GoLite Vista Ridge Shirt Review: GoLite Vermilion Thermal Jacket Review

I’ve mentioned a few times lately how our coastal California autumn frequently blesses us with 75-degree days when the rest of the country is in the midst of ice storms or cold spells or the unfairly harsh weather that has decimated the East Coast.  It’s really a wonderful thing … unless you happen to have some cold weather gear that you’re supposed to be testing.

Fortunately, our warm days are preceded by fairly cold (by California standards, anyway) mornings – and since I’m primarily a pre-dawn runner, I’ve been able to put some cold weather apparel through the paces over the past few weeks.  Today’s post features two tops that I’ve worn in temps from mid-30s to mid-40s, and in a few weeks I’ll review some pants that I’ll be using as our mornings drop closer to (and perhaps even below) freezing.

All of said products are from GoLite, who as you may recall completely revamped their business model this year, giving up traditional marketing strategies and distribution channels in favor of offering products directly to consumers at steeply discounted prices on their website.  What they save in advertising costs and retail fees they pass along to you, and I can’t think of an outdoor gear company who offers a better value proposition across the board than GoLite.

Case in point are today’s products – the Vista Ridge long sleeve top and Vermilion Thermal full-zip jacket. Both are great for cool autumn trail running, and both are super-affordable from the GoLite website.

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The Vista Ridge Top is designed as a crossover for trail running or hiking, with simple styling and a relaxed fit through the torso that is comfortable under a shell or as a stand-alone layer.  It’s made of 100% recycled polyester, and is fairly lightweight at 6.0 oz (160g).

GoLite Vista Ridge running shirt

In my testing I had two minor gripes; the main one was some mild itching from the fairly large tag on the interior torso seam.  The rest of the garment has flatlock stitching for minimal irritation, so I wish GoLite had made this a completely tagless shirt so I wouldn’t have to cut the interior tags.

The offensive tags and giant logo

My other issue is a subjective one, and also an avoidable one if you’re purchasing for yourself.  I’m not a fan of huge logos across the chest, which is something GoLite does with select styles and colors.  The Vista Ridge shirt is available in four colors, and only one – the one I received for testing, of course – has the large logo.  The other colors have much more subtle logos, which is more my style.

From a moisture wicking and temperature regulation standpoint, the Vista Ridge performed as well as most high-end offerings in this category – but for the price, you can probably buy two or three of these for the cost of one competitor’s shirt.  It retails for $25 from the GoLite website.

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My first go-to item from the various products I’m testing this fall is GoLite’s Vermillion jacket, which I have a hard time determining whether to use as a running jacket or casual "lounging around the house" comfortwear.  It’s a midweight layer at 13 oz (360g), and the brushed fleece interior is extremely soft against the skin.  (And no itchy tags to bother me, either.)

GoLite Vermilion Thermal jacket

Like the Vista Ridge shirt, the Vermilion jacket is made extensively with post-consumer materials – in this case, 78% recycled polyester fabric.  The remaining 22% features Cocona Minerale, a fabric derived from coconut fibers that has outstanding natural moisture wicking and odor-resistant properties.

I tested the odor-resistance during a 6-day stretch where I ran in the jacket every day without washing it in between.  With most moisture-wicking apparel, I’d be holding my nose by the third or fourth day – but with the Vermilion jacket, it smelled pretty much the same after the sixth run as it did before the first.

Thermal regulation is pretty strong with the Vermilion as well – with a short sleeve tech shirt and this jacket, I’m good to go for temps approaching freezing.  It’s a jacket you can use for a late-afternoon trail run, and keep it on to run errands after the sun has gone down.  And like the shirt, it’s very competitively priced compared to other jackets, thanks to a GoLite price strategy that allows them to sell it at 60% below retail.

GoLite’s Vermilion Thermal jacket is available in three color schemes, and retails for $48 from the GoLite website.

*Products provided by GoLite.  Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.

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Merrell Bare Access 2 (and Arc 2) Shoe Review

Perhaps more than any other company, Merrell is an ideal example of how an established shoe manufacturer can evolve in response to changing times. 

They were the first major company to embrace the barefoot running movement, and produced an entire line of minimalist products as good as anything else on the market.  However, they also realized that not everyone is ready or willing to go completely minimal, so they created a separate line that incorporates all the biomechanical advantages of minimalist shoes, but with just enough structure and cushioning to welcome transitional or “moderate” minimalists.

Merrell Bare Access 2 (men's, left) and Bare Access Arc 2 (women's, right)

That line is the M-Connect series, which is being progressively introduced over this fall and next spring.  And since I happen to live with a moderate minimalist, I’m curious to see how the M-Connect line appeals to each of us.  We received our first test pairs, the Bare Access 2 (men’s) and Bare Access Arc 2 (women’s)*, just prior to our trip to Zion this fall, so we had some great opportunities for testing.

At the top of Angels Landing in Zion

(*To simplify things for the purpose of this review, I’m going to refer to them both as simply Bare Access men’s or women’s – but female readers take note that your version has a slightly different name.)

As the name implies, the Bare Access 2 are updated versions of a model first released in 2011.  They have traditional running shoe styling, and weigh in at a very light 7.0 oz for the men’s shoe and 5.5 for the women’s.

Much of the lightweight construction is thanks to the thin mesh uppers, which are reinforced by long stability overlays incorporated into the lacing to secure the midfoot in place …

... but are airy enough to provide outstanding cooling and/or drying as necessary.

Both men’s and women’s models are built on the same last as Merrell’s popular Barefoot line, although the fit of the Bare Access feels noticeably wider through the midfoot and arch area.  I’ve never had a problem with the Barefoot series lasts, but if those models proved too narrow for you, the Bare Access will be an improvement.

The toe boxes are plenty wide on the Bare Access 2, allowing your feet to splay naturally …

… and the entire shoe is flexible enough to let your entire foot move in any manner it wants as well.

Like most of Merrell’s Barefoot line, the heel collar of the Bare Access is thin and soft, and interior of the shoe is designed for sockless use.  The microfiber footbed (along with the lacing system) prevents slipping on hills, and the entire interior fees very comfortable against bare skin.

Stack height for the shoes is 13.5mm for the men’s version and 12.5mm for the women’s.  8mm of that is from EVA midsole cushioning with zero drop from heel to toe, and the rest is from the insole and outsole. 

Merrell once again uses high-durability Vibram rubber for its Bare Access outsole; the pattern is sort of similar to the Road Glove shoe, and like that shoe, the Bare Access outsole is ideally suited for hybrid road and trail use.  I’ve done an equal amount of each in my pair, and I feel confident using the Bare Access on everything but highly technical trails.

As a transitional – or moderate, as I’ve described it – shoe, the Bare Access is an outstanding option; there’s enough cushioning and protection to keep you comfortable, but all the construction aspects you need to allow for natural running.  From a minimalist standpoint, the midsole is higher and ground feel is lower than what I prefer, but the Bare Access would be great for long distance road (or light trail) running to give you a margin of error when your legs get fatigued and your form may start to fall apart.

Merrell’s Bare Access 2 (men’s) and Bare Access Arc 2 (women’s) shoes retail for $90 from the Merrell website.  They are also available from Amazon.com at the links below, where some sizes and colors are discounted:

Merrell Men's Bare Access 2

Merrell Women's Bare Access Arc 2

*Products provided by Merrell.  Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.

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Barefoot Movie Giveaway Winner; Random Shots of Beauty (Extended Audience Participation Edition!)

Our main order of business is to give a barefoot video away – but first we’ll get through some end-of-weekend randomness.

For our Random Shot of Beauty, I could have very easily gone with a glimpse of another 80-degree November weekend that we enjoyed today … but doing that for two weeks in a row kind of seems like rubbing it in.  Instead, I’ll reach back a few weeks to our family’s road trip to Zion National Park.  Since I couldn’t pick just one to choose from, you’re getting an extended edition of RSOB – starting with this one:

(click to enlarge any of these)

A stately Joshua tree, as seen in the Mojave desert of southern California.  Would you believe me if I said I used to live right down the road from here?  Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself.

Driving through the desert, it often seems like you’re in the middle of nowhere – but that’s not entirely true.  In fact, sometimes if you wonder where you are, you only need to look down at the road you’re on:

And you’ll find that you’re right here, of course.

This next one is more of a Random Shot of Randomness … and it’s also a chance for some audience participation.  Approximately 20 miles outside of Zion National Park is an odd structure that will catch your eye:

It looks somewhat strange - and if you pull up closer, the scene becomes even more bizarre:

Basically what you’ve got here is an old telephone pole leaning into a dead tree stump … and the entire structure is covered top to bottom with discarded shoes.  Running shoes, work shoes, women’s boots, dress shoes, kids shoes – pretty much every kind of footwear you can think of is represented.

I wish I could tell you more about it, but I honestly have no idea what the explanation is here.  But it HAS to have a cool story behind it, wouldn’t you think? 

So let’s see if I can harness the power of the Internet for something tangible: if any readers happen to know the story of this community shoe mural, I’d love to hear it, and I might even publish it to share with everyone else.  The challenge has been issued!   Somebody impress me, please – and who knows, maybe there’s a little something in it for you if you do.

[*UPDATED: Wow, that was fast!  This post was up for less than 2 hours before someone sent an answer - see the comments section for details.]

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OK then – it’s time to announce the winner of the Barefoot Running Movie giveaway contest.  Louisiana Leah, e-mail me your contact info – you’ve won!  Thanks very much to everybody else who entered!

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B2R Road Performance Running Shoe Review

Many runners identify Christopher McDougall as the man who triggered the minimalist revolution … but if you trace the phenomenon back one barefoot step further, you see that’s not entirely the case.

To be sure, McDougall was the guy who wrote about it.  But the guy who actually taught and inspired McDougall was another character from the Born to Run book – and it’s not the famous ones like Scott Jurek, Barefoot Ted, or any of the Tarahumaras.  Rather, it was Eric Orton, a man McDougall affectionately calls the Naked Coach.

It was Orton who taught McDougall how to run naturally, and who enlightened him about the evils of modern running shoes.  It was also Orton who persuaded McDougall that he could become an endurance athlete, and who ultimately encouraged him to try a 50-miler and discover the world of ultrarunning.

B2R Road Performance shoes

And now it’s Orton who is becoming a key player in the natural footwear movement, with the debut of B2R running shoes.  Obviously the company is keen to capitalize on the connection to McDougall’s landmark book, but B2R is much more than a “me too” participant in the game.  They are distinguishing themselves by integrating biomechanically sound footwear with Orton’s extensive coaching background to create an overall fitness program based on the foundation of natural movement.

More on the coaching aspect shortly – but most of this review will focus on the shoes.  They aren’t exactly minimal, but they work exceedingly well in allowing the foot to function naturally.  There’s one sort-of gimmicky element – the split toe, as I’ll discuss shortly – but otherwise pretty much all the specs are what you’d look for in a shoe that does exactly what a running shoe is supposed to do, and doesn’t do anything it’s not supposed to.

From the right angle, B2R Road Performance shoes are somewhat indistinguishable from traditional trainers, with fairly traditional styling top to bottom.  However, they are made with very lightweight materials, resulting in a finished product that is a mere 6.9 oz per shoe.

The uppers are a combination of breathable mesh and synthetic overlays for stability.  The mesh is virtually identical to the material New Balance used for its premiere Minimus Trail shoe, which I compared at the time to the comfort of a soft slipper.

B2R shoes have a similar barefoot-friendly comfort throughout the upper and insole, and I typically wear mine sockless.

Stack height is anywhere from 10mm to 13mm, with zero drop from heel to toe in either case.  There’s a removable 3.5mm footbed (I removed mine) outsole on top of a 6mm midsole and 3mm of outsole rubber. 

About that outsole … as the name implies, the Road Performance model is pretty much geared toward street running, but traction is decent enough to use on mellow trails.  B2R has a Trail Performance model scheduled for release this fall, with a more aggressive outsole for frequent off-road use.

Now for the split-toe thing: B2R shoes separate the big toe from the rest of the foot, allowing it to articulate, which supposedly provides improved balance and increased power transition.  I’m not sure I appreciate the significance here; I think most any shoe with a thin midsole and flexible platform would provide the same benefit.

On the plus side, split toes also create something of a gloved fit at the front of the foot, and effectively secures the foot without unnecessarily confining it.  Of course, the other consequence is that you need special socks; B2R provides two pairs of crab-claw-looking socks with each purchase, but I was happy to use regular toe socks on the few occasions I wasn’t completely sockless.

So that’s the shoe component of today’s review … but to Eric Orton and B2R, “ultimate running” (as it’s described on the website) is about more than simply shoes – it’s also a combination of adequate training, correct technique, and proper nutrition.  Accordingly, the B2R system addresses all of these elements through accessory products, in-depth instruction, and even personalized coaching for its customers.

The entire workout system is designed by Orton, and revolves around strength training as the critical factor in developing full-body conditioning, from the feet up into the legs and core and even the upper extremities.  Executed properly, the result is better running economy, which decreases injury and improves performance.

B2R’s training package includes support poles, a slant board, and an instructional video with exercises and workouts that develop foundational core and upper body strength.  The workouts progress from levels 1 to 3, using most of the same equipment along with stability disks for higher-level balance challenges. 

The workouts look easy, but they’re actually fairly challenging … and I honestly didn’t do them more than a couple of times.  That’s not to say anything bad about them – it’s just that I barely have enough time to run nowadays, let alone carve out additional time for supplemental workouts.  The combination of shoes and workouts may be a compelling combination for runners with more time to devote to it, especially those who are transitioning away from traditional running shoes – which nowadays seems to be just about everybody, thanks in no small part to Eric Orton, who you can see in action in the video clip that follows.

B2R’s Road Performance shoes retail for $100, and the Level 1 training kit retails for $80, both from the B2R website.

“B2R Wear Testing with Eric Orton” (along with a cool tune by Clutch – click to play):

*Products provided by B2R.  

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Barefoot Running - The Movie: Review and Giveaway Contest

As far as I can tell, there probably aren’t any barefoot runners enjoying themselves quite as much as Michael Sandler has been lately.

You may recall that Sandler is the author of Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth - see my book review here - and is also a huge proponent of grounding theory, which enables us to fully connect and be at one with the Earth beneath our feet.  You may also recall that I don’t fully subscribe to his entire doctrine, but in all my communication with Sandler (we’ve e-mailed and phoned several times), I haven’t encountered anyone more passionate about the multiple and literally life-altering benefits of being barefoot.

Much of his belief comes from personal experience – more on that soon.  For today’s purposes, I’m happy to help promote Sandler’s latest project: Barefoot Running - The Movie, filmed completely on location in Hawaii.  He and his wife (and fellow barefoot advocate) Jessica Lee spent the majority of the year filming and producing the documentary, and his most recent e-mail to me read, “We're on the road in Colorado right now, but looking forward to getting back to warmer Hawaii shortly.  We'll be holding winter clinics there so others can enjoy the scenery with us.  Perhaps you'd like to come on out?”  It's hard to think of a place in the world that's better for a guy to enjoy being barefoot.

Unfortunately, I don’t have Hawaii in my future this winter, but I certainly had an eyeful of it in Barefoot Running - The Movie, which is essentially a visual companion to his excellent book.  Much of the same material is covered, but in video format it is significantly more compelling.  You get a better understanding of the exercises and form drills prescribed, a keener sense of the entire running sequence compared to seeing still photos – and most of all, you get a huge dose of mojo from the stunning scenery, which practically pulls you into the screen to invite you along.

One other noteworthy point is that Sandler’s back story is much better appreciated in video format.  I knew that his discovery of barefoot running was born from the wreckage of a traumatic accident, but reading this on a page doesn’t have nearly the impact of actually seeing Sandler’s mangled body and watching him repeatedly struggle to pull himself upright from a hospital bed.  Whether or not you believe everything Sandler says about the health benefits of being barefoot, you’ll never doubt his sincerity about the healing power it’s had on his own life.  And however much fun Sandler is having nowadays, it’s entirely well-deserved.

Barefoot Running - The Movie is now available for purchase from Sandler’s RunBare website, and would make a great early holiday gift for the minimalist runner on your list.  Sandler also gave me an additional copy of the movie to give away to one reader, so we’ll go ahead and make this the jumping off point for our contest.  Leave a comment in the box below to enter, and I’ll announce the winner this weekend.  In the meantime, check out the following trailer for a sampling of what’s up for grabs.

“Barefoot Running – The Movie” by RunBare (click to play):

Special thanks to Michael Sandler for providing this contest opportunity, and good luck to everybody!

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CLIF Contest Winners; Random Shots of Beauty

Last weekend I committed to announcing the winners of two CLIF Bar contests on Nov 3^rd … and I’m making it with a little under three hours to spare.  In ultrarunning terms, that’s a huge cushion below the cutoff time, so I’m choosing to think of this as an accomplishment.

But before we get to that, let’s knock out a Random Shot of Beauty:

The Lone Cypress in Pebble Beach, as seen during a family geocache outing on an 80-degree November day.  California, baby … California.

And now for our winners.  The first contest was in conjunction with CLIF’s Meet the Moment promotion, where my kids and I got to choose our favorite entry to receive a CLIF sampler pack.  (Just as an FYI, I have no idea what’s in it – but it’s probably cool.)  Here’s the one we picked:

Submitted by GregoryBoytos, who is our contest winner.  Congrats!

The second contest is offering up a sample pack of CLIF’s brand new Chocolate Cherry BLOKs.  This was a straightforward “whoever random.org’s number generator smiles upon” contest, and the winners are Stephan Uzzell, Sarah, and Owen Yeates.

Thanks very much to everybody who entered, and if you’re one of the winners, e-mail me your contact info so I can pass it along to my CLIF reps.  Also, be on the lookout for another (non-CLIF related) contest later this week!

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CLIF Chocolate Cherry BLOK Contest; CLIF Holiday Bar Winners; Random Shots of Beauty

“Three is a magic number, yes it is ... “

-      - From Schoolhouse Rock

This is the third straight weekend that I’m offering up a new CLIF Bar contest, and I’m also announcing three winners of last week’s CLIF holiday bar contest – so we'll ahead and have some fun with the theme of three on this one.  But first, let’s get to this weekend’s Random Shot of Beauty:

As seen in Carmel Valley, three days before Halloween.  Incidentally, if it weren’t for decorations like this, it would be hard to tell that it’s fall around here lately with the 80-degree weekend we just enjoyed.  Have I mentioned that I love living in California?

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Now it's time to announce the three winners of last week’s CLIF Bar holiday flavor giveaway contest.  Grimzeak, Southern Tim, and MittenKim: e-mail me your contact info – you’ve won!  Thanks to everyone who entered, and remember to get your holiday flavors while they last, so you don’t have to wait until 2013.

(P.S.  Remember how many holiday flavors there are?  Three, of course!)

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So it’s time for the new contest, which features a brand new CLIF product.

Shortly before our family trip to Zion, we received a sampler box that contained three (yes, really) packs of CLIF’s brand new Chocolate Cherry flavor BLOKS.  In the midst of our three days of hiking, each of my three kids got to sample the new flavor – and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

CLIF offers this same flavor in their SHOT gel, but it’s somewhat unique among energy chews, which generally seems dominated by strictly fruit flavors.  Evidently it’s hard to mimic the taste of chocolate in this category of energy food, but CLIF does a pretty good job of it with the Chocolate Cherry BLOKS. 

The chocolate flavor is subtle but unmistakable; I thought of it like someone had poured chocolate syrup on CLIF’s black cherry BLOK flavor.  However, my 11-year-old daughter came up with an even better description: “It tastes like an ice cream sundae.” 

With the addition of this new flavor, CLIF now has nine (or, stated another way, three times three) BLOK flavors to choose from.  Like other BLOKS, the Chocolate Cherry flavor is made with 95 percent organic ingredients, with a balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes for quick energy and proper muscle function during athletic activity.  This variety will give you a caffeine boost as well, as each pack features 50mg worth, which is the equivalent of one shot of coffee.

Sound interesting?  The new BLOKS are now available in stores, but a few of my readers will get to try a sampler pack for themselves.  And in case you didn’t guess … the number of winners will be three.  However, I’m making it slightly more challenging than just leaving a comment.  This time, you have to name something that comes in threes, or name a group of three things that go together: for example, the past, present and future, or faith and hope and charity, or the heart and brain and body … you get the idea.  If your item(s) are the same as one that’s already listed, your entry doesn’t count.

And if those three examples I just mentioned seem obscure, it’s because I didn’t really make them up: they’re from one of my favorite childhood songs that has become something of a pop culture classic.  That Schoolhouse Rock video is below, and I’ll announce the winners of this contest on – you guessed it, November 3!

Special thanks to CLIF Bar for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everybody!

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“Three Is A Magic Number” from Schoolhouse Rock (click to play):

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