Summer and Fall Report. Hoka and Altra micro reviews.

I have taken a lot of time away from this blog as I work on the sequel to RUN. It is coming along well. In order to write a novel, it requires precedence (for me, at least) over all other writings It is difficult to switch gears and get back in the swing of things in the real world of blogging after spending hours in a fictional realm. I've also been working on a website that caters to outdoor literature and poetry. It is also progressing nicely. I will post a link to that site someday soon. It has calls for submissions regularly, and does not ask for any exclusivity or rights from authors/poets/essayists who wish to submit works.

The summer and fall were both kind to me and I was able to amass easy miles in (for the most part) beautiful weather. Due to the oak mite infestation in this area (NE Kansas), I mainly stayed clear of trails, which allowed me to do a lot of speed work on the roads. Shorter, faster runs, with regular reverse splits became de rigueur. It was an enjoyable change that allowed me to really get to know my Hoka One One's.

Here's a quick breakdown of my feelings for Hoka road shoes.

Odyssey - Love them. My Favorite Hokas ever. Almost too comfortable to only wear when running.

Clifton - Dislike. While light, they have an odd pinch at the big toe joint over the ball of the foot for me. Somehow, they just don't fit me well. Though if you are looking at a pair of Bondis, this would be a good model to use for comparison.

Clayton - Fun shoe. Much firmer. I like them, but I prefer a bit more squish in my Hokas.

Bondi - This is the shoe that, for me, will replace the Odyssey (which Hoka doesn't seem to manufacture anymore). Light, comfortable, with a slightly more firm feel, the newest iteration of the Bondi seems to fit the bill.

3 Pairs of Hokas and my Altra Lone Peaks

As fall returned, I knocked out a few trail 25Ks (actually 2, with a DNF in a third after losing a skirmish with a rock). I ran all in my Altra Lone Peaks. The LPs performed well - as they had when I used them to climb Mt. Elbert earlier in the year. The shoes have massive toe boxes, so there is almost no incidence of getting black toe from smashing up against the front of the shoe on a downhill run. For super rocky running, a runner might want to consider getting a brand/model with a more serious rock plate. But on the whole, the LPs perform well, providing decent cushioning, great ground feel and grip, breathability, and comfort throughout a decently long run.

I plan to run R2R2R (if you don't know what that means, look it up;-) in April with 2 buddies. I'm slowly starting to increase mileage and add in meaningful hill work. I may pop out to Joshua Tree over the winter and do a couple of long downhill runs from the Mojave Desert through the pass into the Colorado Desert (see pvs posts re that run). Mile after mile of non-stop downhill is not something I would normally advocate doing. But when looking to do major canyon running, it might be nice to have a little bit of that training in hand.

I hope to have more here soon.