Asics Gel-Hyperspeed 6 Review

Long ago when I began my jump into minimal shoes, one of the those was the Asics Gel-Hyperspeed 5.  It was a pretty awesome shoe with a 6mm drop, responsive cushioning and weighing around 7 ounces.  It was great but the drainage holes in the forefoot drove me crazy as they would pick up almost every small rock I came upon.  I put them through their paces and then moved on to the original Kinvara which I stayed in for a long time.  I didn't give much thought to the hyperspeed other than hearing that it was being discountinued a few years ago.  I was more a fan of the Asics Piranha, so it didn't bother me too much.
    Not long ago photos began emerging of Ryan Hall in a new shoe.  Talk of the Asics Gel-Hyperspeed 6 began to show up and then boom.  There it was.  The successor to the very popular Asics Gel-Hyperspeed 5.  And that is the shoe that's on deck today for a review.

    Without further ado, let's talk about Asics's premier racing flat: the Gel-Hyperspeed 6.

Sole:  The biggest thing you will notice with the sole is how soft it feels.  The Hyperspeed 6 definitely does NOT have a firm ride.  It's fairly soft and cushioned for a racing flat while being a little closer to the ground than a lightweight trainer.  Maybe you'll thing it's firm if you're coming from the Asics Nimbus or a Hoka shoe, but I am not.
    The other major change I noticed is that the sole is much narrower than the Hyperspeed 5.  While the 5 felt like a stable (not supportive.  No medial posting at all) and well balanced shoe, the Hyperspeed 6 feels narrow underfoot and unstable.  Granted I am a bit of a pronator, but I spend a great deal of time in shoes like the Altra Instinct, Mizuno Wave Universe 4, Kinvara 5 (as of yesterday) and more and those shoes feel much more stable underfoot due to slightly wider bases.  It's also probably due to the huge cut out in the medial arch, which just like my experience with the Nike Zoom Streak XC/LT series makes the shoe even more unstable combined with a narrow last.  The upper isn't too narrow (more on that in a bit), but the sole certainly feels like that.
    Asics has also taken away those extremely irritating holes in the Hyperspeed 5 for a full ground contact outsole in the Hyperspeed 6.  There is one drain hole in the midfoot, but I haven't had any rocks get stuck in it like the last version.  I guess that holes in the Hyperspeed 5 wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't gotten so many rocks stuck in them.  That's what made it frusterating and was the only thing I didn't like about it.  The Hyperspeed 6 takes care of that issue with a full ground contact forefoot along with deeper flex grooves that also make the shoe very flexible.
    Typical of Asics's shoes, the midfoot is slightly cut out, separating the forefoot and heel.  Luckily because this was done so minimally the Hyerspeed 6 practically has a full ground contact outsole and I do not feel that separation that I normally hate in shoes.  Mostly because it's really not there.  The only bit that is there is from the separation between the forefoot and heel high abrasion rubber areas.  Which are fairly durable (see durability).

Upper/Fit:  I have to put this out there.  I hate the insoles.  They just plain suck.  Sorry Asics, but I had to say it.  After putting about 10 miles in the shoe during my first test run (2 mile warm up, 6 mile tempo, 2 mile cooldown), the insole started slipping around when I put the shoe on, took the shoe off and when I didn't have the shoe absolutely locked on to my foot.  I dealt with this issue and it hasn't bothered me too much during the run (it has a bit and contributes a bit to the unstable feel), but I am now going to try running without the insoles.  They are pissing me off that much.  The plus is that the inside of the shoe only has a few major stitch points that with a pair of socks shouldn't be too much of an issue, but I'll have to try this out and report back.  I've put about 75 miles in this pair and I think the shoe is broken in enough for me to try insole free running.  Although this will require socks.
    The upper has decent room for a racing flat but initially is a bit narrow in the forefoot.  The upper is fairly stiff and initially does not flex well with the foot.  My pinky toe felt especially pinched by that last and furtherest forward stripe of the Asics logo.  Eventually it broke in after about 20 miles, but keep in mind at first it may feel narrow.  And not just racing flat narrow.  Racing flats should have a narrow form fitting grip on your foot that keeps you locked down but not pinched.  I would never call myself locked in with this shoe because of a little more spacious heel and no extra last eyelet (for laces) to use a runner's loop lacing technique to lock in my heel.  I had to really tie the laces tight to keep my heel from slipping out of the shoe.  That combined with a bit of a stiff upper intially made me want to hate this shoe.  I gave it a try over using by skipping the first few eyeltes which gave me a bit more wiggle room and then I tried running without socks.  That also helped.... kinda.
   You can run sockless in this shoe if you get used to it.  I had some chaffing on the top of my foot and the sides felt a bit rough because I don't think the upper was designed with sockless running in mind.  However with few seams it turned out ok and my feet eventually got used to them.  Now that I'm throwing the insole out I'll go back to socks.  After testing them out walking around my apartment without the insoles and with socks (while writing this review) they seem to be ok.  Again, I'll report back later.

Responsiveness:  This is not the most responsive racing flat out there.  I'd actually call it one of the least responsive of all the ones I've worn.  What this shoe does have is a lot of cushioning for being so light as I mentioned earlier.  For that reason I would use this shoe for the half to full marathon distance or tempo runs/long runs.  It does not have the get up and go required for 5k/10k racing like the Mizuno Wave Universe 4 or 5, the Asics Blazingfast, the Asics Piranha, the Saucony Type A5 (have not tried the A6 yet), the Brooks T7 racer (very versatile) or the Asics Hagio (just listing the ones I've run in or tried).  However, what this shoe has over all of those shoes listed (except the T7 racer) is that the cushioining is more than sufficient for long runs or the marathon.  There is quite a bit there.  There's almost no pop that I usually get from racing flats, but they will protect your feet.
   However, I do love this shoe for longer tempo runs.  It's one of my favorites because of the cushioning.  Since I live in an area where I can't take two pairs of shoes with me and leave one behind while I do a workout without fear of having them stolen (I currently live in Pomona, CA), this shoe provides some cush for the warm up and cooldown.

Heel-Toe Drop/Ramp:  The heel drop is listed at 6mm but feels more like 4-5mm (not that 1-2mm makes a difference).  There's a little protection there but not too much.

Durability:  What's amazing to me is that this shoe actually has decent durability for a racing flat.  After over 60 miles in the Hyperspeed 6, there is almost no wear on the heel.  In fact, most wear is in the forefoot but is actually not that bad.  It's a bit chewed up but I can see myself easily getting at least 150 miles out of this racing flat if not more.  Generally for a 5 ounce shoe I expect more like 100, but it seems to be holding up well.  There are absolutely no fraying, ripping or major wear of the upper.  Other than being a little dirty the Asics Hyperspeed 6 is holding up very well for a racing flat.  I'm really impressed with this aspect of the shoe.  That combined with the fact this shoe is only $85 dollars really makes the Hyperspeed 6 a really good deal.

Weight:  At 5.6 ounces, this shoe is pretty dang light for how much cushioning it has.  I'd expect it to be at least in the 6-7 ounce range, but Asics really stepped up their game.  This weight reduction also might be due to how much Asics narrowed the sole, which does again make the shoe feel a bit unstable.  It does not feel clunky in any way shape or form.

Thoughts as a SPT (Student Physical Therapist):  Other than the non-anatomical toe-box, I would say the narrow sole could be a problem (and this is just me being nitpicking), but it really depends on the person.  Again the narrow sole lends itself to an unstable ride, however someone with a rigid high arch is not going to have any issues with a shoe like this.  Others like myself may.  I tend to prefer shoes with a wider base, but that's more personal preference based on my own mechanics.  Everyone will respond differently.

Final Thoughts:  So overall the Hyperspeed 6 will do very well for you if you want a well priced, very lightweight shoe that has enough cushioining to handle the half or full marathon distance and will last you a long time.  For those people who like training in mininalist shoes this might be a good option if you want more cushioining but don't want to sacrifice weight.  It was an interesting experience to try this shoe out and I will continue to use it for tempo runs and shorter recovery runs where I want a lightweight shoe.  The Hyperspeed 6 would not be my first choice for a 5k or 10k, but definitely for a half marathon.  The upper has ended up fitting ok, but I would still like to see an additional eyelet in the shoe to lock in my foot a bit better in the next generation.
   I have very much enjoyed breaking in this shoe and using it on longer tempo runs.  It has certainly saved me legs while remaining lightweight and at the same time was well worth the money for how durable it is.  I'm very curious to see where Asics goes with the Hyperspeed 7, because with a few tweaks this could be an absolutely amazing shoe.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to Tack On!

These shoes were a personal purchase and I put at least 100 miles on every pair of shoes before I review them (except racing flats which I put in at least 75 miles).

As always, my views are my own.  

-Matt Klein, SPT

*Images obtained from the Asics America website.  Go down to your local running specialty retailer to check them out!

Altra Instinct 2.0 Review

   Today we have the second full version of a shoe that introduced me to zero drop running.  Back 3ish years ago, I jumped from the original Kinvara into the original Altra Instinct at the end of my sophomore year of college.  The following summer was filled with 90-105 mile weeks on lots of hills which eventually lead to my best track season (junior year).  Despite the ride being a bit firm, I was in love with that shoe.  I went through more pairs and ran in it for longer than any other (the original kinvara is the only shoe that comes close).  Then I developed some achilles issues because I wasn't addressing restricted range of motion (ROM) in my ankles and had to move away (retrospectively I just needed to hammer eccentric heel drops, assess whether the restriction was coming from my gastrocnemius or my soleus muscles and stretch).  I was finally fully turned off when I tried the Altra Instinct 1.5 which I did not like.  The upper felt totally different (and not in a good way) and had horrible durability.  I then fully moved on.  Now Altra has released the complete 2nd version of the Altra Instinct and I have to say that I REALLY like this shoe.  It reminds me so much of my love of the original.  Without further ado, we have the Altra Instinct 2.0 on deck for today.

Sole:  The Altra Instinct 1 and 1.5 had a fairly firm (if not harsh at times) midsole.  The new 2.0 midsole is much softer and responsive (not cushy).  The ride is definitely more forgiving than before, but it's not a "my foot is sinking into the shoe" type of feel.  It strikes a nice balance betweeen the cushy and responsive spectrum.
    The plateform is also much broader plateform than before.  Where the arch used to be cut it, the new Instinct 2.0 arch area has been filled in.  I like that because it creates a very straight last and lends the shoe to be a bit more stable but not supportive.  I wouldn't say the new Instinct has arch support or a high arch (like the 1.5 seemed to), but it is more balanced than the previous versions.

Upper/Fit:  The upper is quite different than before (as is the whole shoe).  There's a bit more there, which I would almost describe as a bit heavy.  Which I guess is a trade off for durability, because after +100 miles I have had absolutely no issues with the upper so far.  Something I do really like is what appears to be an Altra version of Nike Flywire attaching to the laces.  While there is the typial awesome Altra wide toebox, the heel again is a bit too wide.  The padding around the heel collar attempts to make up for that but it's still a bit too wide.  Once you cinch down the laces though, that Altra Flywire really locks in the foot and keeps you very secured to the plateform while allowing your toes to be free.  I still use a lace lock technique to prevent heel slippage, but I really like that new Altra addition to the midfoot.
   One area I was very worried about was the heel counter.  It looked very thick and solid, which I really don't like in shoes.  My calcaneus (heel bone) tends to be very sensitive to that and it can be a major shoe  turn off  in my opinion.  Once I got the Altra Instinct 2.0 on my feet, I discovered the heel counter is actually fairely flexible.  Combine with the thick ankle collar cushioning and I have not felt a thing.  My calcanei are very happy.
   

Responsiveness:  The cushioning is fairely responsive for being a amoderately thick shoe.  The fit does not lend itself to this shoe being the fastest out there (if you don't have the laces cinched down, you may have some movement in the shoe at higher paces.  Go for the Altra One2 if you want fast), but it can handle it's own if you push it.  I have done a few hill workouts and a large number of strides in the shoe and it has performed fine.  Remember that this is a training shoe, not a racing shoe.

Heel-Toe Drop/Ramp:  Being an Altra shoe, it's zero drop.  It doesn't feel as harsh on my legs as the Instinct 1.0 and 1.5 did due to the cushioining and padded heel collar.  It's not a hard zero drop, it's a softer zero drop (if that makes any sense).

Durability:  Normal sole wear as expected.  Again I haven't seen any issues with the upper.  Nothing spectacular or horrible here.  I can see this being a normal 300-500 mile shoe (your mileage may vary).

Weight:  A little heavier than the Instinct 1.0 and 1.5 at around 10 ounces but feels a little lighter due to the soft and responsive feel (compared to the first two versions).  Again though, the Altra Instinct line is meant to be trainers, not racing flats.  I think that's pretty clear when you put them on.

Thoughts as a SPT (Student Physical Therapist):  I like the wide toe box not cramping toes.  Narrow toe boxes can easily kill a shoe within a few seconds for me.  Having been on my first clinical rotation as a physical therapy student and seen SOOO many hallux valgus (bunion) issues/surgeries, neuroma issues/surgies, and many damaged feet from narrow shoes (in both men and women), having a wide anatomical toe-box is very important to me in training shoes.  Protect your toes!

Final Thoughts:  Altra has really made some significant progress on their shoes.  I am extremely impressed after being away from their main line for so long.  I had a love affair with the original Instinct and am glad that the shoe has improved so much.  Some people will be butt-hurt that Altra has added cushioning to the shoe, but I believe that it has not only made the shoe less harsh but also more protective and responsive.  I am excited to see where Altra goes from here and am chomping at the bit to try the Altra One2.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to Tack On!

These shoes were a personal purchase and I put at least 100 miles on every pair of shoes before I review them (except racing flats which I put at least 50 miles on before I review them).

As always, my views are my own.  

-Matt Klein, SPT

*Images obtained from the Altra Running website.  Go down to your local running specialty retailer to check them out!

Altra Repetition Review

   Apparently Saturday is now Shoe Review Day.  Today we have the Altra Repetition on deck.

    The Altra Repetition is a maximalist zero drop high support shoe with a wide toe box.  Those four attributes make it a very unique shoe.  In fact it is the only one on the market right now.  The Repetition is 11.4 ounces, has a 0mm heel-toe drop and has a high stack height of 26-30mm from the lateral to medial side.  The different stack heights has to do with how Altra has been doing support.  From the heel to the forefoot, there is a 4-5mm wedge that is thickest on the medial side of the shoe in the midsole.  The midsole and outsole both have a technology called StabiliPod, which provides stability in the heel, midfoot and forefoot.  This is also one of the only shoes that has stability in the forefoot.  For that reason it may be a fantastic shoe for people with a forefoot varus deformity or a lack of peroneus longus strength or length (it's also known as the fibularis longus and is responsible for assisting with arch strength, depressing the first ray of the foot and maintaining the arch). 

Fit:   The fit is classic Altra.  The toebox is wide and awesome.  The heel is a bit loose.  Even when I cinch down the laces.  The amazing fit from the midfoot to the forefoot makes up for the heel, especially when you use a runners loop lacing technique (also called "Lace Locking").  Basically if you have wide feet, you'll feel right at home in this shoe.  If you have average width feet, you'll have plenty of room in the toebox and will need to cinch the heel down.  If you have narrow feet, you'll probably be swimming in the shoe unless you wear REALLY thick socks. 

Sole:  Oh the sole.  It's thick.  Thick and supportive.  With a 26-30mm stack height there is a ton of protection for your feet.  Combine that with the StabilPod midsole and outsole and you have a wide and supportive platform.  The sole provides stability to wherever you need it on the medial side because it travels the entire length of the shoe.  Almost all running shoes have support only in the medial heel or midfoot.  Newton is probably the only company that provided support in the form of a dual density midsole in the forefoot in their previous models, but the current line-up does not appear to have that.  This amount of support is great for those who need a high stability shoe but want to get into the low to zero drop game.  In addition, the thick stack height provides a great deal of protection for long miles, which is what this shoe is made for and excels with.

Upper:  The upper is fairly thick, but due to the high volume of the shoe is never obtrusive.  I did not have any issues with the front of the upper buckling and pressing on my foot like I do with many other shoes (The Mizuno Wave Cursoris and Levitas are big offenders of this).  In fact, Altra does an awesome job on their uppers in my experience.  The inside is very soft and comfortable. I have worn the Altra Repetition sockless many times and never had an issue.  The materials they use are top notch and I never had an chafing issues with or without socks.  The only issue I had with not wearing socks was that my foot had a little too much room due to the high volume of the upper.  But even with my foot moving around a bit at times when I forgot to cinch down the laces while sockless I never had any chafing issues.  So the upper is thick, high volume but comfortable. 

Heel-Toe Drop/Ramp:  It's Altra, therefore it's a zerodrop shoe.  I notice I wasn't as sore training in this shoe than other zero drop models, probably due to the rounded heel and toe spring.  The rounded heel I am a big fan of as it seems to take the edge off hard landings for heel strikers or when you get tired. 

Durability:  My current pair has a little over 500 miles on them.  The outsole is a bit torn up, but more so what I would expect of a shoe at 200ish miles.  Some of it has worn off, but thanks to the thick midsole I can't really feel it.  The upper is what I was really worried about due to what appeared to be threads and seams coming loose on the lateral sides of the mid/forefoot area at around 150 miles.  At 500 miles they have not come any more loose, so it's clearly more of an aesthetic issue than anything else.  Due to the maximalist design, you could probably get well over 500 miles on a pair of Altra Repetitions, but since every person is different, your mileage on this shoe will differ. 

Weight/Responsiveness: So at 11.4 ounces and being a maximalist shoe (ie there is a huge hunk of stuff under your foot), this shoe can be a bit sluggish.  It's obviously not supposed to be a light and nimble shoe, but it is a bit heavy when you start your runs.  Especially when you're tired.  The trade off is that it's extremely protective, supportive and is great for either extremely long runs or recovery runs. 
    That being said, I have done many fartlek workouts in these shoes.  They are not soft cushy shoes.  They are protective.  Which lends themselves to being responsive but solid shoes. I wouldn't use them for tempo efforts or speed work, but medium effort workouts and long runs are great.  I really do not like soft pillow shoes.  Despite their thick cushioning, I never felt like my feet were sinking into this shoe.  And I like that.  I don't like running on pillows.  Pillows don't make good shoes. 

Thoughts as a SPT (Student Physical Therapist): I like this shoe.  Why?  Because it provides support wherever you need it.  Not just putting everyone into a box and expecting them to have hypermobile or unstable subtalar or transverse tarsal joints (ie heel and midfoot).  There are those that will have either a forefoot deformity or a weak peroneus longus/fibularis longus muscle and can't depress the first ray of their foot to touch the ground, maintain their arch and assist with the shock absorption qualities that the arch is supposed to have (optimally).  This shoe really helped me out with a peroneus longus injury that I was able to train through while rehabbing myself.
    Plus, combine that support with a zero drop design and you have an EXTREMELY stable shoe.  This shoe feels more stable to me than the Brooks Adrenaline.  The interesting part is that the support in this shoe does not feel controlling like many traditional support shoes do.  When I needed that support it was there.  When I didn't, it wasn't intrusive.  That is really important because some days you are really tired and others your feet and legs are great and you don't want to have your feet forced to do anything.  I like non-obtrusive, on-demand support.  Altra has done a great job with this shoe.  They just need to lighten it up a bit.  11.4 ounces is pretty heavy. 

Final Thoughts:  This is a fantastic shoe that other than weight and the slightly loose heel, I don't know what I would change.  It has served me well through it's lifetime and is an extremely unique shoe that no one else has been able to match.  I really like the full length support through the shoe, especially in the forefoot.  Combine that fact with being a protective, zero, drop and wide-toe boxed shoe and you have an awesome product (that is a bit heavy).  This shoe shines on long runs both on the road and trail and would be a fantastic ultramarathon shoe.  Also because it is extremely comfortable and unobtrusive. 
   I am very excited to see where Altra takes this shoe and how it develops.  If you need a shoe that has moderate to high support but also want a wide toe box and a zero drop platform, look no further.  I cannot recommend this shoe enough.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to Tack On!

These shoes were a personal purchase and as always, my views are my own.  

-Matt Klein, SPT

*Images obtained from the Altra Running website and Running Warehouse.  Again, go down to your local running specialty retailer to check them out!

Training Update 4/5/14: Return From Injury, Racing Plans (Maybe an Ultra?) and More

So good news and bad news.

   The good news is my foot has healed and I've been able to jump right back into running.  The foot thing was probably a Peroneus Longus tendon irritation due to a lack of strength of the PL and the Posterior Tibialis muscle (leading to very weak arches).  I plan to continue my rehab program for those muscles just as a precaution and I'll stick to training in shoes with some amount of support.  I've been running all my recovery miles in the Altra Repetition which has been a great shoe so far.  The zero drop with a wide toe box, cushion and support have been really nice, but we'll see how long my Achilles tendon lasts.  I guess I need to keep hammering those eccentric heel drops.

    The bad news is that this blog is going to be very quite for a while.  School is beating the crap out of me and is taking almost all of my time.  I have to study constantly and my only real break is when I wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get 10-12 miles out on a bunch of trails I just discovered near my location in Pomona, CA.  Or a workout.  So yeah.  I'll do my best to update how I'm doing and what my thoughts are, but know that school and running comes first before the blog.  Someday I'll have more time to really keep this thing up.

   As for a return to racing, I decided to get out for a little bit during the last weekend of my spring break and race at the Anaheim Angels 5k.  Which I won in 15:31.  It was a great race.  I went through the first mile in 4:48, then slowed down a bunch because the police bike left me right before mile 2.  Really it was more that I haven't been doing 5k specific workouts... mostly because I've been injured.  My foot held up well and was only a little sore after the race.

    This last week I managed to get 87 miles in on singles only.  My one hard workout was a 6 mile tempo run averaging 5:22 pace.  I found a great flat two mile loop that I'll be using for tempo runs from 4-10 miles.  Those tempos will be a staple of my workouts the next month as I prepare for my next set of races.  I thought I might want to do some half marathons... but maybe I'll just bypass those and go right to trail ultra races.  Other than that I've been doing those 10-12 mile runs on trails that have very steep elevation gains every morning.  So low key hill workouts.

   I got excited last weekend after the Angels 5k and wanted to race again.  So I signed up for the Derby Day 5k in Santa Anita.  Which was stupid.  I really shouldn't be racing every week.  Oh well.  I placed 6th in 15:52 and felt like crap.  I did not taper at all for this race as I ran 9 miles averaging 6:10 pace the day before.  After the race I cooled down for a few minutes, then launched right into a 30 minute farltek.  It started a bit slow as I was stiff from the race, but after 5 minutes got myself down into the 4:45 to 5:00 minute per mile pace.  After the fartlek I kept going until my mileage totaled to 17 miles.  Because... #tackon.  That's why.  So a nice tempo/fartlek/long run combination.

    I really can't be surprised by the Derby Day 5k result.  I haven't done any 5K specific work since the injury (although it's only been two weeks) and have been focusing on longer workouts and runs.  So I guess that is to be expected.  Combine that with the rigors of DPT school and a lack of sleep.  It all makes sense.

    For the time being with school taking so much of my time I'm going to focus on consistency over the next few months.  I think I'll look into getting some 10k races in, so I'll be sure to get some longer tempo runs in.  I'll also make sure I get some speed stuff in like my favorite 10x400 with one minute rest workout.  Hopefully that speed stuff will help get my 5k wheels back.  Most of my training will just consist of those 10-12 mile trail runs in the early morning before class (in addition to a 18-20 mile long run on Sunday).  Hopefully the hills will build a great deal of strength.

    I know nothing comes quickly, so I have to keep reminding myself that the most effective way to become a better athlete is to be patient and work on long term development.  I know I was complaining about not being selected for various sponsorship programs, but the truth is that I am not even close to those levels.  I'm going to back off on racing, focus on school and workouts and just do my best.

    So for the future?  I'll probably move up to doing more 10ks and maybe ultramarathons.  Why?  Because I like long slow distance, but want to keep my speed up.  I've always wanted to dabble in ultras, so maybe I'll jump into a random 50k and see how I do.

    Those are my plans.  We'll see how they work out.

Thanks for reading!

As always, my opinions are my own!

Tack On!

Matthew Klein, SPT

-On a side note, I'm also really working on my flexibility and strength right now.  Mostly through eccentric range of motion exercises.  I'm been seeing a few articles pop up in the Physical Therapy world about eccentric exercises through the full range of motion doing as well as static stretching for increasing flexibility.  Plus they build a ton of strength.  Why am I focusing on that?  Because my hamstrings are insanely tight, I am lacking in the hip extension department and my form looks like crap because I've been neglecting my flexibility work.  The article can be found here.  Interesting stuff.  I'm curious to see how this affects my running.

Elliptigo Review: Running Without Impact

Good lord I can't believe I actually made it to Spring Break.

    The last two weeks have been very quiet blog-wise due to multiple reasons.  I just survived two weeks of hell, ie DPT school midterms.  It has been a whirlwind of caffeine, no sleep and stress.  I am now laughing at my past self who just 6 months ago thought the first semester was hard.  In addition to that, I injured my foot about a week ago during a uptempo run in the Skechers GoRun Ride 3.  My hypothesis is that I jumped into a very neutral shoe with a higher heel-toe drop than I was used to (the GRR 3 has a 8-9mm drop whereas the Purecadence 1 that I was previously training in had a 4-5mm drop with support) may have exacerbated the amount of pronation I was experiencing.  My assistant professor and I took a look at my foot and after some manual muscle testing, gait analysis and a tuning fork test (testing for stress fractures.  Thankfully it was negative) we began to realize just how bad my pronation issue is and one of the connections of my Posterior Tibialis was seriously pissed off.  The Post Tib functions in plantarflexion and inversion of the foot.  It also plays a huge part in maintaining the arch as well as eccentrically and concentrically controlling the subtalar joint motion during foot strike going through the contact phase, stance phases with pronation, supination and terminal stance phases.  I have always been a huge pronator, but have been a bad DPT student and not addressed the issue/ignored it.  I'm wondering if some of my Achilles issues stemmed from this.... because I've mostly trained in neutral shoes for a long time.  Particularly during my super-minimalist phase.

    Not that pronation is the end all diagnosis.  I'll say this over and over again: when it comes to the mechanics of gait in walking or running, the whole kinetic chain is involved.  Something that happens at the foot is usually a result of something happening at the hip.  And it translates the other way as well.  I'm reevaluating my hip mechanics to see if I've missed anything, other than the fact that I have still have mild imbalances.  Example: my right gluteus medius is a little weak, which is why my right hip drops a bit.  Running mechanics are a constant work in progress because little things will always pop up and the body will compensate for them in amazing and irritating ways.

   Thankfully during this injury I was still able to get some good workouts in thanks to my Elliptigo 8C.  I mentioned this briefly in some previous posts, but I am fortunate enough to have won an Elliptigo from the 2014 Las Vegas CSM physical therapy conference.  I just filled out a little survey after trying one of these things for the first time at the expo and then a week later I got a very special call.  

Yep.  I got the green one.

   Needless to say I was pretty excited, but also a little apprehensive.

   To be honest I've made fun of people who use the Elliptigo for a long time.  I fully admit that.  I think this stems from being a hardcore "Run-Only" type of training guy.  I viewed cross training as needed only during injuries to keep yourself from going insane.  In addition, I had very little success with ellipticals during past injuries in college.  I've found them to not replicate running mechanics very well and never felt like I was getting a good aerobic stimulus from them.  

First Elliptigo Ride (Thanks Rachel  for the video!!)

    Upon receiving my Elliptigo 8C, all those fears were quickly quelled.  The great people at Elliptigo have really done their homework and created a wonderful tool for runners.  Above is my first ride on the Elliptigo and I immediately noticed how different it felt from a normal elliptical.  

    The biomechanics are very similar to running without the impact.  This is achieved with a much greater hip range of motion allowed by the Elliptigo, particularly through really good hip extension.  If anything having one of these might help your running form (Not confirmed.  Just a thought).  I immediately noticed that my glutes were really working, as opposed to the normal quad tightness I've experienced with ellipticals.  I attribute this to the hip extension allowed.  My inner physical therapist was quite aroused (in a good way, not a weird way).  Stimulating the glutes to work over the quads is almost always a good thing! 

   As excited as I was about my new cross training tool, I didn't use it much after that first ride until a few weeks later.  Why you ask?  Because Pomona has NOTHING in the way of bike lanes and the streets are horrendous.  I'm pretty sure if I tried to take my Elliptigo out for an actual workout, I would get hit by a car or shot.  Or both.  

Enter an example of the Stationary Trainer.  This is not mine.  I have the Kinetic Road Trainer 2.0

    This is when I decided to get my hands on the Kinetic Road Trainer 2.0 with an adapter for the Elliptigo. And I can say it was well worth the investment (especially since I got the Elliptigo for free).  Once I got my hands on the stationary trainer, the Elliptigo started getting used a great deal more.

    I have to say I am very impressed with how much of an aerobic stimulus I get from using this awesome tool.  Every time I've used the Elliptigo (time ranging from 30 to 60 minutes) I've come away with sweat pouring off me (even with a fan, which I put up later) and fatigued in a good way.  It really provides a good stimulus that is CLEARLY above and beyond what an elliptical provides (even with the stationary trainer).

    What makes the stationary trainer and Elliptigo combo even better is that I can study while using it!  I've been using a large binder clip and attaching my class notes to the handlebars to get studying and a second "workout" in.  As DPT school has continued on, I've realize that I have less and less time to do things outside of school.  Adding the Ellptigo into my routine has allowed me to get some really good aerobic work in while still preparing for class and exams.  Plus without as much impact, I can still run at a high level due to the high level of work I can put in.  I've found myself recovering faster due to replacing that second run with a non-impact form of exercise.  My normal runs have been increasing in pace due to both my increasing aerobic capacity and possibly my glutes firing better.  Those are the major muscles that are sore after using the Elliptigo, which is perfect.  Those are the muscles you really want to be using during running if you want to run fast!

Just posing with my new Elliptigo.  And no.  I don't wear jeans while I use it.  

    The Elliptigo was especially handy with my foot injury last week during the harder of the two weeks of 2nd semester midterms.  Luckily it didn't aggravate my posterior tib at all and I could still hammer away.  It allowed me to study without going completely insane from a lack of physical activity.  And I got a lot of studying done on that thing.  Although I was probably driving my neighbors nuts from working out on the Elliptigo in my apartment (with the stationary trainer) at 6am most mornings before class and again at 8 or 9 pm in the evenings.  For their sake I'll hopefully heal up quickly and get back to running in the morning and Elliptigoing (Is that a word?  If not, it is now) in the evening for 30-45 minutes.  

    I feel very fortunate to have one of these tools that is and will continue to be a integral part of my training.  I am very excited to see where the Elliptigo helps take my training.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.  This product has changed my view of cross training because it does such a good job of stimulating your aerobic system with impact.  Do I still hate ellipticals?  Yes.  Is the Elliptigo the same as an elliptical?  Hell no.  Like I said before, the people at Elliptigo have done their homework and created a wonderful thing.  Do I love the Elliptigo?  Hell yes.  Go check one out.  

Thanks for reading!

As always, my opinions are my own!

Tack On!

-Matthew Klein, SPT 

*I won the Elliptigo 8C from the 2014 Las Vegas CSM physical therapy conference and it was provided free of charge.  This did not change my view of the product.  However I would like to thank the kind people at Elliptigo for giving me the opportunity to try the Elliptigo.

Please go check out the Elliptigo website.  They have some really great products that I highly recommend.  Elliptigo is an awesome company with a bright future.

The DairyAire 5k, Triple Crown and Quick Update

Quick update!

   I won the DairyAire 5k in 15:14 (RESULTS).  It was a great race put on by wonderful people.  The course was almost totally flat but had some 2 complete 180 turns and a couple sharps turns.  The race director and the volunteers were cheering me on by my first name, because they knew me from winning the Reindeer Romp 5k and the Run for Russ 5k.  The DairyAire 5k was the final leg of the Chino Triple Crown and I very proud to have taken home victories in all three races.  I didn't really have any competition out there during the DairyAire race (lots of potential and talent out there though!!), but it was awesome to know that I can run a 15:14 completely solo.  Honestly it felt more like a hard tempo effort, which is awesome.  Now I just have to work on my speed to get myself running comfortably around 4:40 to 4:45 per mile pace so I can go sub 15 again.

   My racing shoe of choice was again the Mizuno Wave Universe 4.  Not the 5, the 4.  I love this shoe so much because it's a sub-4 ounce shoe but it still has some protection to it.  There is a 4-5mm heel drop that will save your achilles and calf muscles a bit but still let you run really fast.  Luckily my pair has a ton of life left on it, but I'm eyeing a pair of orange MWU 4s on Amazon that are $45.  I might have to splurge for those before they disappear (the MWU 4s originally retailed for $120).  The MWU 5s are a little intense for me right now.  When I get my feet strong enough I'll probably pull them out for another 5k.  Or when I start getting to some of the bigger races.  But I still may go with the 4s because that little bit of extra protection may just pay off in the last mile when shit starts to hit the fan.

   I also got a nice 22 miler in this morning with my training partner and good friend John Barker.  I've wanted to run from my apartment (next to Western University of Health Sciences) all the way to the Ontario Airport and back for a while.  Today just happened to be that day where we jumped on 1st street and headed east.  9-10 miles later we looked north and realized we were right next to the airport!  Then we kept going to explore the area.  Definitely a Tack On day.  

I won a bottle of milk and a wreath.  Triple Crown!!

    The next few weeks are probably going to be quiet in terms of racing.  I'm going to try to get some good hard workouts in including my hill In/Outs, 6x1000m and 10x400 hard.  I'll through some tempos and fartleks in there somewhere.  My next race is definitely going to be the Spirit Run 5k on March 23rd with Cal Coast and then I'm thinking about doing the Carlsbad 5000.  I've wanted to do that race for the last several years and never thought I'd be living close enough to do it!  Plus it's at the end of my spring break, so I have no excuse not to race it.

   So that's all for now.  I'm going to buckle down for the next couple weeks as Midterms really ramp up and just try to survive.  And run faster.

Thanks for reading!

As always, my opinions are my own!

Tack On!

-Matthew Klein, SPT 

Brea 8k Recap: Lessons Learned From a Difficult Day

So I raced the Brea 8k this morning and it didn't go well.  But it's mostly my fault.  I learned a great deal from this morning and have some new training ideas I want to experiment with.  So luckily I'm making light of the situation.  

     The race itself was pretty good.  The course had a great deal of hills that I didn't respect and they bit me in the ass.  Not like a kinky bite.  It was a full on chomp.  Again, also my fault.  Always respect the hills.  I had some pretty awesome competition to go up against, which I haven't had much of for a while.  Finally decided to step up with some of the big dogs.

    The race started out quick and I settled in with the lead pack.  Despite a warning from one of my new Cal Coast teammates Roosevelt Cook (who finished 2nd), I was antsy and jumped into the lead and surged a bunch for the first 2 miles.  I decided I was going to try to drop everyone at the start of the main long hill (2 miles in), so I put in a huge surge.  Which didn't work.  I died.  Another of my new Cal Coast teammates (one who got 3rd) passed me and I did everything I could to hold on for the remaining 2.5 miles.  I came in at 25:49 for 5th place, a solid minute off my PR and the slowest I'd run in a while.

    But honestly?  That's what I get for surging like an idiot high school freshman.... and also running with a bad sinus infection.  Which I knew I shouldn't have.  I'm probably going to get more sick now that I went out and ran hard this morning....

    

    So yeah.  I don't get sick very often, but when I do (see above picture) I get really bad sinus infections.  And after an intense week last week in PT school, my body clearly was toasted.  Friday night my sinuses started closing, my throat started getting raw, phlegm was building up like crazy and I was generally feeling pretty crappy.  But I raced anyway.  Why?  Because I'm an idiot.

     Ok.  So I'm not a total idiot.  Just a partial one.  I wanted to come out and race for the new club I am now a member of:  The Cal Coast Track Club.  You're probably seeing a new banner on the right side of my blog.  I was excited to represent them for the first time and I wasn't going to let a sinus infection stop me.  I'll come back healthy in the future and do awesome things for them.  It's awesome getting to race alongside people like Roosevelt Cook, who is a very fast runner that is much more accomplished than I.  He mentioned a few stories racing some of the best people in the country, including Bernard Lagat in the mile (he ran 4:05 while Bernard ran 3:55 something, but they're both still really fast).  Roosevelt is just a little bit away from hitting the B-Standard for the Olympic Trials in the Marathon.  I will definitely be rooting for him.  He's also the one that tried to calm me down at the beginning of the race, but like usual I didn't listen, took things out really hard at about mile one and then you know the rest.

    So a couple good things did happen this morning.  It was really nice to meet and be a part of that group.  Plus I got a good tempo effort in as 5:11 pace is around my tempo pace and I usually do 5 miles for my tempos.  So it all worked out.  Plus my real focus is next weekend winning the Dairy Aire 5k, which like I mentioned in one of my earlier posts is part of the Triple Crown, which I am trying to triple win.  So far so good.  One more race to go.

Oh.  Those lessons.

1.  Be patient and don't be a dumbass.  That second part is something I should have learned from my college coach from UPS.  My nickname was dumbass if you didn't know (it was mostly "Kleiner", but "Dumbass" was a close second).  Because I did a lot of stupid stuff and asked a lot of questions because I was really curious about training and was working way too hard to run fast.  I couldn't wait to push the pace during this race and I started pushing it at mile 1.  I know from experience that I don't run races well that go out really hard and where I surge a great deal.  My best races start with me running fast and relaxed the first part and basically doing a progression run during the race.  Slowly increase the pace until I'm going balls out at the end.  Instead of just trying to hang on.

2.  Relax.  I run fastest when I run relaxed.  My previous 8k PR of 24:51 was set while I running "Fast and Relaxed" (another favorite expression of my college coach).  It was at the 2012 NCAA DIII West Regional Championships where I started out in dead last and worked my way all the way up to 10th place.  This  also qualified me for DIII Nats, which I had the pleasure of attending with another sinus infection.  During the Brea 8k, I was great the first mile, but then I got antsy and surged a bunch.  Fatigue set in and I never recovered.  I need to learn to stay relax during races so I can focus on good mechanics.  That'll take work.  My form is still a work in progress.

3.  I need to work on my basic athleticism.  This was a thought that went through my head.  I'm not an athletic person.  I can just run because I've worked at it for many years.  And I've worked very hard.  Too hard.  Many of the best runners started off in another sport that tended to develop their overall athleticism.  I'm going to be adding in more plyometric stuff and will be working on my general leg strength quite a bit more.  Let the exercise experimenting begin (or continue.  It's never really stopped with me).

4.  I need to be doing more set workouts.  The Fartleks are nice, but I may start just doing those during normal runs.  I need to be doing more Hill In/Outs, Sprints, 400s, etc.  Today I guess can count for a good tempo run.  I'm need to find a track somewhere because another favorite workout of mine is doing a 4-5 mile Strider workout (sprint the straight, run the turn).  That's essentially a In/Out workout if done right.  I'll find a place to do that.  And I also need to run more workouts with John as he pushes me really hard during the short stuff.  He has much more leg speed than I do.

     So yeah!  The future looks bright despite the storm today.  At least I got a 1st place Age Group medal.  I'm excited to be part of the Cal Coast track club.  They're a really fun group.  I can't thank Ford Fuji for having me along.

     This race probably didn't look good, so if Saucony and Skechers don't consider me I'm not surprised.  Since Cal Coast is sponsored by Asics, I'm going to look into them to see what kinda of sponsorship they offer through the team.  I know it sounds like I'm just a free gear/footwear whore (which I am) but PT school is expensive!  Free stuff is always good.

   Back to studying now.

Thanks for reading!

As always, my thoughts are my own.

Tack On!

-Matthew Klein, SPT

*UPDATE: While I did not win the individual title, apparently I helped lead the Cal Coast Open team to the Open Division team victory.  Glad to be part of a team again.

Kleinbars: The Secret Recipe REVEALED!

Alright.  I'm going to reveal a secret today.

    Many of you are aware of the energy bars that I make.  I call them "Kleinbars", because that is the level of creativity I am capable of in regards to naming things.

    These have evolved over the years.  In the beginning, they tasted like shit.  Why?  Because I didn't add any water and they were basically bricks with chocolate chips and dried fruit.  Then I added water and Kleinbars became an actual energy bar that people would eat (by people I mean my housemates and other team members from the UPS XC and track teams that were forced to eat them at our weekly Pie/Desert-Night).  Then I thought, "What if I put pure cocoa in them?  I have an undiagnosed addiction to chocolate, so more must be better right?"  No.  I put too much cocoa in them and that batch tasted like dirt.  Kleinbars Chocolate Dirt flavor, which was quickly pulled from the market.  And by pulled from the market I mean I sadly and slowly ate them all by myself over several weeks because no one would touch them.  Even the Tacoma raccoons wouldn't touch them.  I put them outside and those creatures looked at me through the window with an expression that said, "What the **** is this?  You want me to eat that?  Hell no."  So the cocoa powder was removed from the recipe.  That is not a good way to end an introduction into a food recipe.  Further tweaking was undertaken (especially after the cocoa incident) to what they are today:  Full Blown Awesome Energy Bars.

     Kleinbars were designed to be both a pre-run and post-run snack.  They have a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is in the realm of the post-exercise carb:protein ratio that you want for optimal recovery and glycogen replacement (3:1 or 4:1 are the optimal ratios taken ~30 minutes after the end of exercise).  They are also light enough on the stomach that they work well as a pre-run snack, in case you happen to be hungry before a run but don't want to mess your stomach up with a huge meal a few minutes before.

     So here is the recipe designed by yours truly.  Make sure you cook them because the recipe does call for eggs.

Ingredients

     -3 Cups Rolled Oats
     -3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
     -3 Eggs
     -1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
     -2 servings of Whey Protein Powder (whatever GOOD kind you want)
     -1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (Get the GOOD kinds.  IE not the crap kinds with Hydrogenated Oils in them)
     -1.5 Tbsp Canola Oil
     -1 Cup Chocolate Chips (Again, get the good kinds.  No Hydrogenated Oils)
                 -You can use Milk, Semi-Sweet, Dark, White Chocolate, etc.  Whatever you want.
     -1 Cup Dried Fruit (Any kind you want.  This is optional)
     -1 Dash of Salt (Just a little bit)
     -1/2-1 Cup of water (Depending on how dry you want them)

Directions

     -Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  
     -Lightly coat a 12"x 8" (ish) baking pan with cooking spray (so they don't stick)
     -Mix all ingredients together until combined
     -Press batter into the baking pan evenly.
     -Bake for 20-25 minutes (NOT TOO LONG or you will be enjoying homemade bricks)
      -They will be lightly golden brown when ready.
     -Cool and cut into 24 squares.
     -Enjoy your Kleinbars.  

Nutritional Information 

Per Single Serving (Approx): 195 Kcals, 7 grams fat, 26 carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 3 grams fiber.   (26:7 carbohydrate to protein ratio or 3.7:1 ratio.  Close enough).  

Per Batch:  4680 kilocalories, 168 grams fat, 624 grams carbohydrate, 168 grams protein and 72 grams fiber.  

If you do add cocoa powder, don't add too much.  They will taste like dirt.  I promise you.

     So there you have it.  The secret has been revealed.  I hope you enjoy them. I'm learning that as I get older, I enjoy cooking more and more because each time is a little experiment.  I have a few more recipes I'm working on that I'll post soon.  One is a Kleinbar alternative made by my good friend and DPT-student buddy Dan's fiancee Cindy, who is a wonderful and awesome Dietitian.  Another is one that I call "Kleinbites", which are small bite sized energy snacks.  The Kleinbites need some tweaking before I post the recipe, but they are really good.

Again I hope you enjoy the Kleinbars recipe!

Thanks for reading!

As always, my opinions are my own.

Tack On!!!

-Matthew Klein, SPT

Training and Life Update 2/21/14

Hello!

    Since I plan to have this as a physical therapy, running, training, shoe review and more type of blog, I'm going to branch out from only doing shoe reviews (as I have been doing the last few weeks).

    Life has been going pretty well the last few weeks.  I am very deep into my 2nd semester of physical therapy school and have been trudging through the first few midterms.  This week I successfully made it through our equally difficult Kinesiology exam and practical.  I am extremely inspired by my professor, Dr. Fairly, in that class.  He's basically a god to me as he is the expert manual therapy, gait, foot and footwear guy.  So it was a little intimidating having him critique me on the practical.  Luckily I was paired up with my awesome friend Noelle, with whom I had practiced a great deal with the day before.  Because we suspected we would be partners, despite everyone telling us otherwise.  So that worked out well!  Got my highest practical grade yet!  Now I have to just make it through the next several weeks until spring break.  By make it I am referring to the fact that I have at least one major exam every week until then.  No rest for the weary.

   Training has been pretty awesome.  At my first physical therapy conference at the 2014 CSM (combined sections meeting) a few weeks ago, I made contact with a fellow UPS alumni and awesome runner for the Asics Aggies Kota Reichert.  It was inspiring to go for a run with him during the conference (a fairly quick 9 miles after a tired but fast 4 mile uphill tempo early that morning around 5am).  We talked a great deal and he mentioned In/Out workouts, which I'd never really considered before but have been integrating into my training.  Mostly in the form of hill workouts.  IE 1:00 min hard uphill with 1:10 to get back down the hill and start again.  Doing about 8 of those.  The first session I ended up averaging 5:33 pace for a little over 5K (3.2 miles).  It hurt, but in a good way.  Since my favorite workout is the Fartlek, I've tried to integrate this type of training into that by trying to keep the off session at a fairly decent pace.  I still have not done set distance intervals for a while.  I find it so much easier to get Fartleks in multiple times a week by having the workout during a normal run rather than a set loop.  I've still been running very quick during the workouts, doing things like 15-18x1min ON 1min OFF or doing informal fartleks to forget about specific time and focus on form.

    My form work has continued as well.  I know there is still a long road ahead, but I've made some good strides (no pun intended) working on hip extension and controlling my crazy arm swing.  I learned some new things about the best exercises for the glute medius and max recruitment and have been modifying those working on my glute max strength especially (the main hip extensor).  These exercises include high step ups, single leg squat touches and more.  This combined with some tweaks in my nutrition (adding in more healthy fats for a more balanced diet) seems to have contributed to me feeling much better during runs.  Enough that I have not had a run average over 6:35 pace for about 2 weeks.  Almost every normal run is in the 6:10-6:15 pace range and that is fairly comfortable.  I pushed a 9.52 mile run at 5:55 pace and even that felt pretty good!  This has been really awesome because I've been able to get more miles in without more time infringing on my studies! Also I've been integrating a little bit of POSE form back in.  Not in a major way but just some of the things I used to work on my form back during the summer before my sophomore year of college.

An example of my horrible arm swing an mechanics at the 2014 Run For Russ 5k.  Which I still won in 15:23.  This is before I started working on my form again.  

   I added 3 mile night runs back into my training just to shake my brain out after long school days.  Also to get some more fast mileage in.  I wear my Brooks T7s on these runs and I push them pretty hard.  My fastest one so far has been 3.1 miles in 16:54 (5:27 pace average) and all of them have been under 5:50 pace.  That's with a 6:00-6:30ish first mile and then moving.  It takes less than 20 minutes for a nice run break and then I'm back to studying.

   Racing has also been going decently.  Three weeks ago I won the 2014 Run for Russ in 15:23 which is awesome considering I trained through it.  My training buddy John Barker PR'd and then we did a hard Fartlek right after just to get some extra work in.  I've done a second workout after every race except my half marathon this year and plan to continue doing that to try to get better.  A week ago I won the 2014 Anaheim Semper 5k in 15:48 on a very hilly course that I measured at +3.2 miles.  I was pretty excited to run that there as I had been working on my form and my pace had really increased early that week.  Also they gave out a pretty awesome first prize.

Picture from the 2014 Anaheim Semper 5k that I won in 15:48 on a long (3.2 mile) and hilly course.  Lower extremity form is better, but that arm swing still needs work.  Granted my left arm is like that because I'm pointing to the way I think I'm supposed to go for confirmation from a race official.  That part wasn't marked well.....

   Coming up on Sunday 2/23/14 I'm racing the Brea 8k.  Since I'm doing 3 races in three weeks (also doing the Dairy Aire 5k next weekend.  If I win that I'll have won all three of the Chino Triple Crown races.  The 2013 Reindeer Romp 5k and the 2014 Run for Russ 5k were the first two), I'm only doing a few workouts per week.  I'll probably be wearing a Cal Coast jersey and am hoping that if I win this I'll get some recognition from footwear companies.  Also it'll be a nice longer effort compared to the 5ks I've been doing. Even if I don't win it'll be nice to have some really good competition as that race has been very quick in the past.  Next week I'll be racing the 2014 Dairy Aire 5k going for a Triple Crown win (as I mentioned early).  If they have an accurate course I may have a shot at a PR since Chino, CA is completely flat.  And it should be relatively accurate since it's USATF certified.  However I've learned that certification is relative after the 2014 Ontario Mills 5k that I won in a slow time that I later learned was due to the course being much longer than a 5k.  Certification?  Yeah right.

    Speaking of footwear companies, I haven't heard anything from the Saucony Hurricane program.  I'm not totally discouraged (even though this last week was the time that athletes have heard from them in the past) because I haven't seen anyone else post anything on the internet about being accepted.  So maybe they're just taking a bit longer.  However I also submitted my application to the Skechers Performance Elite team just as another option.  I figure I'll wait it out for a bit and see who gets to me first.  If nothing happens I'll review my options from there.  If Cal Coast does not have an elite team with sponsorship I may have to head over to check out the Snail's Pace Racing Team to see what kind of benefits they get from New Balance.

Yep.  I got one of these for free.  I cannot thank Brian Brown and the wonderful people at Elliptigo enough for this wonderful opportunity.  

    So that is what's going on in my life.  I'll keep this blog up and we'll see where my future takes me.  Also..... I won an Elliptigo 8C at that 2014 CSM conference I mentioned (as you can see above).  I know this is completely random to throw in at the end here.  But it's awesome.  I'll have a review up soon.  I've made fun of people who ride these things for years and I take it all back.  If you haven't tried an Elliptigo yet, find one.  They are sooooooo awesome.  Seriously.  You feel like a badass riding one.  At least I do.  It has become a great tool that also gives me a huge piece of mind just in case I get injured.  Having this tool is insurance that I will be able to maintain my running fitness, my mechanics and still get outside in that event.

   So things are going to get pretty interesting!!  I'm hoping for some big things in the next few weeks and I hope you'll check back in!

Thanks for reading!

As always, my opinions are my own.

Tack On!!!

-Matthew Klein, SPT