4th of July, Big Trees CA

This is the view from my cabin window this morning:


Honestly, our family’s annual summer escape to the Sierra Nevadas couldn’t come at a better time; thus far, 2010 has been almost completely chaotic, with the craziness reaching a crescendo over the past couple of weeks. In light of that, this vacation is an opportune chance to catch our breath and reconnect with each other, while appreciating all the blessings our family enjoys.

I’ve got some plans in mind for what the week may bring, and a couple of epic-ish runs that I might report on a bit later … but then again, maybe I won’t. Above all else, our Sierra vacation gives us the freedom to do whatever we want to do – or more importantly, to not do whatever we don’t feel like doing. At this point, I have no idea which way things will go.

So the posts could be a bit sporadic around here for a while, and life looks to be approaching some transition points in the weeks to come. (Don’t worry – it’s nothing terrible. Just very different.) In the meantime, I’ll be relaxing with the family in the mountains, giving thanks for where life has brought us so far, and remaining optimistic for all that’s yet to come.

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SCAPE Sunblock Review

Today’s review starts with a confession: I almost never wear sunblock.

I know that violates a cardinal sin of outdoor athletes – not to mention dermatologists – but it’s always seemed like more hassle than it’s worth. I also benefit from having a relatively dark complexion (my Italian mother is beaming with pride right now) that makes me slightly less susceptible to sunburn during long days outdoors. I know that my genetic good fortune doesn’t protect me from risk of skin cancer, but that’s one of those medical dice rolls I feel comfortable making, at least for the time being.

On the other hand, in a classic example of “Do as I say and not as I do” parenting, I make my kids wear sunblock whenever they’re at the pool, beach, or long outdoor activities. So when I received an offer to test some new sunblock products, I knew exactly who my guinea pigs would be.


SCAPE – it stands for Skin Cancer Awareness Protection & Education – was developed by Dr. Nic Martens, a biochemistry PhD and accomplished endurance athlete who also happens to be one of the inventors of Neutrogena’s well-respected skin care products. This particular product line is a collaboration between Martens and Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander, and has been field tested by professional triathletes, surfers, runners, cyclists, and winter sports athletes at various stages of development prior to its launch in April 2010.

I’m not much of a biochemistry expert, but SCAPE claims to have an innovative polymer technology in their products that makes them unique in comparison to your everyday drug store sunblock. More specifically, SCAPE is reportedly five times more waterproof than any other product on the market, but still allows the skin to breathe for temperature regulation. It has an SPF of 50 with the highest UVA protection available, and is enriched with vitamin E and antioxidants to protect and nourish your skin. Best of all, it won’t clog your pores or rub off into your eyes.

Sounds pretty impressive, huh? You can see why I was so eager to try it – on my kids, that is.


I received three different products for testing: sunblock lotion, lip balm, and face stick. The sunblock has almost no aroma to it, and feels a bit less greasy to the touch than our usual Coppertone or Banana Boat stuff. Its water resistance seems pretty strong, but my kids did get a little bit pink after a long pool party recently, so I’d still recommend reapplying after a few hours of use.

SCAPE lip balm also has SPF 50, and has a pretty neutral scent and taste – not the overwhelming menthols or fruit tastes that most other brands force upon you. The only problem is that at the rate my girls go through lip balm, this could become a pretty expensive habit for them to pick up. But if you’re a grown up and can use it judiciously, it’s a very solid option.

I was probably most impressed by the face stick, primarily for it’s convenience of use. Normally when I apply sunscreen to the kids, I tell them to close and scrunch their eyes while I rub lotion from my palm onto all the little curves and bumps of their faces. The sun stick has a deodorant-style container, and glides smoothly (it reminds me a lot of BodyGlide, in fact) on the skin, giving the same UVA protection and SPF as the other products in this line.

Based on my lab sample of three kids, I’d say that each of these products is a strong option for outdoor athletes, with the lone caveat that the advertised water resistance doesn’t prevent you from having to reapply from time to time. They're a little more expensive than your average sunblock, but if you're smarter enough than me to take skin care seriously, they're definitely worth a try.

Aside from that, the hardest thing about using SCAPE might be finding it to purchase, as availability is still somewhat limited. The products are sold in a handful of specialty running and cycling shops, and the best online outlet is TriSports.com, where the 4-oz sunblock retails for $14.99, the lip balm for $3.50, and the face stick for $11.99.


*product provided by SCAPElabs
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

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GoLite BareTech Trail Running Shoe Preview

In conversations with several friends and fellow runners over the past year, I’ve declared that my best hope for the whole barefoot running craze would be a paradigm shift away from the over-built, over-engineered, over-corrective mentality which has been conventional wisdom in the shoe industry over the past few decades.

We don’t all have to be minimalists – but if we can collectively diminish our mindset that shoes need to fix our feet rather than just let them work naturally, that would be an enormous improvement. That’s why I’m always excited to see companies embrace the “less is more” philosophy, especially when they specifically target trail runners.

It shouldn’t really surprise anyone that GoLite has moved into this category, unless of course you’re currently saying, “Wait – GoLite makes shoes?” The company hasn’t traditionally had a huge impact on the running shoe market, but they’ve always been famous for lightweight, minimalist outdoor gear and apparel – so it seems like a natural extension for them to overhaul their footwear lineup with the same premise in mind.

Two products in particular look very interesting, which I’ll have the opportunity to test later this summer and winter. I’ll keep the descriptions brief for now, and save the detailed analysis for full reviews later.
The Amp Lite Trail Runner is intended as a long-distance trail runner. It uses something called BareTech technology, which is intended to complement your natural foot motion instead of trying to correct it.

I really appreciated that the GoLite rep intentionally pointed out to me that they are not true minimalist shoes, but they give the runner a neutral heel and allow the biomechanics of natural running. She said they’re ideally “designed for the barefoot runner who enjoys trail running.” And with that, I was hooked. The Amp Lite will be released this fall, and I’ll hopefully be testing them by the end of the summer.

But that’s really just the warmup for GoLite’s minimalist push, because next Spring, they’ll release this:
It’s called the Tara (as in Tarahumara, of course) Lite, which aims to take the best aspects of the classic huarache sandal and add some protection and traction while allowing the foot to function naturally. It reminds me a bit of Nike’s old-school Air Huarache, but about 10 times more advanced.

The Tara Lite is a “true trail race shoe for the elite outdoor athlete”. Despite that elite thing, they’re going to let me test a pair anyway sometime around the first of the year, in advance of the shoe’s release in Spring 2011.

GoLite is also applying their BareTech design to a whole line of running, hiking, trekking, and casual shoes for both men and women. If you want more information on these other styles, check out this great overview by Runblogger, and stay tuned here for reviews of the trail models as they become available.

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Soft Star RunAmoc Update; Soft Star Video Contest

Having recently eclipsed 500 miles on my Soft Star RunAmocs, I figured it was time for an update post soon. The timing also worked out well to talk about another pair of Soft Stars that has been my most heavily used shoe so far this summer. And just as I putting both of those ideas together, I received an e-mail from the company announcing a contest opportunity to win free mocs for life* (*well … most of it, anyway). All of which meant it was time to get going on the post.

This is also a good time to mention that I don’t just review complimentary pairs of Soft Stars that are given to me – I also spend my own actual money (shocking, I know) on shoes and slippers that have become my absolute favorites over the past year.

Soft Star RunAmoc, chocolate suede with road outsole

A good case in point is my chocolate suede RunAmocs, which I purchased with no intention of using as a running shoe. Rather, they’ve been my general all-purpose shoes just about every day over the spring and summer so far. I’ve worn them to restaurants and museums and amusement parks and college campuses, for shopping and hiking and even shooting baskets on the playground.


I consider them a perfect combination of minimalism (with just a 2mm outsole), durability, and comfort, and I also have to admit that I simply love the style of them. I know that the moccasin look isn’t for everyone – insert your elf or hobbit joke here – but there’s just something very native and "back to basics" about it that I find simply charming. And if that sounds like a little too much fondness for a pair of shoes, so be it.

Truth be told, I have an almost equal amount of love for my ventilated leather RunAmoc Lites that I use for – get this! – running. It’s no secret that I’ve tested a lot of minimalist running shoes around these parts, but time and again I find myself reaching for my RunAmocs before the longest or most ambitious runs. (The Evo is also very high on my list; those two have been duking it out quite a bit as my favorites lately.)

Soft Star RunAmoc trail soles after 500 miles

Sadly, after more than 500 miles, they’re starting to show signs of age. On the outsole, the heel areas have worn down to the point where I am definitely sacrificing some traction on really challenging terrain like steep hills with loose dirt, so I now have to be a little bit selective about where I wear them. I’ve also discovered a minor weakness in one particular portion of the upper, which I’ll describe in more detail in an upcoming post.

I have to say though, 500 miles is a very reasonable lifespan in my opinion; it certainly is comparable to the longevity of a standard pair of running shoes. It’s not quite on par with the durability of Vibram’s FiveFinger outsole, but both Vibram and VivoBarefoot have some structural integrity concerns that I’ll write about in the near future as well (Don’t worry - I’ll be sure to copy you).


For now, instead of replacing them, I’m just going to keep running in the pair I have – partly because I still prefer them to most other running shoes, and partly out of curiosity to see how much more I can beat them up before I finally feel like they’re unusable.

*
And now for the contest: Soft Star is marking its 25th anniversary this year, and they’re celebrating by conducting a sweepstakes that doubles as a community video project.

Here’s the deal: create and submit a short (20 seconds to 3 minutes) video portrait that meets two criteria:

1) Includes a single written word that describes how it feels to wear Soft Star shoes, and

2) Answers the question, “Where have your Soft Star shoes taken you?”

The winner will receive one $60 gift certificate per year for 20 years. While it’s not exactly a trip to Mont-Blanc, it’s certainly enough to keep you supplied with my favorite moccasins for a very, very long time. And you’ll make your feet extremely happy.

Better yet, your chances of winning this contest are pretty good. How good? Consider this line from an e-mail the company sent out earlier this month:

You have an EXCELLENT chance of winning the grand prize: No one has sent anything in yet despite the contest being out since April! We are looking forward to seeing the faces of many of our customers from around the world.

Obviously, the contest favors people who are already Soft Star owners. There’s still a lot of time left, though, so you could potentially go shopping for a pair now and enter the contest before the August 15th deadline. Or maybe you could borrow a pair from a friend and try your luck. Whatever you decide, click here for full contest details.

I have a video idea in mind that I might enter; the only question is whether I’ll ever have time to actually go out and film it. If not, I’ll keep racking up the miles on the Soft Stars I already have, running and walking and slipper-ing to my heart’s content.

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Buona Notte

Long day. Crazy week. Oh, wait - there's one more day to go; make that a long, crazy week.

If that weren't bad enough, my beloved Azzurri were unceremoniously bounced from the World Cup today.

He looks the way I feel; photo courtesy bild.com

I sat down to start a post tonight ... but I'd rather just go to bed, and hope tomorrow will be better.

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Nathan HPL 020 Hydration Vest Review Update

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.”
- Jim Collins, Good to Great

It’s unclear to me whether the folks at Nathan purposely had the tenets of Jim Collins in the backs of their minds this spring, or whether they just happened to prove his point accidentally. Good to Great (subtitled Why Some Companies Make the Leap, and Others Don't) describes how truly outstanding companies don’t settle for performance that’s “good enough”; they are constantly looking for ways – either through personnel, operational efficiency, innovation, technology, creativity, and various other means – to make their situations better.

And this might sound like an unusual way to begin a product review, until you consider that the product in question is Nathan’s HPL 020.

Nathan HPL 020

When I first reviewed the pack last spring, I showered it with praise in everything from its feather-light overall weight to its comfortable vest-style design to the highly convenient front pockets and generous rear storage space. (And rather than re-hashing all of that here, I’ll just refer you to last year’s post if you’d like to review the whole thing.) It was one of my two favorite packs last year, and it pretty much came down to a coin flip between the 020 and Ultimate Direction’s Wasp in deciding which one to wear at the Western States 100 last summer.

HPL 020; front view with multiple pockets

Clearly, it was a very good pack, but there were a couple of small issues that prevented it from being a truly great one. The main difficulty I had was dealing with the fluid reservoir, which had a somewhat small twist-top opening, and an occasionally tricky bite valve mechanism. So when I heard that the pack was being updated this year with an improved reservoir, I knew that was a game-changing factor that could potentially eliminate any doubt about which hydration pack would be my top choice for ultrarunners.

Nathan turned to its partner Hydrapak, a company that’s made very impressive strides of its own in the last few years, to update the fluid reservoir of the HPL 020. Hydrapak responded with a top of the line 70-oz reservoir that’s not only super durable, but incredibly easy to use. Basically, it’s a fluid container that’s as tough as the rest of the vest.

Old HPL 020 reservoir on L, new reservoir on R

How’s this for durability? The new reservoir is made from thermoplastic polyurethane, the same stuff they use to make whitewater rafts. It’s puncture and abrasion resistant, and can expand to eight times its original length without bursting. The entire delivery mechanism – reservoir to tube to bite valve – has a lifetime guarantee against leakage.

From a convenience standpoint, Hydrapak’s reservoir features a fold and slide closure, with a molded clip clamping the top of the bladder shut to prevent leaks. It’s a very simple two-step process to open and close, and the opening is much wider and easier to access than the old screw-top mechanism of the previous model.

The best thing about Hydrapak’s reservoir is that its rectangular shape and full-width opening make it completely reversible. No more stuffing towels into a narrow opening or hanging your pack beside the sink for two days; with the new bladder, you just wash it, flip it inside out, and wipe the whole thing dry. This feature alone is enough to tip the scales for me in favor of the 020 over any other challengers.

Reservoir turned completely inside out, with tube detached

In my field testing over the past couple of months, Hydrapak seems to have improved the bite valve mechanism a bit as well. It’s easier to pull out and push in than I recall from last year’s pack, and I haven’t experienced the annoyance of the rubber cap sliding off the valve entirely, as I did occasionally last year. Maybe I’m just more alert for that possibility this time around – but if I had to guess, I’d say there was a spot of re-engineering here as well.

[*Update: Hydrapak's reversible reservoir now comes equipped with a surge valve, which is angled differently and provides a higher flow volume than the previous design. Some commenters below indicated quirks with the old valve (which I haven't experienced myself); the Surge valve was designed to fix those problems, and is now included with all new HPL 020 vests.]

Aside from the fluid reservoir, the HPL 020 is exactly the same for 2010 as it was last year – which is to say, it’s still pretty flippin’ awesome. If you’re a dedicated ultrarunner looking for the perfect pack to power you through those long training runs and races, you really can’t do better than this. With this upgrade, Nathan’s HPL 020 has successfully made the leap from good to great.

The updated Nathan HPL 020 is available at an incredibly sweet discount price of $56 from Amazon.com.


*Product provided by Nathan Sports
*See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.


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Merrell Goes Barefoot!

If you’re a minimalist trail runner, the following might represent some kind of dream scenario:

1) An established, well-respected gear company known for its comfortable, durable footwear fully commits itself to not just a single minimalist style, but a whole series of options for a variety of outdoor activities, and …

2) That company has a partnership with the preeminent manufacturer of high-performance outsoles in the world.

If that’s the case, last week’s announcement from Merrell and Vibram was certainly a dream come true.

Several websites (such as FeedTheHabit.com, which has the whole press release) have reported on the new Merrell Barefoot line, billed as “minimalist, lightweight, versatile and efficient footwear,” and scheduled for release in February 2011. Merrell has a longstanding relationship with Vibram, whose CEO Tony Post is “excited to extend the benefits of barefoot alternatives in the outdoors.”

Post’s endorsement is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First is that Merrell Barefoot doesn’t necessarily represent a threat to Vibram’s market share or stature in the minimalist community; rather, it's a sign that the community is growing and diversifying to such an extent that there's room enough for everyone. To minimalist fans, this is great news – because the more options we have, the more likely we are to find that “perfect” design that works best for us.

The second thing Post’s remark indicates is that this isn’t simply a company calling something minimal just because it’s the trendy thing to do. Vibram knows what true minimalist shoes are, and they wouldn’t be promoting Merrell’s new offerings as barefoot alternatives if they weren’t the real deal.

From this point, I’ll let pictures tell the rest of the story. Merrell provided me with some images of the new models, which I’ve combined with brief descriptions from the press release below:


Men’s Trail Glove: an athletic trail runner for a close-to-terrain ride. Mesh and synthetic leather upper.



Men’s True Glove: a streamlined, all-terrain multi-sport shoe for scrambling across creeks and crags with natural ease. Mesh and synthetic leather upper.


Men’s Tough Glove: Tough to see details due to the color, but this is a foot-conforming soft leather model, with versatility for wearing around town or into a spontaneous game of Ultimate Frisbee (seriously, it says that).


Women’s Pace Glove: a low-profile trail runner with breathable mesh upper.


Women’s Power Glove: ankle-high design with Velcro closures for multi-purpose on- or off-trail activity.


Women’s Pure Glove: a super low-profile Lycra mesh Mary Jane for multi-purpose activity.

At first glance, the lineup looks pretty impressive – and having two companies with such an established track record involved is quite reassuring from a quality and performance standpoint. Until they’re released, however, we’ll all just have to speculate about how they'll measure up. In the meantime, check out Merrell’s blog for more information, and hopefully you can check back here in 2011 for first looks and reviews of these very promising new models.

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