Natural Running Book Review and Giveaway

Shortly after reviewing the Newton Terra Momentus shoe last fall, I received an advance copy of the book Natural Running by Newton cofounder Danny Abshire. That book is now available to the public, and I have an additional copy to give away at the end of this post - but first, the review.


I have to admit that I was intrigued to hear what Abshire had to say about the whole barefoot and minimalist running phenomenon, because his business and professional background sometimes seems at odds with the underlying philosophy of barefoot activity. Before starting Newton Running, he spent many years making custom orthotics for athletes in a variety of sports, ostensibly to ensure a level position and proper balance of the lower extremities regardless of what type of footwear was used. And Newton has made its mark in the endurance sports community by straddling the two often-disparate worlds of natural foot motion and high-tech shoe construction.

So what exactly is natural running? Is it the science of correcting and augmenting the position and motion of our feet towards a certain set of objective parameters (weight distribution, center of balance location, lower leg geometry, and so on)? Or is it the willingness to let go of all the science and conventional wisdom of the modern shoe era and let your feet function as if they were completely unencumbered? And was this simply going to be a 170-page advertisement for Newton shoes? Those were some of the questions I had before starting the book.

With those thoughts in mind, Natural Running is a very interesting read. Abshire – along with contributor Brian Metzler, who has written extensively about barefoot running for Running Times and Outside magazines – explains the basic biomechanics of midfoot and forefoot running, and how the modern running shoe has progressively prohibited runners from practicing this technique. He presents a nice synopsis of how the conventional wisdom of running shoe design has evolved over the past four decades, and how recent biomechanics studies are causing the entire industry to rethink everything they thought they understood about how their products contribute to performance and injury prevention.

More than anything, though, this is an instruction manual for how to give up your heel-striking habit and learning to run more forward on your feet. If you think of Chris McDougall’s Born to Run (see my review of that book) as the battle cry for running naturally, consider Abshire’s book the field manual. He emphasizes proper posture, forward weight shifting, and the correct positioning your center of gravity, which in turn leads to a shorter stride length and correct foot strike. In addition to detailed explanations, the book is filled with multiple photos and diagrams that make the concepts of natural running form very easy to understand.

Abshire’s approach is fairly conservative, which is generally a good thing, with several reminders to adjust your running pattern gradually and to progress from traditional to minimalist footwear in small doses. From my standpoint he’s a little overcautious when it comes to true barefoot running – for example, recommending that you get your feet screened by a doctor to determine whether they’re they right “type” to run barefoot – but I wholeheartedly agree with his assertion that you get virtually all of the biomechanical benefits from a good pair of minimalist footwear as you do going barefoot.

Speaking of footwear, let’s return to one of those questions I had to start with: whether Natural Running was mainly an extended promotional brochure for Newton shoes. To his credit, Abshire keeps his bias towards Newton fairly well-contained, with his emphasis strictly on natural running form, without much regard to the kind of shoes you’re wearing. Of course, most people (myself included) will tell you it’s a heck of a lot easier to do this with minimalist footwear, but Abshire essentially leaves this decision up to you.

As an instruction guide, I was fairly impressed with how extensively and effectively Natural Running makes the case for changing your running form away from heel striking and toward midfoot or forefoot striking. I’ve already sent my copy of the book into circulation among my fellow training partners, and I’m happy to be able to offer an additional copy to one reader as well. Leave a comment below this post, and I’ll pick one random winner to receive a free copy of Natural Running, with the winner announced this weekend.

Otherwise, the book is now available in bookstores, and for $13 from Amazon.com as well as other online booksellers.

*Book provided by Backbone Media
**See other book reviews on sidebar at right.

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CamelBak Groove Winner; La Sportiva Hobnail Giveaway; Random Shots of Beauty

Have you ever reached into the pocket of a jacket you haven't worn for a while and discovered a little bit of money there? Well, that's sort of what happened to me this week - except instead of money, I found something leftover to give away. I'll explain more in a second.

But first, let's get the CamelBak Groove bottle winner announcement out of the way: Toshi Moshi, e-mail me your contact info - you've won! Thanks as always to everyone who played, and special thanks to CamelBak for sponsoring the giveaway.

Now for the surprise giveaway: you know how there's that little pile of stuff in the corner of your bedroom that you're meaning to do something with someday, but never seem to get around to it? (Because everyone has a pile like that, right? Um ... right?) Well, this week I finally got around to going through my stuff, which tends to contain a lot of gear that I'm preparing to test and review. That's when I found a leftover La Sportiva Hobnail kit that came with my Crossover GTX shoes, which went unused since we don't see a whole lot of ice or snow here in coastal California.

Since there's still a decent amount of winter left in most parts of the country, I figure I should give them away to someone who can put them to good use. If you're interested, leave a comment below and I'll pick a winner at random. I want to make sure they go to a good home, though, so include the city you live in with your comments - and if you live in a place like San Diego or South Florida, go ahead and sit this one out. I'll announce the winner in a separate post on Tuesday night, and drop the hobnails in the mail by the end of next week.

*
On to this weekend's Random Shot of Beauty: I took it last weekend, on our family's second consecutive beach weekend in this wonderfully pleasant January. Obviously, the ocean has an incomparable majesty to it, but in my mind it's only the second most beautiful thing in this photo - right behind my 9-year-old daughter:


You all can have your winter weather. I'll take the beach and a beautiful girl any day.

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Patagonia Advocate Moccasin Review

In his wonderful autobiography Let My People Go Surfing, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard explains how the design of his company’s gear and apparel will never be dictated simply by fashion trends. Instead, it is created to serve the performance needs of a specifically targeted group of outdoor enthusiasts – rock climbers, skiers, hikers, windsurfers, etc – and if the general population coincidentally latches onto a particular product because of its styling, so much the better.

Patagonia Advocate

With that in mind, it should be pointed out that the company introduced their Advocate moccasin last year as “the ultimate travel shoe”: a lightweight accessory that is easily stowed in a backpack or camp bag, to be used as a comfy post-activity slipper after removing your feet from ski boots or hiking shoes. However, the “coincidental” group that should be latching onto it is the minimalist footwear crowd, because Patagonia has quietly captured what many of us are looking for: comfort, durability, and outstanding ground feel in a style that’s perfectly capable of all-purpose everyday use. All in a shoe that weighs less than 5 ounces. Sounds pretty great, right?

Ultra lightweight and super flexible

As you should expect from Patagonia, the benefit of these shoes extends beyond the consumer: the Advocate moccasin is part of the company’s 1% For the Planet program, which directs a percentage of certain product sales to various environmental protection programs. So buying a pair is good for you, and good for the planet - but for now we’ll focus on you, or rather, what Patagonia’s Advocate provides you.

Like any good moccasins, the Advocate is a model of simplicity: a synthetic leather upper with stretch bands for easy on/off without the need for lacing, on top of a flat, flexible outsole for natural foot movement. There’s no midsole, no heel, and no unnecessary features. Overall weight is 130g (4.6 oz), and it’s even lighter if you remove the insole (which I did - see below).

Brushed synthetic leather uppers

The Advocate’s upper is made of 100% synthetic leather, which is smooth on the interior surface to make it comfortable against bare feet. The outer surface has a brushed face to give it a bit of resistance from scuff marks. The leather is extremely thin, yet holds its shape quite well even after being rolled up or folded or otherwise mashed and mangled. There’s a rear pull loop to help get your heel into the shoe if the elastic on either side of the tongue area isn’t stretchy enough.

Removable insoles; heel loops at top; elastic on either side of tongue

Patagonia describes the moc as having a full toe box, but I found the box to be slightly snug, both on top and on the sides. Thankfully, the 2-mm thick insole is removable, which provided all the room I needed in the toe box, and also improves the outstanding ground feel of these moccasins even further.

Armadillo outsole

Below the upper is a moderately rugged “armadillo” outsole that’s more than adequate for basic hiking or street wear, but might be a little sketchy on uncertain terrain. Thickness of the outsole is only 3mm, so if you wear these without the insole, the Advocate offers what might be the best ground feel of any minimalist shoes on the market.

The only suggestions I’d have are to offer half sizes of the shoe, which currently is only offered in full sizes. If you’re in between whole sizes, it’s probably best to size up rather than down on account of the toe box situation, unless you’re planning on wearing these with the insole in place while wearing thick socks.

Another notable point if you’re considering purchase is that since the time I received my sample pair in the late fall, the Patagonia website has been updated to exclude the color combination you see in this review. I’ve provided links below to both the company website, which has current color schemes, and to Endless.com and Amazon.com, which have last season’s colors discounted in limited sizes.

Although Patagonia didn’t specifically set out to make the ideal minimalist shoe, they made a pretty darn compelling option with the Advocate. Whether you use it for its original intention as a travel shoe, or adopt it for your own multi-purpose minimalist use is up to you – and despite what he said in his book, I’m guessing that Yvon Chouinard won’t mind either way.

Best of all – and somewhat unexpectedly when it comes to Patagonia – is that the Advocate is very affordably priced in comparison to most everyday footwear on the market. The Patagonia Advocate moccasin retails for $55 from the company website.


*Product provided by Patagonia
**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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Small Victories

"I strip away the old debris that hides a shining car -
A brilliant red Barchetta from a better vanished time -
Fire up the willing engine responding with a roar -
Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime ...

Wind, in my hair, shifting and drifting -
Mechanical music, adrenaline surge..."
- Rush, "Red Barchetta" (video after post)


A couple of months ago I indicated that I was undertaking a minimalist speed project to try and reconcile my love of running in minimalist footwear with my latent desire to regain some of the speed I’ve lost over the past several years. During my most recent track session I had a breakthrough of sorts – but before I explain it, I thought I’d tell you a little bit about my car. (Stick with me, though; it always gets back to running around here. Well, almost always.)

The car I drive is nearly 18 years old – which in auto years makes it a senior citizen. It’s covered almost 220,000 miles, and I’d love to get another 80,000 more if there’s any way I can – but sadly, I’m not certain that we’ll ever reach that ambitious milestone, because the car is clearly showing signs of age.

My car, with approximately 220,000 lifetime miles

In fact, taking care of my car is a lot like living with a very elderly relative. Over a certain period of time, one system after another that worked perfectly for many years begin to simply wear out. The car goes into the mechanic’s hospital with increasing frequency, and each time there’s a discussion of whether the cost or risk of attempting a full repair is worth the benefit, or if it’s better to just leave well enough alone and learn to live with whatever the limitation might be.

For the most critical liabilities, the decision-making is easy – but for the dozens of smaller difficulties that inevitably come along, it’s usually best to just adapt to the changes. When enough of these accumulate, your car acquires the idiosyncrasies and problematic behavior that are the hallmark of old age.

My car’s radio antenna is broken. Oil leaks from the engine, and blue smoke rises from the hood whenever I go over a big hill. The power windows occasionally need a breather before returning to the closed position. The sunroof sometimes opens spontaneously (thankfully, never in a rainstorm yet). The remote keyless entry first lost it’s “beep” capacity, and then stopped working altogether. And I could go on and on. As long as the car keeps rolling and taking me where I need to go, I can put up with all the inconveniences.

Once in a while, however, you get glimpses of the old car that was so impressive to you in its youth, and they become reasons to celebrate. For example, I still try to lock my car with the remote every time I exit, and every now and then - perhaps 1 or 2 times out of 10 - it actually works. Whenever that happens, I give a little fist pump in appreciation.

In other words, you learn to savor the small victories.

Back to my track workout now: as I checked the halfway split of my first 1600m repeat, it read 2:56. I felt like I was cruising comfortably, so I maintained the same cadence and effort level, ultimately crossing the line in 5:58. And then I gave a little fist pump in appreciation.

It was the first sub-6 mile I’ve run in a workout for at least a year.

For as long as I’ve been doing track workouts, the six-minute threshold for my mile (or 1600m, depending on the venue) repeats has been my own personal Mendoza Line to determine whether I had any tangible speed in my legs at all. In my marathon racing days, I could rattle off a string of 5 to 6 repeats in the 5:30s to 5:40s, or 8 to 10 near 6:00 even – but ever since my two-fold conversion to ultrarunning and minimalist footwear, the fastest intervals I could muster in a workout have been in the 6:05-6:15 range.

Between completely revamping my form and practically eliminating speed work from my weekly regimen, the times when I show flashes of my old self – or more tellingly, when I feel like I’m flying the way I used to – are few and far between. So the fact that I cruised a sub-6 mile while maintaining good form without feeling like my legs or lungs were blowing up was a very welcome surprise.

This isn’t to say that I’ve turned any kind of corner, though; the other repeats of the workout clocked in at 6:04 to 6:15 as usual. Rather, it was an opportunity to celebrate a small victory, in recognition that those moments will probably be more fleeting as the years go by.

Me, with approximately ??? lifetime miles (definitely a lot)

I don’t have any intention of returning to road racing, and I don’t know that I’ll ever reach the ambitious PR milestones that used to fuel my workouts for months on end. And as my training ramps up in preparation for this craziness I’ve gotten myself into, track workouts will become a thing of the past, with the vast majority of my mileage spent on hilly trails instead of flat, hard surfaces. (There’s also probably an age factor in this equation, but since I refuse to acknowledge that I’m getting older, I can’t really quantify it here.)

I guess the best way for me to sum it all up is like this: I have no desire to turn myself into a sports car again, but I’m happy to keep rolling along as a dependable high-mileage vehicle - one that has a lot of little quirks and is falling apart in several small ways, but still manages to make it from Point A to Point B all in one piece. As long as I keep on rolling wherever I want to go, that's enough to keep me satisfied.

*
And since we're on the topic of old cars and old times, let's go with an old song by my favorite band from my middle school years: the almighty Rush. I spent more hours playing air guitar to this song than you'd even believe if I told you, so I won't. In a related story, I don't remember having any girlfriends in middle school.

Rush, "Red Barchetta" (click to play):

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CamelBak Groove Bottle Review and Giveaway

I remember when drinking water used to be so simple.

There was a time when you didn’t have to worry about tap water impurities, plastic bottle toxins, or contributing to a Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that we didn’t know that we should worry about such things.

Times have changed, though – and fortunately, water bottle technology has kept pace with all of the concerns that modern consumers have about the once-simple act of drinking water. Exhibit A is CamelBak’s Groove, a reusable bottle that’s a culmination of several of the company’s recent innovations.

CamelBak Groove

The Groove is a 20-oz bottle made from 100% BPA-free Tritan plastic, with a stainless steel version available as well. It has conveniences such as a thumb loop for convenient carrying or clipping onto a bag, a “flip and sip” straw which prevents leaking when closed, and a Big Bite valve to provide a larger volume of fluid per sip. Most importantly, though, is that the bottle contains its own replaceable filtration system that can purify water from any tap source.

CamelBak’s filtration device sits inside the straw, making it less top heavy than other bottles with filters in the cap. The filter is made of coconut carbon, a plant-based (and therefore sustainable) source that effectively absorbs particulates and chemicals for up to 300 refills. With the filter removed, the remainder of the bottle is completely dishwasher safe, and when the filter’s life span is expired, you can use replacement filters to continue using the bottle for as long as you like.

I've been using my bottle for about a month now, and I can attest that it's extremely user-friendly. The loop makes carrying very easy, the flip top straw prevents any leaking at all, and the taste of water from the valve doesn't have any sort of odd taste to it. This is the only reusable bottle of mine that has a straw, and I've found it a nice convenience to not have to tip my bottle upside down to drink from it - this feature seems especially handy during work meetings. The straw goes practically all the way to the bottom, so you're only lacking a half-ounce or so when it's time to refill. I have the graphite color, which looks pretty cool, but there are a few others you can choose from to suit your preference.

At $24 from Amazon.com (or $32 for the stainless steel version, from the same link), the Groove offers an affordable way to eliminate the consumption of disposable bottles while ensuring that your drinking water is safe no matter where your daily routine takes you. Drinking might not be as simple as it used to be, but CamelBak’s Groove bottle takes almost all of the hassle out of doing the right things.

For one reader, the deal is even better: CamelBak will give away a free Groove bottle to a winner selected at random from the comments below. Leave a comment, and I’ll announce the winner this weekend. Thanks very much to CamelBak, and good luck to everybody!

*Product provided by CamelBak
**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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Random Shots of Beauty

No giveaways this weekend, no updates, ... I almost don't know what to do with myself. I guess we'll go straight to the Random Shot of Beauty.

I'm not sure what it says when you find a huge bone licked completely clean laying in the middle of the trail during the same week that you've seen mountain lion warning signs posted on your favorite trails ...

... but I took this to mean "keep running".

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Vibram FiveFingers Trek Sport Review

There’s a philosophy of art and architecture called eclecticism, whose origins trace back to the ancient Greeks. The theory is that instead of holding rigidly to a specific format or set of rules, you combine the best elements of multiple styles to create a finished product that is both more functional and more aesthetically pleasing than any of the previous styles were individually.

I’m thinking that the design team at Vibram must be fans of eclecticism, because that’s essentially what they’ve demonstrated with the FiveFingers Trek Sport: it takes the best elements from a few previous FiveFingers styles, and combines them into a model that’s perhaps the company’s most attractive trail running option yet.

Vibram FiveFingers Trek Sport

The Trek Sport is primarily a hybrid of the original KSO and the KSO Trek – which I use exclusively for hiking and trail running - but also incorporates elements of the wildly successful Bikila, which is my favorite minimalist road shoe. In light of that, the Trek Sport is probably best described in comparison to those other models. (My reviews of those previous models are linked in this paragraph, but I’ll list them at the end of the post as well.)

Trek Sport on L, KSO on R

At first glance, the Trek Sport looks remarkably like the original KSO. It has roughly the same mesh upper, but this version contains abrasion-resistant Coconut Active Carbon, which is a common ingredient in performance fabrics due to its moisture transfer and natural odor resistance properties. It’s probably not enough to completely overcome the eventual “FiveFingers stench” that loyal users complain about, but it’s nice to see that Vibram is at least making the effort. The mesh has a very thin layer of padding at the top of the foot underneath the fastening strap. Like the KSO, the Trek Sport is extremely comfortable against bare skin, although I’ve usually been wearing them with socks this winter for a bit of extra warmth.

From above: a dead-ringer for the KSO

The strap system of the KSO and Trek is retained on the Trek Sport, and wraps completely around the heel. Vibram introduced a “heelless” strap on their Bikila model, and while I find the fit of my Bikilas perfectly comfortable, many Vibram users prefer the strap around the heel for a feeling of greater overall stability. For the irregular terrain of trail running, it’s probably a good call to retain the heel strap on the Trek Sport.

Bikila on L, Trek Sport on R

A closer look at the upper reveals some details that are pulled from the Bikila. On the Trek Sport, Vibram has done away with the dual toe seams that were found on the KSO, which proved to be a problem area, particularly with splitting of the big toe seam (you can faintly see the tear in my pair three photos above), and replaced them with the single panel toe construction of the road model. The protective TPU reinforcements that debuted on the Bikila are also on the Trek Sport, covering more surface area on each toe than they do on the Bikila.

L to R: KSO, KSO Trek, Bikila, Trek Sport

Behind the heel, the Trek Sport uses a high Achilles pad like the one introduced on the Bikila. The heel pad is slightly lower, slightly thicker, and a bit more rectangular on the Sport than on the Bikila, and it represents a significant distinction from the KSO Trek, which doesn’t have any Achilles padding. I found the pad to be very comfortable while still allowing full range of motion, so this is a nice improvement from the Trek to the Trek Sport. There’s also a tiny reflector on the outside heel of the Trek Sport, but it’s primarily a stylistic flourish, and you certainly shouldn’t expect to stop traffic with it.

Front view of the heel pads (or lack thereof): Trek, Trek Sport, Bikila (L to R)

Another important note about the Sport Trek upper is that it’s not made of kangaroo leather. When the Trek was first released, it triggered some engaging discussion among Vibram customers about the material choice of the upper. I discussed this at length in my Trek review, and my opinion is that using kangaroo leather isn’t a big deal. Nevertheless, when the Trek Sport was first described, some folks heralded it as the “Vegetarian Trek”. Obviously, there are enough design differences in the two models to distinguish them for more pertinent reasons, but if you have an issue with wearing leather … then yeah, go ahead and consider this your Vegetarian Trek.

Animal lovers rejoice!

Below the upper, the Trek Sport is nearly identical to the Trek platform: there’s a 4mm EVA midsole with an antimicrobial microfiber lining through the insole area, and a 4mm cleated outsole underneath.

Trek on L, Trek Sport on R

In all the miles I've logged in my KSO Trek and Trek Sports, I've found this outsole more than capable of taking on the most challenging terrain. These models sacrifice a bit of flexibility compared to the podded outsole of the Bikila, but on rocky and technical trails, that’s a compromise I’m happy to make.

No trail too rough or rocky

Like all of my FiveFingers models, the overall fit of the Trek Sport is virtually perfect – it truly feels like a glove that wraps around my foot, and stays in place remarkably well on the steepest hills and roughest trails. The natural motion and barefoot feel of these shoes across all conditions is exceptional; in my opinion this remains one of Vibram’s main strengths in the increasingly crowded minimalist footwear market. The only potential limiter in this equation is the Trek Sport’s weight, which at 6.5oz is heavier than the Bikila (6.0oz) or KSO and Trek (5.7 each) – it’s not a huge difference, but when the goal is true barefoot feel, it’s a difference in the wrong direction.

(I should probably point out that the Trek Sport is still lighter than my two other favorite minimalist trail runners, the 8-oz Terra Plana Evo and the 6.9-oz Soft Star RunAmoc. So yes, I’m nitpicking this point … but I feel like I need something to complain about. It’s my nature.)

Have fun - feel barefoot!

Remember how I said you might think of the Trek Sport as the Vegetarian Trek? Well, you can also think of it as the Affordable Trek, because at a retail price of $100, it’s precisely in line with what you’d pay for a good pair of trail runners. And as I’ve mentioned in other FiveFingers reviews, you aren’t bound by the same 500-mile rule invented by the shoe cartels, so there’s every reason to expect this footwear to last for as long as the outsole provides traction and the upper stays in one piece.

That last point begs the question of whether I’d recommend the Trek Sport over the Trek for dedicated trail runners – and predictably, the answer depends on what your intended use is. My initial reaction is to say that the super-durable kangaroo leather of the KSO Trek is better suited for hardcore trail conditions: places where you might be bushwhacking, rock scrambling, tromping through thick ground cover, and so on. The mesh upper of the Sport is abrasion-resistant, but my gut feeling is that it won’t hold up to the same conditions for as long or as well as the leather version. Having said that, I’ve logged over 100 miles on my Sports, and I haven’t seen any signs of deterioration – so this is something I can report back on if it becomes an issue.

Let them take you anywhere

I’d also give a slight advantage to the leather Trek in terms of comfort against bare feet, as the kangaroo upper feels amazingly soft against the skin. However, if you typically wear socks with your Vibrams, this is something of a moot point. From a thermoregulation standpoint, the leather Trek has decent breatheability, and insulates your foot much better from the cold. I’ve found the Sport to be extremely breatheable but not as good at insulation – so for warm weather, the Sport would be a better choice, but in cool conditions, I’d stick with the Trek.

Sockless on a warm sunny day ... in January. I love California.

And then there’s the matter of cost: the Trek Sport retails for $25 less than the leather Trek. That’s not a small point for people nowadays – and aside from the conditions I’ve mentioned above, you’ll probably have a tough time finding a performance difference.

In the final analysis, it’s very easy to recommend the Trek Sport, which represents eclecticism at its finest: it takes the best features of previous models, and combines them with everything that already works about this innovative line of footwear to make something truly outstanding. If you’re a dedicated trail runner or hiker who doesn’t chronically submit your footwear to unusually harsh conditions, the Trek Sport is a very compelling choice for everyday use.

The Vibram FiveFingers Trek Sport retails for $100 from TravelCountry.com, as well as other online vendors.


See related reviews here:

Vibram FiveFingers KSO review

Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek review

Vibram FiveFingers Bikila review


*product provided by Vibram USA
**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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