GoLite Micro Lite Women's Running Shoe Review

A quick announcement before today’s post: you’ve got two more days to pick up my Running Life book at a 20% discount. Of course, you’re still more than welcome to buy it after November 14th – it will just cost you a few bucks more. Visit the book website here and click the PayPal button at top right to grab your copy.

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As a product tester, one of the things I appreciate about GoLite Footwear is that they’re an equal opportunity supplier. More specifically, as I researched their BareTech shoe line earlier this fall on behalf of my wife, and discovered that the Amp Lite shoes I reviewed were mainly geared toward men, they were happy to provide the women’s equivalent for my wife to test.

GoLite Micro Lite

That shoe is the Micro Lite, a fairly lightweight (9.0 oz) trail runner with all the technology features of the Amp Lite, as well as some inherent design modifications that are more suitable for female runners. In other words, the Micro is just as well-built as the Amp, but a little more svelte and eloquently designed – which, come to think of it, is a fair metaphor for the comparison of women to men in general, right?

Like the Amp, the Micro is geared towards runners in one of two categories: 1) those who are transitioning from traditional running shoes towards minimalist footwear, or 2) those who like to combine some benefits of natural running with the comfort and/or security of a traditional shoe. Its most distinguishing performance features are in the midsole: a zero-drop design that provides a flat platform to promote midfoot striking, and Soft Against the Ground technology that puts the firmer EVA close to the foot and the softer stuff underneath (see more details in my Amp review). Midsole height of the Micro is 16mm, compared to 20mm for the Amp.

Leather and mesh upper with easy, stable lacing system

Other technologies are carried over from the Amp, such as the PreciseFit footbed system that allows users to customize the roominess of the toebox, a synthetic leather and closed-mesh upper with abrasion-resistant toe and heel reinforcement, and an internal lacing system with a TPE cage that surrounds your midfoot area to keep the foot secure on all types of terrain. The lacing system is actually an improvement over the Amp, which uses a strange crossover pattern that is somewhat cumbersome at times; by comparison, the Micro’s traditional lace pattern is a breeze to secure.

Paw Pad outsole with GripStick rubber

Although my wife has used them as a hybrid for both on- or off-road running, the Micro is designed as a trail shoe, with outsole technologies like “Paw Pad” wedge-shaped construction for enhanced traction, and GripStick rubber for increased overall durability and improved stability on slick surfaces.

Most of the gender-specific distinctions of the Micro are built into in the last, which is contoured with a narrower heel and a slightly tighter instep than the Amp. Many footwear companies just downsize their men’s last to build the women’s model upon, but GoLite uses an entirely different shape to ensure optimum fit. The last is also posted 3mm on the medial side, which is 1mm greater than the Amp, and allows for improved alignment of the hips, knees, and ankles. (Biomechanically speaking, the angles between pelvis, knees, and feet are different for women than for men – but that’s a whole different discussion.)

My wife has logged well over 100 miles on her Micros, and has generally been very pleased with them on both roads and trails. She confirms that the ankle fit is noticeably more snug than other running shoes she’s used, but is very comfortable and keeps debris out quite effectively. She says the uppers and lacing system keep her feet securely in place on all but the steepest downhills. One drawback of the upper is that the ratio of leather to mesh is very high, which is helpful to keep trail dust and debris out, but doesn’t ventilate nearly as well as her traditional road trainers.

Most critically, considering the category of this shoe, is that she reports it’s very easy to run flat-footed in the Micro, and that it’s been a great transitional shoe as she's moving towards more minimal footwear. Perhaps by the time GoLite’s purely minimal Tara Lite (see preview here) comes out in the spring, she’ll be ready for it.

I concluded my Amp Lite review by saying it was a compelling shoe for the particular population niche it serves – and considering that the gender specific modifications of the Micro are all improvements, this female version is an even more attractive option for women venturing towards natural running. It's also 10 dollars cheaper: GoLite’s Micro Lite retails for $100 with free overnight shipping from Endless.com as well as other online vendors.


*Product provided by GoLite Footwear
** 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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Zion Rim to Rim Run Report

“I can't believe that we would lie in our graves wondering if we had spent our living days well –
I can't believe that we would lie in our graves dreaming of things that we might have been.”
- Dave Matthews Band, “Lie in Our Graves” (video after post)


This really isn’t the kind of thing I normally do.

I mean … OK, yes – going on a long, crazy run somewhere and taking a bunch of pictures for a ridiculously lengthy report actually is something I’ve done with increasing frequency, but this particular case still managed to bend a lot of the rules. When it comes to traveling across three states, or leaving my family behind for a weekend just so I can have a childlike faraway adventure, that’s not something I typically (or for that matter, want to) make a habit of doing.

But this particular adventure was different. It was in Zion National Park, which I’ve heard about for years but never visited. All of the logistics, including transportation and course support, were arranged by Stacy at Wilderness Running Company, meaning I’d never have an easier opportunity to enjoy such an epic run; basically, all I had to do was get my butt to Southern Utah with a pair of running shoes, and he took care of everything else.

Finally – and this may be a symptom of my getting older – I’ve had this increasing notion recently that I shouldn’t let great opportunities like this pass me by. I don’t want to look back someday and wonder if I spent my living days appreciating the world around me, the blessings I’ve been given, or the people who shared the journey – and I don’t want to wistfully dream of things that might have been.

So that’s how I found myself in a rented van with five other people, driving in the dark to a remote trailhead on the western side of Zion National Park last Saturday morning. It’s also a good launching point for our photo report.

(And as usual, click to enlarge any of these pics - they're much better that way.)


The plan for four of us (two others were doing a shorter option) was to do a 32-mile “mini-traverse” of the park: climb to the West Rim, plunge down 3000’ to the valley floor, then drag ourselves up and over the East Rim to the park’s opposite boundary. It had the makings of a long day, which is why we started at first light. And when I mentioned all of the arrangements that Stacy made beforehand, I forgot to mention the killer sunrise he ordered for us. I thought that was a nice touch.


We set out from an area called Wildcat Canyon, which had a nice variety of rolling terrain …


… before starting a long steady climb toward the West Rim. The average elevation along this stretch was more than 7000’, which might have explained why I was getting a little bit short of breath …

… or maybe it was simply the breathtaking views we started seeing off to our right.



The geologic diversity of Zion is evident right off the bat: some landmarks are flattened, some are eroded into cones, others are jagged and irregular. Some are deep red, others are light brown or stark white. And whatever the variety, they’re all quite mesmerizing.


The landmarks also rise up quite steeply from the valley floor, as our occasional glimpses of the canyon below demonstrated clearly.


Our “Fab Four” group for the day consisted of me, Gretchen, Stacy, and Jamie. The girls are both outstanding ultrarunners, but thankfully this was a “no egos” run from the very first step, so they were happy to slow down to hang with the guys. In fact, calling our pace “casual” is something of an understatement; is there a term for “moving at a comfortable pace for everyone, taking walking breaks whenever the conversation gets really good, and stopping at every scenic spot for extended gawking and photo sessions”? If so … that’s the word to describe our group’s mentality on the run.


Continuing along the rim, we enjoyed some great views of Phantom Valley …


… before starting a very long descent down to Zion's floor.


This canyon is an almost acoustically perfect echo chamber; we probably spent more time than we needed to bouncing our “Woo-Hoo!”s off the rock walls on three sides of us, but it was a very cool effect. And, as I mentioned, it’s not like we were in a hurry or anything.


Much of the footing in Zion is significantly more challenging than what I’ve experienced in California; at various points we encountered sharply jagged lava rock, steeply sloped granite faces, or large, loosely packed rocks like the ones pictured here. It was a significant challenge with the minimalist footwear I wore (revealed shortly) – but aside from paying closer attention than usual to the irregularities underfoot, I didn’t have any shoe-related problems all day long …


… especially when the trail opened up to an exposed rock face that predictably turned into another goofing-around photo spot.


We still had a lot of downhill to cover, however, and it became harder and harder to keep our eyes on the trail …


… when we started getting glimpses of the Zion Valley floor in the distance below.


This is Angels Landing, a half-mile detour off the main trail, and one of the most ominous yet popular tourist destinations in Zion. You reach the top by climbing across the narrow spine of the rock …


… which, as this sign will inform you, has resulted in more than a few people falling to their deaths. The death sign didn’t seem to faze anybody, however, as this rock was literally crawling with hikers – by this point including Gretchen and me.


Your route up to the landing consists mainly of a length of chain set into the rock …


… and it’s up to you to make your way around the lollygaggers as you work your way up the narrow spine. The two-way traffic that shares a single chain along this stretch has the potential to get fairly congested …


… but the views at the top are definitely worth it, whether you’re sharing them with a good friend …


… or just contemplating the world while your feet dangle over the edge. Two other points are worth mentioning about this picture:

1) Those are my shoes, the VivoBarefoot Evo II, which I’ll be formally reviewing here in a few weeks. It’s a high compliment to say I had absolutely no hesitation in using them on what I knew would be a highly technical, extremely challenging, potentially dangerous outing like this – and a high endorsement to report that they performed wonderfully. Also …

2) Remember “Lie in Our Graves”, the DMB song that introduced this post? Another verse from it asks “Would you not like to be/ Sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free?” So it’s not much of a surprise that it got stuck in my head for the rest of the run.


We still had many miles to cover, however, so we made our way back down the steep slope of Angel’s Landing …


… and Walter’s Wiggles, perhaps the most famous set of switchbacks in America …


… and all the way down the serpentine plunge that looked more like a water park slide than a trail sometimes. This was probably the most enjoyable part of the run, because we were cruising smoothly downhill …


… into beautiful Zion Canyon, where the fall colors were just starting to pop …


… and directly to an enormous lunch spread that Stacy and his wife had set up for us. Since the day was all about being mellow, we didn't treat this as a typical ultra aid station stop; we made full sandwiches, had chips and drinks and other snacks, and sat around for at least a half-hour talking about all the sights we had seen thus far. It was one of those moments you wish could last forever, but we knew it couldn’t …


… because we still had to climb back up and over this thing before our run was finished.


So eventually we shuffled away from the lunch table and headed about 1 mile up the road …


… and began the long trek up the East Rim trail, which started with a solid five miles of steep uphill.


The colors in this area of the park were brilliant, which was a nice distraction …


… from the fact that this trail was pretty much kicking all of our butts.


About halfway up the climb, you take your last look into Zion Canyon …


… before entering a seriously narrow section of trail carved by a very thin but extremely determined creek in the depths below.


Once we exited the canyon, I was glad Gretchen and Stacy were in front of me, because I had no idea where the trail went from here. Long stretches were essentially a random scramble across the sandstone …


… which served a s brief reprieve from the lung-burning steepness of the top portion of the climb.


The final uphill miles took their toll on me, and by the time I reached the 3-mile downhill stretch towards the East Rim trailhead, my legs were feeling fairly beat up. I ran these miles alongside Gretchen, who earlier in the day had explained how she intentionally slows down in the final miles of long runs like this, just to make the experience last a little bit longer. She was running slow to stretch out the moment; I was running slow because I didn’t have any choice. We made a good team that way.

I have to say that I understood what Gretchen meant, though …


… because once I saw the trailhead marking the end of the run, I had this brief flash of disappointment – Wait - it’s over? – followed by a sudden urge to remember as many details of the last 10 hours as I could.


So of course, I kept taking pictures – such as this one of the happy group at trail’s end …


… or this gaggle of like-minded shutterbugs gathered at a bridge on the main road out of the park. They weren’t ultrarunners – just photography geeks setting up to capture the sights around them …


… such as the Virgin River bending through the valley below …


… or the rock called The Watchman soaking up the last beams of the sunset high above. Darkness eventually settled on him, as it did on us, and we had to be on our way.

The Watchman would wake up to another day in Zion tomorrow; the rest of us had to be content with the one that we just finished. Fortunately, it was a day spent as well as I could have possibly hoped from every standpoint: beautiful autumn weather, an amazing run in an incredible park, and a wonderful experience with people who could appreciate it all just as much as I did.

Whether it all happens again remains to be seen, but I’m more than happy that I grabbed this opportunity, so I don’t have to wonder anymore what might have been.

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Dave Matthews Band, "Lie in Our Graves", live in Chicago (click to play):



*See other photo tours under tab at top of page.

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The Running Life Book Release (and Discount!)

A couple of administrative notes before today’s post …

1) Apologies for skipping the standard Random Shots of Beauty weekend post. The past three days were something of an experiment, as I wanted to see if I could go completely unplugged for a while. The good news is that I only had about half the number of anxiety attacks I anticipated; the bad news is that by midday today I had the same kind of tension headache I get whenever I try to limit my caffeine intake. Fortunately, it wasn’t anything a couple of Advil couldn’t handle – so I’m considering the experiment a marginal success.

2) Speaking of the weekend: it was amazing. A small group of us ran to our heart’s content in Zion National Park, thanks in large part to Stacy at Wilderness Running Company, who bent over backwards to plan all the logistics, make all the necessary arrangements, and provide all of the support we needed down to the very last detail. All the rest of us had to do was show up and run – and I’ll have that report later this week.

In the meantime, if you haven’t done so already, keep WRC in your bookmarks for the next time you need trail running gear (and if you buy anything, remember my coupon code R&R10). Stacy’s good people, and his company is 100% committed to serving customers who are passionate about trail running. I kind of always knew that, but this weekend eliminated any shadow of a doubt.

As for today’s post, it’s one that’s been in the works for a while …

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They’re here! At long last, The Running Life is available as a real-life, good-old-fashioned paperback book – and for the next week, you can get it at a discounted price.

The Running Life book!

Mike and I announced the book’s release in our newspaper column last week, and that article follows below. But if you’re the type who prefers to skip the window shopping in favor of just grabbing what you want and checking out, I’ve got you covered: simply click here to jump to the book's website, and click the PayPal button at top right to get your copy.

Otherwise, you can proceed to the article that provides a brief synopsis of the book, then click any of the links that will take you either to our dedicated Running Life website for direct purchases, or to the book’s Amazon.com pages. (For the record, it's cheaper from our website, and we make a higher percentage from direct sales - but honestly, the site you choose to buy from doesn’t matter to me one bit; I’m equally grateful either way.) The PayPal method has a section for special instructions to the seller, so if you've inquired about signed copies or other requests, that's the way to do it, and I'm more than happy to comply.

The timing of the release happens to coincide nicely with next weekend’s Big Sur Half Marathon, so we made some arrangements with the race and with our local running shop to share a booth and sell our book at a 20% discount for race participants. We’re extending that same offer to everybody, so from now through November 13th, you can get the exact same discount without running a step. But if for some reason you happen to find yourself in Monterey next weekend, feel free to stop by the Conference Center and say hi. I’ll be the guy wearing the moccasins.

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Running Life 11/4/10 “The Running Life Book”

It seems hard to believe that we’ve had this column for more than six years; you could say the time has sort of raced past us.

We hope to continue for many years to come – but in the meantime, we thought it was time to take a look back at all the roads and trails we’ve traveled thus far, and compile them into a collection we can share with everybody.

The result is The Running Life: Wisdom and Observations From a Lifetime of Running, our new book which was officially released this week. It's effectively a "greatest hits" collection of our writing over the course of six years, organized into sections that represent the topics we most frequently write about: the benefits of running, basic training guidelines, inspirational stories and motivational boosts, social commentary, and accounts of our running and racing adventures.

Click photo to go to book webpage

Our goals in starting this column back in 2004 were to promote the sport of running in Monterey County, be an informative resource for runners, and give non-runners a glimpse of what the running life is all about. The content of the book reflects this as well: whether you are an advanced runner, a novice, or even a non-athlete, we’re confident that you’ll find something in this collection that you’ll enjoy.

Much of our writing has a local focus, but the articles in the book have been revised to be applicable to anybody, anywhere. However, we haven’t lost our appreciation for the best of what’s around us – in fact, there’s a special 40-page section on the Big Sur Marathon and Half-Marathons featuring all our coverage of the events over the years, and training advice for runners who hope to complete those events someday.

It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that there’s a fair amount of silliness as well, as a healthy portion of our columns are only peripherally about running. Letters to Santa, Wizard of Oz metaphors, sexual activity of Olympians, Kenny Rogers lyrics … you’ll find it all in the book. There’s even an article that was deemed too scandalous to print in the Herald – and no, it’s not the sex one. You’ll just have to read and guess for yourself.

While publishing a book is a nice accomplishment for us, we recognize that it never would have happened without an enormous amount of support from multiple allies. Sports editors Dave Kellogg and Scott Forstner have been extremely supportive of our efforts – really now, how many newspapers even have a running column? – and the Monterey Peninsula running community has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement for us. And obviously, our families deserve some kind of medal for putting up with our nonsense all these years, but that should go without saying.

The Running Life can be purchased directly from our website at www.montereyrunninglife.com. It is also available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions, as well as Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers. To celebrate the release, and in conjunction with next weekend’s Big Sur Half-Marathon, the book is being sold for 20% off the cover price (on website or in person only, not on Amazon.com) from now through race day on November 13th.

You can also look for us at the Big Sur Half-Marathon race expo next weekend, where we are sharing a booth with The Treadmill running store to sell the books in person. We look forward to meeting you there, hearing about your plans for race weekend, and sharing a few stories of our own.

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On the Zion Train

"Oh children, Zion train is comin' our way - get on board now!
They said the Zion train is comin' our way -
You got a ticket, so thank the Lord!"
- Bob Marley and the Wailers, "Zion Train" (video after post)

If you want to get specific about it, it's really a Zion plane that I'm getting on today, but the feel-good vibe is exactly the same.

I'll be spending most of Saturday scampering around Zion National Park, thanks in large part to the unbelievable support of Wilderness Running Company in making all the arrangements for a small group of like-minded souls to enjoy some epic trail running. I've never seen the park before, but I'm pretty certain I'll find something to my liking.

Needless to say, a full report will follow next week. Until then, I've got my ticket, and I thank the Lord.

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Video disclaimer: the exact lyrics above are from the studio version of the song, but they aren't in the concert clip below. When you've got a chance to include a live Bob Marley classic, you don't worry about the details.

Bob Marley and the Wailers, "Zion Train" (click to play):

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Soft Star Phoenix Boot Review

My wife tends to be the reasonable, rational one in the family – which is a pretty nice thing, considering how unreasonable and irrational the rest of us typically are. So when she starts raving about something she bought and tells me, You have to do a review of these, I know there must be a pretty compelling reason for it.

In this case, the trigger was a pair of Soft Star Phoenix boots she grabbed when last season’s models were on sale at the end of summer. She hadn’t worn them for an hour before I started hearing things like, I really like these a lot, or these are awesome, or I’m really happy with these. All that in addition to the one she eventually told me multiple times: You HAVE to review these.

So, OK … I’m reviewing them.

Soft Star Phoenix boot

I can’t say that I know a whole lot about boots, but here’s what I know about Soft Star: all of their products are handcrafted in the USA with premium leathers, and the sheepskin lining of my Roo slippers is insanely comfortable and cozy. Their outdoor models have durable and flexible Vibram outsoles that allow your feet to bend and function as if you were barefoot. The Phoenix boot combines all of these features: leather uppers and suede cuffs, fully lined with sheepskin all the way into the footbed, with a rugged outsole that’s ideal for winter cold and slush.

Here’s what my wife knows about boots: if you get the right pair, they are an ideal multi-purpose option for lounging around the house, doing errands, or going out on the town. She’s been a loyal Ugg user for years, has also been a fan of a similarly-designed Merrell boot, and wanted to check out the Phoenix because the styling of it was so appealing. She also figured (correctly, of course) that the real leather upper would stay cleaner much better than Ugg's suede. I don’t know if she expected them to vault to the top of her favorites list, but that’s exactly what happened.

Thick Vibram outsole, but flat and flexible

So now she’s essentially glued into her Phoenix boots, which has the nice collateral benefit of transitioning her towards more natural foot function; she’s gradually moving down the path of natural/minimal footwear, and the Phoenix is a big improvement over other lined boots with arch supports, elevated heels, or a slope from heel to toe. By minimalist standards, the outsole is pretty thick at 13mm, but it’s completely flat and flexible – and when it comes to winter boots, this is about as natural as you can get.

Sheepskin bliss

It’s also pretty obvious that the Phoenix looks to be super warm and crazy comfortable. The entire boot is lined with genuine sheepskin which is a natural heat regulator, and the sheepskin footbed is removable if you prefer it that way. My wife noted that the cuff is cut slightly narrower on these boots than on her Uggs, which effectively keeps the sheepskin closer against the leg. This is probably the reason she says the Phoenix boots keep her feet warmer than Uggs as well.

Because of the thick sheepskin lining, my wife points out that the initial fit of the boots feels fairly snug when sized properly, but the sheepskin gradually packs down to a nice comfortable size that maintains contact with your skin without being restricting. And as I mentioned earlier, it didn’t take her very long at all to settle into these and decide that they were the most comfortable boots she’s ever worn. They remain comfortable even after long days on her feet, thanks in large part to the flexible outsole which is a pleasant contrast to her Uggs, which she says are very stiff by comparison.

(One more note about these boots that's neither here nor there: apparently when my wife wore them with shorts one day, our 6-year-old daughter told her "You look like a teenager." We've decided to interpret that as a compliment.)

So what would she recommend for improvement? The Phoenix boot only comes in one cuff height, and my wife suggested that a taller option would be nice (Apparently that’s the style now – I just take her word for these things). Also, there’s only one color option – chocolate leather upper with brown cuff – available on the website, and even though Soft Star does custom orders on the Phoenix as it does with all of its models, they don’t take exchanges or returns on custom Phoenix orders.

At $225 from the company website, Soft Star’s Phoenix boots don’t come cheap, but this is a case where you get the quality - of materials, construction, and comfort - you pay for. There’s a popular sports expression derived from boxing: in order to become the champ, you have to knock out the current champ. In our house, the Phoenix boot has knocked out the Ugg, and will reign through the winter as the undisputed champion.


*Product NOT provided by Soft Star – purchased independently.
** 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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