the bottoms of the shoe, the construction is lacking. The grey part is a foam-type material which started to be eaten away by the pavement. The blue rubber is probably about as durable as any other shoe, but the combination of the rubber and foam would make this shoe more fitting for a very smooth gravel trail, or grass. Even a treadmill would eat it up.

Well, that is my nerd-out for now. Be on the lookout for more posts as the New Mexico trip nears! :)

Until then,

Run on!

The Race Across New Mexico

Donate at crowdrise.com/RaceAcrossNewMexico 

Hello!

For a couple years now, I have wanted to do something amazing for my birthday that also benefits others. Last year, I had the idea of putting on a "birthday" clarinet recital in order to raise money for the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, located in Lyons, CO (www.greenwoodwildlife.org/). Unfortunately, this idea did not come to fruition :(

On February 21 of 2015, I will turn 30 years of age, and I have found an opportunity to do something amazing by helping to raise awareness of childhood obesity. It is called the “Race Across New Mexico”, a 390 mile journey from the western border to the eastern border of the beautiful southwestern state. This 16-day trek in which I will be participating is just a part of the entire Run Across the USA, which will be completed by an elite group of endurance athletes who will complete the entire 3,080 miles in 140 days (raceacrossusa.org).

It is a requirement for all participants to raise money for this cause. Along the way, I will have the opportunity to speak to kids of all ages about the importance of being physically active. In this age of technology and unhealthy eating, it is a sad fact that a lot of children deal with obesity, and having a positive stimulation (like hearing a bunch of runners speak about the joys of running across an entire state, or the entire country!) could have the potential to have a serious and long-lasting impact on the youth of today.

Upon completing the trek, I want to continue to use this experience by sharing with kids wherever I may go about the benefit of staying physical active. The 100 Mile Club is a program that urges and challenges kids to be active, by running 100 miles in a school year (100mileclub.com). I hope to be able to be a “spokesperson” for this program, and go into public schools around the area, and near my home in rural Nebraska, to inspire kids to lace up their shoes and get outside!

Please help me in making my 30th birthday one to remember! In addition to raising money to fight childhood obesity, I am also asking for monetary assistance to help with travel, lodging (the cost will be split with up to 4 runners per room), food, and helping with the crew members and volunteers.

***

More about me:

I have been running marathons since 2006, and ultramarathons since 2007. Upon qualifying for the Boston Marathon on my first marathon attempt in April of 2006 (2:57), and running a satisfying 1:18 half-marathon a couple months later, I quickly lost interest in trying to set PRs. For this reason, I decided to extend the distance of my runs.

I completed my first ultramarathon, the PsycoWyco 50k, on a February morning in 2007. The temperature was around 18 degrees at the start and there were volunteers putting screws in the runners’ shoes in order to provide traction on the slippery, rocky single-track trails. You don’t see this at any road marathons. After wiping out multiple times, uncontrollably sliding down a hill while my legs were painfully cramping up, and proclaiming the course to be “treacherous,” I finished the race at a pace that was 3.5 minutes slower than my marathon pace…and I loved it! It was basically the most fun I had ever had!

Since then I have run many other ultras, ranging from the gnarly Cedro Peak 45k near Albuquerque (where a dude was offering free shots of tequila at mile 26 and where there was a self-serve beer keg at the finish), the 44 mile Brew to Brew ultra from Kansas City to Lawrence (if beer is involved, I am definitely in!). While in college I did a 50 mile run in and around Lincoln, NE on a weekday when I didn’t have classes. Recently, I have completed multiple back-to-back marathons on consecutive days, and am now looking for a greater challenge.

Why I Chose the “Race Across New Mexico”

The Race Across New Mexico will be, for me, the ultimate challenge (15 marathons in 16 days), and it will give more meaning to my running efforts. I could use the next couple of months to run another sub 3 hour marathon, or try to run a 2:50 marathon, but this will do nothing but fulfill a selfish, egotistical goal. I want to use my ability of running long distances to raise money for the good of humanity! The Race Across New Mexico will be a new beginning to my running career so far. After I complete the New Mexico run, I plan to do other endurance events to help support various causes. The Race Across New Mexico will be special for me because it will allow me the opportunity to talk to kids and motivate them to start the healthy habit of running.

I am always very inspired by athletes who raise money and participate in events for a good cause. A main reason why I wanted to start running ultramarathons was because I read Dean Karnazes' first book, Ultramarathon Man. In this book, he recounts how he set out to run 200 miles, and how he was using the opportunity to raise money for a little girl in need. This was very inspiring to me! There are countless other stories about people doing Ironman triathlons to raise money, and even a lot of 5k runs held in an effort to raise money. Now, as my 30th birthday nears, I am wanting to do something to make it a day to remember! I have been toying with the idea of doing a week-long supported bike ride across Colorado, or (a couple weeks after my birthday, in March) completing the "Dust Bowl Marathon Series," which is five days of five marathons in five different states. In 2012, I did the first and last marathons of the series, and I loved it! To do the entire series would be awesome, but it only serves to satisfy my personal goals. I want to do something more meaningful.

As outlined in his first book, Dean Karnazes had a life-changing 30^th birthday, where he made the choice to run 30 miles, and also change the path of his life. Now, he runs for Karno Kids, making a big impact to get kids outside and to lead an active lifestyle. At first, he ran for himself, but then, he wanted to run for others. This is where I am at right now in my own life. It has become boring (and a little pointless and not fun) trying to set PRs, and now I run for the experience of being outdoors, meeting other like-minded individuals, and trying to get others to do the same!

By being offered the opportunity to run across the state of New Mexico (I had to complete an application, as well as write a couple essay questions), I will be doing more than simply fulfilling a big running goal: I will raise money to bring about awareness of childhood obesity, and have the opportunity to speak to kids and motivate them to get outside and get moving! I could think of no better way to spend my 30th birthday

***

Allocation of Funds:

40% directly to fundraiser

25% lodging for 16 days ($19 each day, shared room in hotel)

15% food for 16 days ($11 each day)

15% transportation to and from New Mexico

5% to help with crew member and volunteer costs

I will be paying for the registration, supplements and other nutrition, additional gear, etc (approximately $600). In total, doing this event is rather expensive (around $1,800), so any aid you can give will help.

Donate at crowdrise.com/RaceAcrossNewMexico

Thank you for considering!

Regards,

Charles.