faithrunner

My Lone Peaks after 13.1 trail miles I put my new Altra Lone Peak trail shoes to the test today at the Cross Timbers Trail Run near Lake Texhoma. The conditions were cool, windy, and muddy ! The trails rise and fall along the shores of the reservoir and into the surrounding hills. It made for a crazy, challenging run that wore me out. I own a pair of Altra Instinct for road running , and they were everything I needed one evolutionary step beyond my Vibram FiveFingers . When I got the email from Altra about the Wasatch Front Lone Peaks, I ordered them immediately. I had still been running in my old Montrail Hard Rocks because I could not find anything that gave me the protection I needed on trails with the minimalist technology. The Lone Peaks were everything I hoped they would be. Post-run shoes They remained stable on the rugged downhills, and gave me the comfort I needed for the 13.1 miles on the rugged trails. Even when we got into some shoe-sucking mud , they held t...

It's getting cooler (30 degrees F this morning), and I want to stay in my fivefingers . The other day I went to our local Luke's Locker and bought a pair of injinji toe socks to see if they would fit my fivefingers. They did, and this afternoon I tested them out. (It was 52F at the start of my run.) I admit that this arrangement pushes me even farther away from true barefoot running , but I'm not quite ready to head out on a December afternoon truly barefoot. The run went well. My feet were actually a bit too warm, but I know they'll be fine in cooler weather now. After the 4.5 mile jog, I did feel my socks and fivefingers became tight. When I removed them, I felt the difference, and that is not usually the case without socks. (My feet swell when I run, so that was the issue.) While my feet were warm, I did loose some of the on-the-ground sensation I have when running without the socks. This will only be an arrangement while the weather is cold. So, to answer ...

If you have been following some of my exploits in five fingers , you have read my disappointment with the KSO for trail running . I continue to run in them on streets and grass without any issues. Well, five fingers has created the right amount of protection to still have a minimalist feel to running on rough terrain. The five finger sport/trek provides enough protection for open field, packed trails, and rocky paths. I broke mine in at my parent's farm in East Texas in their open fields and wooded paths. I found them light and flexible like the KSOs, but with enough protection not to slow down on rocky paths and hard-packed trails. I had no deep bruises in my insole or heel like I did with the lighter KSOs. The only draw back was the occasional long-stem weed between my toes, but that's part of the five finger experience. I like the added traction on both the sole and toe of the shoes . The added plastic covering on the top of the toe seems like it will come in handy on wet...