Old Shoes, New Life: Introducing KindRunner.com

What if you could do more to change the world with your old pair of running shoes? Well you can now with KindRunner.com. Check out the video below before reading the rest of the blog.

The full site will be launched on June 1st. In the mean time you can start following them on Twitter, like them on Facebook,  follow them on Instagram, or view more of their videos on YouTube. Until the June 1st, launch date you also sign up to win free shoes for a year (3 shoes), by registering on KindRunner.com. So consider registering and following them on the various social media outlets.

Wondering how your old shoes can benefit others? Well Kindrunner is the only place on the web where runners can trade in their old shoes for new ones. By trading in your old shoes, you receive "Kindness Cash Rewards" for every shoe you send in. Kind runner then in turn gives those old shoes to donation partners such as Soles 4 Soles.

How is this program different from other programs like "One for One" programs (such as Toms)? Though the work that Toms does is great, it still creates more material that is being produced and put into the world, doubling the carbon footprint left behind.  Kindrunner simply reuses an old running shoe. The shoes are given to non-runners who need them for basic transportation and protection from injury and disease. Kindrunner attempts to stretch a single carbon footprint to its maximum potential.

Be part of the movement by giving up your old shoes to someone that can get more out of them. 

Fitness Friday: Race Day Distances

So the more I race and train, the more I start to have preferences in races. In fact a couple of years ago I really enjoyed the 5k and 10k distances. Now I prefer the 13.1 and 26.2 distances. In fact I have not participated in a running event shorter than 10-miles since Thanksgiving. The last time I ran a 5k was in July of 2012. I have come to the realization that the 5k really bothers me, probably because it makes me feel awful after crossing the finish line. While the half and full marathons, though I feel tired at the end I do not feel sick to my stomach.

The 5k is the distance that I dislike the most because I personally feel like it is hard to find a rhythm and very little room for error when it comes to running it as a race. The 5k for me feels like this ... mile 1 get out in front, mile 2 hope you can run this mile as well as mile 1, mile 3 is hold on for dear life and the final .1 is about emptying out the tank if there is anything left. With this type of running it really isn't enjoyable to me.

While other distances like the half and full, there is room for error, opportunities to build a rhythm and enjoy each step.

What distances do you prefer to run? Why do you like that distance over other distances?

Skechers Shoe Review: breaking the shoe

Another Wednesday can only mean another shoe review update on the three shoes I have been running in (GOrun 2, GObionic Ride, and GOrun Meb speed), that the friendly folks at Skechers have provided me with. In the last week, I have really tried to break the shoe. I mean really take the shoes onto terrain that shoes should show some breakdown. As I continue to test each shoe, the only thing that keeps happening is the constant addition of mileage on each shoe. This last week I did come across an Active.com article, that explained how to get more out of your shoe. The rotation of the 3 shoes will probably allow me to more out of each shoe. Currently the mileage for each shoe is as follows:

• GOrun 2 - 252.2 miles
• GObionic Ride - 153.6 miles
• GOrun Meb speed - 69.3 miles

GOrun 2
With each week of running, the GOrun 2 continues to add more and more mileage. Over the weekend I took the GOrun 2 to sweep the Gold Rush 100k in Sacramento.  The course was primarily single trail dirt pathways, along with the dirt during this time of year comes the increase of dry brush, fox tails and various stickers that com with the brush.

taking the shoe to the dirt at the Gold Rush 100k

After my 6+ hours of sweeping the final leg of the Gold Rush 100k, alas I finally was able to find a physical break in the shoe. Granted the shoe is not a trail shoe, it took over 250 miles of running to find a way of breaking the surface of the shoe. I found that with the dry brush didn't exactly scratch the shoe, the pointed weeds and thorns through the trails were able to get stuck into the mesh material and even cause a small tear into the material.

a thorn stuck in the mesh

a tear in the material

The thorn is easily removed from the shoe. While the slight tear on the inside of the right shoe is just a cosmetic issue, the performance of the shoe has still not been noticeably affected. In fact, the shoe continue to hold strong from all angles. The width of the shoe is still holding shape, the sole is still in tact, while the shoe still provides the same amount of comfort as it did 250 miles ago.

GObionic Ride
The GObionic Ride continues to perform equally as well as when I originally took the shoe out of the box. After 150 miles in the shoe, there is one thing I do wish the should would provide for some breaking down in the sole. I have noticed that the shoe continues to have a harder feel to the shoe than that of the other two shoes I am running in. On a positive note, the shoe is exactly what you can expect out of the box.

The width of the shoe continues to hold strong, the surface has yet to have been scratched, and the sole is holding up strong. However, as I mentioned I do wish that the stability of this sole the shoe offers did breakdown a bit, but again perhaps this just isn't the shoe that works for me. Even with my preference going to the GOrun 2 and the GOrun Meb speed, I will continue to use this shoe to see the mile longevity of the shoe.

GOrun Meb speed
This shoe continues to perform beyond my expectations. Outside of the first wear of the shoe, when I could feel the shoe to be a bit narrow compared to that of the GOrun 2 and the GObionic Ride, it really has become a very comfortable running shoe. With nearly 70 miles on the shoe, I have taken the shoe to some dirt and gravel to see if I can find a way to breakdown the light weight shoe with a soft feeling sole. Still nothing, I am sure if I were to take the shoe onto a more technical run, it might show some wear and tear.

When a shoe has about 70 miles onto it, typically it is considered to be broken in based on the comments by local retailers who I have spoken to. The GOrun Meb speed continues to provide all the highlighted characteristics the shoe is advertised to offer including it's light weight feel and well structured sole. The only thing I have experienced that has changed since I first pulled the shoe out of the box is that the shoe even with it's well maintained shape does have some give in regards to the tow box. The toe box area has widened to provide me for a true fit due to releasing some of the tightness of the laces as it was originally laced.

Race Report: Sweeping the Gold Rush 100k

About 2 weeks prior to the Gold Rush 100k (a Sacramento Running Association event), one of my friends posted on her Facebook page that she was looking for volunteer sweepers for the May 11 event. With seeing, I quickly replied "I'm in", not knowing exactly what was entailed in the job of a volunteer safety sweep runner.

Over the course of the next week, I was emailed some responsibilities as well as my assignment to run the final leg of the event (about 19+ miles), which started at Hazel and would finish at Sutters Fort (the official finish line of the event). Some of the main responsibilities of safety sweep would include, picking up trail markers (for this race orange ribbons tied to tree branches or plants), grab garbage any runner might have dumped on the ground, assist runners that might need to drop out of the race and picked up, and try to keep runners in front of me moving at a 14:30 per mile pace. My leg of safety sweep would start at 3:30 PM and I would be with a group of 4 other sweepers.

When I arrived to my assigned start area at Hazel around 3:00PM, it was already 93 degrees and the runners coming through looked pretty beat up at this point. Many of the runners had shown signs of physical wear as well as mental exhaustion. Runners at this point were about 43 miles into the race. This is a point where runners and race officials would make a decision if the runner was safe to continue on the course and finish the event. To quote some of the people out at Hazel explaining to others on the phone what it looked like at around 3:20PM ... "It looks like total carnage out here." Honestly, I wouldn't use the word carnage, but it was pretty bad seeing some runners wobbling through at this point, not having clear thoughts of where they are and others concerned due to the lack of ability use the bathroom when they needed to at this point. I saw a few runners pull out of the race, a few were required to pull out, and others continue towards the finish.

3:30 PM came about and it was officially time to start running the sweep. With "Sweep" bib pinned and garbage bags in hand, it was time to do some slow running towards the finish. Most runners at this point were moving at a hike pace as we started on the route, getting people moving was starting to get difficult at times. In fact within the first 2 miles we saw one runner already pulled over to the side and we knew this was not a good sign, as walking was troublesome for this individual. We helped get the runner to a safe location past the trails and into a boat loading area where her ride could come by and pick her up and get her off the course.

As much as safety sweepers are important and I personally think a great way to give back to the running community by picking up trash and making sure runners are safe, it is an awful feeling having to tell runners they have to pull from the course. Just knowing that these runners put in so much work and it just wasn't in the cards for them this day to finish the run had me gutted at times during the event.

an exposed area of the course

With aid stations about every 4-5 miles apart, we were able to give a check in to see who was in front of us how far, and the physical and mental status of the runners. By the second aid station was had on our leg, I thought it would be better to break up our sweep and I would run to play catch up to see the runners in front of us to see how they were doing. This started to pay off quickly since the runners started creating large gaps between them as the weather continued to get warm and the finish line time limit started to closely approach. In order to get an official finishing time, runners had to cross the finish line at Sutters Fort by 8:00 PM.

keeping runners moving in front of me

During this portion where I ended up running mid pack safety runners, I started to come across about 4-5 runners who were separated by various distances, and clearly some needed help, while others looked fairly strong and could finish the the distance. With or without an official time, the runners at this point just wanted to finish line area to come sooner than later. Moving into the 3rd aid station for the leg I was responsible for at the Guy West Bridge, runners needed more assistance, so this is where I decided to start grabbing empty water bottles and running back and forth from aid station to runner refilling their bottles as well as running snacks to various runners that showed they needed it. Being able to do this provided the runners with what they needed as well as gave their support crews an idea of where they were and how soon they would be arriving into the station.

The sun started to drop and there were runners still left on the course at this point between Guy West and the Finish about 5 miles out. The stretch after Guy West was not an ideal place to finish alone in the dark, since there was very little light as well as various routes on the trail that could lead to nowhere. As the only sweeper left on the course at this point, since the Race Director pulled other runners and sweeps, I had to try to find runners and provide them with unfortunate news that their race was over grabbing timing chips escorting them off the road to the nearest safe pick up locations. The hardest part was trying to spot runners since most had already dumped their head lamps early in the race after the sun came up.

Finally around 8:30 PM I was able to find the last runner on the trail and it was a matter of leading him with his pace group to Sutters Landing, which was the final aid station before the finish. At this point the aid station was closed. The darker it got the longer the distance to Sutters Landing seemed to get. Around 9:15 PM a member of the race decided it would be safer to pick us up at Sutters Landing rather than to proceed to finish. At this point the final runner opted to continue his walk towards the finish, but I was instructed to grab his timing chip and officially pull him from the course, though we were already 90 minutes past the official course cut off.

By the time I got to Sutters Fort, no one would have thought that there was a race that day. Everything was picked up and all signs of runners were gone, except for the race organizers who were there and going to provide me with a run home.

This was an interesting day of events, being out on the course for about 6 hours and covering about 20 miles based on my Garmin before the battery died out on me. I think it was an awesome event, but honestly didn't think that runner safety sweep would be so grueling with all of the events that took place. Had I known that the event would take me past sunlight, I would have been better prepared with my headlamp, but this day I was unprepared for what was to come. Yes, there were some frustrations and inconveniences (especially with having my wife and son wait for me at the finish, only to tell them to head home since I was still on the course), but at the end of the day knowing that each runner was accounted for and no one was left of the course in the dark is what really matters. 

Fitness Friday: Why?

No two runners are the same, we are all unique in our own way. Along with our training programs, our times, and distances we prefer, so comes our reasons why we run.

My reason is simple. I run because I can, I run because I was motivated the day that my godson was born. My godson William will never be able to enjoy the opportunity to run because of a condition he was born with.  For more about my "why", check out my ABOUT ME section.

So keeping this week's Fitness Friday post short, I want to know WHY do you run? What is your unique story that got you running, or what keeps you moving or who do you run for?

Skechers Shoe Review: more races & miles

With another week of running I am able to get more out of my shoes (GOrun 2, GObionic Ride, and GOrun Meb speed), that the friendly folks at Skechers have provided me with. As I start to hit some high mileage weeks moving forward into my next marathon on June 16 at the Wipro San Francisco Marathon, I will be able to see what these shoes really have in them in regards to longevity of the shoe. Currently the mileage for each shoe is as follows:

• GOrun 2 - 205.2 miles
• GObionic Ride - 145.5 miles
• GOrun Meb speed - 48.5 miles

GOrun 2
The GOrun 2 is still the leading mileage shoe up to this point. As I continue to beat them up like any other shoe I have ever ran in, I continue to become more impressed with the shoe and how long they have lasted. As a road shoe that is designed for speed, it has withheld the abuse I have given it on the trails as well.

still holding shape

With 205.2 miles into the shoe, it is clearly broken in at this point. Even though the shoe still feels the same as when it came out of the box there is really only one notable difference with the shoe. The shoe is clearly "beat up" for them various routes I take the shoe out on. However, this beat up look has not affected the performance of the shoe. The shape of the shoe is still holding strong, along with the sole of the shoe still in tact. At this point, I did expect the shoe the start to widen up at the toe box area due to the fact that my wider feet have done that with other shoes in the past. Currently there is no sign of stretching of the shoe in that area.

soles still strong

GObionic Ride
With having tried multiple shoes by Skechers, the GObionic Ride is one that I am having the most trouble adjusting to when it comes to running comfort. The shoe performs perfectly fine and structurally is holding strong. However, there is is something a bit different when it comes to the sole of the shoe in comparison to the GOrun 2 and the GOrun Meb speed. The sole has a significantly harder feel to them as I start logging more mileage on the shoe.

a little dirty but nothing more

Though the GObionic Ride is a road shoe, it has become my temporary trail go to shoe. I have taken it on various trails around the Sacramento area, and this has proven to help me out since I am not an overly skilled trail runner, I still kick frequent rocks. However with the sturdy make of the shoe and the harder sole, it has saved my feet from various possible mishaps.

no sign of breaking down

I will still continue use this shoe on various road runs as well, though it has quickly dropped to third on my list of the three shoes that Skechers has provided me.

GOrun Meb speed

narrower than the GOrun 2 but just as comforable

Even with the lowest amount of mileage out of the three shoes I am reviewing, the GOrun Meb speed has quickly moved it's way up on my favorite shoe EVER list. Even with the more snug fit of the shoe compared to the other shoes, it still provides comfort in my wider feet. Granted I did do a slight modification of the lacing of the shoe to allow the toe box to open up, it is still comfortable for my running and racing up to this point. 

a lite weight shoe with Dupont sole feature

I quickly took the shoe out for it's first race this past weekend to see how the shoe felt after 10 miles, which was the longest run previously I had taken them out on. I quickly found out that the light weight shoe had a ton of benefits that a lot of other racing shoes had. Even before putting 60-70 miles on the shoe, the GOrun Meb speed already felt broken in and ready for race day. Most other shoes that I have ran in needed a break in phase. The shoe even with low mileage provided me comfort through my race as I finished the Parkway Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:27:23, good enough to finish 10th overall and 2nd in my age group. This is the second Skechers shoe that has lead me to a top 10 finish in the last few weeks. Back on April 21, I finished 7th in the 10-mile distance at the Capital City Classic wearing the GOrun 2.

The beauty of this shoe just like the other Skechers shoes above is you will quickly find out how the shoe fits and performs right out of the box. I have noticed that the shoes do not change over the course of time, for me this is a positive thing. Each of the shoes do not need to be broken in as much as other shoes, however they do keep shape and continue to stay comfortable over the course of time wearing them on the roads. Pictured below is a GOrun 2 that has 205.2 miles in them and another pair that I recently provided still in the box.

Wordless Wednesday