Archive for the ‘Running Gear’ Category

Ryan Hall on the NY Marathon (6 Videos)

20, Oct 2009

Ryan Hall discussing strategy for the upcoming NYC Marathon. As much as I’d love to see him win, he’s not Kenyan. I’m going to predict a respectable 3rd place finish.

Ryan talks about how he needs to prepare for First Ave…

Ryan claims he needs patience to run the ING New York City Marathon…

Ryan Hall discusses how to stay focused by keeping distance from the media…

Ryan’s stretching routine…

Ryan’s custom Asics shoes…

And his biggest fears…

J

TPAin325 and Training in the Winter

17, Oct 2009

Before I run next year’s NY Marathon in 3:10, there’s Tampa in 3:25. And today was my third long run to get there. All the biking and strength training I put in during the weeks must really be paying off, because despite the fact that I felt less than up for it this morning, I blasted out 9 miles at a 7:30 pace like it wasn’t even a chore.

And on top of my stiffness and mild headache, today was not a nice day for a run. It was cold, it was windy and I kept feeling stray rain drops pelt me in the eye as I made my way up the west side greenway. Once I hit the turnaround point at 47th street, it was smooth sailing on the way back. All the head-winds became tail-winds and I ran the second half in negative splits.

It’s getting cold. I’ve never trained for a spring marathon before and I expect it to be a wholly different experience, considering the freezing temps accompanied by rain, wind and snow pose a completely different set of challenges than the heat and humidity we face when training for a fall marathon. Thankfully I’ll be in Florida for at least 2 of my long runs (Thanksgiving and Christmas). But other than that I think I really need to do some shopping for winter gear. Here are a few winter gear guides…

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printer/1,7124,s6-240-320–13004-0,00.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printer/1,7124,s6-240-320–12187-0,00.html

http://running.about.com/od/coldweatherrunning/a/wintergear.htm?p=1

http://www.marathontraining.com/articles/art_5th.html

You can shop for winter gear here…

http://www.google.com/products?q=cold+running+clothes&aq=f

J

Why Can’t I find Nike Zoom Vomero’s for Less Than $120

10, Oct 2009

I’ve riffed on this before, but seriously.. the Nike Zoom Vomero is an awesome shoe. I swear by them, they’re the only sneakers I’ve run in over the last 2 years. The next pair I buy will be my 5th. I feel like the first few weeks you run in a new pair, there’s a gravity-defying bounce in your step.
Nike Zoom Vomero+ 4 Mens
After that, they continue to offer up a light weight and highly cushioned ride for many miles. They’re pretty durable for how lightweight they are, but I desperately need a new pair… and I’m embarassed to admit that I haven’t bought new shoes in the last 6 months. To my credit, I own two pairs of running sneakers, and try to alternate sometimes… although the 2nd pair are newbalances and I tend to favor the nike vomeros by a landslide.

The big problem is that they retail for about $125, which is $136 including tax. I know that’s not the most expensive running sneaker out there, but it’s alot. I’ve been scouring the internet all day to find a cheap pair. Last time I got lucky and found a $95 pair with free shipping last time. This time, all legitimate sources are $120 at the cheap end. I’ve been contemplating a supposedly “new” pair off of Ebay that doesnt come with the original box…

…And I just bought them off ebay for $94.41 including shipping. Not a bad deal if it works, but I’m a little nervous since I’ve never bought off ebay before. The guy had a really excellent rating, and seems to sell a lot of sneakers so I’m hoping it’s legit!

Don’t believe me about how awesome these shoes are? Check out what others have to say…

Note: The general consensus is the Vomero 2 was the best version of the shoe, however, the Vomero 4 out performs the Vomero 3. The only real complaints I’ve heard about this sneaker is that they lack a little in the durability department. I agree, I’d like a brand new pair each month!

RUNNING SHOE GURUS
http://www.runningshoesguru.com/2009/04/nike-zoom-vomero-4-running-shoes-review/
- The Zoom Vomero+ 4 is Nike’s top shoe for the cushioning category and therefore is aimed at Neutral to Under Pronators (Supinators).
- “Very well cushioned, felt like they were propelling me forward with each stride, nice room in the toe box.”

PRODUCT WIKI
http://www.productwiki.com/nike-zoom-vomero-4/
- Highly decoupled Crash Pad for natural landing and impact absorption.
- In the outsole it has duralon placement (underneath Cuboid and Met Heads) mirrors pressure path of barefoot running.

NIKESTORE.COM COMMENTS
http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?sitesrc=uslp&country=US&lang_locale=en_US#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-223555/pgid-241216
- “I made the switch to the vomero it felt like i was running on air bags. I have never felt this much cushion in a shoe when i run. Great design.”
- “The Vomero offers the right support, and promotes a natural stride. An overall excellent running shoe.”

I am not endorsed or sponsored in any way by Nike. But man would that be awesome.

J

Product Reccomendations

27, Mar 2009

I’m feeling good today, my hip situation is pretty much under control. I’m surprised the pain is actually fading away as quickly as it is, I’m not exaggerating when I say it was debilitating for the last 48 hours. I literally could not walk without wincing in pain. Not exactly sure what brought it on, could have been the long run from last Sunday, followed by some interval biking on Monday/Tuesday? But anyway, I am better now. I even cancelled my doctor’s appointment.

I was in good enough shape to hit the gym at lunch today and bang out 40 minutes at a moderate effort on the elliptical. As I was going through my gym routine, packing and unpacking my bag, I started thinking about all the crap that it takes for me to function as an athlete. Allow me to share with you what I find to be the latest and greatest…

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Running Sneakers – Nike Zoom Vomero +3

These are bar none the best running shoes I’ve ever owned in my life, I’m now going on my 4th pair. They’re supportive, but ultra light and the material that cushions the heel is amazing. They feel like moon shoes, like your feet literally bounce off of the ground with each step. I’m not the only person that feels this way, I’ve heard other runners praise them with my same enthusiasm. Oh, and did I mention that they’re Nike + equipped?

Gait Analysis

26, Mar 2009

After I ran the Bay to Bay 5K a couple weeks ago, there was a booth set up as a joint marketing venture between Nike and Sports Authority. They offered to analyze your gait via a treadmill and a super fancy video camera. For anyone who’s ever considered having this analysis done, I highly recommend it. I know they have this same set-up at Paragon Sports in NYC and in the Nike Town stores.


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