Injinji Performance 2.0 Sock Review; Injinji Sock Giveaway Contest

Before today’s official review, a cool sale offer to pass along: GoLite is in the midst of a 12 Days of Savings campaign, featuring a killer deal on at least one item each day.  I receive banner links to a new item each day, but since I’ve long since stopped posting every day around here, I’m just including a direct link (on the photo below) to their site so you can return back later and check out the savings for yourself. 

And now we resume normal programming …

**

Even before embracing minimalism a few years ago, I was familiar with Injinji socks.  They were something of a novelty among ultrarunners, although those who used them seemed completely enamored with their ability to prevent blisters on or between your toes.

Shortly thereafter, the whole minimalist thing exploded, and Vibrams became the sexiest thing going – sometimes literally.  And since most of us live in places where the weather gets cold – yes, even here in California – Injinjis soon became the cheese to Vibram’s macaroni, and surged in popularity along with the FiveFingers.

Here’s the thing, though: I wasn’t exactly wild about Injinji’s early offerings.  They were fairly comfortable and great at keeping grit from grinding against your bare skin during a long trail run, but I wasn’t really impressed with their insulating capacity or ability to dry quickly.  They also seemed to stretch out and lose their shape fairly significantly after a handful of wash cycles.

So when I was offered a few pairs to try again this fall, I made sure to ask the rep if something had changed from the pairs I tested from a few years ago.  It turns out, something had – and the new Injinji Performance 2.0 series will be available in early 2013.

Injinji Performance 2.0 series socks

The new line has less of a cottony feel than the previous versions, with improved CoolMax fabric that is more similar to technical running socks in its wicking ability and moisture management.  They use a variety of fabric combinations and weave patterns to improve the fit, and they seem more compressive than the previous line.  I’ve washed mine several times, and so far they are holding their shape quite nicely.

Injinji classifies the Performance 2.0 line according to activity, such as Run, Trail, and Sport. They are further categorized by height – from knee high all the way down to micro - and by fabric weight (lightweight, original, and midweight).  In other words, there are a lot of options, which should make it easy to find a variety you like.

My favorite of the new collection is a wool model from the trail line.  Although it isn’t as comfortable as some other materials, I’ve gradually become a fan of wool socks during wet or cold-weather outings, mainly because of its ability to maintain insulation even when wet.  Injinji’s wool socks are thicker than its other fabric blends, but they are quite effective at keeping your toes warm in shoes with highly breathable uppers.  The only downside is that if your FiveFingers are a snug fit, you may need to size up for winter running.

I suppose the bottom line is that if you liked Injinjis in the past, you’ll like the Performance 2.0 line for sure – and if you (like me) weren’t wild about Injinjis in the past, it may be time to give them a second look.  And following this post, a few readers will get the chance to try Injinjis for themselves.  The company is offering three winners a running sampler pack including a road model, trail model, and wool Injinji sock.  There’s no criteria to enter – it’s simply a luck of the draw thing of this one.  Leave a comment below to enter, and I’ll announce the winner on Sunday night.

Thanks very much to Injinji for sponsoring this giveaway, and good luck to everybody!

*Products provided by Injinji

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Christmas Time's A-Coming

“Christmas time’s a-coming – and I know I’m going home”

-      -  Patty Loveless, “Christmas Time’s A-Coming” (video after post)

Even though we don’t live in a winter climate, our little hometown of Carmel Valley takes Christmas time pretty seriously.  For proof, you need look no further than this weekend’s annual festivities that never fail to draw virtually every man, woman, and child in town – partly due to the fact that almost everyone is involved in some capacity.

And since this is the weekend, we’ll use this as a starting point for an extended Random Shots of Beauty, which may also be rightly called Random Shots of Christmas, or even Random Shots of Life in a Small Town.

The fun gets underway with the approach of a helicopter to the Valley’s abandoned old airstrip …

… that carries special passengers from the North Pole.

It’s Santa Claus and Mrs Claus, escorted by a fireman.  It’s worth noting that in Carmel Valley, firemen are right up there with Santa in terms of admiration from local kids – which is exactly as it should be.

The Advantages of Being a Girl Scout in Carmel Valley, Part 1: the local troop gets first dibs at greeting Santa after touchdown.  It’s a great advantage to have …

… because as soon as they’re done, Santa gets the complete rock star treatment.

In case you doubted that Santa’s arrival is a big deal here: See that guy in the Hawaiian shirt?  He’s a United States Congressman.

After the Fly-In, our one-street village hosts a Christmas parade that tells you as much about the town as it does about Christmas …

… beginning with another star turn by the local fire department in an old-school fire truck.

Advantages of Being a Girl Scout in Carmel Valley, Part 2: the local Brownies get another featured role in the big day.

Then again, the local dirt-bike kids also get their spot in the show …

… as do a lot of farm equipment, usually towing a load of kids.

In an old ranch community, you know you’ll see a lot of horses …

... and in our part of California, this is the only kind of snowman most of us will ever see.  Also, did I mention the tractors?

Of course, the nicest tractor is reserved for the star of the show, fresh off his helicopter landing, along with some lucky kids who get to share the ride with him.

I don’t know whether it’s the impending joy of the holiday season, or the yearly reminder of what a special place this is to live – but our annual Christmas parade is one of the many things that makes Carmel Valley feel like home.

**

And continuing last weekend’s reference to our family’s favorite Christmas songs is this one from a Patty Loveless album that – seeing as how I never considered myself a huge bluegrass fan - took me completely by surprise when it gradually became one of my most-loved collections a few years ago.

“Christmas Time’s A-Coming” by Patty Loveless (click to play):

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Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon Review

At the rate Vibram is going, it’s almost hard to remember a time when runners complained about the company’s lack of options.  Like, you know … all the way back to three years ago.

Back then trail runners had to make do with Vibram’s flagship KSO model, which effectively became a “one style does all” model that was adopted by a wide variety of users for pretty much any purpose you can think of.  But as the minimalist running movement exploded, Vibram remained at the forefront of innovation by cranking out one new model after another, and focusing more intently on the unique needs of various user groups.

Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon

As the product line increased, the differences between models from either a design or performance standpoint become more refined – and a perfect example of this is the FiveFingers Spyridon, which debuted this fall.  It’s essentially an unlaced version of the company’s Spyridon LS, which was one of my favorite minimalist shoes last fall and winter. 

Spyridon LS on left, new Spyridon on right

Instead of the quick laces that are employed on the LS version, the Spyridon uses what can rightfully be called a throwback by Vibram standards: a strap that warps behind the heel and attaches with a Velcro closure on top of the midfoot.

It’s interesting that Vibram even created an unlaced version of the Spyridon, considering that for most of its other running shoes – the Bikila, Trek, and SeeYa – the progression happened in the opposite direction: the unlaced version debuted first, and the laced version came later. (*Note: I'll be reviewing the SeeYa LS soon as well.)  The Spyridons went in the opposite direction, which seems unusual in that the majority of Vibram users typically prefer laced FiveFingers models to unlaced.

Laced systems have become my preference as well, and in that regard the Spyridon doesn’t really compel me to ditch my LS version.  In my testing, security of the upper through the midfoot isn’t quite as locked in with the Spyridon as it is with the LS.  However, there are a couple other design elements that might position the Spyridon ahead of the Spyridon LS for some users.

Uppers of the new Spyridon are composed of a thin, lightweight stretch mesh that is noticeably cooler than the LS version.  It also feels softer against bare skin than the laced version.  Despite the lighter material, weight of the Spyridon is identical to the LS version at 6.8 oz; my guess is that the weight that is lost with the lighter upper material is gained with the addition of the strap.

Construction around the ankle collar is different as well, with the Spyridon echoing the low profile and thin material of the KSO, while the Spyridon LS has the more “traditional” (as much as you can say that about anything Vibram makes) thinly padded collar and higher Achilles contact that it first used with the Bikila running models.  This is another area of individual preference; in my case, I happen to like the LS ankle collar better against bare skin.

Below the upper, the Spyridon is virtually a carbon copy of the LS – which is great news, because the lower half of the Spyridon LS is simply awesome. There’s a 3mm polyurethane insole to provide added comfort and a tiny amount of cushioning underfoot …

... and a super aggressive XS Trek rubber outsole that contacts the ground.  This aggressive, multi-directional outsole was the second biggest innovation on last year’s Spyridon LS, and from a performance standpoint it’s hard to imagine how Vibram can improve upon it.  Aside, perhaps, from the very eye-catching color on this pair, which makes it look like you just stepped on Kermit the Frog.

As for the biggest innovation on last year’s model, that would be this:

A heavy duty polyester mesh layer between the outsole and insole which functions as a flexible rock plate, providing additional puncture resistance and dispersing sharp impacts across a broader surface area.  Having logged hundreds of combined miles on this plate (inclusive of Spyridon LS and the new model), I’m highly impressed with the level of protection it offers despite being so thin …

… and still allowing the complete freedom of movement you expect from Vibram running shoes.  Of all the shoes I’ve tested, it’s the Spyridon (LS or normal) that offers the most ideal balance of ground feel and protection of the entire bunch.

So I guess my main takeaway from testing the Spyridon is that these models are both near the very top of the class in minimalist trail runners – but there may not be a strongly compelling reason to choose the new version over last year’s laced model.   If you’re one who prefers the fit or feel of Vibram’s traditional upper and strap fastener over the laced versions, this is definitely the model for you.  For everyone else, it’s kind of a coin flip.

Another determining factor may be cost, as the unlaced version retails for $110 compared to $120 for the LS – not a huge difference, but every dollar counts, right?  And for a limited time, you can get Vibram’s Spyridon models at an even better price from TravelCountry.com, where the unlaced version is on sale for $88, and the LS version is on sale for $96.

*Product provided by Vibram

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Run For Power (In a Hamster Wheel!)

Would you run in a hamster wheel to save the Earth?  That was the question posed by Outside Magazine in response to a proposal by a Lebanese industrial engineer who presumably had a creative stroke of genius during one of the frequent power outages in his home town of Beirut. 

His brainchild is essentially a modern treadmill that harvests energy – and if the technology is applied in large enough quantities, may pose a very viable alternative to traditional sources.

It got my friend Mike and I to thinking about whether or not runners and cyclists would embrace the idea enough to make it work – and it became the inspiration for the Monterey Herald column that follows below.

** 

Running Life 11/29/12                                                 “Run for Power”

Last week was Thanksgiving – and if you ask any runner what he or she is thankful for, the ability to run will be fairly high on the list. 

So how can a grateful runner pay that blessing forward?   There are several routes you can take.  You can volunteer at a race.  You can invite a friend to go running with you.  You can help a running partner train to set a personal record.

Or if you’re more globally minded, you can help to save the world.

All photos from YankoDesign.com

At least, that’s the idea a Lebanese industrial designer named Nadim Inaty proposed this summer to a website called Yanko Design, an online magazine dedicated to introducing innovative concepts in all walks of life.  Inaty’s design was complete with specs and schematics, and the discussion that followed further clarified precisely how runners and cyclists can produce green energy and decrease our collective reliance on fossil fuels.

Click photos to enlarge

Yes, it’s ambitious, but the whole notion is actually quite plausible.  Here’s how the Yanko site describes it: “Green Wheel is an exercise machine that transforms kinetic energy produced by the human body into electricity. Multiple machines are connected to a central energy storage unit where electricity can then be supplemented to road lights and traffic lights.”  Essentially, the machine is a large (3 meter diameter) hamster wheel that is powered by humans; it’s not the most flattering exercise invention ever created, but then again, neither is spandex.

Inaty imagines that units could be placed in public spaces – his prototype features grassy rest areas surrounding the wheel - and that users could donate their jogging time in exchange for a place to run.  Have you ever run along the coastline and wished the view could last forever?  Well, if a Green Wheel was parked along the rec trail somewhere, you’d enjoy the same scenic vista throughout your entire run. 

At the very least, a unit would be a step up from the treadmill, which has been antagonizing runners ever since the days of George Jetson.  If your health club installed a few Green Wheels alongside the regular treadmills, wouldn’t you rather pick the one that had some external benefit?  Don’t worry, someone will figure out a way to show your favorite TV program inside the wheel by the time we get there.

Health clubs can make an even more tangible impact if similar technology is incorporated into exercise bikes.  Imagine a spin class full of energetic 30-somethings pumping their legs up and down like crazy, generating small increments of electricity with each pedal stroke.   If nothing else, the power they create will offset all the hot water they’ll use when showering afterwards.

For the concept to succeed, Green Wheels need to be used in large numbers, because the power output is somewhat low.  By Inaty’s calculations, a single unit used for 30 minutes will produce roughly 120 watts – which is enough to light a compact fluorescent bulb for five hours, or to charge 12 mobile phones.  Yes, it’s small in individual doses – but think about how many treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes are in motion all day long in gyms and health clubs all over the country.  If each of those machines contributed a small charge to the grid, the impact on city infrastructures could become significant.

Therefore, another necessary component is altruism, in that runners or cyclists will voluntarily contribute their efforts for the greater good – which is where the whole Thanksgiving thing comes back in.  If you’ve been blessed with the ability to run, wouldn’t you appreciate a creative way to leverage that gift for a greater good?  Or if you’re looking for a unique way to get in shape, would this kind of eco-friendly mission be enough to inspire you?

The Earth needs your help.  Get out there and run!

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Merrell Big Sky Jacket Review

Hey, guess what?  It’s Vendemmia season!  One of the sweetest events of the fall, and I feel kind of bad that it’s taken me this long to acknowledge it.

OK, I had to Google it; I had no idea what Vendemmia was.  But that’s why I like doing research for these product reviews: because I never know what sort of interesting information I’m going to stumble across. I got to Vendemmia via Merrell’s Big Sky jacket, which of course I’ll tell you about shortly – but first, a bit about its inspiration.

Merrell Big Sky jacket

Vendemmia is the fall grape harvesting and crushing time in the historic wine regions of Italy.  It’s hard to predict the exact dates, as the kickoff depends on the grapes reaching their peak ripeness, which can vary by vineyard throughout the country.  Vendemmia is the time of year when wine-making families stop whatever else they're doing to focus all their attention on getting grapes off the vine and processed – it's a period that entails long days of labor and careful attention to detail.  Nights are spent relaxing, and by late fall the first editions of new wines are available in restaurants and tasting rooms for the public to enjoy.

Merrell used the traditional Vendemmia as the inspiration for a line of fall apparel that combines Old World materials and styling with performance and comfort features.  The Big Sky jacket comes from that collection, which the website says is made for “long days on the trail and longer nights with friends.”

Interior fleece on left, exterior wool on right

The exterior of the Big Sky is about as traditional as you can get, with an all-weather wool fabric blend that is brushed smooth and soft, with practically no itchiness that wool sometimes causes.  However, the interior layers bring the jacket into the 21^st century, with super soft fleece interior lining, and Merrell’s Aeroblock fabric that provides high wind resistance and breathability.   

There’s also a bit of nylon to provide stretchiness and full range of motion, resulting in an overall fabric blend of 62% polyester, 27% wool, and 11% nylon.  Wind resistance of the jacket is 12 cubic feet per minute per square meter (or CFM – I had to look that one up too), which places it squarely in the 10-15 CFM range of most midweight softshell jackets.  However, the Big Sky insulates better than soft shells, as the wool combination maintains body heat much more effectively than many synthetic materials.

Even more than the material performance, I’m most impressed with the styling of the Big Sky.  It’s got a classic Old World look, and truly would be equally at home on the trail or a fancy Italian restaurant.  And since the jacket is so cozy and comfortable, you can wear it for hours on end with no problem.  I wear it to church on Sundays, and keep it on for lounging around the house the rest of the afternoon.

Sometimes there’s a lot to be said for the old ways, whether it’s the longstanding art of winemaking or the stylish utility of well-designed apparel.  Merrell’s Big Sky is an ideal casual option for cool autumn days and nights – whether you’re enjoying Vendemmia in Italy or fall festivities closer to home.  It is available in four colors and retails for $139 from the Merrell website.

*Product provided by Merrell.

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Random Shots of Beauty; Last Month of the Year

With only a few weekends left to post Random Shots of Beauty, I figured it was time to go back into the photo folders and find some of the pics I decided to put away for a rainy day.  And since it’s been raining for almost five straight days around Monterey County, this seemed like a perfect time to open up the rainy day file.

We’ll start with this one from a remote area of Carmel Valley:

A somewhat nondescript oak tree that my son and I encountered on a summertime bike ride; it’s not remarkably different than any other of the thousands of oak trees around here.  It was only upon closer inspection that my son said, “Hey – what do you see on that tree trunk?”

To our eyes, it kind of looked like the tree was looking back at us.  It was very Wizard of Oz-ish.

Continuing on the “slightly surreal” theme is this shot from my 11-year-old daughter’s favorite trail running area in Point Lobos State Reserve:

It’s not very often that you encounter a whale skeleton on your evening run.  At least not that I'm aware of.

*

One final note from the weekend: my wife and I had the privilege of seeing the Blind Boys of Alabama in concert on Friday night – and if there’s any better way to kick off the Christmas season, I’d be amazed.  They played a set of their gospel classics, plus some gems from their wonderful holiday record, including this tune that may be our family’s unanimous selection for favorite holiday song of all time.

Blind Boys of Alabama, “Last Month of the Year” (click to play):

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Rambling On

“Leaves are falling all around, it's time I was on my way –

Thanks to you I'm much obliged, for such a pleasant stay … “

-     -   Led Zeppelin, “Ramble On” (video after post)

At Thanksgiving I posted an old Bloom County comic strip that referenced the notion of permanence – which, ironically, was published in the summer of 1989, just a handful of weeks before author Berke Breathed officially brought that chapter of his career to a close.  I remember feeling quite melancholy about the departure of Bloom County from the daily comics*, even though I recognized that the strip had morphed and changed and played out so many crazy story lines that it must have been practically impossible to keep things fresh and exciting anymore. 

(*Coincidentally, in the summer of 1989 I had a lot of things going for me: I had finished my freshman year at the college I had dreamed of attending since I was a little kid, spent one of the most exhilarating seasons I could remember as part of the UCLA rowing team, and wasted more days than I can remember bumming around the beaches of southern California.  And although I didn’t realize it at the time, I had met the girl who would eventually become my wife.  Yet I was still legitimately sad about this nutty comic strip coming to an end – which should tell you all you need to know about my maturity level in the late 1980s.)

I couldn’t even honestly say that Bloom County was my favorite strip anymore; at the time, both Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side were at the top of their games, proving themselves far more endearing and universally funny - and in hindsight, they would hold up much better over the ensuing two decades.  Yet there was something special about Bloom County for me.  Perhaps it was the lovably quirky characters, or the absurdly fantastic adventures they set out on, or the often embarrassingly candid expressions of introspection and insecurity they displayed – whatever it was, I simply identified with this cartoon more than all the others.

Click to enlarge

The final story line of the strip described how the characters eventually found work at other comic strips; among my favorites was African-American computer wiz Oliver Wendell Jones being bused in to join the cast of Family Circus.  Ultimately Opus, the character who had become the heart and soul of the strip, walked off into the sunset with the promise of more crazy experiences awaiting him at some nondescript destination - later revealed to be Outland, a Sunday-only spinoff that was relatively short-lived and never remotely established the same emotional connection as the original.

Click to enlarge

The reason I’m telling you all this is because it wasn’t a coincidence that I ran that strip here last week.  It’s time to bring a chapter of my own life to a close … and we’re entering the final weeks of Running and Rambling.

It’s a decision that’s been percolating in my head for the better part of a year, and finally reached critical mass over the past couple of months.  This website has always been a labor of love, but the “labor” side of that equation has been overwhelming the “love” side with increasing frequency, and I’ve long since reached the point of diminishing returns in regards to how much time I want to invest on this pet hobby of mine.

Lest anyone be concerned, rest assured that everything is fine with me.  Longtime readers will recall that I tried to quit once before, a decision that was precipitated by a family crisis, under circumstances that seemed abrupt and beyond my control.  (And no, I’m not linking to those posts – it’s not exactly a period of time I’m eager to revisit.)  This time around, things couldn’t be more different: I’ve had a ton of time to mull it over, and it’s a decision that I’m making completely on my own, without any external drivers influencing me one way or the other.

"Goodbye, me" - click to enlarge

In fact, it’s precisely because I find myself so richly blessed that the day to day machinations of maintaining a website seem extremely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.  Life is morphing and changing and inserting me into a hundred crazy story lines, and I want to give all of them my full attention without worrying about how much time I need to be spending on my laptop in order to get the next post published.  Or, to paraphrase the immortal philosopher Ferris Bueller: life is moving pretty fast, and if I don’t stop and look around, I’m afraid I might miss it.

However, none of this implies that you’ve seen the last of me.  Like the Bloom County characters of 1989, many aspects of this blog will carry on elsewhere.  I’ll continue to be a gear guru, with minimalist footwear reviews posted on Gear Institute, and all other manner of products reviewed on Feed the Habit (I’ve contributed to each of these sites for a number of years now).  Team Soft Star will continue to race at ultras - although which ones and when, I have no idea yet – with race reports published on Soft Star’s Live Bare blog.  And if things go according to plan, you'll occasionally see my name pop up on freelance writing gigs for various outdoor or health-related magazines.  None of these will have quite the same emotional connection for me as my original website, but they're exactly the type of outlets I need right now.

Same idiot, different websites

I’m tentatively planning to publish my final post on December 31 – that seems like a fitting date to bring things to a close – so think of the next four weeks around here as one final adventure.  I honestly have no idea how things will play out; maybe I’ll run some favorite posts, maybe I’ll try some crazy things I've never gotten around to, or maybe I’ll just continue business as usual and then play "Freebird" on my way out of the building.  All I know for now is that I have a few product reviews to post and at least one more contest giveaway to offer, which you’ll see for yourself next week.

In the meantime, I’m overwhelmingly obliged to everyone who helped make Running and Rambling a success; it’s been such a pleasant stay that I know a part of me will always be legitimately sad about its departure.  Hopefully I’ll be able to convey the extent of that gratitude at some point … but for now, it’s time for me to go – and as fate would have it, tonight there’s a full moon to guide me.

“Now it’s time for me to go, the autumn moon lights my way … ”

-      Led Zeppelin, “Ramble On” (click to play):

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