PB Human Gear Test Laboratory - Hoka One One Mafate

Hoka One One.

Now there's a controversial sentence in the world of running if ever I heard one. I like many first saw these and was not impressed. They look awful! But over time I have seen a few people sporting them at races and a friend of mine Leanne had bought a pair and reported that they were "extremely comfortable." This piqued my interest and so I started to read a few reviews here and there just to get the general feel for whether these are just a fad or whether there is something in the ultra cushioned, low heel drop, slightly wider than normal shoe approach.

After reading a few reviews and coming close a few times to pushing the button on a brand new Hoka purchase I finally got lucky on Ebay and managed to get a pair that had been worn only a couple of times in my size. I felt this much more sensible than blowing £120 on a pair, trying them once and then consigning them to my ever growing "Shoes I dont really like" collection. I managed to get this lovely pair for the princely sum of £48 and they came with velcro already sown on them should I decide I wish to use them for Marathon Des Sable 2015 - result!

So on to the review..

Heres a photo of the shoes, as you can see they are rather big! And also rather bright. I have a friend who I run with who is afraid of the colour yellow so I am looking forward to the next time we run together ;-)

The Hype -

As stated on The Endurance Store Website: "There are many shoes on the market designed to promote a 'natural/barefoot' running style, and often this goes hand in hand with a 'minimalist' construction, offering very little (if any) underfoot cushioning. Here is a shoe that promotes a natural running style that has been designed with a considerable amount of cushioning under the foot.This oversized approach ensures a natural stride whether on smooth road surfaces or the most uneven trails. The shoe is lightweight, with a good grip, and a wide platform designed for stability. The close lacing system further enhances stability and support and they offer outstanding impact absorption and a very comfortable underfoot feel. The sole features a rockering profile to provide a smooth, energy efficient stride, propelling you forward with each and every strike of the foot. In our view this is an extremely comfortable, lightweight shoe that in particular excels on the descents. The Mafate shoes would be ideally suited for almost any long distance event."

Initial Thoughts

My initial thoughts as stated are that whilst they look awful, I had read enough to want to give these a go. I put them on and they felt so cushioned as to be expected. I had a little run round the garden and even though they are tall compared to conventional trainers the extra width meant that they felt stable. One of the reasons I wanted to try these were due to a knee niggle that I have been carrying for the last few months; I figured that if the extra cushioning could protect me a little on longer runs this would be a great pay-off. I went out on a trail run to really put these through their paces, deciding to jump straight in and go for a 19 mile run on cliff paths, a few hills and technical sections.

In use

I’m a bit of a gear junkie (aren’t all us runners?) and once I buy something I am keen to use it straight away, hence why I jumped straight in at the deep end with quite a long run on new running shoes (potential schoolboy error??) . I was really pleased with how they felt though and having read previous reviews I definitely concurred with the overall feeling of how the cushioning really makes the ride on the trails very smooth. All of a sudden I was able to step straight on big rocks rather than run round them and not feel a thing compared to wearing a pair of Inov-8’s for example.

I definitely was really tuned in to how they felt and was enjoying the ride and the cushioned feeling. Another thing you will read in reviews is how the shoe, being wider is still stable despite the increased height. I found this to be true in most cases, however I did feel the potential to turn an ankle here and there, something which I tend not to experience in thinner soled shoes.

It was evident that the connection with the ground was lost a little but I guess this is the tradeoff with the comfort. Even though the shoe is a substantial size the shoe is so light which is quite deceptive.

After a while on the trail I noticed that my front left toe was rubbing against something in the toe box, like a seam of some description. I powered on and through the run the rubbing got quite bad. I just zipped up the man suit and got on with it but my poor toe took quite a battering!

I got to the end of the run and my legs definitely felt fresher than in some conventional trail shoes. I do generally over pronate and I felt that the Hokas didn’t really offer me much in the way of support and had maybe put some strain on aforementioned knee injury.

Conclusion

As previously disclose I didn’t like the look of these, but on a practical level after reading reviews I felt that they could be useful in some scenarios; particularly in training and longer races. I think the cushioned ride is awesome and I loved being able to stomp down a rocky path with no real thought to what was in my way. I did feel that there could be more support in the shoe, but I think that is down to my whack biomechanics and fallen arches so will be experimenting with an orthotic in the future to see whether this will help.

Although the day I went out wasn’t a particularly wet day I felt the grip was good with no real issues going up or down hill and I felt I could trust the soles.

I really feel that Hokas have a role to play in ones arsenal of trail shoes. For those that run ultras I think on a course where it is less technical these could really serve a purpose and help to preserve leg freshness for longer which is great news. I don’t see myself using these in the heart of winter on slippy slidy cliffpath routes, but envisage come Spring these will be getting a fair bit of use.

Raidlight Desert Pack 20+4 Review - First Impressions

Le Sac!

I took delivery of this little beauty just before christmas as mentioned in my last post, so I have been waiting for the festive period to return to normality so I could give it a little run out and see if all the shiny zips and abundance of pockets and other exciting bits and pieces really delivered what I was looking for in my pack for the MDS in a few months time.. It comes with the main ruck sack, front pack, 2 Raidlight bottles, and a "trail quiver"which is like a pouch that attaches diagonally over the sack.

A Bit About The Pack

So on to the technical info that the website gives.. To be fair there isnt alot of information about this pack and the details on the website are sketchy, so I bought this as a leap of faith really based on their great reputation for MDS kit..

The website states that with all the gear attached the weight is about 870g, frontpack being 100g and the sack on its own is 590g  and this is all I used this morning on my 15 mile trail run on the beautiful (if a little windy, muddy and wet!) cliff-paths of Jersey. Heres a bit more about whats included directly from the website:

Characteristics of Olmo Desert Pack 20+4

Straps Characteristics’

• 2 strap’s bottle holders
• 2 accessories holder ziped pockets on straps (gel, bar)
• Mesh pocket on bottle holders (gel, bar..)
• Comfortable chest strap

Front Pack Characteristics’

• Large ziped pocket on one side
• Mesh pocket on the other side
• Compression System
• Bottle Holder
• Map holder

Back Characteristics

• Large main compartment with mesh separate bladder’s compartment
• Inside ziped pocket for documents or small accessories
• Front mesh pocket with flap for easy acces
• Side mesh elastic pocket for easy access
• ziped pocket on the flap with key clip inside
• 2 large mesh elastic pockets on the back
• Compression system

Bottom Backpack Characteristic

• 4 plastic buckle  to fix sleeping bag with 2 straps

Made for a bladder used

• separate pocket for bladderwith bladder fixation
• 2 tube exit (right and left)
• NEW: Bladder compartment in the front pack. (in option)

Belt Caracteristic

• Removable Front Belt
• Belt included bib carrier and gel holder (can be used separatly)

Pole Holder / Flare Holder Caracteristics

      Trail Quiver included (can be used separatly)

• Pole holder or flare holder  ( possibility of access without removing the backpack)
• 
  

So lots of stuff going on on the pack and lots of storage and pockets. I am a bit of a Salomon Junkie as I think they just do running equipment so well, and in this pack Raidlight have really taken a leaf out of their book. This is the 3rd version of the Olmo just released in November so it appears they have put alot of thought into the details that people need on these types of races.

Initial Impressions

I was a bit concerned about it being white, as it ain't gonna stay clean with the trails here and the amount of falling over I seem to do! However I put it on this morning with about 2KG of weight in and put 2 bottles of water in the front bottle holders and was really pleasantly surprised at how stable it was, the bottles even when full stayed put and the pack felt nice on, lots of straps to adjust it to how I liked it and off we went!

Side View

Front View With Salomon Bottles

Rear View

Over the 15 miles the legs didn't feel so good, but the sack felt great to be honest, I didn't feel the sack got in the way and I didn't have to adjust it once I had found the sweet spot..
One thing I was a little concerned about was how waterproof the main compartment would be; However we got caught in a torrential hail storm for about 3 or 4 miles and the contents of the main compartment were relatively dry, which is encouraging, this bodes well for having gear in the bag and lugging it through sweaty days in the desert and it being dry ish at the end.. I did however have my Iphone stowed in one of the front pouches in aforementioned hail storm and this did not come out bone dry.. It is now drying out (fingers crossed its ok!)

Conclusion

I am pleased with the leap of faith I took, I know some people would say Raidlight can be flimsy and I can see this could be an issue with the pack, however weight is low on this and the pouches and pockets are great. I did try the front pack and it secure by 3 different points on each side and feels really stable, I haven't run with it yet but I think it will be fine..

The pack some might say is quite expensive, but to be fair with alot of the rucksacks you might consider for the MDS there are alot of add ons. Once you have purchased a front pack, bottle holders and bottles the price would be comparable I think. The Trail quiver is a nice touch for those who may use poles, I dont think I will use this myself however.. It is also mentioned that you are able to affix the sleeping bag to the bottom of the rucksack, I am struggling to see where, but I can be a bit dim sometimes so will keep persevering with that one..

I am also a little concerned by the size and how I will get a weeks worth of equipment and food in it.. I know that I will have to pack ruthlessly anyway, but now you actually see what 20 Litres looks like... Yikes!! But alot of people use the 20L and so I am sure I will be able to get beyond this..

As an aside I got a Raidlight Buff free with it, and also a really handy book on Multi Day stage racing which is written by two guys who have done the MDS and a few others and they provide some really useful tips and walk you through what to expect when taking on the MDS.

I would say if you haven't got your rucksack for the MDS yet it might be worth checking this out, I would like to say at this point that I purchased the rucksack myself and am in no way affiliated to Raidlight and my opinions are based purely on the testing I have done.

Jurassic Coast Challenge 2012

Well..

What a race! 3 months of intense hill training, long runs and early nights culminated last weekend in me lining up at the start of the Jurassic coast challenge in Dorset. Billed as "The Mother of all hilly runs" it certainly lived up that rep. Within the first 3 miles of the first day we had climbed the highest peak in Dorset, and it didnt let up over the next 3 days..
I went out well on day one, and got a 4 hour 40 finish for my efforts.. I was surprised to see I had finished in 15th place which immediately put a bit of weight on my shoulders for the next day...
I found that the next day I hadnt replaced the calories burnt from the previous days efforts which meant I had little in the tank when the going got tough in the latter stages, the first 20 miles being a nice jaunt around the island of Portland, then some road running through Weymouth and then boom! 3 devastating hills at the end over Durdle Door and finishing at Lulworth Cove. The picture below sums up how I was feeling about the hills!

I managed to get a 5 hour 37 finish at the end of this day and came in 39th place overall. 

Day 3 was all about "getting through it" this was by far the hardest day with some brutal climbs and equally brutal descents which played havoc with my poor quads! I got to half way and started to flag really badly, I wandered like a lost soul for a few miles until I bumped into a generous lady who gave me some mega amazing Ibuprofen which cure all my ills! It was then onto the last checkpoint and the last climb of the day:

After this we thought it was going to be plain sailing however the organisers had a nice little surprise for us.. There was a nice stretch of beach for us to negotiate before the finish and it involved negotiating a nudist colony and just being able to see the finish in the distance. I made it to the finish line in 7 hours and clocked a distance of 28.3 miles for the day. Overall the total distance run over the 3 days was 82 miles and we climbed approx 10,000 ft of elevation gain according to my Garmin. I hated and loved this race in equal measure... It was well organised by VOTWO and everything went smoothly.

Lots of lesson learnt for a multi day stage race: More strength conditioning needed, more comfortable trail shoes for longer distance needed, better equipment needed! and more endurance runs to be able to sustain the multi day effort.. I came in 31st place overall which I was so pleased with in the end, although it did become about just enjoying it on the last day. I met some great people, some inspirational people and hopefully made some good friends from the race..

One weeks rest now and then straight back into training for the St Malo marathon on May 13th! :)

Post Ultra Recovery

Its now just over a week after my first ultra event. Recovery was quick, my legs were back to normal within 2 days, which was alot quicker than my first marathon. I couldnt walk down any stairs for a week after that!
I am now contemplating my next moves as to races for next year (2012). I am planning to run the Jersey marathon in October, and I have entered the Dorset trail marathon in December to keep things ticking along. I plan to do the Jurassic coast challenge (http://www.votwo.co.uk/_webapp_1205242/Jurassic_Coast_Challenge_2012)
in March which is a 3 day event with 26 miles on each day. I figure this will be a good introduction to multi day racing as well as a good challenge. I am thinking about then doing the Cardiff Ultra (50 miles in May) as well as hoping to get a ballot place in the London marathon in April. I was trying to negotiate a place in a race called the Dragon's Back, which is a great 6 days race from North Wales to South Wales through the mountains. Places are limited however and they felt I didnt have the necessary experience to take part. So its back to the drawing board for my mid summer race..
By the middle of next summer i hope to be significantly fitter, and stronger than I am now. I am moving in the right direction and achieving the goals I am setting, which is a great feeling.
I plan to commence marathon training from tomorrow. I have worked out my programme for Octobers marathon here, and I have set myself the goal of a 3 and half hour time. I plan to do hill reps as well as to continue trail running as I feel this complements my road running. It will be good to be running again after a week of inactivity, I feel ready to go and hope for a good few weeks of productive sessions.
I will also be making my transition to a more minimalist training shoe during this phase of my training; I recently purchased a pair of Saucony Kinvara running shoes so am looking forward to adjusting to using them. I have read good things about them promoting more of a mid foot strike and hope it will assist my persistent calf issues. Having done more trail running and using the Inov8 Roclite 295 has definitely helped, so I am looking to these to do the job on the road.
Heres a picture of me during the last Ultra, doing a great job of looking like I was loving it! (I really did!)

Ebay Bargains

So one of my character "traits" is that I cannot resist a bargain. I am an Ebay addict and consequently cannot resist buying things that "I need" on a regular basis from there. The other day I saw a pair of Inov8 Roclite 295's on there, there was 20 mins left on them, they were brand new never worn and I thought I would bid on them. I was lucky enough to get them for £35 including p&p which for a pair of trail running shoes worth £85 is a good deal in my opinion.
I wore them last Friday on my usual Friday night trail run with my colleague Spencer and found them to be really nice to run in. Compared to the Roclite 315's they were lighter, better fitting and seemed even grippier. We set a fair pace, covering 6 miles on undulating paths and tracks ranging from little ups and downs to steep gradient hills. I recommend getting a pair of these trainers as I found in road shoes running downhill on the tracks to be a risky affair with the likelihood of slipping or turning your ankle quite high. Whilst wearing the 295's I had the confidence to run freely down the tracks knowing that my feet would find grip and that they would support me.
I have noticed that trail running as a whole has really affected my running in a positive way, I am stronger, able to accelerate quicker up hills and have built up more stamina. I ran 10km's on the flat last Wednesday and felt considerably faster. I heartily recommend trail running for all the above reasons as well as the fact that it is fun..
Round the Rock training is going well, I have managed to recce alot of the route so far, I am out on Weds night to cover another 8 miles of it. The whole course is split into 13 miles of road section to start, 25 miles of cliffpaths and some more flat to finish off.. It is going to be a challenge, and whilst I am looking forward to pushing my limits once more, I wonder if I have done sufficient training to really give this a good go and to complete it within the 12 hour cutoff? I guess the next few weeks are critical and as long as I can get some good long run/walks in I will be fine..

Round The Rock Jersey Ultra Marathon

I have finally bitten the bullet and entered my first Ultra Marathon event.. I was umming and aahing about it for a few weeks because I didn't genuinely believe I would be ready for it. It is on Aug 6th and is 48 miles around this beautiful island of Jersey. It is demanding terrain, covering mostly cliffpaths. Yesterday I did a training run with some of the guys taking part, and we ran from Greve De Lecq to St Aubins which totalled just under 17 miles.. Was hard going but it was actually enjoyable, the scenery was amazing, dramatic cliff drops, beautiful green/blue sea, challenging trails and the general free feeling of being out in nature. So I kind of got coerced into entering, and so I capitulated and did it last night.

Yesterdays run was a testament that the ultra will not be easy.. I had vague ideas of running a bit walking a bit but no real concept of how hard it actually will be.. We did the 17 miles in 3 hours and I probably could have carried on had I had extra food and electrolyte etc etc, but the legs were definitely starting to hurt by then. I was pleased with the pace though, on certain stretches even towards the end we were averaging 8-8:30 min miles, which for me is great.. I now know that I have alot more training between now and then just to be psychologically ready to do it.. I have planned my long runs to take in the hardest sections of the route so that I can really prepare as well as I can.

Wish me luck over the coming weeks! :)

As an aside to this, I used SIS Rego Electrolyte on the run yesterday for the first time. I have really struggled using gels in the past and am intending to use the runs in the future to find the best way for me to refuel. I found the lime tasting electrolyte/energy drink to taste nice, and definitely gave me the energy I needed. I also discovered the Power Bar Shots, which somebody had with them. I needed a kick at the end and I took 2 of these, I will definitely be including these in my run kit next time. They taste of cola and also contain caffeine.

The website for round the rock is www.roundtherock.co.uk

Round The Rock Ultra Marathon Training

So I’ve got about 1 and 3/4 years til the MDS so right now I am in the process of identifying suitable events to compete in over that period of time to prepare for the MDS. On August 6th I hope to take part in the Round The Rock Ultra Marathon here in Jersey (website www.roundtherock.co.uk) I am just getting into the zone with my training, having done the London Marathon in April then resting for 3 weeks after that, and then taking part in the Jersey half marathon in May, my focus is now on intensive cliff path running to prepare for the ultra marathon around the island, taking in various off-road terrain, sweeping cliff paths, golden sands and long flat sections.. This is my first foray into the Ultra world and a considerable step up from marathon distance. I have decided to employ a walk run strategy for this particular race. There is a 12 hour cut-off so haste is required, however I am pretty confident in finishing within that time if all goes ok..

Last Sunday I took part in a 5km Race, which is the first in a series of trail races here in Jersey. The weather was atrocious but still there was a good turn out of 60 or so people.. The course was hard with lots of uphill, but was very enjoyable, and I came in a credible 14th, which I was pleased with. I then did an 8 mile cliff path run, with lots of lactic acid in my legs and in driving rain and wind. It was a hard day but I am pleased that i got through the 8 miler, a definite confidence booster..

Next up is a 17 mile training run on Sunday, again taking in cliff-paths and flat. This will be a true test and if I complete this satisfactorily I will know I am in good shape for August. This is Jersey’s first ultra marathon so will be a great event to be part of.