Road Running and Road Shoes - Ponderings of a Trail Runner

This summer (and the spring that preceded it) has been one of the wettest on record. The area trails that I normally run have been impassible or otherwise restricted for running on more days than any year since I started running. And, when not soaked, the combo of seed ticks, oak mites, poison ivy, rattlers and copperheads has left me a little bit trepidatious. I'm a trail guy, but I'm also a bit of a wimp when it comes to too much of the hard stuff that nature can throw at me. So left with no trails except the perennially passible trails behind the Sports Pavilion Lawrence, there has been little choice other than to hit the pavement or treadmill.

Due to my ongoing hamstring injury, I've mainly been running 3-6 ish routes near my home. My preferred route takes me through the southern half of Fred Devictor Linear Park (which sort of has a trail) before depositing me back on asphalt. A second course takes me on 2 mi each way, out and back, from my house to the start of the Pavilion trails. I then run the 2 mile outer circuit of the trails before returning home for a total of 6 miles.

With all of the road miles, my trail shoes have gotten only a few workouts. For trails, I've rotated between 2 pairs of Salomon Speedcross and a pair of Hoka One One Mafates. The Speedcross always feel much lighter and less clunky than the Hokas. But on occasion, I like to change up and run with the extra cushioning that the Hokas provide. When I hit the high mountains in Colorado last month, the Hokas stayed home, and the Salomons rocked the trails with their absolute sure grip and perfect fit.

That being said, other than an ancient pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 8s and a newish pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 17s, I did not have any shoes to rotate for road runs. As of last week, I had finally worn large holes in the Inspire 8s (which had outlasted a pair of Inspire 10s by 2 years). And due to heavier use, my Wave Riders were also starting to develop holes near the first MP joint (the joint at the base of the big toe). Mizunos, in my experience, are particularly susceptible to tearing at that spot - considering the fact that it has happened in 100% of the 7 pairs I have owned. Still, though, as you will note, even with the tendency to tear, I have never found running shoes that I like more than Mizuno. Most of my trail races have been run in Mizunos. My first ultra was actually run in Inspire 8s (not trail shoes). I have only done one ultra distance in anything other than Mizunos (Salomons were used in that instance). Shoes and fit are very subjective, whatever 'the experts' will tell you. And for me, Mizuno is my go-to shoe.

So, last week, instead of making my semi annual purchase of more trail shoes, I opted for road purchases. First to arrive were Mizuno Wave Sayonaras. The pair I got is a model from either 2013 or 2014. I have already done a couple of runs in them, and they fit like all Mizunos do for me - perfectly.  The feel is much more like the lighter and firmer Wave Inspire 10s than either the Inspires that preceded it or even the Wave Rider. The shoes give great ground feel paired with a comfortable level of shock absorption. Will they last? I'm betting they'll give about 300 miles before ripping out in the normal place. But they will certainly be 300 miles of solid performance.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara

To get a real rotation from the Mizunos, I also ordered a pair of Hoka One One Odysseys.  The maximal shoes came with very mixed reviews on the Running Warehouse site, but I figured I would give them a shot anyway. The Odysseys are supposed to be extremely light weight. I am hoping that they will be less clunky than the Mafates, which are not at all light (but in fairness, trail shoes almost always carry a bit of extra weight for added protection). I will give an update on the Odysseys as soon as I have done a couple of solid runs in them.

Finally, one of the most fun events I have run in the past couple of years (Trail Hawk events excluded), was the Defend Lawrence Run - which takes place at 5:05 AM each August 21st. The little 5K fun run includes a jaunt up the 12th street hill to the KU campus - not the type of hill one encounters every day in Kansas. Last Friday, 189 people (many of them Trail Hawks) showed up and knocked out the course in anywhere from 20-45 minutes. It was great fun to run with friends down the middle of many of Lawrence's major streets (which were deserted at that hour). Mimosas (real mimosas) and other less inebriating refreshments were served at the run's conclusion by owners and staff of Ad Astra Running, Lawrence's soon-to-open locally-owned running store. I plan to do my next shoe purchases there. I hope they plan to carry some great trail shoes...

 Runners starting to show up at 4:30 AM for the annual Defend Lawrence Run outside of the soon to be open Ad Astra Running.

Colorado - Summer

I drove out to Colorado last week. My friends Adrian and Tara had rented a place in Frisco with other friends. And, since their friends were leaving a couple of days early, they suggested I come out and take the vacant room. Since I had planned to head to CO at some point this summer, I took it as a sign and packed my bags. I also rented a place in Keystone for two days after I leaving the condo in Frisco.

The trip was to be the first long drive for the new (to me) Honda Ridgeline. Even though it is a seriously new vehicle (2013), I didn't really trust it until it performed perfectly on the trip.

The drive across Kansas was as uneventful as you would imagine a drive across Kansas to be. Still, though, I found a lot of beauty in the flint hills and then the plains of western Kansas. No mountains impede the view;-)

Kansas - Wide Open Spaces

Just outside of Denver, after a beautiful day of driving, I encountered one of the worst super cells I've ever experienced. Ten minutes of absolutely white knuckle driving ensued, as I-70 traffic slowed from 75mph down to about 20mph, with all cars and truck flashing hazard lights so they'd be visible.

Super Cell in the Distance

The rest of the drive was mercifully uneventful with the exception of Denver's perpetually shitty traffic. Denver's traffic is like LA's, except without any reason for it. The town doesn't have a massive population. Flow should be the city government's priority. And the traffic situation isn't new. It has been this way for years. I have driven through construction in seemingly the same places for at least three years. I can't figure out why the city doesn't seem to be able to fix the highways. Anyway... minor rant over.

The Frisco/Dillon/Silverthorne/Breckenridge/Keystone area is a fantastic place to spend time in the summer. Opportunities abound for hiking, biking, and running. The last time I had been in the area, I had my 29er mountain bike. But for this trip I brought my road bike. The area is just lousy with paved bike and running paths between the towns and resorts. I was able to do rides between Frisco and Breck, and between Keystone and Breck on several occasions with minimal exposure to any road traffic. On my second to last day in the area, I drove out to the legendary ultra-running and biking town of Leadville. I did a quick 12-ish mile ride on the beautiful circumferential (around Leadville) Mineral Belt Trail before rain started to fall (in a storm that would last the rest of the day). 

The Mineral Belt Trail goes up for about 6 miles, and then down for the same distance. If you've been in the area for a few days, it won't leave you gassed if you're biking or running it. It is at a good elevation, but the grade isn't too tough. And the scenery will pay you dividends for your efforts.

Mineral Belt Trail before the rains

Following the trail through an old mine near the top of the mountain

A great post-ride salad and coffee at the Tennessee Pass Cafe in Leadville

During my stay I also took a couple of hikes and did a little bit of trail running. The first hike was up Mt. Royal - a peak that overlooks Frisco. Three friends and I climbed it on my second day in town. While not particularly tall, Royal was certainly steep - especially near the summit. I was surprised to find myself somewhat winded during the descent - though since my buddy Adrian and I had raced full out up the steepest portion of the climb, maybe being breathless had less to do with acclimatization, and more to do with stupidity. 

The second hike I did was on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) heading south from the Loveland Pass. I brought an apple, a Hammer Nutrition Banana gel packet, and a couple of water bottles, 1 filled with Skratch - my favorite natural energy powdered performance drink mix. I planned to hike out for 2-3 hours and then back. I made it almost to Grizzly (a near 14er) before deciding that I had started a bit too late in the day to do the climb (which would've been my third 13er of the day). I had gotten a late start because I had spent the morning biking over to Breck and wandering through a really good outside art fair that the city was hosting.

Anyway, I made my way to a pile of rocks near the summit of the second mountain I had climbed, found a spot to sit that overlooked an absolutely pristine valley - no roads, houses, power lines. I drank some water, had and apple, and watched marmots at play among the boulders and wildflowers. Throughout the hike, whenever I was on a flat or slight up or downhill, I strapped my pack tighter and did a bit of trail running. I was at a higher altitude than I had been for most of the trip, but my energy levels were great. Running felt good. It was a truly lovely experience. It was with quite a bit of regret that I finally made my way back down the slope and then another half mile walking along the highway to where I had parked the truck.

Wildflowers so pretty that they looked like bouquets along the CDT

A valley view from near the top of a peak on the CDT

As always, Colorado never seems to disappoint. Whether I'm hiking or biking, in the mountains near Frisco or the spending time in the high deserts near Grand Junction, I always leave in awe of this magnificent part of our country.