Obsessive Ramblings » Products
Products
Running is a minimalist sport. All you really need is a pair of shoes, and there are those who might even consider that to be too much.
However, with the obvious concerns regarding the preservation of dignity and modesty, and providing some form of protection on hard, modern surfaces and throughout our cold, extended winter months, in reality there will always be the need for some form of ‘equipment’.
When you venture into the realms of ultradistance, there is also the consideration of efficient nutrition to consider, and often this spills over into nutritional obsessions in everyday life as well.
So here then are some links that sum up my current thinking regarding the tools of the ultrarunning trade.
Products
Garmin
The world leader in GPS enabled products of which I have two - a Forerunner 910XT watch, and an Oregon 400t handheld GPS for navigation. For fitness fanatics they offer the best distance / speed watches available.GoMotion Gear
A new way to see in the dark - these innovative lights are a step ahead from the normal head torches and provide a highly illuminated scene ahead, without the cables or weight of batteries around the head.Inov-8
Mainly shoes, for trail and mountain running, but also backpacks for those longer runs. Inov-8 are a British company based in the Lake District who have developed 'natural' trail running shoe.Raidlight
Backpacks for trailrunning, amongst other things - what seems to have become the rucksack of choice for stage races like the MdS, the French company does a lot more besides.Rokit Fuel (for humans)
Hot on the heels of 'Born to run' and the Tarahumara, is this nutrition company in the US who have developed an interesting set of endurance products.Vibrams
Officially the best 'barefoot' experience on offer, these wacky shoes offer an unrivaled compromise between protection and running the way nature intended.Yurbuds
A range of earphones which are designed for athletes, which are sweat proof, designed to stay in and be comfortable
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I’ve bought some Nike Free 3.0 for that barefoot-ish experience… only used once but I like them so far. Read Born to Run a couple of months ago and I’m convinced!
I’m intrigued by the Inov-8 shoes. Do you have a recommendation? There are so many.
Greg
Greg, it depends what sort of terrain you want to use them on, i.e. Mountainous, rocky, wet grassy, boggy, even road! They have different tread types, as well as different amounts of cushioning depending on what you are used to as well. In the past I’ve had the Roclite 305 for trail running and 320 for longer distance trail runs, but these both have quite high levels of cushioning, so the last pair I got were the X-Talon 212 which are minimalist racers, and they were fantastic – a good compromise for barefoot transitioning. Richard
Thanks, my routes are rocky, dry and sometimes steep. No bogs or grass here in the Chihuahuan desert. I’m kinda scared of the barefoot thing. -Greg
Greg,
Sounds to me like you need some Roclites – try this link http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Recommended-By-Features.asp?PG=PG1&L=26 which is like a shoe selector wizard!
Richard
Bryan – what are the Nike Free’s like? I’ve looked at those in the past, but can’t help thinking it’s more about Nike panicking about losing sales to the barefoot revolution!
I think you are right, but they don’t look as silly as the vibram ones! They were cheapish ($85), are very light and comfy. Look normal, sole is very flexy – you can bend the shoe back so the sole touches the heal. They feel like there is a little bit of cushioning but certainly much less than a normal running shoe.
How did you like the terrafly 303s? I also used the roclite 305s and the 315s. Loved both. Did they have the same fit and feel or were they much different?
Jonathan, The 303s are a great shoe – I loved them. Much more of a compromise shoe for when your runs go between both road and trails though as they have minimal tread for muddy trails. They are an anatomical fit so have plenty of room in the Toe box for comfort and long runs.