Donald Buraglio and Michael Dove's Blog, page 3
November 8, 2012
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.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
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.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
November 5, 2012
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!
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
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!
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
November 3, 2012
CLIF Contest Winners; Random Shots of Beauty
Last weekend I committed to announcing the winners of two CLIF
Bar contests on Nov 3rd … 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!
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
Bar contests on Nov 3rd … 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!
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 28, 2012
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?
*
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!)
*
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!
*
“Three Is A Magic Number” from Schoolhouse Rock (click to
play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
- - 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?
*
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!)
*
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!
*
“Three Is A Magic Number” from Schoolhouse Rock (click to
play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 26, 2012
Zion Adventures: Hiking the Narrows
It’s hard to spend any time in Zion National Park and not
start thinking about the Narrows.
You’ll see images and read descriptions of it from pretty
much any informational resource you choose.
You’ll overhear people in the nearby lodges and restaurants talking
about it. And you’ll see passengers on
the Zion Valley bus wearing waders and carrying walking sticks (more on those
later) and automatically know how they’re spending the day.
Zion Narrows; click any photo to enlarge
The Narrows are as iconic to Zion as Half Dome is to
Yosemite – but with practically zero elevation gain and the flexibility of
doing as much or as little mileage you want, it’s far more accessible to the average
Joe Hiker than climbing up some massive bald rock.
Unfortunately, it was also one of the areas I missed on my first pass through the park a couple of years ago – so this time around, with a family
full of kindred souls looking for adventure, I knew which hike would be at the
top of our list.
And just because the adventure is accessible, that doesn’t mean
it’s easy; the challenges of hiking in the Narrows are still formidable, but in
a more unique way than most hikers are typically accustomed to. By the end of the day, your legs will be just
as tired as if you spent a long day climbing and descending on regular trails –
but the memories you keep with you afterwards will be far more distinctive.
But before we talk about the end, we should talk about the
beginning – and at Zion, the starting point for a day hike of the Narrows is a
paved trailhead at the last stop off the public bus line that runs through Zion
Valley.
The paved portion is only one mile long, and is gently
rolling, without anything that really deserves to be called a hill. Basically, it’s an extended warmup walk to
enjoy some nervous chatter, and to take the measure of the river you’ll be
spending the rest of your day wading through.
Before getting to that part, there’s a transition zone of
sorts where you can gear up for entering the river. Prior to our arrival, it was this aspect of
the trip that caused the most uncertainty (and occasional anxiety) for my wife
and me, in that we had no way of knowing what exactly we might need.
Here’s the deal with the Narrows: the hiking route essentially
goes straight through the Virgin River.
Not adjacent, not criss-crossing … but literally walking in the river. Therefore, you’re guaranteed to spend the day
wet – the only question is how much of your body is going to be submerged at
any given time. And when you talk to
people or read reports about the Narrows, you’ll hear about the possibility of waist-deep currents or hidden sinkholes where you risk being completely
submerged.
Accordingly, pretty much every guide to hiking the Narrows –
especially those that are affiliated with one of the local rental shops - will
tell you that you shouldn’t attempt the hike without canyoneering shoes, thick neoprene
socks, drysuit wading pants, and a sturdy walking stick. However, since I’m 1) a minimalist at heart,
and 2) cheap, I wasn’t convinced that shelling out big bucks to outfit everybody
was really necessary.
Truthfully, this assessment wasn’t a complete shot in the dark; with
some advance research, I was able to make a reasonable guess as to what the
water conditions might be like. Zion
uses a USGS water volume measurement of cubic feet per second (CFS) to gauge how
much water the river is carrying on any given day. If the flow is above 120 CFS, the park won’t
issue through-hike permits, and any day under 75 CFS is considered reasonably safe for hiking. On the
mid-October day that we targeted for our outing, the river was a measly 35 CFS.
So we took our chances.
Instead of renting shoes and socks and pants, we wore … something else,
which I’ll indicate shortly. The only essential piece of gear you need is a walking stick …
… and you can most likely save yourself the rental cost and just grab one from the “take a stick, leave a stick” rack that’s just beyond the
transition area. Once you select the size and style you like …
… it’s time to make your way into the river.
When water levels are low, there are portions of the hike
where you can avoid the river via rocky paths along the bank …
… but it won’t be long before your side trails disappear,
and you’ve got nowhere to hide from the water.
Here’s what NOT to use for footwear: a pair of princessy
high-heeled sandals, as the owner of this abandoned pair at river’s edge can
attest to. As for me …
… I went with VIVOBAREFOOT Ultras, which were designed as a hybrid
aqua / land shoe – in other words, exactly the conditions you find in the
Narrows. Eschewing my traditional Vibram
hiking shoes also allowed me to wear merino wool socks, which provide effective
insulation even when wet. Water
temperature in the Virgin River was in the 55 to 60 degree range, so keeping
your toes warm is definitely a priority for this hike.
(As a family, we were evenly split between Merrell Barefoot
and VIVOBAREFOOT – and there’s one more note on footwear coming soon.)
On the subject of keeping warm: as you journey into the
Narrows, you’re not only spending the majority of your time in frigid water,
but the high canyon walls on either side effectively block the sun and keep the
entire route cold …
… so anytime you find a narrow sliver of space where
daylight actually reaches the ground, that’s occasion to stop and soak in some
rays to bring your body temp up just a bit.
The further you go into the canyon, the more the walls seem
to close in on either side of you, and the more surreal the entire scene
becomes. You also gain a heightened
appreciation for the park service’s regulation of this route – because if there
are heavy rains or flash flooding, you’ve got absolutely no place to hide.
Approximately 1.5 miles upriver is a junction for a side
canyon called Orderville; this also marks the beginning of the most famous
section of the Narrows, known as Wall Street.
Also, one final footwear note: if you click to enlarge the
photo above, you’ll notice that the two people pictured are barefoot. They weren’t the only ones we saw with naked feet, and I also
found some people wearing Vibrams. Obviously
this was encouraging for me to witness, and it also completely dispels the notion
that you need specialized shoes to navigate the Narrows.
There are some precautions, however. The slick river rocks cause your footing to constantly
be unsteady, and you often slide unexpectedly from the surface of one rock to
another. Even with a walking stick, bashed
toes are probably inevitable if you go the barefoot or Vibram route. Also, a full day of this kind of unsteady
walking on rocks is a pretty high-demand activity for your feet and especially your ankles, so if you’re a
newbie minimalist, you’re going to have some soreness afterwards.
Inside Wall Street, the river is less than 25 feet wide in
places, and the vertical sandstone walls on either side rise up to 1500 feet
overhead. If you’re a Star Wars freak
like me, you’ll have flashbacks to the trash compactor scene in Episode IV –
and if you’re a normal person, you’ll probably have an overwhelming feeling of
smallness when staring up at the cliffs looming overhead.
When you’re day hiking* the Narrows, the turnaround point is
wherever you make it; a popular turning point is the far end of Wall Street
when the canyon opens up slightly again.
(*As opposed to through-hiking, where you can start at the
far upstream end and hike the entire 12 miles down to the transition area where my
family’s hike started. You need a permit
for through-hiking, but not for day hiking as I’m describing here.)
You also want to budget some extra time on the way back …
… to make a side trip up Orderville Canyon, which is
narrower and has less water flow than the main canyon …
… but has some distinctive features all its own, such as a
couple of low scrambles over logs or rock piles. You can go about a half-mile into Orderville
before day hiking is prohibited (but through-hiking with a permit is OK) …
… and it’s time to turn around and head back through the
main canyon towards the transition area.
By the time you finish the day, your vital stats won’t be
very impressive; the trip described here is probably only 7 miles round trip,
and took us the better part of 6 hours to complete with a few rest and meal
breaks. However, this hike isn’t about
the numbers – it’s about venturing into surroundings that are unlike almost any
other hike you’ll ever do, and taking in one of the best experiences that Zion National
Park has to offer.
There’s a reason people talk about the Narrows so much – and
if you ever get the opportunity, it’s definitely worth spending a day to see
what all the talk is about.
*See other photo tours
under tab at top of page.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
start thinking about the Narrows.
You’ll see images and read descriptions of it from pretty
much any informational resource you choose.
You’ll overhear people in the nearby lodges and restaurants talking
about it. And you’ll see passengers on
the Zion Valley bus wearing waders and carrying walking sticks (more on those
later) and automatically know how they’re spending the day.
Zion Narrows; click any photo to enlarge
The Narrows are as iconic to Zion as Half Dome is to
Yosemite – but with practically zero elevation gain and the flexibility of
doing as much or as little mileage you want, it’s far more accessible to the average
Joe Hiker than climbing up some massive bald rock.
Unfortunately, it was also one of the areas I missed on my first pass through the park a couple of years ago – so this time around, with a family
full of kindred souls looking for adventure, I knew which hike would be at the
top of our list.
And just because the adventure is accessible, that doesn’t mean
it’s easy; the challenges of hiking in the Narrows are still formidable, but in
a more unique way than most hikers are typically accustomed to. By the end of the day, your legs will be just
as tired as if you spent a long day climbing and descending on regular trails –
but the memories you keep with you afterwards will be far more distinctive.
But before we talk about the end, we should talk about the
beginning – and at Zion, the starting point for a day hike of the Narrows is a
paved trailhead at the last stop off the public bus line that runs through Zion
Valley.
The paved portion is only one mile long, and is gently
rolling, without anything that really deserves to be called a hill. Basically, it’s an extended warmup walk to
enjoy some nervous chatter, and to take the measure of the river you’ll be
spending the rest of your day wading through.
Before getting to that part, there’s a transition zone of
sorts where you can gear up for entering the river. Prior to our arrival, it was this aspect of
the trip that caused the most uncertainty (and occasional anxiety) for my wife
and me, in that we had no way of knowing what exactly we might need.
Here’s the deal with the Narrows: the hiking route essentially
goes straight through the Virgin River.
Not adjacent, not criss-crossing … but literally walking in the river. Therefore, you’re guaranteed to spend the day
wet – the only question is how much of your body is going to be submerged at
any given time. And when you talk to
people or read reports about the Narrows, you’ll hear about the possibility of waist-deep currents or hidden sinkholes where you risk being completely
submerged.
Accordingly, pretty much every guide to hiking the Narrows –
especially those that are affiliated with one of the local rental shops - will
tell you that you shouldn’t attempt the hike without canyoneering shoes, thick neoprene
socks, drysuit wading pants, and a sturdy walking stick. However, since I’m 1) a minimalist at heart,
and 2) cheap, I wasn’t convinced that shelling out big bucks to outfit everybody
was really necessary.
Truthfully, this assessment wasn’t a complete shot in the dark; with
some advance research, I was able to make a reasonable guess as to what the
water conditions might be like. Zion
uses a USGS water volume measurement of cubic feet per second (CFS) to gauge how
much water the river is carrying on any given day. If the flow is above 120 CFS, the park won’t
issue through-hike permits, and any day under 75 CFS is considered reasonably safe for hiking. On the
mid-October day that we targeted for our outing, the river was a measly 35 CFS.
So we took our chances.
Instead of renting shoes and socks and pants, we wore … something else,
which I’ll indicate shortly. The only essential piece of gear you need is a walking stick …
… and you can most likely save yourself the rental cost and just grab one from the “take a stick, leave a stick” rack that’s just beyond the
transition area. Once you select the size and style you like …
… it’s time to make your way into the river.
When water levels are low, there are portions of the hike
where you can avoid the river via rocky paths along the bank …
… but it won’t be long before your side trails disappear,
and you’ve got nowhere to hide from the water.
Here’s what NOT to use for footwear: a pair of princessy
high-heeled sandals, as the owner of this abandoned pair at river’s edge can
attest to. As for me …
… I went with VIVOBAREFOOT Ultras, which were designed as a hybrid
aqua / land shoe – in other words, exactly the conditions you find in the
Narrows. Eschewing my traditional Vibram
hiking shoes also allowed me to wear merino wool socks, which provide effective
insulation even when wet. Water
temperature in the Virgin River was in the 55 to 60 degree range, so keeping
your toes warm is definitely a priority for this hike.
(As a family, we were evenly split between Merrell Barefoot
and VIVOBAREFOOT – and there’s one more note on footwear coming soon.)
On the subject of keeping warm: as you journey into the
Narrows, you’re not only spending the majority of your time in frigid water,
but the high canyon walls on either side effectively block the sun and keep the
entire route cold …
… so anytime you find a narrow sliver of space where
daylight actually reaches the ground, that’s occasion to stop and soak in some
rays to bring your body temp up just a bit.
The further you go into the canyon, the more the walls seem
to close in on either side of you, and the more surreal the entire scene
becomes. You also gain a heightened
appreciation for the park service’s regulation of this route – because if there
are heavy rains or flash flooding, you’ve got absolutely no place to hide.
Approximately 1.5 miles upriver is a junction for a side
canyon called Orderville; this also marks the beginning of the most famous
section of the Narrows, known as Wall Street.
Also, one final footwear note: if you click to enlarge the
photo above, you’ll notice that the two people pictured are barefoot. They weren’t the only ones we saw with naked feet, and I also
found some people wearing Vibrams. Obviously
this was encouraging for me to witness, and it also completely dispels the notion
that you need specialized shoes to navigate the Narrows.
There are some precautions, however. The slick river rocks cause your footing to constantly
be unsteady, and you often slide unexpectedly from the surface of one rock to
another. Even with a walking stick, bashed
toes are probably inevitable if you go the barefoot or Vibram route. Also, a full day of this kind of unsteady
walking on rocks is a pretty high-demand activity for your feet and especially your ankles, so if you’re a
newbie minimalist, you’re going to have some soreness afterwards.
Inside Wall Street, the river is less than 25 feet wide in
places, and the vertical sandstone walls on either side rise up to 1500 feet
overhead. If you’re a Star Wars freak
like me, you’ll have flashbacks to the trash compactor scene in Episode IV –
and if you’re a normal person, you’ll probably have an overwhelming feeling of
smallness when staring up at the cliffs looming overhead.
When you’re day hiking* the Narrows, the turnaround point is
wherever you make it; a popular turning point is the far end of Wall Street
when the canyon opens up slightly again.
(*As opposed to through-hiking, where you can start at the
far upstream end and hike the entire 12 miles down to the transition area where my
family’s hike started. You need a permit
for through-hiking, but not for day hiking as I’m describing here.)
You also want to budget some extra time on the way back …
… to make a side trip up Orderville Canyon, which is
narrower and has less water flow than the main canyon …
… but has some distinctive features all its own, such as a
couple of low scrambles over logs or rock piles. You can go about a half-mile into Orderville
before day hiking is prohibited (but through-hiking with a permit is OK) …
… and it’s time to turn around and head back through the
main canyon towards the transition area.
By the time you finish the day, your vital stats won’t be
very impressive; the trip described here is probably only 7 miles round trip,
and took us the better part of 6 hours to complete with a few rest and meal
breaks. However, this hike isn’t about
the numbers – it’s about venturing into surroundings that are unlike almost any
other hike you’ll ever do, and taking in one of the best experiences that Zion National
Park has to offer.
There’s a reason people talk about the Narrows so much – and
if you ever get the opportunity, it’s definitely worth spending a day to see
what all the talk is about.
*See other photo tours
under tab at top of page.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 23, 2012
VIVOBAREFOOT Gobi Boot Review (And Discount Offer)
Beginning in the summer of 1940, Allied and Axis troops
pushed each other back and forth across North Africa for three long years, in
battles whose outcomes were largely determined by the ability of either side to
mobilize troops and supplies more effectively than the opponent in the harsh
desert conditions.
In November of 1942 the British Eighth Army secured a key
victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein, a coastal Egyptian city, and
ultimately drove Erwin Rommel’s Panzer Army westward all the way to Tunisia. By
the end of the year, thousands of American and British troops joined the
attack, and the North African Campaign ended with the surrender of all
remaining Axis troops in May of 1943.
British 8th Army in WWII; photo from ww2incolor.com
So what does any of this have to do with a product
review? Well, one of the smallest
historical footnotes from the North African theater was the popularization of
what came to be known as the desert boot, also sometimes called a chukka boot. With high leather siding and rubberized
soles, the British Army’s footwear of choice was highly durable, effective at
keeping sand away from the feet, and comfortable enough for seemingly endless
hours of use.
VIVOBAREFOOT Gobi boot
While the desert boot has become a modern fashion staple, it
wasn’t until VIVOBAREFOOT (coincidentally and perhaps fittingly, a company of
British origin) introduced its Fall 2012 lineup that a suitable barefoot
equivalent existed. The company now
offers the Gobi, a low profile boot that echoes the styling of classic desert
boots and maintains all of the biomechanical benefits of modern minimalist
footwear. It’s available in three
different styles, and is also available for a short time at a 20% discount. More on that later – for now, let’s march (get
it?) through a review.
The Gobi’s uppers are composed of full grain leather on the
black version, and suede for either the dark or light brown models. My suede version is quite comfortable against
the skin, making it suitable for use without socks – however, there isn’t any
sort of liner against the foot, so you may develop some odor issues with
prolonged barefoot use. I wear thin socks
with mine just to be on the safe side.
Otherwise, the uppers are fairly simple and nondescript,
with three large panels enveloping the foot, and a heel pull in the back to
help get them on.
Three eyelets and
traditional cotton laces in the front help secure the fit.
Considering that this is technically a boot, the Gobi is
impressively light at only 8.2oz for the suede versions, with the leather
version slightly heavier at 8.6 oz. By
comparison, two pairs of VIVOBAREFOOT boots I reviewed a couple of years ago
weighed in at 11oz and 13oz, so the Gobi is a huge improvement from a minimal
standpoint. When reviewing their running
models, I’ve often been critical of VIVOBAREFOOT for not making their shoes lighter,
so I owe it to them to make this a high point of praise for the Gobi.
Like all VIVOBAREFOOT shoes, the Gobi comes with a removable
insole that expands the toebox and lowers your standing height by 3mm when
absent. Removing the insole leaves you
practically touching the ground …
… because the Gobi outsole is a mere 3mm thick, using one of
VIVOBAREFOOT’s original high-abrasion puncture-resistant TPU materials that I
also tested on the Dharma a few years ago.
This is the company’s thinnest outsole, so it’s unbeatable from a ground
feel and proprioception standpoint, but it definitely lacks some traction on
slick or wet surfaces.
For that matter, the entire Gobi has minimal water
resistance – although the leather would be a little more effective than the
suede - and isn’t well suited for harsh winter conditions in general. This shouldn’t be surprising for a boot that
was made with the desert in mind, but it’s worth noting that you’re buying
these more for fashion than for true winter weather protection. However, with its above-ankle height and
classic styling, the Gobi easily complements a pair of jeans or dress pants in
your fall wardrobe.
VIVOBAREFOOT’s Gobi retails for $150 from the company website, but for the remainder of the month you can get them for 20% discount
by using coupon code RUNNINGANDRAMBLING20 when you check out. The discount applies to all styles of VIVOBAREFOOT footwear, including their running and dress models.
*Product provided by VIVOBAREFOOT. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
pushed each other back and forth across North Africa for three long years, in
battles whose outcomes were largely determined by the ability of either side to
mobilize troops and supplies more effectively than the opponent in the harsh
desert conditions.
In November of 1942 the British Eighth Army secured a key
victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein, a coastal Egyptian city, and
ultimately drove Erwin Rommel’s Panzer Army westward all the way to Tunisia. By
the end of the year, thousands of American and British troops joined the
attack, and the North African Campaign ended with the surrender of all
remaining Axis troops in May of 1943.
British 8th Army in WWII; photo from ww2incolor.com
So what does any of this have to do with a product
review? Well, one of the smallest
historical footnotes from the North African theater was the popularization of
what came to be known as the desert boot, also sometimes called a chukka boot. With high leather siding and rubberized
soles, the British Army’s footwear of choice was highly durable, effective at
keeping sand away from the feet, and comfortable enough for seemingly endless
hours of use.
VIVOBAREFOOT Gobi boot
While the desert boot has become a modern fashion staple, it
wasn’t until VIVOBAREFOOT (coincidentally and perhaps fittingly, a company of
British origin) introduced its Fall 2012 lineup that a suitable barefoot
equivalent existed. The company now
offers the Gobi, a low profile boot that echoes the styling of classic desert
boots and maintains all of the biomechanical benefits of modern minimalist
footwear. It’s available in three
different styles, and is also available for a short time at a 20% discount. More on that later – for now, let’s march (get
it?) through a review.
The Gobi’s uppers are composed of full grain leather on the
black version, and suede for either the dark or light brown models. My suede version is quite comfortable against
the skin, making it suitable for use without socks – however, there isn’t any
sort of liner against the foot, so you may develop some odor issues with
prolonged barefoot use. I wear thin socks
with mine just to be on the safe side.
Otherwise, the uppers are fairly simple and nondescript,
with three large panels enveloping the foot, and a heel pull in the back to
help get them on.
Three eyelets and
traditional cotton laces in the front help secure the fit.
Considering that this is technically a boot, the Gobi is
impressively light at only 8.2oz for the suede versions, with the leather
version slightly heavier at 8.6 oz. By
comparison, two pairs of VIVOBAREFOOT boots I reviewed a couple of years ago
weighed in at 11oz and 13oz, so the Gobi is a huge improvement from a minimal
standpoint. When reviewing their running
models, I’ve often been critical of VIVOBAREFOOT for not making their shoes lighter,
so I owe it to them to make this a high point of praise for the Gobi.
Like all VIVOBAREFOOT shoes, the Gobi comes with a removable
insole that expands the toebox and lowers your standing height by 3mm when
absent. Removing the insole leaves you
practically touching the ground …
… because the Gobi outsole is a mere 3mm thick, using one of
VIVOBAREFOOT’s original high-abrasion puncture-resistant TPU materials that I
also tested on the Dharma a few years ago.
This is the company’s thinnest outsole, so it’s unbeatable from a ground
feel and proprioception standpoint, but it definitely lacks some traction on
slick or wet surfaces.
For that matter, the entire Gobi has minimal water
resistance – although the leather would be a little more effective than the
suede - and isn’t well suited for harsh winter conditions in general. This shouldn’t be surprising for a boot that
was made with the desert in mind, but it’s worth noting that you’re buying
these more for fashion than for true winter weather protection. However, with its above-ankle height and
classic styling, the Gobi easily complements a pair of jeans or dress pants in
your fall wardrobe.
VIVOBAREFOOT’s Gobi retails for $150 from the company website, but for the remainder of the month you can get them for 20% discount
by using coupon code RUNNINGANDRAMBLING20 when you check out. The discount applies to all styles of VIVOBAREFOOT footwear, including their running and dress models.
*Product provided by VIVOBAREFOOT. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 21, 2012
CLIF Bar Seasonal Flavors Giveaway Contest; Random Shots of Beauty
Remember last weekend, when I did a combination Random Shot
of Beauty and CLIF contest post? And
remember how I said that it would be the first of three CLIF contests here? Well, this is Part II of the Great CLIF
Giveaway Bonanza, as I’m now calling it.
Accordingly, we may as well do this in similar fashion as last weekend,
and throw an RSOB in at the top for good measure.
Before getting to that, however, remember that you’ve got
until October 31 to enter last weekend’s contest by pasting a link to your Meet the Moment entry on my contest page.
There are some strong entries so far, but I wouldn’t say there’s no
possibility of someone topping it.
But that was last week, and this is this week – so let’s
jump into our Random Shot of Beauty:
A scene from the Zion Narrows, during a family hike that I'll report on later in the week (um ... hopefully). Fuel for the all-day outing included three
flavors of CLIF Builder’s Bars, three flavors of MOJO Bars, two flavors of
regular CLIF Bars, and a multi-flavored stash of CLIF Bloks for everyone. We must have built up some great CLIF karma,
because when we got home …
… this box was waiting for us. It was our annual sampling of CLIF’s seasonal
flavors, most of which have already vanished since the time of this photo. We’ll remember them fondly, though.
For the uninitiated, here’s the scoop: CLIF gets in the
holiday spirit every year by releasing holiday-themed CLIF Bar flavors
alongside the regular versions on most store shelves. Since this is the 10th consecutive
year of CLIF’s holiday flavors, the annual release is moving right up there
with pumpkin carving and Christmas tree cutting on our family’s list of fun holiday
traditions.
The new flavors are made with 70 percent organic
ingredients, and have the same blend of carbohydrates, protein and fiber as the
regular bars. Oh, there’s one more
thing: they taste absolutely fantastic.
My favorite bar is a dead heat between the pumpkin pie and iced
gingerbread flavors, and my kids are crazy about the peppermint stick flavor
that was first introduced last year.
(And we all collectively miss the cranberry orange nut bread flavor that
was discontinued two years ago.
Seriously – this is the kind of thing we talk about.) My wife also found these bars on the right
side of this list of the healthiest and unhealthiest pumpkin-flavored goodies
you can indulge in over the holidays.
Winter athletes – I’m not one, but I’m pretty sure I’ve talked
to some – often see the seasonal bar release as the beginning of winter sports
season, and for those folks, CLIF’s holiday promotion benefits them even
further. This year the company is
donating one percent of their seasonal bar sales to Protect Our Winters, an
organization committed to engaging and mobilizing the winter sports community
to lead the fight against climate change.
Another cool thing that came in our package this year was a
recipe book of favorite holiday recipes from CLIF’s family of employees and sponsored
athletes. Rest assured that by the time
the holidays have come and gone, we’ll have tested each of these recipes a few
times, so maybe I can report back here at some point with an update. In the meantime, this one for "Zingerbread" is catching my eye as the first one we’ll try:
Click to enlarge for easier reading
There’s only one downside to the seasonal flavors: once they’re gone, you have to wait another
year before you see them again. So
consider this your rallying cry to look for the seasonal bars in stores, and
stock up on your favorites to keep the taste of the holidays rolling as long as
possible. And let’s go ahead and roll
into our contest as well.
To help a few of my readers celebrate the holidays, CLIF is providing
one of the sample boxes pictured above to three lucky winners. For this contest, you don’t have to upload a
picture or paste a link – all you have to do is leave a comment in the box
below, and hope that CLIF karma is on your side. I’ll announce the winners here next Sunday.
As always, thanks very much to CLIF Bar for sponsoring this contest,
and good luck to everybody!
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 18, 2012
SKORA Women's FORM Running Shoe Review
Last spring I had the opportunity to test a shoe that had
been perhaps the most long-anticipated of the entire natural running movement:
the SKORA FORM. The company set a pretty
tall standard for itself with high-quality material construction, along with a
high-end price tag of $185 that proved to be a hurdle for many users.
I had some frustration in my testing due to SKORA’s sizing
for both its BASE and FORM models, which were at least a half size too
large. Even without removing the insole
(creating a lower stack height which I usually prefer), the shoe was difficult
to fasten properly, and my foot moved around inside the shoe too much for me to
do any serious high-mileage testing.
SKORA women's FORM
At the time, the FORM was only available in men’s sizes, but
this fall the company introduced a women’s FORM, which is now available in two
colors. Most of the design features and
construction elements are the same as the men’s version, with a few tweaks to
make it better suited for female runners.
It’s a zero-drop, medium midsole shoe, placing it in the same category
as Altra’s Intuition or Merrell’s Dash Glove and Bare Access (review coming
soon) – and since I happen to be married to a runner who has reviewed all of
those models, I figured I had the perfect person to test the women’s FORM as
well.
Prior to the release, SKORA also offered me a mulligan of
sorts, and provided a smaller size men's shoe for my own testing. I happened to receive them in the midst of my
high mileage (relatively, at least) weeks of preparation for Leadville, and
wore them almost straight out of the box on a 31-mile road run, the last 13
miles of which consisted of leading a 1:45 pace group at a local
half-marathon. I’ve put a couple hundred
miles on them since then, and I’m really impressed with their durability in
every way except for one, which I’ll explain shortly.
In the meantime, let’s run through a quick recap of the
whole SKORA concept. The company’s
slogan is “Run Real”, and they don’t want to be considered a minimalist shoe –
rather, their primary intention is to promote natural running form and to
create the best possible shoes to accommodate it. They believe that the best running shoes let
your feet function naturally, while providing protection and comfort that allow
you to extend your run as far as your body will take you.
The vast majority of technical specifications on the women’s
FORM are identical to the men’s version – so I’ll refer you to my earlier review, and briefly run down the specs here:
Uppers are made from Pittards Armor-Tan goat leather, with
Pittards WR100X sheepskin lining. In
other words … very UN-vegan.
Standing height is 13mm with the removable insole in place,
and 9mm if you remove the insole.
Removing the insole also expands the toe box somewhat, giving the effect
of sizing up roughly one-half size.
Lacing is asymmetrical, and eschews a traditional tongue in
favor of the burrito-wrap style that seems to be appearing more frequently from
various manufacturers. In my initial testing
I commented that the shoelaces were way too long, but this was corrected between
the prototype I reviewed and the final release version.
Sizing can be adjusted around the heel and ankle with an elastic
Velcro strap, and the ankle collar has soft padding for improved comfort.
Weight of the women’s version is 7.4oz, compared to 8.2 for
the larger men’s version. Again, this
isn’t super-minimal, but it’s light enough so that your feet don’t feel
burdened. And of course …
… flexibility of the women’s version is the same as the men’s. (Although to be biologically accurate,
perhaps they should make the woman way more flexible than the man. Or maybe that’s just my wife and me.)
The outsole consists of high-abrasion rubber that has held
up extremely well after 200 miles. It
performs equally well on roads and trails, only losing traction on loose gravel
or sloppy, muddy terrain.
One design feature that doesn’t work for me is evident in
the heels, which are rounded on both sides.
Because I tend to make heel contact with the inside of my heel, with
increased mileage I’ve slightly worn down the inside of my right heel, which
inclines me to land even further over to the side than I do naturally. If you have neutral alignment, this won’t be
an issue, but if your biomechanics are skewed to one side or another, you may
have similar problems with the FORM.
Sizing is similar for the women’s version, meaning that you
should size down at least a half-size when ordering, and even consider a full
size down if you’re intending to remove the insole. SKORA’s RealFit last for women accommodates a
wider fit spectrum than the men’s version; I’ve heard criticism that FORMs are
too narrow, but that wasn’t a problem for me or my wife throughout or testing.
Both of us found the FORM slightly warmer than conventional
mesh running shoes, but not nearly as much as you might think. As I mentioned, I ran in mine through much of
the summer and didn’t have any problem with overheating, although it’s worth
pointing out that Monterey County summers can be fairly mild.
I also typically wear my FORMs without socks, and even
during my 31-miler, comfort was great without any hot spots or other problems.
I’m definitely more impressed with the FORM now that I’ve
had a chance to put significant mileage on a pair, and I anticipate that a biomechanically
neutral runner with proper natural form could log many hundreds of miles on a
pair. The prolonged lifespan may justify
the lofty price tag, but I’m still inclined to consider the FORM a luxury item
in similar fashion as a Lexus is to a Toyota; both will help you rack up a lot
of miles, but one will get you there in much finer style.
SKORA’s men’s and women’s FORM models retail for $185 from
the SKORA website, or from the following Amazon.com links:
SKORA Women's FORM here.
SKORA Men's FORM here.
*Products provided by SKORA.
Amazon Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
been perhaps the most long-anticipated of the entire natural running movement:
the SKORA FORM. The company set a pretty
tall standard for itself with high-quality material construction, along with a
high-end price tag of $185 that proved to be a hurdle for many users.
I had some frustration in my testing due to SKORA’s sizing
for both its BASE and FORM models, which were at least a half size too
large. Even without removing the insole
(creating a lower stack height which I usually prefer), the shoe was difficult
to fasten properly, and my foot moved around inside the shoe too much for me to
do any serious high-mileage testing.
SKORA women's FORM
At the time, the FORM was only available in men’s sizes, but
this fall the company introduced a women’s FORM, which is now available in two
colors. Most of the design features and
construction elements are the same as the men’s version, with a few tweaks to
make it better suited for female runners.
It’s a zero-drop, medium midsole shoe, placing it in the same category
as Altra’s Intuition or Merrell’s Dash Glove and Bare Access (review coming
soon) – and since I happen to be married to a runner who has reviewed all of
those models, I figured I had the perfect person to test the women’s FORM as
well.
Prior to the release, SKORA also offered me a mulligan of
sorts, and provided a smaller size men's shoe for my own testing. I happened to receive them in the midst of my
high mileage (relatively, at least) weeks of preparation for Leadville, and
wore them almost straight out of the box on a 31-mile road run, the last 13
miles of which consisted of leading a 1:45 pace group at a local
half-marathon. I’ve put a couple hundred
miles on them since then, and I’m really impressed with their durability in
every way except for one, which I’ll explain shortly.
In the meantime, let’s run through a quick recap of the
whole SKORA concept. The company’s
slogan is “Run Real”, and they don’t want to be considered a minimalist shoe –
rather, their primary intention is to promote natural running form and to
create the best possible shoes to accommodate it. They believe that the best running shoes let
your feet function naturally, while providing protection and comfort that allow
you to extend your run as far as your body will take you.
The vast majority of technical specifications on the women’s
FORM are identical to the men’s version – so I’ll refer you to my earlier review, and briefly run down the specs here:
Uppers are made from Pittards Armor-Tan goat leather, with
Pittards WR100X sheepskin lining. In
other words … very UN-vegan.
Standing height is 13mm with the removable insole in place,
and 9mm if you remove the insole.
Removing the insole also expands the toe box somewhat, giving the effect
of sizing up roughly one-half size.
Lacing is asymmetrical, and eschews a traditional tongue in
favor of the burrito-wrap style that seems to be appearing more frequently from
various manufacturers. In my initial testing
I commented that the shoelaces were way too long, but this was corrected between
the prototype I reviewed and the final release version.
Sizing can be adjusted around the heel and ankle with an elastic
Velcro strap, and the ankle collar has soft padding for improved comfort.
Weight of the women’s version is 7.4oz, compared to 8.2 for
the larger men’s version. Again, this
isn’t super-minimal, but it’s light enough so that your feet don’t feel
burdened. And of course …
… flexibility of the women’s version is the same as the men’s. (Although to be biologically accurate,
perhaps they should make the woman way more flexible than the man. Or maybe that’s just my wife and me.)
The outsole consists of high-abrasion rubber that has held
up extremely well after 200 miles. It
performs equally well on roads and trails, only losing traction on loose gravel
or sloppy, muddy terrain.
One design feature that doesn’t work for me is evident in
the heels, which are rounded on both sides.
Because I tend to make heel contact with the inside of my heel, with
increased mileage I’ve slightly worn down the inside of my right heel, which
inclines me to land even further over to the side than I do naturally. If you have neutral alignment, this won’t be
an issue, but if your biomechanics are skewed to one side or another, you may
have similar problems with the FORM.
Sizing is similar for the women’s version, meaning that you
should size down at least a half-size when ordering, and even consider a full
size down if you’re intending to remove the insole. SKORA’s RealFit last for women accommodates a
wider fit spectrum than the men’s version; I’ve heard criticism that FORMs are
too narrow, but that wasn’t a problem for me or my wife throughout or testing.
Both of us found the FORM slightly warmer than conventional
mesh running shoes, but not nearly as much as you might think. As I mentioned, I ran in mine through much of
the summer and didn’t have any problem with overheating, although it’s worth
pointing out that Monterey County summers can be fairly mild.
I also typically wear my FORMs without socks, and even
during my 31-miler, comfort was great without any hot spots or other problems.
I’m definitely more impressed with the FORM now that I’ve
had a chance to put significant mileage on a pair, and I anticipate that a biomechanically
neutral runner with proper natural form could log many hundreds of miles on a
pair. The prolonged lifespan may justify
the lofty price tag, but I’m still inclined to consider the FORM a luxury item
in similar fashion as a Lexus is to a Toyota; both will help you rack up a lot
of miles, but one will get you there in much finer style.
SKORA’s men’s and women’s FORM models retail for $185 from
the SKORA website, or from the following Amazon.com links:
SKORA Women's FORM here.
SKORA Men's FORM here.
*Products provided by SKORA.
Amazon Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 15, 2012
Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS Review; Patagonia 50% Off Sale; VIVOBAREFOOT 20% Off Fall Sale
A few unrelated odds and ends before today’s product review …
*
This month VIVOBAREFOOT is launching its Fall 2012 line with a 2-week promotional offer for me and for you.
I get a new pair of shoes to review, which will be posted next week. You get 20% off of any item in
their catalog – even the super-lightweight Ultra water/running shoe and the popular Ra dress shoe – when you use coupon code RUNNINGANDRAMBLING20. The sale ends on November 1, so get moving.
*
The response to my CLIF Bar Meet the Moment giveaway contest
has been somewhat lukewarm so far – meaning that your odds of winning are
pretty good if you take the few minutes to enter. The contest runs through October 31, so head
back to this post for full details.
*
A couple of weeks ago I introduced
Massey's Outfitters[image error]
as a
new affiliate sponsor, and mentioned that they carry the entire line of current
Patagonia apparel. And now for a limited
time, they’re offering a significant portion of that catalog at up to 50% off;
click the banner below to go shopping.
*
Back in June my friend Mike and I wrote a Monterey Herald article about how a past
winner of the Big Sur Half Marathon later tested positive for performance
enhancing drugs, and how the race took extraordinary measures to award
the proper prize money to other top-5 finishers whose awards were
impacted. Well, guess what? It turns out that the 5th place
runner in that same race was also using drugs at the time, as this week’s New York Times article describes.
What stands out most about this article are two points: 1) the runner in question has one of the most
matter-of-fact “Yup, I did it, I got busted, life goes on” mentalities that I’ve
seen from a drug cheat thus far – which in itself may indicate the
extent of the problem in amateur racing.
Also, 2) the drug enforcement business, as well as any efforts by race
organizations to do the right thing, is getting trickier and more complicated
every day.
That's all for now. On with the review!
**
GPS reviews are few and far between around here, primarily because
I have the same minimalist philosophy about gadgets that I have about shoes:
the simpler, the better.
I don’t place much stock in the number of bells and
whistles, or even in the computer interface for uploading workouts (which I
almost never do). Rather, I want
something that’s comfortable, easy to use, and accurate. Like I said: simple.
You may recall my favorable review of the Soleus GPS 1.0, a small
and simple device that gives basic time and distance, and comes at a very
affordable price point of under $100. By
comparison, today’s product offers a significantly expanded range of features
for a price point that is marginally higher - $225 retail, but currently discounted to $190 at Amazon.com, where I've periodically seen it priced even lower - and is an extreme value for what you get. It also comes from one of the biggest players
in the endurance sports industry.
Timex Run Trainer GPS; photo from Timex website
I started testing the Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS in early summer,
and it immediately became my preferred GPS for long training runs and family
hikes. It’s easy to operate, and for my
preferred use includes one key feature that my Soleus device doesn’t: an
altitude setting that tells you your current elevation as well as how much
vertical climbing you’ve done. For obvious reasons, those are nice stats for an ultrarunner to have while training for Leadville.
Truthfully, the Run Trainer is also chock full of options
that I don’t use – and as I typically do when reviewing a GPS device, I’ll
refer you to DC Rainmaker’s detailed breakdown of the Run Trainer if you want
in-depth information for everything this watch can do. Trust me, you’ll be impressed. I’ve also included a how-to video from Timex
at the end of this post for further information.
L to R: Timex wristwatch, Soleus GPS (with dead battery), Timex Run Trainer
I’ve only experienced two downsides of the Run Trainer in my
testing. The first is that it’s substantially
larger than my regular Timex watch, and noticeably larger than the Soleus GPS that
I first tested last winter. However, it
doesn’t feel cumbersome while running, and I’ve worn it for multiple
high-mileage outings without any discomfort from the size.
Side view, top to bottom: Timex Run Trainer GPS, Soleus GPS, Timex wristwatch
The other (and most frustrating) problem that I had in
testing was that I had all kinds of trouble making the device compatible with
Windows 7. I followed all of the
instructions for downloading the Training Peaks program and transferring data
from my watch to the computer, but kept bumping into the following error
message:
"TP Device Agent has stopped working"
I asked my Timex rep about the problem, and was told to try
the “uninstall and reinstall” strategy.
When that didn’t work after a few tries, I was referred to Timex tech
support, who referred me to Training Peaks tech support, who referred me back
to Timex … basically, nobody wanted to own the issue, other than to tell me it
was a known problem for Windows 7 users.
I never did get the device to work on my home laptop or desktop, and
finally used the oldest computer in our house which runs Windows Vista, which
is where I eventually got the program to work.
If you’re inclined to do so, you can download workouts to
your computer and dissect them pretty much any way you’d like to. And if you’re one who uses Training Peaks for
your daily workout log, the Run Trainer will integrate seamlessly with that
program.
However, since I don’t download workouts, I’m mainly focused
on how the Run Trainer works as a daily use GPS, and on that basis I’ve been
very happy with it. I love
how the numbers are large and easy to read, even with four lines of data. I like the option of customizing different display
screens that can be scrolled during your run.
And with an 8-hour GPS battery life and water resistance to 50m, the Run
Trainer functions equally well through a 30-mile training run or a driving
rainstorm.
Large, easy-to-read numbers at mile 25. In a related story, I used to be in pretty decent shape.
Most importantly, the GPS and altitude measurements are
super accurate. The Run Trainer uses
SiRFstar IV GPS technology, which is reportedly among the fastest and most
reliable signals (note: I have no idea if this is true; that’s just what the ad
copy says). It maintains its signal in
canyons and under tree cover, and the altitude readings are usually within a
few feet of marked elevations on almost every landmark I’ve encountered.
At the top of Clouds Rest in Yosemite, which my map says is 9930'. Pretty darn accurate!
Until recently, if you wanted a GPS with the number of
features that the Timex Run Trainer has, you’d have to shell out 400 bucks and wear
a device the size of a deck of cards on your wrist. It’s great to see both the price point and
physical size of these devices decrease as technology has improved, and the Run
Trainer is a very attractive choice for an affordable feature-dense GPS for high-demand
everyday use.
The Timex Run Trainer GPS retails for $190 from Amazon.com.
“Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS: Getting Started” by
Timex USA (click to play):
*Product provided by Timex USA. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
**If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
*
This month VIVOBAREFOOT is launching its Fall 2012 line with a 2-week promotional offer for me and for you.
I get a new pair of shoes to review, which will be posted next week. You get 20% off of any item in
their catalog – even the super-lightweight Ultra water/running shoe and the popular Ra dress shoe – when you use coupon code RUNNINGANDRAMBLING20. The sale ends on November 1, so get moving.
*
The response to my CLIF Bar Meet the Moment giveaway contest
has been somewhat lukewarm so far – meaning that your odds of winning are
pretty good if you take the few minutes to enter. The contest runs through October 31, so head
back to this post for full details.
*
A couple of weeks ago I introduced
Massey's Outfitters[image error]
as a
new affiliate sponsor, and mentioned that they carry the entire line of current
Patagonia apparel. And now for a limited
time, they’re offering a significant portion of that catalog at up to 50% off;
click the banner below to go shopping.
*
Back in June my friend Mike and I wrote a Monterey Herald article about how a past
winner of the Big Sur Half Marathon later tested positive for performance
enhancing drugs, and how the race took extraordinary measures to award
the proper prize money to other top-5 finishers whose awards were
impacted. Well, guess what? It turns out that the 5th place
runner in that same race was also using drugs at the time, as this week’s New York Times article describes.
What stands out most about this article are two points: 1) the runner in question has one of the most
matter-of-fact “Yup, I did it, I got busted, life goes on” mentalities that I’ve
seen from a drug cheat thus far – which in itself may indicate the
extent of the problem in amateur racing.
Also, 2) the drug enforcement business, as well as any efforts by race
organizations to do the right thing, is getting trickier and more complicated
every day.
That's all for now. On with the review!
**
GPS reviews are few and far between around here, primarily because
I have the same minimalist philosophy about gadgets that I have about shoes:
the simpler, the better.
I don’t place much stock in the number of bells and
whistles, or even in the computer interface for uploading workouts (which I
almost never do). Rather, I want
something that’s comfortable, easy to use, and accurate. Like I said: simple.
You may recall my favorable review of the Soleus GPS 1.0, a small
and simple device that gives basic time and distance, and comes at a very
affordable price point of under $100. By
comparison, today’s product offers a significantly expanded range of features
for a price point that is marginally higher - $225 retail, but currently discounted to $190 at Amazon.com, where I've periodically seen it priced even lower - and is an extreme value for what you get. It also comes from one of the biggest players
in the endurance sports industry.
Timex Run Trainer GPS; photo from Timex website
I started testing the Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS in early summer,
and it immediately became my preferred GPS for long training runs and family
hikes. It’s easy to operate, and for my
preferred use includes one key feature that my Soleus device doesn’t: an
altitude setting that tells you your current elevation as well as how much
vertical climbing you’ve done. For obvious reasons, those are nice stats for an ultrarunner to have while training for Leadville.
Truthfully, the Run Trainer is also chock full of options
that I don’t use – and as I typically do when reviewing a GPS device, I’ll
refer you to DC Rainmaker’s detailed breakdown of the Run Trainer if you want
in-depth information for everything this watch can do. Trust me, you’ll be impressed. I’ve also included a how-to video from Timex
at the end of this post for further information.
L to R: Timex wristwatch, Soleus GPS (with dead battery), Timex Run Trainer
I’ve only experienced two downsides of the Run Trainer in my
testing. The first is that it’s substantially
larger than my regular Timex watch, and noticeably larger than the Soleus GPS that
I first tested last winter. However, it
doesn’t feel cumbersome while running, and I’ve worn it for multiple
high-mileage outings without any discomfort from the size.
Side view, top to bottom: Timex Run Trainer GPS, Soleus GPS, Timex wristwatch
The other (and most frustrating) problem that I had in
testing was that I had all kinds of trouble making the device compatible with
Windows 7. I followed all of the
instructions for downloading the Training Peaks program and transferring data
from my watch to the computer, but kept bumping into the following error
message:
"TP Device Agent has stopped working"
I asked my Timex rep about the problem, and was told to try
the “uninstall and reinstall” strategy.
When that didn’t work after a few tries, I was referred to Timex tech
support, who referred me to Training Peaks tech support, who referred me back
to Timex … basically, nobody wanted to own the issue, other than to tell me it
was a known problem for Windows 7 users.
I never did get the device to work on my home laptop or desktop, and
finally used the oldest computer in our house which runs Windows Vista, which
is where I eventually got the program to work.
If you’re inclined to do so, you can download workouts to
your computer and dissect them pretty much any way you’d like to. And if you’re one who uses Training Peaks for
your daily workout log, the Run Trainer will integrate seamlessly with that
program.
However, since I don’t download workouts, I’m mainly focused
on how the Run Trainer works as a daily use GPS, and on that basis I’ve been
very happy with it. I love
how the numbers are large and easy to read, even with four lines of data. I like the option of customizing different display
screens that can be scrolled during your run.
And with an 8-hour GPS battery life and water resistance to 50m, the Run
Trainer functions equally well through a 30-mile training run or a driving
rainstorm.
Large, easy-to-read numbers at mile 25. In a related story, I used to be in pretty decent shape.
Most importantly, the GPS and altitude measurements are
super accurate. The Run Trainer uses
SiRFstar IV GPS technology, which is reportedly among the fastest and most
reliable signals (note: I have no idea if this is true; that’s just what the ad
copy says). It maintains its signal in
canyons and under tree cover, and the altitude readings are usually within a
few feet of marked elevations on almost every landmark I’ve encountered.
At the top of Clouds Rest in Yosemite, which my map says is 9930'. Pretty darn accurate!
Until recently, if you wanted a GPS with the number of
features that the Timex Run Trainer has, you’d have to shell out 400 bucks and wear
a device the size of a deck of cards on your wrist. It’s great to see both the price point and
physical size of these devices decrease as technology has improved, and the Run
Trainer is a very attractive choice for an affordable feature-dense GPS for high-demand
everyday use.
The Timex Run Trainer GPS retails for $190 from Amazon.com.
“Timex Ironman Run Trainer GPS: Getting Started” by
Timex USA (click to play):
*Product provided by Timex USA. Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.
**If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
October 13, 2012
CLIF Meet The Moment Giveaway Contest; Random Shots of Beauty
I’m back from Zion this weekend … and as the lack of posts
here this week would indicate, I’m also a little behind on my blogging
schedule.
Accordingly, I’m combining a couple of regular staples – a Random
Shot of Beauty and a giveaway contest – into a single post this weekend. However, the subject matter of each is somewhat related, as I’ll explain shortly. First, our newest RSOB:
Another shot from Zion National Park – this one showing my
family ascending the spine of Angels Landing, one of the park’s most famous
destinations.
As for the giveaway, it’s the first of what may turn out to
be three separate contests from my friends at CLIF Bar. And if you’re wondering what this has to do
with Zion, allow me to explain: Our family did three days of pretty intense
hiking last week, all of which were fueled by CLIF products.
Many of our breakfasts consisted of Builders Bars on the way
to the trailhead, and our lunches each day included some combination of CLIF
Bars and MOJO Bars (and for whatever it’s worth, the mountain mix MOJO flavor
has become my absolute favorite trail snack).
Most importantly, however, was that our energy levels on the trail were
easily maintained thanks to CLIF Bloks – especially for my 8-year-old daughter,
who is the littlest hiker in the photo above, not to mention one of the
youngest we saw in Zion.
I’ve described before how my wife and I have relied on CLIF
blocks to rally our tired little hikers on long treks through Yosemite, and we
employed this strategy again in Zion last week.
Whenever our youngest began to lag behind or get discouraged, a few block-sized
doses of sugar and electrolytes (as well as a half-shot of caffeine) proved to
be the perfect remedy.
Throw in the fact that CLIF products are among the
healthiest snacks you can bring on long road trips, and our family is basically
a bunch of CLIF groupies. But that doesn’t
have anything to do with you or this contest – so let’s get to what’s in this
post for you.
This fall CLIF is doing another installment of its Meet the Moment contest that it first introduced last spring. It’s essentially a photo contest where you
submit an entry that reflects your love of the outdoors, and CLIF donates $5
for each uploaded photo to one of five non-profits dedicated to protecting
outdoor recreation. Visitors to the
website will select the 25 finalists (based on the number of likes and shares –
I believe those are social media terms, yes?), and then a panel of CLIF folks
will choose one winner who will have $10,000 donated in their name to one of
CLIF’s non-profit partners.
It takes about 5 minutes to submit a picture; here’s the one
I did this morning:
(Yes, it's from Leadville - I'm having a hard time moving on.)
And if you want to vote for me, you can see my official entry page
here.
But as I said, this contest isn’t about me – it’s about
you. In conjunction with their Meet the
Moment contest, CLIF has agreed to provide a cool prize pack to one of my readers
who submits an entry. I don’t know
exactly what’s in the prize pack, but if CLIF says it’s cool, I believe them.
The instructions for this contest are different than my
usual ones, so here’s what you do to enter: go to CLIF’s Meet the Moment page
and upload your own photo on the site.
Then come back here and leave the URL of your Meet the Moment page in
the comments field, and I’ll pick one of them to receive the prize pack. I’ll pass your contact info along to CLIF, and
they’ll mail your prize pack.
My criteria for choosing the winner doesn’t have anything to
do with likes or shares or anything digital - rather, it will be a purely subjective ruling by Running and
Rambling’s distinguished panel of judges: me, along with the hikers you saw in
the first photo. Score high marks with
us, and enjoy some CLIF love as your reward.
So, to recap: you enter the contest, CLIF makes a donation
to a non-profit of your choosing, and you also have a chance to win a prize pack from
me and a $10,000 donation from CLIF. If
anyone sees a downside to this, I’d love to hear it.
CLIF’s Meet the Moment contest closes on October 31st,
and my own contest winner will be announced the following weekend (November 3
or 4). Remember to copy your contest page URL here in the comments so I can
find them.
Very big thanks to CLIF for sponsoring this contest, and good
luck to everybody!
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
here this week would indicate, I’m also a little behind on my blogging
schedule.
Accordingly, I’m combining a couple of regular staples – a Random
Shot of Beauty and a giveaway contest – into a single post this weekend. However, the subject matter of each is somewhat related, as I’ll explain shortly. First, our newest RSOB:
Another shot from Zion National Park – this one showing my
family ascending the spine of Angels Landing, one of the park’s most famous
destinations.
As for the giveaway, it’s the first of what may turn out to
be three separate contests from my friends at CLIF Bar. And if you’re wondering what this has to do
with Zion, allow me to explain: Our family did three days of pretty intense
hiking last week, all of which were fueled by CLIF products.
Many of our breakfasts consisted of Builders Bars on the way
to the trailhead, and our lunches each day included some combination of CLIF
Bars and MOJO Bars (and for whatever it’s worth, the mountain mix MOJO flavor
has become my absolute favorite trail snack).
Most importantly, however, was that our energy levels on the trail were
easily maintained thanks to CLIF Bloks – especially for my 8-year-old daughter,
who is the littlest hiker in the photo above, not to mention one of the
youngest we saw in Zion.
I’ve described before how my wife and I have relied on CLIF
blocks to rally our tired little hikers on long treks through Yosemite, and we
employed this strategy again in Zion last week.
Whenever our youngest began to lag behind or get discouraged, a few block-sized
doses of sugar and electrolytes (as well as a half-shot of caffeine) proved to
be the perfect remedy.
Throw in the fact that CLIF products are among the
healthiest snacks you can bring on long road trips, and our family is basically
a bunch of CLIF groupies. But that doesn’t
have anything to do with you or this contest – so let’s get to what’s in this
post for you.
This fall CLIF is doing another installment of its Meet the Moment contest that it first introduced last spring. It’s essentially a photo contest where you
submit an entry that reflects your love of the outdoors, and CLIF donates $5
for each uploaded photo to one of five non-profits dedicated to protecting
outdoor recreation. Visitors to the
website will select the 25 finalists (based on the number of likes and shares –
I believe those are social media terms, yes?), and then a panel of CLIF folks
will choose one winner who will have $10,000 donated in their name to one of
CLIF’s non-profit partners.
It takes about 5 minutes to submit a picture; here’s the one
I did this morning:
(Yes, it's from Leadville - I'm having a hard time moving on.)
And if you want to vote for me, you can see my official entry page
here.
But as I said, this contest isn’t about me – it’s about
you. In conjunction with their Meet the
Moment contest, CLIF has agreed to provide a cool prize pack to one of my readers
who submits an entry. I don’t know
exactly what’s in the prize pack, but if CLIF says it’s cool, I believe them.
The instructions for this contest are different than my
usual ones, so here’s what you do to enter: go to CLIF’s Meet the Moment page
and upload your own photo on the site.
Then come back here and leave the URL of your Meet the Moment page in
the comments field, and I’ll pick one of them to receive the prize pack. I’ll pass your contact info along to CLIF, and
they’ll mail your prize pack.
My criteria for choosing the winner doesn’t have anything to
do with likes or shares or anything digital - rather, it will be a purely subjective ruling by Running and
Rambling’s distinguished panel of judges: me, along with the hikers you saw in
the first photo. Score high marks with
us, and enjoy some CLIF love as your reward.
So, to recap: you enter the contest, CLIF makes a donation
to a non-profit of your choosing, and you also have a chance to win a prize pack from
me and a $10,000 donation from CLIF. If
anyone sees a downside to this, I’d love to hear it.
CLIF’s Meet the Moment contest closes on October 31st,
and my own contest winner will be announced the following weekend (November 3
or 4). Remember to copy your contest page URL here in the comments so I can
find them.
Very big thanks to CLIF for sponsoring this contest, and good
luck to everybody!
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