Sure, here and there I’ve strayed and tried out other shoes, but somehow I’ve always come back.  I’ve been a member of the ID program, and now am a “Brooks Fanatic”. I value Brooks’ focus on the amateur runner and their focus on running, not multi-sport. I’ve run in the Glycerin, Defyance, Green Silence, T6 and my go to shoe for the last three years: the Launch.

In the last 18 months, to address chronic Plantar Fasciitis and other recurring nagging aches and pains, I’ve really been focused on midfoot striking and the ChiRunning/POSE approaches.  For me (and most), its simply tough to run that way in traditional stacked heel running shoes.  That simple fact has led me to try out the Saucony Kinvara and the New Balance Minimus Road as Brooks did not have a comparable model with a low heel to toe ratio.  I had hoped that either the Green Silence or the T6/T7 could work for me, but sadly, they simply didn’t.   So, I was pretty excited when I heard about the PureProject!

Brooks was pretty clear about their stance on minimalism when the CEO wrote an open letter expressing his disbelief in the benefits of barefoot running and minimalism.  However, clear market demands seem to have forced the issue of bringing product to market, if even for a niche.  Brooks created the Float/Feel axis and the shoes in the PureProject line up vary along the two-dimensional grid according to their targeted purpose, however most lean toward the Feel side as the Float side is covered by Brooks’ traditional product line.

I chose to try the PureConnect out of the PureProject line, as it is the least cushioned and the furthest toward the Feel side of the spectrum.  All the products have a relatively low heel/toe drop, and the PureConnect is measured at 4mm, exactly the same as the Kinvara and the New Balance Minimus Road.

So, on to the impressions:  when I put it on for the first time, I was struck by a couple of things:

1. It felt like a sock.
2. It felt like a sock with a surprising amount of arch support.

The upper fit my foot very much like the Vibram FiveFinger Bikilas in that it is a foot hugger.  Obviously without the toes, but with a much more generous toebox than the T6/T7.  I was surprised by the snug arch fit I guess because I was expecting something similar to the Kinvaras and the Minimus, which both have little there in the way of the arch.  The combination of the Nav band (an elastic strap) and molded sockliner really fill up my high arch.  Not really minimal, and I’m on the fence of how I feel about it long term.  I don’t want another crutch for weak feet.

There is also a generous amount of cushioning in this shoe.  Enough to make me very glad that I didn’t get the PureFlow with even more cushioning.  They are well made and comfortable out of the box, and I took them for their first spin in a 5 miler at 6:45 pace with no issues whatsoever.

To compare it to the other shoes I’ve referenced here; it’s between the Kinvaras and the Minimus road.  Similar weight to both.  More structure and firmer than Kinvaras, yet softer than the Minimus road.  If you can run in these, you’ll do fine in the PureConnect.

They have a fairly aggressively cut out outsole with a mix of EVA and harder rubber pods.  I don’t get why companies focusing on minimal shoes are constantly putting these pods below the ball of the foot and directly under the big toe.  If you’re like me, you don’t toe off from your big toe.  i could be the anomaly here, though.  Anyway, as a result, after about 20 miles on them in the first week, there’s a fair amount of scuffing in the EVA under my second toe, directly where there should be a pod, but there’s not.  Time will tell, but I suppose they’ll wear like the Kinvaras where I had similar concerns.

I’m not sure yet I really see a benefit from the split toe, but the shoe rides well and feels springy and flexible enough.  So far, I’m enjoying them, and I can see them replacing the Launch as my go to daily trainer.

Related articles

• The State of the Running Shoe Market: Minimalism on the Rise (runblogger.com)
• Brooks Running Shoes: Your Top Questions Answered (onlineshoes.com)
• What are Minimalist Running Shoes? (runblogger.com)

So, how and what did I do?  I started talking it up.  A lot.  I spread the word through co-workers, email and flyers around the campus.  We set the range of the contest to be 10 weeks, and the terms were:

-Show up and start with the group, no matter how far/short/fast/slow you run, you get an entry

-Each entry went into a raffle drawing for the pair of shoes.  The more times you showed up, the better your chances of winning.

Simple stuff, right?

Before the contest, the group had about 12 occasional members, with an average of 3-4 showing up every week.  At the end of the contest, we had 15 regular members, with peak attendance being 12 and average attendance between 6-8.  Not too bad for a lunch-time group run from a corporate gym!  I tracked every attendee and every run date, assigning each a sequential number.  At the end of the contest, I then plugged the number range into a random number generator and used the selection to choose the winner!

One lucky group runner won a new pair of Brooks shoes of his choice, and the whole group gained some new friendships and got a bit healthier!  One big lesson I learned: it’s very important to make the group non-intimidating, accommodating and open/friendly, this will make runners of all ages and skill levels feel welcome.

Image via Wikipedia

Firstly, this was a great race!  It was well organized, well supported and was run on a great course through some of the most meaningful landmarks commemorating our country.  I was running on the Mack Trucks Military team, and we were there to raise visibility and awareness of Mack Trucks as a supplier to the US Army and other branches of the armed forces.  With that, we had one goal: to finish in a position high enough to escalate visibility of the team/account, preferably top ten.

The race event started for me on Saturday when I hopped in the car and drive 5 1/2 hours to DC from where I live.  I entertained myself the whole way by listening to the collective works of Tom Gabriel Fischer (Celtic Frost, Tryptikon for you non metal-heads).  I got to DC too late to meet my teammates for dinner outside of the city, but in enough time to have an impromptu dinner with fellow dailymile team mate Brodie Wise (http://yfrog.com/75cyqj).

Early to bed and early to rise.  Kent P and I headed down to the race area at the Pentagon on the Metro.  It took a couple of trains for us to be able to get on, and the crush of runners at the platforms looked like Toyko.   We got to the event grounds, went to the bathroom and then Kent and I split up to warm up a bit and head to our respective starting areas.  On the way up to my starting balloon arch, I hear someone say “Is that Jay Parker?”.  I turn around and it’s Brodie again, I just couldn’t shake this guy…

It was great to hang out and chat while standing in the corral.  We were up front in the group starting behind the elites, so it wasn’t too crowded.  The Achilles Athletes (wounded soldiers) started 10 minutes before the elites with a silent start, and then the color guard brought the flag out for the national anthem.  We were then treated to a fly-over by 4 helicopters and then an impressive cannon start!

Brodie and I ran together for the first half mile.  I was planning on 7:00-7:15 for the first mile due to crowds.  Brodie was talking crazy talk about running 8:15-8:30 due to injury and the upcoming MCM.  Then, he just looked at me and said “this is feeling good”, and took off.  about a quarter mile after that, I had to pee.  Stupid mistake, drank too much on the Metro.  So, I jumped behind a small bridge embankment and joined 4 other dudes with the same issue.  I only lost 10-15 seconds and then sprinted back into the stream (pun intended).

Shortly after this, I heard a piper.  What the hell?  It wasn’t decreasing in volume.  Then I saw this guy, all in American Flag gear running and playing the flute.  Apparently, he is a staple of the race, but as a first-timer, the thought of running 10 miles while playing a flute was quite impressive.

The course took us over the river and to the Lincoln Memorial.  I was feeling great and cranking it up a bit, trying to catch back up to Brodie.  We went down past the Memorial and then turned up into down toward Watergate for the first slight uphill.  I caught up to Brodie at the base of the hill, and he had slowed down a bit, saving himself for MCM and reducing the risk of re-injury.   Cresting the hill, we barreled past Watergate and downhill into a turn back toward the Kennedy Center, running underneath the cantilevered balcony there.  At this point, I passed the first of some of the injured veterans.  What an impressive effort those guys and girls are putting in.  Simply amazing and inspiring.

The course then took us up to the Washington Monument, then down the long straight of Independence Avenue. At about 5.5 miles in, the leader passed the pack coming the other way.  At that point, he had about a 30 second lead on second place.  Not knowing where the course took us, I thought: “Hell, he’s not really THAT far ahead of us”.  He was actually at 7.5 miles in, a full 2 miles up on us, but hey, who’s really counting…  At this point, we passed the Army Jazz Band, and I got a kick out of the bassist and drummer playing Rush’s YYZ.  We went down a block in front of the Capitol building and then back up Independence Avenue.  Then, we went left on 14th street, out the bridge and past the Jefferson Memorial, over the George Mason Bridge back to the finish at the Pentagon.  The last two miles were fairly tough for me, but I was boosted a bit by the guy dressed like Michael Jackson (thriller era) handing out beers to runners at mile 9.

Once I finished, I was standing in the waiting area for the rest of the team, and who came up to me?  Brodie Wise.  Out of 30000 runners, I run into the guy twice.  He’s like magic. Run with him.

I felt pretty strong at the end, though, even though the energy flagged in the last bit.  I’m looking forward to seeing how I can do at my next half-marathon based on these results.

Overall, the team came in 9th place out of 135 corporate teams, and we beat all the 4 Navistar teams!  I beat my goal by 1:10, and set a PR.  I’m looking forward to the race next year!

Splits:

• 7:01 (including pee break)
• 6:36
• 6:44
• 6:34
• 6:56
• 6:45
• 6:47
• 6:53
• 7:01
• 6:51

Related Articles

• Army Ten Miler: U.S. Army Takes Trophy from Brazilians at Event (bleacherreport.com)
• LTC Wins Army 10Miler Balad, Iraq (waronterrornews.typepad.com)
• Kool running through Afghanistan (waronterrornews.typepad.com)

I’m not sure exactly what this stuff is made of, and it tastes freaking terrible (don’t ask why I know this), but for the most part, it lives up to it’s manufacturer’s claims.  Bodyglide provides a nice friction barrier for those “hot spots” you get, particularly on feet and toes, and sometimes around other body parts where gear or skin mixed with moisture produces friction.  The product comes in a stick format, much like deodorant, that makes for easy application in a variety of places.

One issue I have had with the product is the claim of  stainlessness.  When used for nipple protection (pretty much a guy only issue), I’ve found shirts develop a quite unattractive half-dollar sized brownish stain right above the nipple area.  Not terribly cool.  Good thing I’m not out to pick up the chicks…  Anyway, after contacting them via email and twitter, soaking the shirts in water with a temperature of 160F or above got the stains right out by melting the Bodyglide.  Perhaps I could avoid this by not leaving my nasty sweaty clothes in my gym bag in my car after lunch runs, but that’s another story.  Regardless, the people at Bodyglide were quite quick and polite at helping me through the issue to my satisfaction.

Since I’ve started using it, they’ve introduced a whole line of additional products that I haven’t tried yet.  These additional products seem to target individual or specific applications or needs (Bodyglide for Her, Bodyglide for Feet) that could possible be solved equally well with the original product.  However, given my need, the Bodyglide for Feet is something I’ll most likely try.

Overall, I would recommend giving this a try if you have blistering or chafing issues.  For the most part it’s a product that does exactly what it says it does, for a reasonable price, and THAT is something us runners need more of…

www.bodyglide.com

twitter.com/bodyglide

Observation #1:

When running any kind of speed workout, I much prefer flats and “minimal” shoes.  About a year and a half ago,  I went through a somewhat similar thought process around realizing that the Brooks Glycerin and Defyance were “too much shoe” for me.  That realization landed me smack in the middle of a love affair with the Brooks Launch.  Lately, I’ve dusted out my Brooks T6s and Green Silences, both shoes I didn’t like much when I first got them.  Now? I like them.  a lot.  Maybe even love.  Although I will admit preference to the T6s,  the ideas behind the Green Silence (reused materials, biodegradable midsoles, etc…) are more attractive to me.  Regardless, the lower profile and drop from heel to toe is what is attracting me back to both of these shoes…  I’ve been following the hype on barefoot/minimalist running with a healthy dose of skepticism, while dipping my toes in the water (pun intended) here and there.  The conclusion that I’m coming to, while completely unscientific and purely anecdotal and personal is that moving toward less shoe is good for me overall…

Observation #2:

I actually like my VFF Bikilas, and I’m looking forward to logging more miles in them safely and wisely.  Tied to observation #1 above, I bought these mainly to see what they hype was about and in the desparate hope that walking and running in them would help with the Plantar Fasciitis that I still suffer from.  While I’ve only run a couple of times in them, what I have observed is that my feet relax and feel better for days after, even after short 1 milers in them.  Again, purely anecdotal and not controlled, but real results that I’m happy to accept.  I don’t see myself as becoming a barefoot runner at all, but I do see this as a valuable tool to help me become an injury free runner.
What’s your experience with minimalism?

For more scientific evidence on both areas, check out http://www.runblogger.com

Check it out, and stick around to read the rest of his blog, it’s worth your while…

Earlier this week, several of my work colleagues suggested we go out for a group run at lunch.  Initially I was skeptical, but the day before, the daily mission on dailymile was to let the crowd vote on your workout the next day, and the crowd voted for the group run.  So I did it.  And I liked it.

We went slower than I normally run, by about 1-2 minutes per mile.  The whole out of the out-n-back, my ego told me to speed up, even through I know I need to make my easy runs easier.  So, at the turnaround point, I just loosened up and relaxed, chatted and enjoyed the experience.  You know what?  Slower is sometimes better, especially if it means building good relationships and remembering that the run is about fun.

We’re going to keep it up, and hopefully the work group run will grow.  We’ve already talked about having different pace groups, and ways to keep it fun for all skill levels, so I think everyone is going to win here…

The belt itself does a pretty good job of not bouncing around, and has minimal “riding up” problems, but this is influenced greatly by the material and finish of your running shorts.  You can really stuff a shocking amount of stuff in one of these things, as the little pocket area thingy stretches quite far, but any more than an iPod nano and a key or two, and you’re gonna start risking the “fanny pack” look from the 90′s.

I initially thought I would keep a gel in there for long runs along with an ID, keys and my iPod, but this just didn’t end up working well for me, and if I need to carry that much junk, it’s usually on a pretty long run and I’ll have a fuel belt instead.  So, after using this for a while, it’s kind of fallen out of use and I prefer my Brooks Infiniti Notch Shorts instead, because they have a key pocket in front and two “gel pockets” in the back.  I only really use the SPIbelt now if I’m out in shorts that don’t have pockets of if I’m at a race that doesn’t have drop bag capabilities, and I want to put my car keys in it.  Good idea, good product execution, just doesn’t fit my need anymore…

www.spibelt.com

• Race Day: May 22, 2010
• # of runners: 58,122
• 31st running of the race
• Race Website (English): http://www.goteborgsvarvet.com/en/Runner/
• Elite Start time: 13:30 CET
• My Start time: 14:00 CET
• Winner’s finishing time: 1:01:10 (new course record)
• My finishing time: 1:46:01
• My placement: 4613 out of 58,122

So, as you can see, this is a big race.  This race leapfrogs a race in the UK to be the world’s largest half marathon every year.  There are pros and cons to this; it’s a huge festival in the city of Gothenburg, and it’s a great experience, but it’s also a hard race to run a PR in because of the crowd.  The course is beautiful, and tours the city nicely, starting in a large park called Slottsskogen, heading out over a large bridge, following the river, heading back into town over another bridge,  up the main avenue, back through the city and finishing at the track stadium Slottsskogsvallen.  This was my second year running the race, and I’ve already signed up again for next year.  Last year I ran a 1:48:06.

Some background: I trained heavily for this race, starting in January of 2010, and following a coached regimen (Bonkproof by Caleb Masland) of twice weekly speedwork and long runs with pickups at the end.  My training went well for the most part, and I was executing some impressive runs for me (in the low-mid 6′s/mile).  A month out, I was feeling very confident in preparation, but was suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.  Then I ran the NC Half Marathon, and bombed that one at 1:42.  My confidence was a little shaken, but I recovered.  Two weeks before the GöteborgsVarvet, I started having some problems with the 2nd metatarsal on my right foot.  The week leading up to the race, I didn’t run at all, but stayed on the elliptical at the hotel.

On to the race report:

Race day was lovely, for those watching the race.  Unfortunately for those of us running it, it was pretty hot and humid.  The temperature was in the high 70s, which for Sweden, is pretty much a tropical heat wave.  Early forecasts were predicting mid 50s, which would have been much more preferable!  My start group (#4) was scheduled to start at 2 in the afternoon Swedish time, and the gun went off perfectly on time.  The start group I was in was about 2500 runners, and we were jammed up at the beginning.  The first 2 kilometers were through the Slottsskogen park:

Slottsskogen Park

The entire park was full of spectators, as the entire city comes out.  Most people were spread out on blankets with wine and picnics making a day of it.  Through the park, the race group was pretty tight, and I was running slower than plan.  I wanted to go out at about 7:00/mile for the first 5-10k, but for the first few miles, I barely managed faster than 7:20, and that was weaving and passing people in the grass outside of the course.  Leaving the park took us through an older neighborhood that has recently gentrified and is full of kids.  This is always my favorite part of the course, as the kids provide a lot of energy and all want to give you a hand slap of encouragement!

Älvsborg Bridge

The next part of the course takes you up to the largest bridge in the region, the Älvsborg.  This is a pretty long bridge, and fun to run across.  There was a nice crosswind, and I was feeling quite strong up and over.

Coming off the Älvsborg Bridge

When coming down the bridge, the course narrows into a very small bottleneck, and thousands of runners try to cram through without killing each other.
They always have a photographer positioned here, and I always look very concerned, when in reality, I’m trying not to trip over they guy in front of me! After the bridge, the course blasts you down a long decline that switches back and forth all the way down to the old shipyards and to the Göta river, and from there, it’s pretty flat for the next 2-3 miles along the river until the next bridge.  This part of town used to be only shipyards, but since the shipbuilding industry died in Sweden, there is now a university site and student housing along the river.  There are always bands playing and people out drinking beer through this section.  About the 10k mark here, I started feeling the heat.  I had been training to get through the half without stopping for water, and had run many 14+ mile training runs without water or food, but on this day, at 10k, I realized that it wasn’t gonna go down like that…

Around 10k, I stopped at the water station, gulped some, and dumped the rest on my head and took off.  I employed that strategy for most of the water stations for the rest of the race.  Unfortunately, though, around this same time, my right foot started killing me, and I was noticeably favoring it.  I made the choice to run as hard as I could until my foot hurt too much and then walk until the pain subsided enough to run again.  This obviously had a pretty big impact on my splits, as you can see below.

All along the course, every mile or so, there were bands or musicians playing, ranging from full on rock bands (I heard two Motley Crue songs sing with thick Swedish accents) to African drum troops to traditional Swedish musicians; quite nice entertainment to divert thoughts from the heat…

Götaälvbron Bridge

The next noteworthy part of the course is the Götaälvbron bridge, which is a bit lower than the Älvsborg, but a bit longer as well.  On the downslope of this one, some guy was holding a doughnut over the crowd of runners hung from a fishing rod and line.  Smart-ass…

Coming down the bridge, we circled the exit ramp past the brand new Göthenburg Wheel, that opened for business the same day!  It’s a really nice addition to the city.

Göthenburg Wheel

Past the wheel is the long false flat up the main shopping avenue. It’s a 1.5-2 mile 1-2% grade that is in full sunlight and packed on both sides with the crowd of observers. I always feel a bit like a head of cattle running up a chute, but the crowd support is amazing here. At the top of the avenue, about 18k, I passed my hotel, my wife and youngest daughter, and some friends. My two year old started shouting “Daddy, Daddy, run faster!”. We looped around the statue, and back down the avenue, then left back toward the park.

The course started to open a bit at this point and runners started to thin out. Around here, I started to see a lot of people laid out along the course. The Swedes weren’t conditioned at all for temps in the high 70s, and hundreds of people went to the emergency room with heat exhaustion and dehydration problems. I’m not talking about poorly trained people either. There were lots of runners who had run the course in sub 1:30 in previous years that took DNFs. It was pretty scary to see. I knew we were coming up on the home stretch now and was quite honestly ready to be done and out of pain, although I knew my foot was in trouble. The final mile or so was back through the same park as in the start and then to the finish in the Slottsskogsvallen track stadium.

Here’s a couple of finishing pics:

Finishing Sprint

Stepping on the finish mat with my gimpy foot. Ready to be done!

Splits:

1-7:53
2-7:22
3-7:27
4-7:26
5-7:01
6-7:39
7-8:11
8-8:09
9-8:30
10-8:06
11-9:42
12-8:58
13-8:48
6:01 (.1 mile)

So, overall, I’ll take it considering the unexpected heat and the foot issues I’ve been having.  I’m on week 3 of no running and ART therapy after the race, so I hope to be back out soon.  My disappointment is that I know I could have gone sub 1:35 and perhaps closer to 1:30 if my foot had cooperated.  But, there’s always the next one!

Of course, being a native of the fine state of North Carolina, it’s practically embedded in my DNA to say “Hey”, make eye contact and give a little wave to anyone I pass on the run.  In fact, I just feel weird if I don’t do it, even if I’m trying to get a speed workout in.  This attempt at friendliness is viewed differently from culture to culture, as you’ll see below!

Brazil: This country is very supportive of physical fitness, and when I was there, I saw many runners out in the parks.  Everyone had a smile on their face and was either listening to music or would say hi in passing with a smile.  I did some treadmill running here, though, as I wasn’t to0 sure of the stability of where I was.  All the runners are beautiful people in Brazil, though.

China: Mostly I ran inside here, as the pollution was pretty bad in Bejing, plus the traffic was really pretty sketchy.  Not a whole lot of runners around the part of town I was in, but there were an incredible amount of people on cycles, mostly commuting.  Being an American, it’s always odd to see a businessman in a suit pedaling along… The few miles I put in outside taught me that outdoor runners in the middle of Beijing are not a common sight.  Pedestrians gave me a lot of odd looks and I spent most of the time trying not to get flattened by the insane Bejing traffic.

France: I was in Lyon the whole time I was in France, and my hotel was on the Presqu’île, which is a sort of peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers.  A block long jog brought me down to the waterfront of the Rhône, and there were incredible running and cycling paths that extended for about 10 miles (Google maps link: http://tinyurl.com/yypywx3).   There were a lot of people out in the morning before work and after work, before dinner.  Most everyone at least made eye contact, and most offered a cheery (if breathless) “Bonjour”.  Most people were fairly fit, and saw a few really fast people out.  Lots and lots of tights.  Very few people in shorts.  One thing about running in Europe is the tights.  Everybody wears them all year round…

Switzerland: To be fair here, I only had one run in Switzerland, and it was really right on the border of France.  This was at the base of the alps and was incredibly beautiful to see those giant mountains while on the run.  The town I ran through was pretty hilly, and I ran with a couple of colleagues with varying degrees of fitness.  We ran in the early morning, but already people were commuting to work in Geneva.  However, these commuters looked at us like we were aliens.  Obviously nobody runs in this little town… I did see one other runner while in Switzerland, and he was trucking up those hills hardcore-style.  Between running through the little ski village and the rural landscape just outside of town, this was a lovely, lovely place to run.

Sweden: I’ve done most of my international running in Sweden, as I work for a Swedish company, and my wife is Swedish.  I run in two cities mainly: Katrineholm (where my wife is from) and Gothenburg (where my company is located).  The two are very different in many ways, and alike in some.  Katrineholm is small and fairly rural; I have to run around the entire perimeter of the town to get in a 10 miler,  yet  there are miles and miles of compacted dirt and mulch trails through the forests for walkers and runners.  Gothenburg is a more industrial place, and is Sweden’s second largest city.  There are a lot of runners here, and there are sidewalks and running paths all over the city.  No one looks at you strangely, and all cars stop for you to cross the road.  It’s like runner’s nirvana.  However, there is one small setback for me: Swedes are a little reserved to strangers, and no one really makes eye contact with someone they don’t know.  This is obviously a detriment to me smiling, waving and saying: “Hey!”.  I get a lot of weird looks.  My mother-in-law actually sat me down and asked me to stop talking to people while out running. Katrineholm is the home to the nation’s largest forensic psychiatric hospital, and the patients/convicts are actually let out to walk around the city if their behavior is good.  They talk to strangers.  Often.  Yes, you read that right.  She was afraid that people would connect me to her and think that a patient/convict married her daughter.

She may not be far off….

Oh, and everyone in Sweden runs in tights.  It’s like Craft got together with the Swedish government and made it mandatory to run in tights. You get weird looks for running without tights…

I hope to add many more countries to this list, and continue to observe the interesting cultural differences that connect and separate us as humans on this planet!