Hoka Napali and Napali ATR

I don't have much to say about these shoes, other than they were way too tight in the midfoot and the toebox compared to the Clifton 4 and even the Clifton 3. They were not a wearable alternative for me, although I did find the Napali (non-ATR) version to be pleasantly light and have a less restricting upper material than the Clifton 4. The Napali could be a good alternative for those with a narrower foot in D width.

2017 top ten list

1) Was able to run six weeks after abdominal surgery when at initial diagnosis wondered if/when I'd ever run again. 

2) Got times down to 1:44 in the half and 47 min in 10K, pre-surgery times.  

3) About to hit 300 miles on a single pair of shoes (@HOKAONEONE Clifton 4). 

4) Whipped heel and calf pain through PT and millions of lunges and heel lifts. 

5) Ran new races incl Gunpowder Falls and Rodeo Valley. 

6) Made more new friends at Fletchers Cove and College Park @parkrun.  

7) Learned to love cross training on the bike.

8) Understand core strengthening is not an option. 

9) Got smarter about shutting it down early when an injury or cold is coming on. Saves much more time in long run than it costs in the short term. 

10) Most of all, enjoying being healthy and just being out there. Longevity in running is still my top goal, more important than any race or time or annual goal. 

Hoka OneOne Clifton 4 Review: 4th time a charm?

The Clifton line from Hoka has always been one step away from a great shoe for me. 

The first iteration was a revolutionary shoe, combining heavy cushion with lightness. Unfortunately, the thin tongue killed it as a wearable shoe although most other reviewers loved that feature and the model overall.

The second version mucked up nearly everything good in an attempt to remedy the tongue issue. Unfortunately, the changes to the rest of the upper and the midsole were counterproductive in my experience; I found it to be a hot and overly firm ride.  

The third version got the closest in my book to a big winner, but the upper really couldn't stand up to the beating I delivered during DC summers. http://www.midpackgear.com/2016/08/170-mile-revisit-of-clifton-3-not-so_18.html

So is the fourth time a charm? Through the first 40+ miles, I'd say yes.

Best of 2017 Running Podcasts

Podcasts: a running conversation inside your earbuds

There's still nothing like getting lost in your own thoughts while out for a run. But I do also like good conversation as well to make the miles roll by. I think of a podcast as a conversation between the earbuds - and find they are a great way to take your mind off of some of the discomfort of running while not being too distracting. Another side benefit of listening to running podcasts while running is allowing you to geek out in running talk and even pick up a few useful pointers or two.

Topo Fli-Lyte 2 review and 100 mile update

Topo Athletic's Fli-Lyte 2: an alternate to Altra

I already shared some thoughts a while back about the Fli-Lyte 2 here. I haven't changed my mind that much. The shoe has held up very well, and is one of my favorites for everything from training to racing half marathons on down. I'm not positive it would be enough shoe for me for a marathon, but it isn't totally out of the question.

The shoe is light and doesn't have a ton of energy return - but is nicely cushioned, not overdone. And it is very roomy, breathable - all around comfy. The mesh doesn't get your feet overheated, yet it seems to be a tougher, more durable mesh than what Topo uses on the Ultraflys which doesn't hold up very well (I have gotten holes in the Ultrafly upper fairly quickly in the shoe's life cycle).

The only complaint is a little premature wear in the rubber near the outside of my left heel. There's a small area where there is a break in the rubber and I see wear around that spot. The rest of the rubber pods seem very durable. I'd expect to see these shoes wear well for the remaining 200 miles or so I usually put on shoes for a total of around 300+.

You can see the durability of the upper and outsole in these photos:

you can see the extra
wear spot on the top left of the photo

New Balance 1080 v7 review

I feel like I'm having a hard time finding a shoe that has a few essentials:

- big forefoot with plenty of room for my toes to spread out
- durable upper and outsole that can last 250 miles without any wearing through in either place
- 4 to 8 mm heel to toe drop
- a decent amount of structure in the heel, a minimal amount of stability through the running gait

The Topo Ultrafly came pretty close. It showed wear in the upper - burning holes through on both sides just past 100 miles was the only demerit. Not sure why, but I'm liking the shoes enough to continue using them as walk-arounds and ordered another pair to see how they wear.

The Hoka Clayton 2 checked all the boxes. However, they gave me a nasty blister along my arch below my big toe joint which is a common issue in the originals and happens to some in the 2s as well.

So my search continued. Joanna at Pacers Running on 14th Street suggested trying out the New Balance 1080 v7 because of the heel drop and big forefoot specs. I was open to trying a shoe that I hadn't used since the original Fresh Foam 980 (review by Road Trail Run) from several years ago. It was a pretty light and spacious shoe, but I found the foam a little dead on the energy return. 

Normally, I avoid shoes over 10 ounces - and the 1080v7s weigh in at 10.8. But I was getting pretty desperate to find a shoe that gave me some relief from nagging heel pain and felt like trying an 8mm drop shoe made sense.

I like this shoes a lot. I wish they were lighter by an ounce or two, but I can deal with it - it is a smooth shoe to run in, so whatever impact the weight has it's offset by the nice gait I have while running in them. I have run 110+ miles in them to date, and they are holding up nicely on the outside heel spot where I have extra wear. Cross fingers, but I hope I can get 250 miles+ on these before retiring them.

The upper: nice mesh that's pretty breathable. I've run in 95 degree temps with 100% humidity and I haven't found them to be as uncomfortable as a lot of shoes in those conditions. The laces are a good length, but I found the best locked down fit with using the last lace hole on the shoe with a looped tie.

There is an internal bootie in these. They are fairly tight feeling when you first put them on, but they stretch to fit very nicely. I usually like a loose fit but these are comfortable for me. Some have complained about a rubbing seam inside the bootie, but I don't feel it. 

The insole is pretty standard - nothing to report here which is what I like. Medium high arch, not super soft. The midsole is a little firmer than even the Fresh Foam 980 which is ok but could go for a touch softer.

The outsole is the kind of durable rubber I like on shoes, with a couple of breaks in the forefoot and the midfoot to increase flexibility. The wear is visible but not excessive on the heel area, so I hope it can handle another 150 miles or so without wearing through straight to the midsole foam. We'll see...  The outsole is grippy enough for pavement, but seems to retain mud and dirt until the shoes get a good knock together.

Topo Ultrafly 100 mile review

The Topo Ultrafly is holding up well as the odometer hit 105 miles, and has earned a central place in my running stable of shoes which include the Topo Fli-Lyte 2 and the Altra Torin 3.0. The Ultrafly is an extraordinarily well made shoe and wears as well as any shoe I've had since the Adidas Supernova Glide Boost 8. Here are some earlier thoughts on both Topo shoes.

I am enjoying the heavier build of the Ultrafly with a touch of stability. I've had some hip/psoas tightness which seems to benefit from a more built up shoe, and the Ultrafly is doing the trick. And my sore right heel (not sure if its from excess heel striking or tight calves and achilles) responds well to the more rubberized, cushioned feel of the Ultrafly and possibly the 5mm heel to toe drop.

The only real drawback of the shoe is its weight - it is 10oz in the men's size 9. I would like an ounce or ounce and a half lighter normally, but the weight is not a detriment to my middle of the pack pacing most of the time. For faster races I can go to the Fli-Lyte 2. But I think I'd wear these in a half or full marathon distance.

The upper is holding up nicely. There's a little puckering but no holes in the material. They do seem to be a little more stanky than the usual shoe. It could be the fact the upper isn't as breathable as it could/should be (hope to see some minor improvements on that count in the next version of the Ultrafly in 2018), but it might be nothing more than the humid DC weather.

Edit: Holy crap. Not even 20 miles after writing this, two holes have opened up on the upper, right on the spot where I mentioned the puckering, above. This is for normal road and some dirt trail running - I haven't taken this on trails where they could get scraped up. Sort of sad to see this happen on a shoe so young in its lifespan. You can see my finger on the other side of the holes. So much for what looked like extraordinary durability.

The outsole wear patterns are usual for me - some wear on the outsole near the ball of the foot and the outside of the heel. The heavier rubber is holding up super well - I don't think all the rubber is going to get worn away before the midsoles lose their effectiveness after 300+ miles.