Technokay

     I was thinking during a cold weather run the other day about running clothes and how they have changed so much.  It was under 40 degrees and nasty rainy and here I was in just a light windbreaker, short sleeve tech shirt and tights, feeling comfortable like a rose in a Winter green house.

     Back in the day, as they say, it was all cotton. Up in Wisconsin in Winter I would wear a cotton long sleeve shirt or two under a heavy cotton hooded sweatshirt with matching sweat pants and maybe long johns to boot. Bulky at best, and heavy, wet and cold after some miles. But it's what we did, or at least what I knew at the time. (To date this, I remember someone yelling "Yo, Rocky!" on a run.) Summer would be cotton shorts, sometimes with contrasting cotton trim that would rub like crazy, and a plain old cotton T shirt. There was probably techy stuff available but if so I hadn't noticed it yet. I was the Cotton Kid, and kept vaseline handy to help with the chaffing. Ouch.

     Shoes were basic then also, but I'll keep this to clothes because if I start in on shoes I won't stop. I will say I wore (Onitsuka) Tiger Corsairs, leather and tight. Can I get an amen?

These were great.

      Fast forward nearly 40 years and 5 more inexplicable Rocky movies and look where we are now- the Enchanted Land of Technical Shangri La. Light weight, comfortable stuff that wicks like a mofo and adds as much colorful style as you care to sport. Windproof, rainproof, thermo, heat trapping, heat releasing, micro-fiber, breathable, odor preventing, laser cut, mesh panels, hidden pockets, UV protection, muscle-targeting, super soft, welded seams, reflectivity, compression, adjustable drawcord, soft shell, hard shell, and so much more in several variations of fit preference and color combinations to fill any one's wildest needs. Unless you're a girl, then it seems you have to like pink or blue.

     I'm not the guy to give running apparel its full due, Taylor Penrod already does that very well over at What I Wore (On My Run)  and I can't stop laughing at the idea of me ever coordinating an outfit. In fact, when packing my running bag of a morning, if I happen to notice things matching I tend to switch to some other item that does not. I don't want to be that guy.

     But I sure do appreciate the options out there these days. I sort of reviewed an Asics rain jacket before, and while I still use and enjoy that jacket I have also realized that the least I can wear the better. On the coldest long runs this Winter I wore a long sleeve tech shirt under a mid-weight jacket (plus tights, hat and gloves) and was fine for probably the first half of the run. Then, as someone who sweats like a stuck pig perspires slightly I realized I got colder as the run progressed because of the clothes becoming damp. So I experimented a little and now am happy, and warmer, wearing a super light weight windproof jacket with a short sleeve tech shirt underneath. It's colder standing around before the run, and the first few miles are chilly, but once warmed up with "that one extra degree of body temperature" as George Sheehan said, I'm just fine through the rest of the run. The Brooks LSD Lite jacket is great for this- truly windproof, super light and plenty roomy for layering, I've worn it comfortably well below its rated temp range of 40-55 degrees. There are probably better options, by Gore for instance, but for the money the Brooks does great. It reminds me of the classic pullover windbreaker I wore years ago, but a whole lot better.

     I've also started treating jackets with Nikwax TX Direct spray on, which makes a rain resistant jacket nearly rain proof even in steady rains. It's easy to use too, just spray it where you want it while the jacket is wet, let it dry and bada bing.   

     Really not much you can do in the real heat of Summer, but light weight singlets do help, and I favor them as soon as I can in the Spring to as late into Fall as I can get away with them. I'm really not a techy kind of guy in general and nearly always prefer simplicity when it works. For instance I do have a Garmin, but I only wear it if I'm going to a new place or to measure a specific course or part of a course, and leave it at home otherwise. Really, I just want to run.

     But we sure have come a long way from cotton options and we all benefit from that. Comfort, variable weather protection, well made, light weight and reflective at night. I guess the technical clothes are simplicity after all in that they let us enjoy the run more, and isn't that the whole idea?

Saucony Mirage Shoe Review

     Up next in the shoe review series is the Saucony ProGrid Mirage, a light stability road shoe. Introduced as a new model in June '11, the Mirage is another shoe in the stable of Saucony 4mm drop lightweight daily trainers, this one aimed at those who prefer a minimal amount of stability.

One of several color combos, this white is super white white.

     The fit of the Mirage is a little different than what I have found typical of Saucony in that it is fairly roomy all around, other than the beneficially slightly snug heel. The midfoot is maybe slightly more full than usual also but there are straps built into the lacing that integrate with overlays and snugs both sides to your foot as you adjust and tie the laces, and this system works well to connect your foot comfortably to the shoe. The forefoot is also fairly wide and fits my D width foot very well. The upper from midfoot forward is very simple and unrestrained, and is made of a soft open mesh type material that stretches some as your foot moves, making the shoe feel larger than it is without feeling sloppy or loose, a nifty trick.



Weight saving open mesh upper and judiciously applied outsole.



     The Mirage is considered a light weight trainer and my size 10 weigh in at 9.75 oz. but they feel lighter than that in stride. At 26mm heel and 21mm forefoot with sock liner included, the midsole has a nice firm feeling underfoot and gives a smooth ride from easy to tempo paced running.

Concave support piece seen here as the arch in the medial midsole.

     I should say that I have always worn neutral designed shoes before, and the Mirage is my second pair of mild support shoes. The Saucony Fastwitch 5 is my first and will be reviewed in the near future. It's been interesting to experiment with light support shoes and I'm glad I got over the bugaboo of staying within your assigned category, but I would not venture further than light support. The difference I can tell is all about the arch area. Not more or higher arch per se, but there is a feeling of more area underfoot overall, giving a more, well, stable feeling, like the platform of the shoe is wider. It feels good to me and I adjusted immediately and liked it right off. I run some of my road miles out on county highways that are fairly steeply crowned and when traffic forces me from the more level center to the slanted edge of the road this extra stability seems to help correct that cant somewhat.

     One complaint about the Mirage is what Saucony calls the "Hydrator Collar Lining", a thicker roll of foam that lines the upper interior of the collar and also the tongue. No doubt added by the Superfluous Gizmo Dept. of the design crew, this feature is more annoying than useful to me. Not uncomfortable, but noticeable as a wad of foam against your ankle, at least until it compresses with a little wear. Where the upper corners of the tongue meet the collar and overlap in use, this doubling of the foam can force the tongue to slide sideways, which is a little uncomfortable and could potentially rub during a longer run, though I have not had a hot spot yet as a result. I can't figure why, but this happens more with one shoe than the other, and is inconsistent with different pairs. I decided to tackle it somehow and wound up putting a stitch to connect the medial side of the tongue directly to the shoe and- problem solved. This whole thing might be unique to my feet/stride/karma also, who knows.



A tailor I'm not, but hey- it worked!

           Overall, this shoe fits very well, rides smoothly and stays very comfortable on longer and pace runs. As a result I have committed to the Mirage for the road portion of my marathon training and have been very happy with it. In fact I got an extra pair to wear around just as a daily shoe.

     The Saucony Mirage retails for $100, and Saucony is just now on the verge of releasing the Mirage 2.

"Runner Conquers Weather!" (And reviews an Asics rain jacket)

     "Man Conquers Nature!" "Man Conquers Mt Everest!"  "Man Conquers Space!"
     Really? I don't think so, and that kind of arrogant claim bugs me to hear. Mt Everest is just fine thanks, and will be for the next thousands of years as it has been in the past, even with the growing truckloads of junk left behind with each new expedition. Some guy climbed it with a team of local guides/packmules and big-buck sponsors maybe, and that's a mighty big deal for sure, but no conquering over Nature happened. "Man Conquers Giant Bowl of Corn Flakes!" You bet. Conquering yourself is the greater victory, but that discussion is beyond the scope of this blog and my brain. But- conquering some self-imposed limitation is pretty cool, and I'm happy to write about that.

     I lived up in Wisconsin, way up dere ya hey, for 25 years and ran pretty steady most of those years. Hot and humid in the Summer and butt-clenching cold in the Winter, milder in Spring and Fall and beautiful throughout the seasons, each in its own way. None of it really kept me off the roads, same as down here in Indiana. Cold and snow- no problem.  Hot and sticky humid- bring it. Windy and rainy- la la la la la. Wind, ice and heat slow the pace but don't prevent the run. But one thing that nearly always has- cold rain. Ugh. A nice Summer or Spring shower is refreshing and makes for a great run and even a downpour can be fun in a way, but take away any warmth and I get miserable fast. I have stayed in many times rather than go out in the cold rain, and hated it when I did. Little tiny indoor tracks make me nutty very quickly. I don't mind using a treadmill and have had many very effective and enjoyable workouts on them, but I will always prefer to be outside for a run. Cold or rain is not a problem. Cold and rain and I'm the one conquered.

     Until this Winter that is. It's been an exceptionally mild Winter so far here in the Midwest, and the running has been great. There have hardly been any days where it just wasn't possible to get out, including on the trails, which sometimes I've had to avoid when the snow gets too deep and run on the plowed roads instead. So I guess I got spoiled and didn't want to stop when the cold rains did come, and out I went anyhow. And it wasn't awful. Not even very bad. In fact, I enjoyed it. Hey- this ain't so bad after all!

     Few things fuel enjoyable momentum like enthusiasm, and this new discovery was getting fun. Even better than when I realized at 47 that actually, I do like olives after all. I set out to find a good running rain jacket since the one I had was far from waterproof. A pricey lot they are too, ranging up to $300 and beyond if you're willing. I'm not. I settled for an Asics Storm Shelter jacket, which is rain and wind proof and more to my budget at $100, still a pretty good chunk of dough. It's not wispy light like a windbreaker, but it's not heavy at all either and provides moderate warmth along with protection from the nasty elements.

Ta Da!

     It has most of the features I want- some reflective detail, (Hey running apparel manufacturers- MORE REFLECTIVITY!!) zippered front pockets, not-too-tight collar and a comfortable unrestricted fit. After several rainy runs I can say it is in fact rainproof too, so- bada bing!  There are zippered vents under each arm you can use as you like, and the material has some way (magic?) to vent heat out also, so it stays comfortable. I've had this jacket out in temps ranging from mid 30's to mid 40's and it has been well suited in that range with just a SS tech T underneath. In all this is a nice treat and I'm very happy with it, though it is the limit of my experience with rain gear. I got the red one because I enjoy wearing color and it can't hurt being seen better by drivers too. It's neat also that just having the protection from the jacket is enough to keep me warm and enjoying the run without rainproof pants or hat also, so I'm all set.

     So, all conquering aside, I can now happily add cold rainy days to my running schedule, and that's a good thing.