Hydrapak E-Lite Hydration Vest Review

Although they’re a relative newcomer on the scene, Hydrapak is progressively becoming a major player in the hydration pack business.

When I reviewed their Flume pack last summer, I described how the company established itself by making top of the line cycling packs, but was gradually introducing products with crossover appeal to runners as well. While the Flume didn’t quite hit the mark as a running pack, I mentioned that if it were a little bit lighter (it weighs 16oz) and incorporated some front storage, those would be two huge steps in the right direction.

Well, guess what? The E-Lite vest weighs in at 9.9 oz, and has two separate front storage areas. I’d like to say I had something to do with that - but most likely, it’s just another innovation from a company that’s continually raising the bar on product development. The E-Lite also carves out a new niche in runner’s hydration packs: a bare-bones unit that carries just enough liquid for mid-range outings when a single bottle holds too little and a full hydration pack holds too much.

Hydrapak E-Lite hydration vest

Fluid capacity with the E-Lite is 1L (40 oz), which is the equivalent of two 20-oz bottles, but it rides much more smoothly than any dual bottle carrier I’ve ever worn. The primary effectiveness of the E-Lite’s design – as well as the main drawback, depending on your point of view – is that the main compartment is intended for the sole purpose of carrying the fluid reservoir; it’s basically just a pouch with practically no room for anything larger than a light pair of gloves. If you’re looking for a place to stash a headlamp or stuff a windbreaker, you’re pretty much out of luck with the E-Lite.

Long zippered pockets and 4 holsters; CLOF Bloks sticking out of holster on L

The front side of the pack has zippered pockets as well as 4 holsters that are integrated into the straps. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but the inner holsters happen to be a perfect size for a pack of CLIF Bloks. The expandable zipper pockets (one of which has a key clip) are big enough for a flip phone or a couple of gel packs, but that’s about it. A chest strap connects the two shoulder straps, and is a convenient place to attach the Quantum Clip (more on that in a second) for ease of use. Five adjustment points on the various straps allow you to dial in a customized fit as necessary.

Adjustable chest strap with Quantum Clip magnet attached

As with any Hydrapak product, the strength of the E-Lite is its fluid reservoir: Hydrapak makes these to be pretty much indestructible, and they turn completely inside out to make cleaning and drying a piece of cake. The 1L version that accompanies the E-Lite has some nice additions that I haven’t seen on my previous Hydrapak models, such as a Plug-N-Play (not to be confused with these guys) connector that clips the drink tube into and off of the main reservoir almost effortlessly, a Quantum Clip magnet that attaches the tube to the chest strap very securely, and a Surge Bite Valve that twists open and shut with two small flared pieces on either side. Each of these is a nice upgrade from previous versions, and confirms why Hydrapak might be the best in the business when it comes to reservoir construction (yes, even compared to CamelBak).

Plug-N-Play attachment; bite valve with flared plastic for easy twisting

Clearly, the E-Lite is very well designed and constructed; the bigger question in my mind is when I would pick this pack over a single bottle holder or a standard 70-oz hydration pack. Eventually I identified two primary conditions where the E-Lite would be my first choice – as well as a third that’s somewhat unconventional, but still pretty useful from my standpoint.

For conventional purposes, the “sweet spot” for the E-Lite is when I’m running for a duration of 90 minutes to 2 and a half hours in somewhat predictable weather conditions. Shorter than that, and I’m OK with a single bottle; longer, and I want a larger fluid volume. And if I’m not sure whether or not it’s going to rain, I’ll go with a larger pack so I can stuff a light shell into it.

Fully loaded with fluid: no room for excess gear (but note CLIF Bloks in holster again)

The second ideal use is if you’re really looking to push the pace while carrying a sizeable volume of fluid. This is perhaps the most appealing aspect of the E-Lite, in that it manages a full liter of fluid with very little bouncing, allowing a much smoother stride with lower overall weight than you experience with a dual bottle carrier. As its name implies, I think that high-level trail racers would really appreciate how the E-Lite enables them to keep fluids close at hand without sacrificing too much speed.

Finally, the unconventional use I’ve found is that the E-Lite is almost perfectly sized to be a children’s hydration pack for hiking. My 9-year-old daughter has worn this very comfortably on recent day hikes, and the fluid capacity is ideal for someone with little legs to be responsible for carrying. That probably won’t show up in the company’s promotional material, but for our family it’s been a nice discovery.

Now that I've told you all about this pack, I have to confess that I'm not sure what exactly is happening with it. In the period of time since I received this product for review, the E-Lite is listed as out of stock on the company website, and is only available from a few online vendors, including ZombieRunner.com, where it retails for $50. I suspect that it's either been discontinued or amazingly popular - and since I haven't seen very many of these packs around, I'm guessing it might be the former. If I find out about an updated version or additional vendors, I'll update this post accordingly.

*Product provided by Hydrapak
**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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Big Sur Marathon Sweepstakes Contest From Earthbound Farm

This post originally started as administrative notes before a product review, but as often happens around here, I got a little bit carried away with things - so I’m splitting up the announcements and the review into separate posts. For today’s installment, I’ll just lay things out in bullet points …

* If you haven’t already done so, you’ve got a couple more days to enter the New Balance Minimus Trail giveaway contest, where the winner will be announced this weekend. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t play!

* A nice review of my Running Life book was recently published on the website of Chris Cooper, who is a like-minded author and blogger with a similar writing resume as mine. We set this up as a quid pro quo, so I’ll be posting a review of his book as soon as I finish it, hopefully in the next few weeks. In the meantime, check out his review of The Running Life, which has a link to our Amazon page – but remember that the book is cheaper from our own website and is also available in Kindle format if that’s your thing.

* It doesn’t often happen that I get two separate press releases about the same topic on the same day, but that’s exactly what happened this week – and the subject definitely grabbed my attention as something worth passing along, perhaps because it involves a couple of strong local connections for me.

My hometown of Carmel Valley is also the home of Earthbound Farm, which has become one of the largest organic growers in the world. They’ve also been a longtime supporter of the Big Sur International Marathon, and this year they’re giving away an amazing opportunity for two lucky runners.

Here are the details: between now and March 15, go to the company’s Facebook page and do the "like" thing, then take a very short Healthy Lifestyle quiz to be entered in the sweepstakes. I took the quiz, which only has 4 questions and takes about one minute to complete.

In exchange, here’s what you might get: the grand prize winner will receive two guaranteed entries to the Big Sur Marathon (which is your only way in, since registration sold out a few months ago), as well as roundtrip airfare for two to Monterey, lodging at the Portola Hotel & Spa right on the harbor, a post-marathon spa treatment for two, a new iPod Touch, and $500 cash for post-race shopping and dining. Total retail value of the package is $4,500, which is a pretty sweet return on investment for doing one measly Facebook survey.

Bixby Bridge - halfway point of the Big Sur International Marathon

The prize offer was so impressive that I took the quiz myself, even though I have no intention of running Big Sur this year (I’ll probably do the 5K with my daughter instead); I’m pretty much just in it for the iPod. So here’s my deal with you: if I happen to win this contest somehow, I’ll gladly give away the entire package to one of my readers, with the condition that you let me keep the music player. Sound good? OK then - go here to enter.

And if you’re relatively new to this website and want a first-hand account of why the Big Sur Marathon is so magnificent and why it holds such a special place in my heart, check out my race report from 2 years ago, complete with photos and video. And if you miss out on Big Sur this year, be sure to put it on your marathon bucket list; it’s truly one of the great ones.

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Writer's Block Mailbag; Upcoming Product Reviews, Running Camera Recommendation, Minimalist Track Shoes, and RunAmoc Troubleshooting

I’ve often mentioned that running is the creative wellspring for most of my writing, so it shouldn’t surprise me that the opposite corollary is true as well: the less I run, the less material I find to write about.

That lesson was driven home especially well over our recent snow trip, where I spent a lot of time curled up on the couch with a book in between brief ventures into whiteout conditions for driveway shoveling, igloo building, or sled-run construction. It was an extended break from running – and consequently, I was kind of grasping at straws about what the next blog post would look like.

Ideal for relaxing; for running and writing, not so much

(And while I don’t have any intention to go into Jack London mode, here are a couple of random side notes from our recent snow trip …

1) If you think I’m exaggerating about the amount of snowfall we saw, consider this: my wife and I bundled up and went for a walk outside on the recently-plowed street in front of our cabin. We probably walked less than one mile out, with our feet sinking almost ankle deep into the snow … and when we turned around to make our way back home, our footprints from the outward journey had completely vanished.

2) When it’s 20 degrees outside and you think you’re a tough guy for leaving the warmth of the fireplace a couple of times a day to wade through waist-high snowdrifts for an hour or so, there’s nothing like a story about several people freezing or plummeting to death on K2 to help keep things in perspective; on that note, No Way Down was not only a gripping read, but a nice reminder that I should never EVER get involved with high-altitude mountaineering.)

Back to the subject at hand: my little bout of slacker-induced writer’s block. I took advantage of the situation to catch up on overdue e-mails and review some of the correspondence I’ve had in recent months. It didn’t take me long to notice that several of the questions I’ve answered lately have common themes – and I figured that for each person who actually went out of his or her way to ask me something specific, chances are that there were others who might be wondering the same thing.

Guess what that means! It’s a mailbag post! As one of my favorite sportswriters likes to say, these are actual e-mails from actual readers.

1. Are you going to be reviewing (fill in the product)?

It’s generally been my habit to keep upcoming product reviews close to the vest for a few reasons. Sometimes I’m not sure if a certain product will post on here on Running and Rambling or on Feed The Habit, where I’m a regular contributor. Other times I’m uncertain of the timing – for instance, I have verbal commitments to review some products that aren’t yet in my possession, either because my particular size isn’t available for testing, or I’m waiting on shipments to arrive - so I have no idea if a review will come together in a few weeks or a few months. And on rare occasions, I’ve ended up sending products back to the manufacturer after informing them that I would most likely write an unfavorable review.

Having said that, I can certainly appreciate why some folks would like to know whether a review of a particular product is in the works. So here’s a list of items that I’m currently testing, which will probably appear here over the next several weeks:

Black Diamond Spot and Storm headlamps
ZYM electrolyte tabs
Saucony Peregrine shoes
Hydrapak E-Lite vest
GoLite Tara Lite shoes
Somnio Nada shoes
Feetures socks
CamelBak Skeeter pack
Icebreaker GT shorts and short sleeve crew
Rokit Fuel breakfast mix
GU Brew electrolyte tabs

These are in addition to two new products from Soft Star Shoes which I’m not allowed to describe in detail, but which I’ll talk more about in an upcoming post.

Here are some other products that I have a verbal commitment for, but I’m still waiting on them to arrive:

Merrell Trail Glove
Merrell Pace Glove
Patagonia Pau shoe
Jinga shoes
Vibram FiveFingers Komodo Sport
Vibram Fivefingers Bikila LS
Patagonia Nine Trails shorts
Stem Footwear
Altra Adam shoe

Like I said, I have no idea when or if the above list will ever materialize. Now here’s the audience participation portion of this post: would you like periodic updates on what’s on my gear review list, even if they're not 100% confirmed? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll see if there’s a consensus one way or the other.

2. What camera do you use for trail running?

For the past year I've used a Canon PowerShot SD1400, a 14MP camera which is perfectly sized (like a deck of cards with rounded edges) for tucking into a small pocket and seems to have relatively good durability. The only downside is that it’s actually too narrow to take timer shots if you don’t have a completely flat surface; in those situations, I often have to prop a small rock or piece of bark under the lens to prevent it from tipping over.

Canon SD1400 on L, Nikon L11 on R

Before the Canon, I used a Nikon Coolpix L11, a 6MP unit which had a significantly wider profile but could still fit in the pocket of my waist pack, and was much easier to take timer shots with. The megapixel count and picture quality of the Nikon wasn’t quite as good as the Canon, but since it was very durable (even surviving a handful of drops on the trail) and served me well for nearly three years, I considered it a good investment.

Same two cameras from the bottom: notice the narrow, curved profile of the Canon

It's also worth noting that with both cameras, I also do a lot of photo editing with Picasa, which is a tremendous help in making my mediocre picture-taking skills look somewhat competent.

3. What shoes do you wear for track workouts?

First, in the interest of full disclosure, I don’t do track workouts extremely often – and as my mileage on the trails increases this spring, my days at the track will be few and far between. Nevertheless, I do like to head out and test my speed every now and then with some quarter-mile or 1600m repeats – and when I do, I’m almost always wearing my Vibram FiveFingers Bikilas.

Of all the minimalist footwear I’ve tested, none offer the same combination of comfort, secure fit, and true barefoot feel that the Bikilas do. They were made for one specific purpose - fast running – and everything about the shoe fills the bill almost perfectly. In fact, part of the reason I’m so interested to test the upcoming Bikila LS is that I’m curious as to how Vibram could improve upon this model.

They're also great for playing in lettuce fields

Sometimes I’m asked if I wear track spikes for these workouts, and while there’s a lot of benefit to doing so from a minimalist standpoint, I don’t have any experience with particular models of track shoes to make any sort of recommendation.

4. Why does my toe poke into the top of my RunAmocs?

I’m realizing that I’ve become something of a Pied Piper for the Soft Star RunAmoc over the past year, and consequently, I seem to get a lot of questions about the fit, performance, or durability of them from customers who have bought a pair. Of all the questions I receive, this one is probably the most common.

Look closely (and click to enlarge) - you'll notice my big toes pushing against top of toe box

Even when the RunAmocs are fit properly – and for most people, that means sizing down one size – first-time wearers note that their big toe presses against the top of the toe box. It looks a bit strange, and people sometimes worry if this will be a source of pressure and/or blisters.

The good news is that this situation is perfectly normal, and the solution isn’t to get a bigger size – it’s simply to get running. The leather of the toe box will stretch a bit as you run in the mocs, and I haven’t heard anybody report any discomfort beyond the first run or two. If you think your toes will be sensitive, a good pair of socks is probably all it takes to make the first few runs go smoothly.

I’m perfectly happy to answer further questions about the RunAmoc, or any other gear that I’ve reviewed, or anything else related to this website that you’re curious about. Feel free to drop me an e-mail anytime – but please be patient in waiting for a reply, as it sometimes takes me a few days to get around to returning correspondence. If I spot a trend in fielding a lot of similar questions, maybe I’ll throw together another mailbag post sometime.

However, since I’ve left the snow behind and I’m looking to jump back into training soon, I’m hopeful that there won’t be any more shortages of things to write about this spring.

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Random Shots of Beauty (Winter Edition)

Here is the scene I woke up to on Friday morning:


This was before an additional 20" of snow fell throughout the day.

Obviously, I'm not in Monterey County anymore; our family is spending a few days at our favorite vacation spot in the Sierra Nevadas, a trip which just happened to coincide with one of the biggest snowstorms of the season. Despite my love of warm weather and winter beach days, there's definitely something romantic about seeing the snow pile up outside your window, and knowing that there's no particular place to go. Of course, romance doesn't shovel the driveway three times per day, so that cozy feeling only lasts so long.

The view from our deck. See that brown line at lower right? That's the 4' top railing of the deck.

In a related story, I haven't gone running in five days - so once this weekend is over, it will be time to jump back on the training wagon. It's less than 5 weeks to my first ultra of the season, and something tells me that shoveling snow every now and then isn't nearly enough to make up for my recent Girl Scout cookie binges, let alone enough to prepare me for running 50 miles.

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New Balance Minimus Trail Review and Giveaway Contest

Admin note: Remember how I said this review was going to be awesome? Well, by now you’ve figured out from the title of this post what I was referring to. Yes, there’s a giveaway, and I wouldn’t be nearly as stoked about it if I wasn’t so impressed with the shoe … but for details on that, you’ll have to read on.

*

In my review for New Balance’s forthcoming Minimus Road shoe last week, I expressed my disappointment that the shoe wasn’t more minimal; rather, it’s intended as a transitional shoe, targeting folks who want to leave standard footwear behind but aren’t quite ready to commit to completely minimal footwear. Since I run almost exclusively in true minimalist footwear, its utility was sort of lost on me.

See, if I were designing a transitional shoe, I’d do something more dramatic. I’d strip the overall weight of the shoe down as much as possible and make the uppers feel like there’s barely anything there. I’d make the midsole low to the ground, with a very marginal slope from heel to toe to promote flat foot strike, but leaving just enough protection in the heel area to accommodate the occasional inadvertent heel strike. I’d make it amazingly comfortable but durable enough to be worn for endless miles in any imaginable conditions.

In other words, I’d make the New Balance Minimus trail shoe.

New Balance Minimus trail version

I suspect that the classification of this shoe will differ between longtime minimalist runners and traditional footwear users. New Balance promotes this as their true minimalist model, and if you’re trying the Minimus in comparison to standard running shoes, the barefoot sensation will be quite remarkable. Pure barefoot runners, on the other hand, will find some of the structural elements unfavorable, and will think of this (as I do) mainly as a transitional shoe. Fortunately, the Minimus is so thoughtfully designed and so well-constructed that it has something tangible to offer both of these groups.

Here are the vital specs for the Minimus Trail: overall weight is 7.1 oz, with a midsole height of 15mm in the heel and 11mm in the forefoot, resulting in a 4mm slope from heel to toe. Considering that most minimalist footwear is completely flat and less than 8mm thick, you can appreciate how barefooters would be apprehensive. Furthermore, the specs aren’t dramatically different than New Balance’s own MT101, which checks in at 7.8 oz and 18mm/8mm heel to toe. So the forefoot of the Minimus is actually higher off the ground than on the 101, but with a much flatter slope.

Accordingly, I consider the Minimus not quite minimal, but it’s the last stop before reaching that destination. And after logging a couple hundred miles on mine, I’ve come to believe that this will be one of the most attractive trail shoes on the market in 2011. It complements my minimalist running quite nicely without feeling like I’m returning to traditional footwear, and has several innovative design features that make it one of the best high-performance trail runners of any variety currently on the market. So let’s take a look at those from the top down.

Lightweight mesh upper; stability strap across forefoot

Two types of mesh comprise the Minimus upper: a wide-open ventilated top layer, with a very thin, finely woven base layer underneath to keep grit away from your toes. Like the road version, the Minimus Trail is made to be worn without socks, and the comfort of the interior lining against bare skin is super comfortable. Its tongue is similar to the MT101, consisting of little more than a thin fabric layer. The fabric of the tongue and top of the toe box is different than the majority of the upper, but is still very light and has minimal structure to it. Standard shoelaces provide nice even tension across the top of the foot.

Sockless liner; heelcups with light padding

Construction of the entire upper is so lightweight and comfortable that your foot feels like it’s inside a soft slipper. It lets water in relatively easily, but also dries very rapidly, making it ideal for stream crossings. There is plenty of room in the toe box for foot splay, and the contour of the last and upper fit my foot like a hand sliding into a glove. (Or maybe a mitten. You get the point.) Fit around the heel is secure without feeling tight, and the ankle collar is cut low to allow full range of motion, with a modest lining on top for improved comfort without added bulk.

Stability straps around heelcup; 15mm heel midsole

Perhaps the most noticeable innovation on the upper are two strips of synthetic leather: one across the top of the foot at the base of the toes, and one that wraps around the heel. The heel strap is similar in appearance to the back of a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, and maintains stability of the lightweight upper around the heelcup. The forefoot strap is anchored by a raised shark fin-shaped portion of the outsole on each side.

Shark-fin outsole overlay; contrasting mesh fabrics of midfoot and toe box

When you first put the shoe on, this forefoot strip feels a bit constricting, but as soon as you start running you can appreciate its purpose. On irregular terrain, it prevents excess lateral movement inside the upper, and when you’re running downhill, the strap prevents your toes from sliding forward into the toebox. If the shoe is sized appropriately (for me, they run true to size), even the steepest hills won’t mash the tips of your toes; this innovation alone deserves some kind of special recognition from veteran trail runners.

The midsole of the Minimus is where New Balance will probably draw the most contention from the barefoot crowd. No, it’s not a zero drop shoe, and yes, 15mm in the heel is fairly substantial. However, I also think this design element will attract one particular group of runners who have thus far been reluctant to try minimalist running: those looking to hammer the pace, especially on hilly trail courses. In fact, one of the first thoughts I had when running in the Minimus was that this shoe is the perfect marriage of minimalism and speed.

Here’s what I mean: despite all the barefoot miles I’ve logged over the past couple of years, and despite being able to tolerate ultra distances in minimalist shoes, there’s one aspect of trail running that remains a huge challenge for me: running fast on steep descents. When I’m really pushing for downhill speed, especially on tricky terrain, it’s extremely difficult to maintain a forefoot strike and prevent my heel from contacting the ground with impact. With the Minimus, you can blast the downhills, and the bolstered heel gives you a small margin of protection before resuming your smooth forefoot stride when the trail levels out.

Yeah ... it's flexible enough

Thickness of the midsole is greater than typical minimalist footwear, but the Minimus maintains pretty decent ground feel, especially through the forefoot area which is only 11mm thick. The entire midsole is flexible in all directions, allowing your foot to contour around trail irregularities just as it would in Vibrams or moccasins. I’ve found the added thickness to be ideal for providing solid, reliable protection from roots and rocks without having to sight the trail as actively as you do in minimalist footwear – which is another feature that’s valuable to hardcore racers.

Vibram high-performance outsole

More innovations are apparent in the Minimus outsole, which was developed by Vibram. It features grippy circular lugs with deep grooves in between for minimal weight and maximal flexibility. The outsole is slightly contoured in the arch area, similar to a pair of FiveFingers but not quite as snug.

Traction of the outsole is truly outstanding, and the Minimus has become my first choice when trail conditions are sloppy. They hold firmly in slippery mud, steady on wet rocks and stream crossings, and securely on loose gravel. Best of all, since the lugs are more circular than knobby, the ride remains fairly smooth even on asphalt – always a nice feature when you have to run a mile or two to reach the trailhead.

Circular lugs with deep cutouts

Across all conditions, the Minimus trail outsole is a dramatic improvement over any minimalist shoes I’ve tested – including Vibram’s KSO Trek and Trek Sport, which I had ranked highest to this point – and are nearly comparable with the most rugged trail outsoles like La Sportiva’s Crosslite and Salomon’s SpeedCross 2. I’d love to see Vibram incorporate this design on a FiveFingers model someday, since the outsole’s flexibility is perfectly comparable to the best minimalist shoes on the market.

In case it isn’t already obvious, I’m extremely impressed by the Minimus trail shoe, and I think it will turn out to be one of the most groundbreaking products of 2011. New Balance doesn’t call it a transitional shoe, and barefooters won’t call it a minimalist shoe, but its exceptional comfort and extensive high-performance features are likely to win fans from both of those camps.

And here’s the part that I’m most excited about of all: in conjunction with this review, New Balance has generously offered one pair of Minimus trail shoes as a contest prize for one of my readers. To enter, leave a comment below this post, and I’ll award extra entries for either a blog link or sharing this page via Facebook – so when you comment below, let me know how many entries you’ve earned (and I reserve the right to verify). Also, if your profile doesn’t have an address attached to it, leave me your e-mail so I have some way to reach you if you win.

I’m leaving the window of opportunity on this contest open for an extended period of time for two reasons: 1) To give as many people as possible a chance to win, and 2) Because the Minimus becomes available for purchase on March 1st, so if you don’t win the contest you can still grab one pretty quickly afterward. The winner will be announced on Saturday, March 5th, so good luck to everybody, and very special thanks to New Balance for sponsoring this contest.

*** UPDATED: The contest is OVER as of 3/5/11! You can purchase the NB Minimus Trail here from TravelCountry.com, or here for the women's version.


*Product provided by New Balance
**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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Carnival of Blogging: MInimalist Running

Scroll down for my contribution to a Carnival of Blogging on Minimalist Running.

The article was supposed to appear in this post, but ... nevermind. It's a long story.

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Birds of a Feather: Minimalism and Ultrarunning

“Exactly,” said Dumbledore. “Harry’s wand and Voldemort’s wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix … ”

“So what happens when a wand meets its brother?” asked Sirius.

“They will not work properly against each other” said Dumbledore.

- From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

*
A couple of introductory notes are in order: first, this post is part of a larger Carnival of Blogging spearheaded by Jason Fitzgerald at Strength Running, who rounded up several writers to write simultaneously on the topic of minimalist running. After you’re finished here, be sure to check out the links to related posts from other bloggers.

And if you’re a new reader sent here from one of the other websites, welcome! While this is ostensibly a blog about running, you never know what you’re gonna find here. Take a look around, make yourself at home, and kick your shoes off. No, seriously – kick your shoes off, because they’re probably doing terrible things to your feet. Unless you’re a minimalist, of course – in which case you’ve definitely got a friend in me.

Despite the introductory passage above, my assignment wasn’t Minimalism and Harry Potter – although don’t put it past me, I might try that someday – but rather, Minimalism and Ultrarunning. Since I practice both of these things extensively, this topic seemed like the easiest contribution for me to make – and I have to confess that I initially thought that the connection between these two subjects would be obvious.

After all, the Shot Heard ‘Round the World in this whole barefoot and minimalist revolution was Christopher McDougall’s landmark Born to Run, which presented a manifesto against the running shoe industry while simultaneously chronicling the adventures of a few world-class ultrarunners alongside the indigenous people of Mexico’s desolate Copper Canyons. (You can see my full review of the book if you’re curious.) It was all right there: minimalism (since the Tarahumara wear leather sandals, it’s not entirely accurate to describe them as barefooters), trail running, and ultramarathoners – so we’re all one big happy family now, right?

Scott Jurek and Arnulfo Quimare; photo by Luis Escobar

Well, not exactly. What I’ve found in the two years I’ve been showing up to ultras in minimalist footwear is that there’s still a fair amount of skepticism out there about whether the worlds of minimalism and ultrarunning should coexist. New barefoot or minimalist practitioners are correctly wary of increasing their distances beyond the local neighborhood 10K. And conventional wisdom in the ultra community seems to say that minimalist running is fine for short distances or easy terrain, but for big mileage on challenging technical trails, you need shoes that are rugged enough to protect your feet from taking a beating.

I can attest that such claims are simply bogus.

I’ve done ultras in moccasins as well as a variety of minimalist shoes currently on the market. Every mile of my training and racing in 2010 was in minimalist footwear, and I’ve had no reason to change that approach in 2011, up to and including a 100-miler this July. While that may sound unusual, I’m not really breaking new ground in this regard, as several ultrarunners have completed 100-milers in Vibram FiveFingers over the past two years. And I’d wager to bet that nearly every single one of them was told at least once along the way – either in training or during the race itself - that their skimpy footwear was insufficient for the task they were undertaking.

Thankfully, I can report that the acceptance of minimalism has increased significantly over the course of a single racing season last year. When I ran the Quicksilver 50M in Soft Star RunAmocs, virtually everyone I encountered on the course – runners and volunteers alike – were somewhat dumbfounded that someone would do such a thing. By the time I did October’s Firetrails 50 in Terra Plana Evos, minimalism was something my fellow runners had heard about, even if they were wary of trying it themselves. This year, I’m predicting that instead of being incredulous or cautioning me about potential dangers, most folks will just wish me well and hope it works out for me.

50 miles in RunAmocs

I suspect that such easy accommodation reflects an essential truth about both minimalists and ultrarunners: at our cores, we have a very common history and a very similar psychological makeup. Like wands from the same phoenix, at some point in our respective development we were instilled with the same magical properties before ultimately forming into seemingly separate disciplines.

First, the history part: the underlying basis of the minimalist movement is a “back to nature” mentality (which I wrote about last week) that replicates the way our ancestors ran, in the manner that God created for them rather than using a technique that modern technology imposed upon them. Well, where exactly do you think all those cavemen were running? It wasn’t in asphalt subdivisions or on all-weather stadium tracks – it was in the dirt and grass, on hilltops and in valleys, through forests and across streams and wherever else the deer paths led them. And if you believe the idea of persistence hunting, chances are that those primitive trail runners were covering exceedingly long distances on a regular basis. Minimalism and ultrarunning were born together at the dawn of time, but somehow became separated and estranged by the dawn of the 21st Century.

As for the psychology: the mental approach that brings success in minimalist running is so remarkably similar to the mindset of ultrarunners that the two entities are plainly kindred spirits. Both groups are set apart from the mainstream running community, occasionally even outcast as freaks. Both take on tasks that seem impossible to casual observers. And both need to have healthy doses of determination and perseverance in order to succeed.

Both groups also need to be extremely patient with the process. Consider, for example, one of the best-known pieces of advice about barefoot/minimalist running, attributed to a character featured prominently in Born to Run named Caballo Blanco: Easy, then light, then smooth, then fast. Take care of the first three, and fast will take care of itself. Compare that to a common ultrarunning adage: Start easy, then taper off. Ultrarunners who press for speed too early typically blow up in the later stages of a race, whereas those who stay cool and let the race unfold naturally tend to have their best performances.

In each case, there’s a counterintuitive imperative to set your ego aside, to refrain from forcing your will upon the process, and to let things progress and develop in their own time. You have to have faith that what you’re pursuing is completely attainable, and your means of doing it is perfectly correct - even when virtually all external feedback indicates otherwise.

More than any other factor, the patience angle is probably the one that demonstrates how minimalism and ultrarunning are birds of a feather. Truth be told, if I were still chasing 10K age group awards or road marathon PRs, I probably wouldn’t be a dedicated minimalist runner: the huge initial setbacks in speed and the long process of trying to regain it again would require more time than I’d be willing to commit. Fortunately, I was already an ultrarunner before embracing minimalism, so the prospect of chilling out and making progress in baby steps wasn’t all that daunting.

In the final analysis, that’s the way it’s meant to be with minimalism and ultrarunning: two sibling activities built from the same core, extracting the same qualities and offering the same rewards to both of their practitioners. It’s improper to pit them against each other or to try and exclude one from the other; my hope is that in years to come they will be accepted as members of the same family, free to intermingle and enjoy each other’s company without anybody questioning who really belongs there.

*

See the other articles from this Carnival of Blogging:

Pete Larson on Stride Length for Minimalist Runners at Runblogger

David Csonka on Evolutionary Roots of Minimalism at Naturally Engineered

Greg Strosaker on Focusing on Minimalist Form at PreDawn Runner

Matt Wilson on Mistakes to Avoid at Run Luau Run

Jason Fitzgerald at Strength Running, who is the host and organizer.

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