What is the best shoe for me?

I think my Adi has gone past it’s natural life… It no longer provides the support that I need. After runnuing close to 700km on it, I think it has to retire. So around last October, I got myself the Nike+ Equalon 3 as a gift for myself. They look good, but I can’t really say they feel or fit as good. Perhaps it’s because they’re a half size bigger than my normal shoe size. [NOTE: Nike does not carry half sizes after 11, so I was constrained to buy size 12 instead of my usual 11.5]. My tip for you is to get the one that fits just right, not too big, not too small… that’s why they created half sizes. An inch really goes a long way, especially if you are looking into running fast (speed) or running long (distance).

Recently, I came across a site that went on sale and their shoes go for about $50 for a pair of AISICS… Imagine that! It’s only less than P2,500 for a pair of AISICS when they normally go for P6,000-8,000. They may be an old model, if I’m just going to use them for regular training runs, I guess I can do away with an old model.

Of course, before making an impulsive decision and ordering online, I decided to check out the reviews on the shoe I was eyeing. It’s the AISICS GT-2130. 

I also passed by Runner’s World and sought help from their SHOE FINDER. I came across words like cushioning, stability, motion-control. They seem like perfectly ordinary and straight-forward words, but I’m guessing there is a more technical definition and distinction between them. Sooo… I ask Hector Yuzon (aka the Second Wind) for his take on the matter, being a “sports geek”. I tell you, this guy knows a lot about shoes, sports wear and apparel, as well as other sporting accessories.

And so… what is the difference between CONDITIONING, STABILITY and MOTION CONTROL?  These were his answers…

Cushioning Shoes – are built around the main idea of ‘how can we make this shoe comfortable’ - so what this means is that they focus on the kinds of foam to insert, considering how thick the sockliner should be, and still factoring in that the shoe should still be light enough for long distance runs.

Stability Shoes – are built around the idea of ‘how can we help our over pronators more comfortably’.  So what this means is that, they pay more attention on the medial part of the shoe.

Personally, I’m more fascinated in stability shoes over any other kind of running shoe.  Researchers constantly want to better their stability shoes.  And from a brand standpoint, mas astig if you can boast of “we have the best stability shoes” – I mean, to brag about this, means you really did your homework, and of course, this is what runners look for: authentic, and alam nila na they had the runners’ best interest in mind.

Stability vs. motion control 

They are basically the same. its more technical when you say ‘motion control shoes‘ meaning, this type of shoe is more technical; parang yung air equalon – aside from having a stability post, it has a thermo plastic urethane (TPU) support which extends from the medial side to eh midfoot.

whereas if you just term it as a stability shoe, basically what comes to mind are those shoes that have stability posting, or those shoe that have a more firm foam for support to control the rate of over pronation, example would be NB 749, 769, air span 6, mizuno elixir.

HECTORS LAST ADVICE: eric, before you buy your new shoes, try mo lahat for the best fit.  You owe yourself that.  and then decide

Thanks Hector for the help!

34:02.79- breaking in my Equalon 3

I took out my brand new Equalon 3 for a run… a 5k run. It’s been over a week since I last ran. My last race being the Takbong May Yabang. I’ve been ranting about my feet hurting and all that so I decided to go out and get myself a new pair of shoes. According to Hector Yuzon, Sales Manager of Nike Philippines, the Nike Zoom+ Equalon 3 is the “mother of all stability shoes” So taking his word for it, I went to Nike Park at at Greenbelt 3 and got myself a pair, together with new elite running socks. Hehe

I shouldn’t feel bad anymore Though I ran slower at 34:02.79 for 5k… it’s fine with me. I’ve been  doing a lot of drinking lately to de-stress with friends and eating a lot to keep myself awake while studying. Come sembreak, it’s back to hard training

Nike+ Human Race Participants Enjoy 10% at R.O.X.

All those who participated in the Nike+ Human Race can enjoy 10% discount at R.O.X. from August 31-September 15, 2008. Just bring your race bib (or maybe your free photovendo shot) as proof that you indeed participated.

Nike+ Lunar – For the PROs

Last August 16, we were invited by Nike to tryout the Nike Lunar Trainer, their new state-of-the-art shoe. According to the person who briefed us after our test run, he said that it is Nike’s lightest shoe so far. It utilizes Lunarlite Foam, the same stuff used in outer space by NASA.

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This is a snippet from Sneaker Freaker Magainze

LunarTrainer
Typically, if a runner wants to log a lot of mileage training, they’d expect footwear with extra cushioning and support to handle the demand of the road. The LunarTrainer set out to overturn those expectations—and did it using Nike’s revolutionary new cushioning system, Lunarlite foam. Nike’s lightest weight and most responsive cushioning material to date, Lunarlite foam is 30% lighter than Nike Phylon, our next lightest performance foam and works to distribute force across the foot. With each footfall, pressure is dispersed—protecting the foot from injury as well as pain and fatigue—a huge benefit in a shoe meant for mileage.

* * *

Together with other invited guests such as Mon Domingo and Roderick Poblete of Happy Feet, bloggers such as The Loony Runner, The Bull Runner, Ben the Photographer on The Run, Vince Mendoza of Rush Fitness Water, and a whole lot of other well known runners, I did several laps around Bonifacio High Street to test run this amazing shoe. (Thanks to The Bull Runner for the group picture .)

They asked me to fill out a survey to give Nike Feedback on their new shoe. I was not sure what the technical meaning of the terms cushioning, breathability, support, fit, color and design were. I’m sure support and cushioning may be interrelated. I guess the only word I was sure about was the design and color. Haha! Doing 3 rounds around BHS was not enough to give reliable feedback or to really test and get a feel of the shoe. I think the best way for me to actually experience the shoe was to take it out on a road run or for a track session… that I did, the week after.

Testing the Nike SportBand

I took the Nike SportBand out on a run last Thursday evening at the Ateneo campus. I needed to calibrate it and see also see for myself whether it was accurate. I did three rounds of the Ateneo campus, starting from the Grade School, passing through the Henry Lee Theater, Manila Observatory, College Covered Courts and Loyolya Schools Grounds, Church of the Gesu, EAPI, High School then making a turn at Moro Lorenzo, passed through parade loop, the different institutes and finally through Gate 3 and back to the Grade School. This was the route for the Ateneo Big Blue Run.

According to the Ateneo Athletics United website, this route measures 3km; however the Nike SportBand says it’s around 2.6km. I think I’ll need to calibrate the SportBand and sensor on a treadmill or the trackoval.

The data that the SportBand recorded are the following:

DISTANCE: 8.11km
DURATION: 56′24”
PACE: 6′55”
CALORIES: 667

It was fairly accurate. It was off my 300m IF THE COURSE WAS INDEED 3KM. My complaint with the SportBand is that it’s not backlit and it is very difficult to use under poor lighting conditions. Also, the numbers are too small for my taste. I wish also it had more buttons. I wonder if it is possible to lock into a certain data mode, choosing between distance, duration, pace and calories, instead of going through all. It would also be good if it had split and or lap timing.

I think I’ll have to take it out again on another test run to give a more detailed review.

Nike Human Race Details (updated Aug. 15)

On Agusut 31, 2008 you’ll be making history.
You’ll take on the world in a 10K like no other.
A 10k where every step counts, no matter how fast, slow, short or long.
A 10k, where a million runners will celebrate human potential.
And you’ll be proud to say you ran the day the whole world ran.

NIKE+ VIRTUAL HUMAN RACE DETAILS (updated)

EXCLUSIVE FOR NIKE+ IPOD SPORT KIT
& NIKE+ SPORTBAND USERS

FREE REGISTRATION

Join other virtual race participants and run together on the day the world runs
DATE: AUGUST 31, 2008
TIME: ASSEMBLY 5:30 A.M.
START 6:00 A.M.
VENUE: McKINLEY HILL, BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY
DISTANCE: 10KM

MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS: 1,000 RUNNERS
RACE KIT CLAIMING AREA: NIKE PARK BONIFACIO HIGH STREET

SPECIAL PRIZES: FINISHERS WILL RECEIVE NIKE DRIFIT SOCKS

PRIZES AWAITS LUCKY PARTICIPANTS

*ALL FINISHERS WILL RECEIVE FREE PHOTO (1 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT 4×6inc. By: PHOTOVENDO ) AFTER THE RACE

WEBSITE: www.runrio.com, www.nikeplus.com.ph
EMAIL: rio@runrio.com
CONTACT NUMBER: 0906 314 3807 / 0918 985 9211 / (02) 3965170
CONTACT PERSON: COACH RIO DE LA CRUZ

FREE REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE:

• • Log on to www.nikeplus.com.ph
• • Register for the virtual Human Race.
• • Join TEAM PHILIPPINES
• • Starting August 18,2008, you may sign up at Nike Park Bonifacio High Street and claim your race kit for the scheduled run

EXCLUSIVE FOR NIKE + IPOD SPORT KIT & NIKE+ SPORTBAND USER
SYNC YOUR RUN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RACE WITH THE LAPTOPS AND WIFI AVAILABLE AFTER THE RACE

PRIZES:
TOP FINISHER

MALE / FEMALE
1ST PLACE 15,000 NIKE GC
2ND PLACE 10,000 NIKE GC
3RD PLACE 7,000 NIKE GC

AGE CATEGORY (1 PER CATEGORY)
MALE / FEMALE
18 YEARS OLD BELOW 3,000 NIKE GC
19-29 YEARS OLD 3,000 NIKE GC
30-39 YEARS OLD 3,000 NIKE GC
40-49 YEARS OLD 3,000 NIKE GC
50 ABOVE 3,000 NIKE GC

SPECIAL PRIZE: BIGGEST SCHOOL DELEGATION 5,000 NIKE GC

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

• RUSH FITNESS WATER
• XFM 92.3
• 7107 ISLANDS
• RUNRIO.COM

AND IN COOPERATION WITH:

• McKINLEY HILL HERITAGE PARK
• HIDDEN SPRING MCDONALDS
• VIDEO SONIC PHOTOVENDO
• PEB KONSTRUCT, INC. FITNESS FIRST
• R.O.X. ALAXAN FR
• PRINT AVENUE

MEDIA PARTNERS:

• MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE
• ONESPORT sports and fitness event guide

TIMEX Ironman Triathlon with Flix Techonology

Last Tuesday, I finally decided to get myself a watch. For the past weeks or so, I’ve been mulling over getting a Garmin. I could not decided whether I’d get a Garmin 305 or 405. Jaymie, the Bull Runner, prefers the 305 for its functionality and ease of use while her husband is enjoying his 405. Most people such as myself would prefer the 405 for several reasons: 1) It’s aesthetic value, 2) it’s new, 3) it looks cool and 4) having the new 450 somewhat serves as a status symbol.

I was calculating how much it would actually cost. Being around $300 (Amazon.com), it would be roughly Php 12,000. Was it worth it? I got Coach Rio’s opinion on the matter, and he says, “May nakita ka na bang elite runner na naka-Garmin?” I guess that answers my question. Does it really matter if you got a GPS enabled watch to track you distance, pace, time, heartrate and all the bells and whistles? Apparently not. For serious athletes, what matters most is time. Sure, all the features of the Garmin and other similar devices are things most runners would want to have, but are they neccessary? Well, apparently not.

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Ben, aka Photographer on the Run, and Coach Rio suggested I get myself a TIMEX watch. Coach told me to look for one with lap/split timing and 100 lap memory. He suggested that I look for FLIX. So last Sunday after our long run at Los Baños, he accompanied me to Market! Market! to check out the watch stores there. In one of the boutiques we went to, the TIMEX watches were on sale at 50% off but the one he was telling me wasn’t there.

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Last Tuesday, after class, I had made up my mind to finally get a watch. My budget was around P1,500-2,000. I went around Ayala Center looking for a TIMEX store but I only chanced upon a stall inside SM and saw one that was similar to Coach Rio’s TIMEX Ironman Triathlon Flix watch. It was at P2,290. There were other similar watches of the same price but I still wasn’t so sure. So I asked the sales attendant if there was a real TIMEX store around. He directed me to Glorietta 3.  When I got there, I saw the newer models and finally decided to get it even though it was more expensive at P2,490. It was the last piece.

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I’m happy with my new watch. It has lap/split timing with 100lap memory, indiglo and FLIX technology which illuminates the watch screen when you FLIX (flick) your wrist/arm or when the watch senses movement. It also has 5 alarm settings, as well as 9 intervals which you can set-up. It has 2 times, which can also be set up.

The following day, I used my new watch to time my track session. I even timed my warm-up jog! haha!

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These are my times using my new watch (this is lifted from my 1,000km club page)

TIME	DATE	DURATION	DISTANCE	LOCATION	TOTAL
06:30	7-23-2008	14:10.57	2.0	ULTRA	382.8
		04:12.27	1.0		383.8
		02:23.14	0.6		384.4
		01:31.41	0.4		384.8
		00:39.95	0.2		385.0