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| Old faithful - Brooks Adrenalin 10's |
This morning I was looking at the the spring shoe guide in the March issue of Runners World. I've always liked running shoes because they are technically designed and they look cool. Most runners view a new pair of trainers as a reason to get excited about a run, which is why so many new pairs are sold every year.
As I looked at the 2014 models, two trends occurred to me. One was that most manufacturers have moved away from minimal models but are still maintaining the concept of "low drop." This means that the height difference between the heel and forefoot is typically less than 10." The other trend is toward super-cushioned running shoes. Models like the Hoka One One have huge out-soles that resemble the old running shoes from the '80's and '90's.
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After looking at the shoe guide, I wondered what it would be like to take the 10's out for a run after treating them as sneakers for the last three years. I love my Saucony Virratas, but I felt like a change today and figured the nicely cushioned Brooks would provide a good break. I laced up the 10's and they felt as good as ever. From the first steps off the driveway, I knew that they'd be fine, despite having over 1,000 miles on them.
I haven't run outdoors too often this year, so I'm re-acclimating to pavement. The purpose of today's run was to nudge my comfort beyond the 3 mile base that I'd defaulted to over the past two months. The shoes felt fine, but there is a difference between the 11.1 ounce Adrenalins and the 6.5 ounce Virratas. I don't know if that extra weight slowed me down compared to yesterday, but something did.
Forgetting that for the moment, I did appreciate the well cushioned feel of the classic Adrenalins. I wondered if there is a happy medium between the two types of shoes. Apparently some of the 2014 models are leaning in that direction. New materials that perform better than EVA are being used, resulting in softer cushioning and lighter weight.
I'm not sure if I'll include the Adrenalins in my primary shoe rotation, although I see no harm in using them for long easy runs. I'm remembering the foot issues I had when training for the half marathon in 2012, when I'd do 9-12 mile runs on the Bethpage bike trail every weekend. That might be a good way to build up my long base without going through that painful stage again. I also wonder if training in those heavy shoes would give me a performance boost when I return to the lighter Virratas.
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How many sneakers do you have in rotation? Those Hokas look so comfy. I imagine you would be kangaroo-like bouncing in them, right? Very springy.
ReplyDeleteAs Brooklyn gets closer, It'll be fun to do some long training runs together with Porthos on the Bethpage trails!
Yes! That would make those long base runs much more fun. If C is Porthos, who's d'Artagnan and Athos? And for that matter, what about Aramis? Maybe that should be me, since I once bought a bottle at Filene's Basement for the senior prom.
ReplyDeleteThe Hokas intrigue me too. I don't know that they're bouncy or just incredibly pillowy. My friend just bought a pair. I'll see what he thinks. He bought his pair because HIS friend wears them and said that he'd sleep in them if he could.
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