Du North Review

Hitting the trails out at Afton State Park a few weeks ago left me wondering if I should test out my “due north” Everyday traction aids.  The icy conditions forced me off the path for most of the run, so this time I brought along my tungsten carbide bearing slip-ons.  This was my first use of any sort of slip-on, traction-aid, ever.  Needless to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

After I covered the paved path down to the start of the trails I donned the traction aids.  One of the perks of this type of traction aid is that it is versatile and will allow you to transition from pavement to icy trails in a few seconds.  The trails were still very icy and were perfect for testing these things out.  I could immediately feel the difference in stability, weight, and comfort.  The grip on the ice was much better with the due north item than my minimalist Saucony peregrine trail runners, but they also weighted me down a bit more and dug slightly into my feet, especially on the downhills.

As I made my way to the two hour mark one of my traction aids had slipped off once and I had lost a Tungsten carbide spike (replaceable).  In the four plus hours I was out there running they slipped off three times.  Not too bad, but not too great.  Surely, you get what you pay for, and if you go for the Salomon Spikecross CS you will get a superior winter running shoe meant for tough icy conditions, and if you go for the due north traction aids you get a temporary, cheap, yet versatile alternative.

Due North does have other models including the “All-Purpose” traction aid, which appears to be slightly more correlated with running and walking, so if you’ve ever tried out any other slip-ons that you recommend, let me know!  Until the day that I jump into the Spikecross category I will have to rely on these rubber punks.

Salomon Spikecross CS…an Update

I figured that it would be a little foolish to start reviewing another pair of shoes without addressing the last pair I picked up.

If you remember, I picked up the Spikecross during a particularly icy week in La Crosse.  The conditions for a few days there were a perfect recipe for cracking the skull or tail-bone whether running on the trails or the road.  They were also a perfect excuse to take a few days off…which is likely what I did.

The day the shoes showed up was also the day all of the ice melted, so it was a few days before the trails froze back up and I got to try them out.

I originally wanted to wait for a few runs to pass before writing about the shoes, but winter has been uncooperative at best.

So far I have had a couple runs on glare ice trails, a run during a snowstorm and a run on some really slushy trails.  My overall impression is that these shoes, while specialized, have all of the makings of a great trail shoe, with only a couple shortcomings.

The shoes are comfortable, light and responsive; all of which will make or break a shoe for me.  The quick lace system allows for a perfect fit all of the time…every time…with the added benefit of on the fly adjustments.  My only reservation in suggesting this shoe would be if you figure you have even just wider than average feet; it’s a little snug in there.  The snug fit, ample traction and light perceived weight of these shoes along with a pretty minimalist sole provide a very responsive feel underfoot.  Even when trudging through several inch thick powder and equally deep slush I felt very little cushioning and was able to maintain a solid mid to forefoot strike.

The Climashield membrane definitely works, and while it cuts down on some breathability I feel that it’s a fair trade for mostly dry feet and a little bit of extra warmth.  One of my frustrations with the shoes was that the ankle is not very high or very tight.  If you are running in over ankle deep snow or any kind of slush gaiters are a must.  Better yet, just wear them because they look pretty cool.

The carbide studs on the Spikecross feel as stable on glare ice as my Saucony Rides do on pavement.  They left me feeling sure-footed even on the steepest climbs in Hixon and the most out of control descents.  They felt fine running on some bare dirt and even striking the occasional rock.  They did not, however, feel normal or even remotely comfortable or safe on pavement.  It doesn’t seem like much, but the couple millimeters of rise they give, along with the minimal surface area of the point of impact left me feeling like I was on very tiny stilts.  Running from the front door to the trail is just not an option with these kicks.

If you’re even a recreational trail runner throughout the winter these guys are a must.  Not only will they improve the runs you already go on, they will give you the ability to run through the worst trail conditions of the season with grace and ease; unless you’re not graceful.

With any luck winter will be a little more, oh, wintery, next year.  Until then these guys will be sitting in the closet collecting dust.

New Shoes

As promised, I walked into my local gear shop (Three Rivers Outdoors*, check it out…great staff, cool stuff, some good deals if you know where to look), and picked up some new kicks.

Montrail Rouge Racers, in deep turquoise/voltage.  Their darn light at about 9 oz, and are billed as a neutral, aggressive, minimalist trail racer; just what I am looking for…

Light and bright.

I am really looking forward to trying these guys out and reporting back.

With the help of some Advil my ankle might even let me put a few miles down on the Superior Hiking Trail (my favorite place to run, bar none) tonight.  That said this weekend is more about tromping through the woods in some Danners in search of the elusive snowshoe hare, and hanging out with Dad.

Have a great weekend y’all.  Get outside.  Have fun, and be safe.

*For transparency I think that it’s important to say that I managed said shop and the only reason they have this shoe in stock is because I thought that it looked bitchin’…the rest of the world seemed to disagree.  70-some bucks if you want a pair!

The importance of good gear

My run tonight was mostly awesome.  Nine miles, on mostly trails, in the late evening.

It was warm enough that I wore shorts and just a Mountain Hardwear wicking long sleeve shirt over a Craft sleeveless shirt…Pro-zero, I think.

I also had a hat and lightweight gloves, although I would have probably been fine without them.

All of this gear functioned perfectly.  I was warm and dry, and able to move comfortably.

Two key prices of gear did not work so well.  My headlamp and my shoes.

The first was user error.  Me simply not checking that it had adequate light before heading out the door.  It also wasn’t a big deal.  I would have liked more light, but for the most part I was able to feel my way around with what light the lamp did give out.

The shoes on the other hand just suck.  They are too old, too heavy, and too structured for long trail runs.  By the end of the run I felt as though my feet were bound in cement.  Not only because they were so heavy but also because I couldn’t run with a midfoot strike.  Instead every single step ended with my landing on my heel and sending jolts of pain into my knees and IT bands.

Dustin is becoming a barefoot evangelist after reading Born to Run, and while in the past I have seen minimalist shoes as a great training tool, I have also not considered them any sort of magic bullet.

The feeling in my arches and my knees have me rethinking that.  The plan is to buy a new pair of trail shoes tomorrow and hopefully say goodbye to an old pair of kicks.

On race day you won’t be able to control whether it is raining, snowing, or sunny.  You can hope for a light breeze and sixty five degrees all you want, but you might as well not worry about that.  There are only two things you can control come raceday; the quality of your training and the quality of your gear.

Don’t be a dummy…get some good gear and put in lots of miles on it.  Your body will thank you after each training session and years down the road.

Perley Wilder teases us.

I am still reeling from the amazing scenery on the Perley course.  Folks competing in this foot race will be running by grade A trout streams, grade C farmland, and grade B dogs.

I’ve been intending to get on with writing about the Perley course review, and yet here I am, struggling to express how great that run was which Sven and I ran more than two weeks ago.  I’ve edited some photos which I trust will be able to say more than my blabbering sentences, so here it is:

My wife, Lisa, jumped into the mix to get a run in.  She doesn’t do much trail running yet, but she said she would love to run out here every chance she had….less the dogs.  She loved the course simply because it is quiet (lack of motor vehicles), the scenery is amazing (even when your legs and lungs are burning), and your mind will escape your body .  These “romantic” photos do not indulge  some of the challenges you will encounter during your race, but they do provide a glimpse of the unique attributes of Southeast Minnesota, which will continue to draw you back time after time again.

Next up; James.

Meeting+Scouting

I headed down to Spring Valley today to attend a meeting with the Almanzo Crew and the Spring Valley Tourism Committee, as well as do some scouting.  The meeting cued me in on some great things that will be going on at Wilder Fest, of which I will elaborate upon as specifics become, well, more specific.  The most important item discussed today regarded the starting point of all the races.  In years past, the start and finish of the Almanzo 100 and Royal 162, and the projected start and finish of this year’s Wilder Foot Races, has been located at Kingsland High School. However, due to a school event, the start location has been moved just West of the high school to an undeveloped patch of land with an undeveloped patch of road.

OLD location

NEW Start/Finish location

I believe this location will be beneficial to the Wilder Fest events and will help create a better sense of temporary community or…gypsy athlete hangout.  As discussion with Spring Valley/Almanzo continues to progress, we will let you know exactly what and where things will be happening come May 18th, 19th, & 20th.

One thing is for sure, I plan on spending the entire weekend-plus down in Spring Valley and I hope you plan on doing the same.  The more time we get to spend together down there, the better life will be, period.

-Scouting-

I really enjoyed exploring more gravel roads in the vicinity and encountered some interesting spots, but the sights that excite me the most are signs like these:

and places like these:

You may or may not see any or all of these things during your race, but I will say that the further you go, the more you see!