Race report- Bound The Mound Trail Half

     I've been running far more than writing of late and time to get caught up here. First up,  Bound The Mound Trail Race on March 3rd, in Evansville, Indiana. I found this race while snooping through the race listings on Trail Runner Mag's site, which is a real good race resource to have.

     All races start with preparation and no exception here. Let's see, working backward from an 8 a.m. race start- get there an hour early, 2.5 hour drive, most of an hour to coffee up and wake up, that's looking pretty dang early.  I posted the idea on Facebook and that drew in a friend who was also interested and before I could say "Holy crap I have to get up at 3 a.m!" we were both registered. Game on.
     The drive went quickly and enjoyably with the company as we yakked our way through the darkness, heading South on county highways through the rural Indiana countryside. We made good time and got there sooner than we thought, in more ways than one. Did you know Evansville is in a different time zone? Neither did we and we realized we had an extra hour to wait, one that could have been spent sleeping. These are the days of our lives.

And they're off!

     Bound The Mound is a lap course, and the half marathon meant 4 laps with an add-on around a field at the end. I've done a few lap races before and generally like the format- first lap is getting familiar with the course and subsequent laps are benchmarks to the balance between what's left to run and what's left in the tank. I hadn't done a 4 lapper before, and had never been to Evansville either, so this would have to be interesting, right?     


     It had rained a couple of days before and there were muddy stretches on the flat sections of the course, and further back in the boggy parts it was downright swampy. With a lap course this means hundreds of feet churn it up even more each time through.

For me, part of the charm of trails.

   
      With a little luck we all learn as we go, and I try, I try. It's hard for me to judge how much to wear when the temps are changing with the seasons. I'm not a fan of cold, and as a result tend to overdress for runs with rising morning temperature change. Folks were wearing everything from coats and pants to singlets and shorts, and I went with tights, light jacket and hat. Too much, again. Whatev.

  
     I ran a 2:07 half, a fair time for me at this point in the year. Even better, I had a blast doing it. There was a good size field and the race was well organized. The Bound The Mound RD is ON IT as far as getting info out to registrants. I swear I got more emailed pre-race info than I did for the Chicago Marathon. Afterward there was actual food for runners, including your choice of burgers, dogs, and sides. And donuts. And this guy.

       All in all, a fun day and a good race. Really, any day we can romp through the woods is a good day to me. And many thanks to Erin, who made it all way more fun than it would have been alone.

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.
          
   

< = >+>

     Less is more is sort of a buzz phrase these days for the minimalist 'movement' in the running shoe market, and < = > is the New Balance symbol for their Minimus line of running shoes. Somewhere this ad caught my eye. In the first place those shoes are wrong in too many ways to list and in the second place I have to wonder if the crazed designer and marketing team are intentionally trying to ride the sales wave while it's there. Or maybe it's coincidence.
     And what do I know- maybe they're totally hot shoes.
     Nah.

Shoe Review- Merrell Mix Master

     Next up in the shoe review series is the Merrell Mix Master, a new neutral trail shoe introduced just this past December, and one I was looking forward to soon after reading of it. It has many design features I thought would work very well for me, and you know what? They do!


Merrell Mix Master- black and blech.

     I don't know a lot about Merrell, my experience with them is limited to a pair of their Trail Gloves introduced early last year, which I also like. Both shoes are very well made and the fit is fairly similar as well. Pretty standard length, close fit in the heel, fairly full midfoot that wraps the arch area snugly and a wide forefoot. This is a good design that provides a secure overall fit that keeps the foot stable in the shoe when going downhill, yet still allows plenty of room for natural foot movement within the shoe while landing. This can be a tricky fit to achieve, and Merrell seems to have it nailed. In fact I was a little worried my usual size 10 might be a little big, but now that they have settled in I feel the fit is about perfect.


The forefoot feels wider than it appears here. Magic! 

     My size 10 weigh in at 8.45 ounces which is great as it is, but they feel even lighter when running. It's neat how some shoes do that, so even better. The 16mm heel and 12mm forefoot make for another 4mm drop shoe, one of a growing number among varying manufacturers. It's my sweet spot and must be for others as well. The midsole is firm but offers enough cushioning to easily handle all the trail conditions I have seen so far. A big test for me is how rocks feel both under the forefoot and landing on one with the heel, especially when going downhill. While you can feel the surface beneath your foot, other than really sharp pointy rocks that would be a problem for any shoe the Mix Masters take them well in-stride. (Oops) There is a rock shield in the forefoot for added protection, yet the sole is very flexible as well and the overall ride is very smooth as a result.


How they look to the trail. The forefoot rock plate is visible as the orange dots.

     Traction is another big test for me as I need to really trust my grip on the ground in all reasonable conditions. Otherwise my gait stiffens and trouble soon ensues. The Mix Master has terrific gripulation on par with the Saucony Peregrine, which I consider flawless in that regard. I have run uphill and down in loose gravel, mud, wet rocks and wood, and just today in the snow and have never slipped once, so yay! In fact I looked at my tracks in the snow and noticed the lugged treads have a sort of swirling pattern that flows from heel to toe. Then I realized I was getting all "A Beautiful Mind" and staring at my tracks, but I thought it was interesting.


Traction galore!

     Overall I really like these shoes and they are even improving with wear after about 35 miles. They are well made and I anticipate they should last at least comparably to most shoes and likely longer than most. I wouldn't use them for long road runs even though they are touted as such, (thus the 'Mix Master' name) but that's maybe just me. I was hoping these would fall between the Peregrine and NB110 for weight and protection and that's just about right. Not sure yet if they will replace the Peregrine as my ready-for-all-conditions/distances daily shoe but that is my plan for now, and I'll update this with further experience.  So far the only negatives are the color, not being a fan of weird green, and the name, which makes them sound like a kitchen appliance. In short, no complaints so far.

     The Merrell Mix Master trail shoe retails for $110. 

Frosty Trails 5 Mile race report

     The Frosty Trails 5 Mile was held at Brown County State Park this past Saturday and was my first race of 2012. At first I thought a hard run mid-January sounded extra cruel- this is, after all, the season of hibernation, stagnation and vegetation. I am at my annual worst weight and have only been doing easy paced running, but after reflecting on that I realized this is the perfect time for a race!

     Hosted by Bill Bartley of  Indiana Running Company and with an appearance by the Mag 7 van and always-friendly Kelly Smith, the race was headquartered from the Lower Shelter where check-in was fast, easy and sociable. There was a big fire in the hearth, large pots of chili already starting to smell great, and tasteful music mixed with the wood smoke in the air. I had plenty of time before the race start and really enjoyed visiting with several runners I haven't seen for awhile. See, I used to do A LOT of the Mag 7 races, but not so much last year. So it was great to see that gang again and I hope to do more of that series this season.

     Have I said it was cold? The early a.m. low was 7 here at the house that morning and by the time I had made the hour drive over the the park it was climbing toward 20 according to the car thermometer. After having being spoiled by a very mild Winter so far this felt worse than it was. It could be worse. Much worse.
                           
     Long sleeve tech shirt with long sleeve half-zip top, my fav Asics Thermopolis tights, hat and gloves were my ensemble for the day. I wear the cheapo brown cotton gloves you get bundled in packs of three down to the farmer's implement store, and have never had a pair of actual running gloves. I'd hate to pay that much for something I will be wiping my nose on and perhaps leaving behind as I have done once. This was last year,  after a strange tug-of-war with a race volunteer over a paper cup of Gatorade which he was weirdly reluctant to let go of. My gloves got soaked with the stuff and became very sticky and extra gross, so after spying a trash can a few miles later they never made it to the finish line that day.

     I had wanted to wear the Merrell Mix Master trail shoes but figuring the snow and several days of freezing temps would probably make for some slick conditions I opted for the Saucony Peregrines, traction master supreme. The Merrell's also have great traction but are not race tested and I wanted to play it safe. The Peregrines, see my review here,  were perfect and I ran without undue worry of footing, a good feeling to have. I also tried some Smartwool socks for the first time in a race, a little bit thicker than I like but not bad at all, and very warm. Warm feet = happy heart.

     There were about 40-50 of us there as we headed out on the trails at the start. The course was well marked and the woods were very scenic, though I mostly focused on the ground in front of me and on making my way in the crowd. I hadn't planned to charge out hard at all, just wanted to push a little harder than usual and go for a good run in the woods with some good like minded people. I'm not overly competitive with others as a rule, but I do prefer to pass rather than be passed and was happy to be moving forward pretty steadily. The crowd thinned as we each found our pace and soon I was in mental zoneland. I'm not one to do calculations of split times and related pace regulation and follow a pre-race scheduled chart of times to mark along the way. In fact I totally suck at all of that and prefer to look at the trees and hear the birds and let my mind wander as it will. The topic this time was mostly "running is life: cliche or applicable creed?" I decided it was bona fide since; the more you put in the more you get out, it's better with a challenge, unseen twists in your path are always ahead, sometimes you can coast downhill, sometimes it hurts, it mostly makes you happy, it gets better as you go. And more I can't remember.

     The course was interesting and not as hilly as I would have guessed, and I was happy to have more juice than I thought i would during the climbing, a general weakness of mine. It took us out of the woods and onto a road for the last 3/4 mile or so and most of that was downhill. This was great, a time when I love to try and charge to the finish anyhow, and the downhill made that even better. I crossed the line and stopped the Garmin, realizing later it had not stopped. Again. I've done this before, hit the button at the finish and then realized later it was still running, sometimes seeing the drive home included on the map when I download it later. Oops. I figured 46:23 was probably about right.

     I talked some with racers who had finished around me, went up to the shelter for some great chili, visited with friends in the parking lot, and finally headed back home, generally happy with this first race of the still new year. Thanks to everyone involved for putting this well-run race on for us to enjoy.

Next race- DINO Eagle Creek 15K, unless another one is around a twist in my path...