A couple of quick announcements before some pleasant weekend viewing before another announcement that took me completely by surprise … I know, it sounds confusing, but stick with me – it will makes sense by the time we’re done.
First, the announcements:
1. You’ve still got a few more days to get Patagonia Fall 2011 gear at 50% off from the company website. I’ve advertised this already, so I don’t need to say anything else on this one except that the sale ends on Feb 27th, so get going.
2. Yesterday I was contacted by a Vibram rep in hopes of promoting the company’s new fitness resource portal. Honestly, Vibram was kind of late to the game of providing comprehensive barefoot running instruction, as VIVOBAREFOOT and Merrell have long since been providing that service. However, Vibram’s portal is unique in that it provides information not just on running, but all varieties of barefoot fitness activities – and for what it’s worth, FiveFingers seem to be taking over the Crossfit / general fitness communities in the same manner that they’ve swept through the running community lately. And if that’s not enough to get you to click over, the site also features a pretty hardcore trainer who looks something like a female Tarzan.
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As for your weekend viewing: this time of year is part of a remarkably short window of opportunity to see one of the most unique and wondrous natural phenomena that Yosemite National Park has to offer: the illusion of fire tumbling down Horsetail Fall off of El Capitan. Of course, seeing it requires being in the park in the middle of the cold, snowy winter, which, um … isn’t really my thing. That’s why I’m happy that people make videos like the one that follows.
It’s part of the fantastic “Yosemite Nature Notes” series, and also makes reference to a discontinued man-made occurrence in the park that created a fall of fire – in this case, actual burning embers cascading down the granite cliff. It’s somewhat bizarre to think that the Fire Fall was one of the most popular attractions in the park, but a nice reassurance to think that smarter policies finally prevailed.
"Yosemite Nature Notes: Horsetail Fall" (click to play):
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Finally, this weekend’s Random Shot of Beauty is one that was absolutely unexpected:
A gymnasium that was the site of today’s Lyceum Spelling Bee, where my 5th-grade daughter prevailed over the champions from every elementary school in Monterey County. Newer readers might need a reminder that I’m somethingofafreak when it comes to spellingbees, so to say I was excited about this development is a bit of an understatement.
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Back in January I offered a first look at the VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail, running down the specs and offering my impressions of the shoe after all of 2 runs (long-ish runs, but still). At that time, the shoes weren’t available for purchase, but they are now – which seems like a good time to circle back for an updated review after giving them a much more thorough test of nearly 200 total miles.
VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail
However, I’m not going to be super thorough in rehashing all the information I provided the first time around – for that, I’ll refer you to my original review from January. Rather, I’ll do a rundown of the specs and put together some observations of things that really stood out in my testing.
Here are your vital specs for the Breatho Trail:
* Weight: 9.6oz, or 9.1oz without insole
* Upper: thin breathable mesh
* Outsole construction: off-road, directional lugs
* Outsole thickness: 2.5mm base layer, with additional 4.5mm lugs
* Insole: removable, 3mm thick
* Eco: 100% vegan
* MSRP: $90
Of course, with VIVOBAREFOOT it goes without saying that the Breatho meets virtually every minimalist construction aspect that purists demand: it’s completely flat and flexible in all directions, allowing your foot to move in any way it wants to. Ground feel is surprisingly good considering the size of the lugs, especially if you take out the removable insole.
My preference is to keep the insoles in my pair, because with it removed the Breatho Trail feels a little loose and sloppy through the heel and toe box. I had this same issue with last fall’s Neo Trail as well several other minimalist shoes I’ve tested; functionally, removing the insole is like stepping up a half size in overall fit. I may consider requesting shoes a half-size smaller for reviews at some point, but for the time being I’m a pretty consistent “insole IN” kind of guy.
As the name implies, the uppers of the Breatho Trail are highly breathable and dry quite easily after immersion in water. They also appear to be quite durable as well, and very resistant to pokes and punctures while bushwhacking off trail. (Although I don’t do this terribly often; I’m also a “trail ON” kind of guy.)
Traction of the lugged outsole is really outstanding in most trail conditions including loose dirt and sloppy mud. The only issue I’ve noticed is that the rubber compound is somewhat slippery on wet rocks, so I find myself being extra careful when hopping across streams.
The outsole material has also worn down rather quickly in areas, as you can see here on my right heel – but to be fair, I destroy most shoes in this same area, so I don’t consider the breakdown to be a major concern in recommending them to others. (And before you ask: Yes, minimalist runners have heel impact – only it’s at the end of the footstrike instead of the beginning, and is more pronounced when running down steep hills.)
One quirk I can’t quite figure out is something I identified in my preview: that the laces don’t hold their tension during the course of a run, leading the upper to feel looser after a few miles. It’s weird, because the laces don’t actually come loose or untied – they just lose their grip on the neoprene liner on top of the midfoot. The laces also happen to be about twice as long as they need to be. If I had a magic wand - or if VIVOBAREFOOT listens to my feedback – I’d make the laces significantly shorter and use a different kind of material, perhaps something like New Balance’s “sausage link” laces to help them keep their grip.
The other point of feedback I mentioned in my earlier review is that the Breatho Trail weight is far higher than I like in a minimalist shoe. It’s nearly 50% heavier than equally rugged trail shoes from Vibram and Merrell – and when companies like New Balance are lowering the weight bar to amazing degrees (hint: Minimus Zero review coming soon!), it’s disappointing that VIVOBAREFOOT can’t get low, low, low, low like everybody else.
In the case of the Breatho Trail, it’s especially frustrating because in practically all other aspects, this is a fantastic shoe. Even with the weight as is, I would have no worries whatsoever about wearing these in any ultra I encounter, including distances of 100K or even 100 miles. If the shoe were a bit lighter, it would be at the head of the class in the increasingly crowded category of high-performance minimalist trail runners. As it is, the Breatho has become one of my favorite training shoes this winter.
The VIVOBAREFOOT Breatho Trail is now available for $90 from the company website.
*Product provided by VIVOBAREFOOT **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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Last summer CamelBak introduced the LR series of packs, featuring an all-new lumbar reservoir (thus the initials) that allows a more ergonomically efficient means of carrying fluid weight for extended outings.
I reviewed the Octane LR last summer, and it honestly didn’t blow me away compared to CamelBak’s standard running pack, the Octane XCT. The lumbar reservoir definitely feels comfortable against my back, but there were a couple of primary quirks I didn’t like: 1) the interface of the drink tube and reservoir wasn’t low enough to completely drain the container, and 2) the diagonal storage pockets made it somewhat difficult to access those compartments on the go.
CamelBak Ultra LR
This spring, CamelBak addressed one of those issues in the pack I’m reviewing, but not the other one. Consequently, my executive summary of the Ultra LR reads something like this: They significantly improved the cargo accessibility, but didn’t change the reservoir in the way I was hoping. If you didn’t like the LR system, this pack won’t do anything to change your mind – but if you’re a LR fan, this pack is a very nice improvement over the Octane LR.
To be sure, there are a lot of fans of lumbar packs out there. The design is a huge selling point for runners who get sore between the shoulder blades when using packs that carry the fluid weight up higher. From a biomechanical standpoint, having the fluid weight distributed horizontally across your back results in lower energy cost than having the same weight higher up the spine.
Photo from my Octane LR review, but the Ultra LR has the same issue - note the fluid level below the drink tube
From my experience, the theoretical benefits of carrying fluid lower were offset by difficulty in practical application. In addition to the quirks I mentioned above, I found the LR tricky to refill with gear in the side pockets, and difficult to clean and dry after use.
70-oz Antidote lumbar reservoir
However, there’s no complaining about the quality of the 70-oz Antidote reservoir; if there’s one thing CamelBak does exceedingly well, it’s reservoir construction. This updated version has a new Quick Link system to detach the tube at the base for easier storage and cleaning. All the other features are standard-issue CamelBak innovations: a Big Bite valve for high-volume flow, a very easy and secure lock/unlock latch, a wide-mouth opening that seals easily with a quarter-turn, and an insulated drink tube with anti-microbial coating.
As for the storage, the Ultra LR presents something of a paradox: at 200 cubic inches, the overall capacity is less than on the Octane LR (335 cu. in.), but since it’s easily accessible, it seems like you actually have more functional space at your disposal. CamelBak went with a big structural change here, and completely took away the diagonal / vertical storage areas of the Octane LR. Instead, they expanded the diagonal side pockets and stretched a mesh pocket across the entire backside.
Patagonia Nine Trails jacket and Petzl Tikka XP2 headlamp in one pocket, with plenty of room to spare
The triangular belt pockets are similar to the ones CamelBak uses on its other running-specific packs – but on the Ultra LR, they’re enormous. There’s plenty of space to accommodate all the gels or energy bars you need, or give you a place to stuff your headlamp, gloves, arm warmers and hat when the sun comes up. You can easily scrunch a lightweight jacket into one of the side pockets; for most runs, you can have pretty much everything that you need within easy reach. Bulkier items such as midweight jackets are super easy to stuff in the mesh netting on the backside.
Dual water bottle holsters or cargo pockets; tube clips; safety whistle
Another big innovation with the Ultra LR pack is storage space on the front chest straps, similar to Nathan’s HPL 020 or the Ultimate Direction Wasp. The pockets are designed to accommodate a standard 20-oz bottle, but my preference is to use them for gear like a camera, cell phone, or map, because carrying bottles felt excessively bulky and bouncy. The pockets can be secured with a bungee drawstring to keep your cargo secure regardless of the size.
Air Channel construction in lumbar area
In addition to their exceptional reservoir construction, CamelBak also excels in creating packs that ride extremely comfortably, though fabric construction, design elements and plenty of adjustment points. The lightweight mesh of the Ultra LR feels soft and light against the back, and air channel construction (thicker on either side, thinner in the middle) allows air to circulate between the pack and your body. All of the straps are adjustable to provide a customized fit regardless of your body proportions.
As with any pack, there’s a tradeoff between cargo capacity and weight: the more room you have to carry stuff, the heavier the pack tends to be. In relation to other ultrarunning packs, the 1.15-lb Ultra LR is heavier than Nathan’s 10-oz HPL 020 but has twice the carrying capacity; in comparison to Ultimate Direction’s Wasp, it’s equal in weight with slightly less cargo space.
At an MSRP of $130, the price point of the Ultra LR is higher than similar packs, but if you like the lumbar setup and need a lot of storage space for long hours on the trail, this pack offers a unique combination of features to make the cost worthwhile. They’re also available at a slightly discounted price of $115 from Amazon.com.
*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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It’s my very own Gibbon Slackline! I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m almost as excited about learning how to do this as I am to run Leadville this summer; maybe I’m tapping into a spirit of new adventures, or perhaps I’m subconsciously trying to distract myself from the anxiety of preparing for the Race Across the Sky. Whatever the case, I couldn’t wait to set this baby up and take it for a test spin as soon as it arrived.
Besides, I think there’s some element of destiny involved, because here’s a cool thing I learned: guess what term slack line practitioners often use to refer to themselves? Slackers. Hey - I’ve called myself a slacker for years! Maybe it’s all been in preparation for this activity that I didn’t even know existed not too long ago.
About that test spin, however … it turns out that I completely suck at slacklining. I’m still working on simply standing on the darn thing, let alone doing any sort of walking or other maneuvering. Who would have thought that being a slacker could be so much work? The good news, at least for the time being, is that my kids struggled with it just as much as I did, so I wasn’t completely embarrassed. The better news is that we all had fun and are all eager to keep practicing and improving. As soon as I make any progress, I’ll be sure to let you know. I’ve got a slacker reputation to maintain, you know.
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Sweet sale alert! Last month Patagonia discounted their Fall 2011 inventory to 30% off, and promptly experienced some website snafus that made it difficult for people to actually buy anything. This month, they’re determined to sell off their remaining inventory, and they’re blowing a lot of it out at 50% off through February 27.
The remaining stock isn’t quite as good as it was a few weeks ago, but it’s still pretty decent, and definitely worth a look. Even though it’s a fall/winter sale, there’s a lot of lightweight apparel that would be great for warmer months as well. Check out the sale here or by clicking the banner above. (If you happen to be a local reader, the sale is also good at our Patagonia shop in Santa Cruz - 415 River Street #C.)
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On to the Running Water book giveaway: Lecia Holley, e-mail me your address – you’re the winner! Thanks to everyone else who entered, and remember that you can find the book on Amazon.com. Thanks also to Abraham Clark for providing the contest prize.
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Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten the Random Shot of Beauty; this week’s edition could be mistaken for a secluded cove on a tropical island somewhere …
… but it’s actually only a somewhat-secluded cove that’s reasonably accessible during a family hike along the Big Sur coastline. When the tide is out, you can walk around the rocks on the left to connect to a larger sandy beach area – but when the tide is high as pictured above, it becomes your own private cove. That’s my idea of wintertime fun in Monterey County.
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One last item for this extended weekend: in my last post I previewed a documentary by The Muir Project that was shot during a month-long trek along the John Muir Trail last summer.
There’s another video on their website that I found exceptionally cool - it’s basically a campfire jam like thousands of hikers have probably done in the past. The difference, however, is that most hiking groups aren’t comprised of exceptional musicians and professional filmmakers who just happen to have a full inventory of equipment with them.
When they are, moments of subtle magic can be created, such as the clip that follows below.
"JMT Campfire Performance" by The Muir Project (click to play):
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Sure, the calendar says it’s winter, but it’s never a bad time to start thinking abut epic outdoor adventures for long sunny days ahead. On that note, today’s post offers two glimpses of the adventurous life – and in both cases, you have an opportunity to enjoy the stories in more detail for yourself at some point.
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A couple of months ago I embedded a trailer called “Almost There” by The Muir Project, which was a teaser for an upcoming feature-length documentary about a group of artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers who spent 25 days hiking 230 miles on the John Muir Trail. The clip managed to capture both the chill vibe of going off the grid for an extended period of time, as well as the epic beauty of the trail.
Their film now has an official name: Mile … Mile and A Half, and is currently in the finishing stages of editing. The filmmakers are looking to secure final funding, and have completed an official trailer to generate increased awareness of the project. The trailer follows below, and you can contact The Muir Project website to contribute and help the project get completed.
“Mile … Mile and a Half Official Trailer” by The Muir Project (click to play):
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“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
- John 7:38 (New International Version)
This next outdoor adventure has a very similar premise to another I recently reviewed: it’s the story of a guy who runs across America.
However, the manner of Abraham Louis Clark’s journey is about as fundamentally different than Marshall Ulrich’s as you can imagine. Abe didn’t have a support staff or film crew to keep him company, and didn’t have an RV for shelter and comfort (a relative term in this case, but you get the idea) along the way.
Abe and Ruby on the Atlantic coast
Instead, Abe took the solo approach, and in 2010 became just the 15th person to run across America alone and unsupported. His only companion was an amazingly durable running stroller named Ruby, although he did utilize the support of others at various points along the way to replenish his food supplies and borrow an occasional warm bed or hot shower.
He also had a higher purpose in mind, as described in his book Running Water: his intent was to raise money for Living Water International to support its relief efforts in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti. Abe describes himself as a “Christian-focused endurance adventure athlete”, whose mission is to take on epic adventures that will “inspire people to dream more, give more, and be more.” As an encore to his cross-country run, in 2011 Abe led a group on a 9,200-mile bicycle tour circling the lower 48 states that raised $30,000 for the creation of wells in Ethiopia.
Two epic adventures
By the end of his solo run, Abe raised nearly $90,000 for Living Water International, and Running Water is a detailed account of Abe’s remarkable journey from nervously dipping his feet in the Pacific Ocean to joyously splashing in the Atlantic roughly four months later. Along the way, he demonstrated a somewhat contradictory combination of extreme self-reliance and extensive community outreach.
On most nights, Abe slung his tent hammock anyplace he could find a secluded patch of real estate. His exploits in finding a warm dry place to sleep often border on the heartbreaking, such as when he was rousted in the middle of the night by a policeman so that he’d move his setup about 20 feet, or when he was turned away at the door of a church by a pastor who told him, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do for you.” (Seriously.) One of the most dramatic moments happens fairly early in the trek, when Abe is forced to dig himself a snow cave to wait out a long cold night in the Rockies.
However, in various small towns along the way Abe had set up host families who took him in for a night or two, and in those situations he shared his vision and objective with anyone who would listen. He booked guest spots on radio shows, spoke to school children, and visited church groups to spread the word about Living Water International and solicit donations. (If you’re wondering, whenever he was picked up off the road, he returned to the exact same spot before resuming his run – in many cases being driven in the opposite direction he needed to be heading.)
Running Water reads like a series of journal entries from nights spent along the road, which in essence it really is. It’s a self-published work, so you’ll find the occasional typo or odd grammatical arrangement – which will be a bigger issue to some (guilty!) than to others. I found that the story frequently gets too bogged down in details – what shoes he was wearing, how his stomach and bowels were functioning, what supplies he stocked up on - while too rarely describing the larger significance of the effort.
Living Water International is certainly a worthy organization, but Abe never really describes exactly how that organization or the plight of Haiti in particular weighed upon his heart. It’s unclear if he had some prior involvement with the organization, or some other personal experience that shaped his vision, and there’s very little discussion of the actual impact that water restoration will have on the impoverished community. I found myself wanting to sit in on one of his presentations to a church group so I could hear more details about the missionary aspect of his endeavor.
Another frustration I have is that the book is chock full of photos taken along the way, but they’re all black and white, and the quality is so bad at times that it’s hard to see what’s being described in the caption. Many of the scenes such as sweeping vistas, open landscapes, or characters he met would lend themselves very well to sharp color prints, but the shots in the book don’t do them nearly enough justice.
I guess my overall reaction is that Abe’s story deserves to be told in a bigger, grander way – but Running Water is still a fairly compelling account of a remarkable adventure that supported a noble cause. The book is available for $15 from Amazon.com, and Abe has graciously agreed to provide a signed copy to one reader of my website. Leave a comment below this post to enter, and I’ll announce the winner this Saturday night. Good luck to everybody, and thanks very much to Abe Louis Clark for sponsoring this contest.
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“Whoa, yeah –
Kickstart my heart, hope it never stops –
Whoa, yeah, baby … “
- Motley Crue, “Kickstart My Heart” (video after post)
The question took me by surprise a few weeks ago during a bike ride with my 13-year-old son:
Dad, who is Motley Crue?
Although he caught me somewhat off-guard, I had a pretty good idea where the question came from. One of the best decisions I ever made was to keep my stash of favorite cartoon treasuries from my childhood; once my own kids discovered them, they became transfixed by wild imagination of Calvin and Hobbes*, the absurd lunacy of The Far Side, or the pure emotion of Peanuts.
(*This is the unanimous favorite, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Calvin and Hobbes actually inspired each of my children to learn how to read. The wonderful drawings and the zany antics were absolutely mesmerizing, and my kids wanted nothing more than to figure out the words so they could follow along. Each child read the books multiple times over, and I’d even say the collection has helped shape their own personalities and sense of humor. And they say nothing important comes from the funny pages.)
Since I was also aware that my son had been making his way through my Bloom County archive in recent months, it only took me a few seconds to connect the dots to recall the source of his inquiry:
(click to enlarge)
Knowing the reason for the question didn’t make the answer any easier, though. I mean … how much do you really want to tell your kid about Motley Crue? Yes, I was a huge fan of theirs – but I was also a complete idiot back then. And as far as the band goes, there are a lot of things better left unsaid. So I decided to keep it simple:
They were a metal band that was super popular in the 1980s. They were pretty hardcore and did all kinds of wild, inappropriate stuff both on and off stage. Oh, they also wore makeup, skin-tight leather, and a ton of hair spray …
… they made some pretty killer music, though.
And for all I knew, that was the end of it. The bike ride ended, we climbed in the car and returned home, and I didn’t hear any mention of Motley Crue again.
Until Super Bowl Sunday, that is.
During the fourth quarter of the game, Kia’s A Dream Car for Real Life commercial came on, and about 20 seconds later I heard my son exclaim, “Hey Dad – it’s Motley Crue!” And sure enough, it was.
Screngrab from Kia commercial
Even though the band is something of a relic now, I stand by my earlier assertion: they made some pretty killer music. And when he heard the riffs to “Kickstart My Heart”, my son immediately agreed – and later that evening I found myself downloading some Motley Crue songs for his iPod.
As typically happens, though, I got carried away with things, and before I knew it, a few songs tuned into an entire 80s rock playlist. In my humble opinion, it’s a thing of hair metal beauty*, so of course I had to put the list on my own iPod as well – which explains why I spent most of last week punching the steering wheel to Back in Black, Livin’ After Midnight, and We’re Not Gonna Take It, (pretty classic 80s video on that last link) among other gems.
(*If there’s interest, I’ll publish the list here; I’m not above some self-inflicted ridicule every now and then.)
Yes, this kind of behavior is nostalgic and juvenile, with no tangible benefit to suggest any redeeming quality at first glance. And yet, there’s this …
Last Thursday morning I woke up at 1AM and couldn’t for the life of me fall back asleep. I got out of bed and did some work, then returned to lie under the covers for another 30 minutes or so. Finally, with the full moon shining through my window, and with a Motley Crue song bouncing around my head, I climbed out of bed, threw on some clothes and a hydration pack, and headed out into the moonlight. By the time I returned home at 6:30, I had covered 23 miles of road and trail, giving me the first 20-miler of the season on my way to my first 70-mile week in several months.
I don’t know if it was the full moon, or the mojo of Motley Crue, or simply one more idiotic thing in a long list of them I do on a regular basis - but whatever the cause, my training had definitely been kickstarted. All of a sudden, I feel like I’m in training mode again.
After a full week of fantastically sunny California weather, this weekend on the Monterey Peninsula decided to turn gray and drizzly, which made for a nice excuse to sleep in and make it a lazy Saturday.
So in the spirit of sloth, today’s post will be a quick one - but don’t worry, there’s a healthy dose of mojo waiting at the end. First, however, is the Random Shot of Beauty – this one taken from a recent morning on a trail along the Big Sur coastline:
It’s a bird of some sort. A rather large bird. And it looks kind of brown. Obviously I’m not much of a bird watcher, but if anyone out there wants to take a stab at an ID on this one, here’s a fuzzy-cropped closeup of the same pic, which was the only one I got before this guy bailed out and flew away:
Have at it, birders.
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As for your inspiration: if you happen to receive the National Geographic channel, set your recorder for Sunday at 8PM EST to check out a documentary on the incomparable Dean Potter, who has become a living legend in three different adventure sports. Whether it’s rock climbing, slacklining (yes, I’ve got this on the brain lately), or BASE jumping, Potter is one of the people consistently pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
The National Geographic feature is called The Man Who Can Fly, and it centers on a record-setting free climb and base jump from Canada’s Mt Bute. However, it also provides a nice overview to many other Potter exploits, including a somewhat controversial “first free solo” on El Capitan in Yosemite.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to check whether I even get the National Geographic channel, and I'll look forward to watching the show. Maybe I can manage to find an inspiring end to an otherwise lazy weekend.
“The Man Who Can Fly” by National Geographic (click to play):
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