Nike Human "Traffic Jam" Race

I liked the idea of running the same race but I seriously think the Singapore route needs to be better thought out and managed....

Passion Run 2008: 10km recovery run

Passion Run 2008: 10km recovery run

Did a 10km Passion run on Sunday 8 June 2008. Woke up a little late and arrived later. By the time I reached the start point, the 10km Men's event has already started! I was still strolling into the event area when I met an ex-colleague. I stopped to say hi when she looked at me and said, "why are you still here? your event flagged off liao!"... Oops. okay, off I went...

Wanted to do a 10km recovery run following Sundown the week before. Was targeting to complete in under 55 minutes. In the end it took me 1 hour 4 minutes. What the @#@#.

The consolation came in the form of other runners friends (at least 5 of them) telling me that the distance recorded on their foot pods actually read 11.5km. I'll take it... Of course, the placing of 168 doesn't sound too bad either... 发啊!!

Review: Saucony Pro-grid Guide

Review: Saucony Pro-grid Guide: Be my Guide

My wife bought me a pair of Saucony Pro-grid Guide after I told her following Sundown Marathon that my existing shoes' cushioning seemed overused and it's time to look for a new pair. Just in time for me to try out during my recovery run one week later in another event, the Passion Run although I already did another run 3 days after Sundown albeit just a short 5km...

The last time I owned a Saucony was more than 10 years ago... I can't even remember the model of that but I do remember the grid system in the midsole which to be honest, was kinda "gimicky" if you ask me at that point in time. Somehow, Saucony had stayed true to this "technology" and has since developed a more advanced version of it called the "Pro-grid". I can't really figure out what is the difference between the 2 except that the new Pro-grid seemed to be a new foam material instead of the old tennis strings of the old "grid" system.

As I understand it, the Saucony Pro-grid guide is the 6th addition and replaces the popular Saucony Pro-grid Trigon guide 5. I am not sure why Saucony stopped using Trigon for this shoe although they have continued to use names like Triumph and Trigon Ride for their other shoe series. Here's my review of the Pro-grid Guide after running about 25km in the shoes.

Weight 4.5/5

This shoe is light. Despite haing a medial post that people tend to associate with added weight, it is not the case for the Guide. In fact, upon checking, it seems like the official weight is even lighter than some of the cushioning shoes that I have. The shoes employs lots of mesh and few overlays (only in areas where they are needed). This could be one of the contributing factors to the light weight.

The mesh material is also highly breatheable and I did not suffer any heat built-up problem over a 11.5km run.

Cushioning, Stability, Responsiveness 4.5/5

One of the best shoes I've had, period. The Guide employed a whole host of technological system despite it not being the highest end stability shoes in its range. The heel and forefoot are added with SRC (Super-Rebound Compound) which makes the shoe highly responsive, something I really like a lot. In the heel, the guide also featured its patented Pro-grid impact cushioning system, which helps attenuate shock on heel impact. The result is a very very smooth ride.

The stability of the shoes comes in the form of a medial post which is placed somewhere between the heel and the forefoot. This actually helps to control late stage over-pronation and in my opinion works very well.

Some other technology used to provide stability includes a Flexion plate in the arch area which helps to provide torsional rigidity.

Fit, flexibility, traction 4.5/5

Again, the Guide scored very high marks in this area for me. The fit of the Guide is excellent. The toe box is wide but not too roomy whilst the midfoot and the heel is comfortable and snug. In no instances did I feel any heel-slip whilst wearing the shoes. The shoes are also very flexible. The flexibility is in my opinion just right, not too overly flexible. The traction of the shoes are good. The forefoot blown rubber provides outstanding grip.

Durability 3.5/5

Unfortunately, on good thing does not lead to another. As good as the cushioning is and as well constructed the Guide is, the durability of the shoe may be its archille's heel. After merely around 25km in the shoes, I can already see significant wear, particularly in the outsole area. This actually comes as a surprise to me given that the heel outsole is suppose to be made up of Saucony's in-house carbon rubber material called XT-900.

Overall 4.25/5

The Guide is indeed a solid stable shoes. As the name suggests, the Guide guided my feet and helps control overpronation diligently, providing one of the smoothest heel-to-toe transition and great cushioining. I would actually rate the cushioining of this shoe very highly (better than a cushioining category shoe)!

The shoes will definitely be good enough for long runs up to marathon distance. It is light weight, the cushioning is superb and the fit and breatheability of the shoes are also excellent.

The only set back is perhaps the durability of the shoes which I am somewhat a little disappointed. However, at a price of S$102.00 (after discount), it definitely held its ground very very well against many of the more expensive shoes and very value for money.

Disclaimer: The opinion rendered is strictly my own, based on my personal experience whilst running in the shoes. It is not intended to act as any technical or professional advice. Please do not rely or infer on this when deciding which shoes to buy as every runner's profile is different.

Inaugural Sundown Marathon

Sun has set... Time to run...

25, May 2008. Collected the race kit from the Sundown Expo. Getting a little excited about the race but at the same time feeling a little unsure whether I was able to finish it because:

1. Did not training enough. Maximum 21km LSD...

2. Knee injury on the left leg. As a result, milleage reduced per week to prevent risk of further injury...

I must say I quite like the singlet although everthing else in the race kit is somewhat a let down.. no gel as promised and the funny thing about the customised tagline on the number bib is well... not long enough!

I had initally input "I am Joo Chuan & I love my wife". In the end, because the space wasn't quite enough, it turned out as "I am Joo Chuan & I love adidas". Haha. Kinda funny.

31, May 2008 midnight. When many others are fast asleep, a group of running fanatics are gearing up for Singapore inaugural night marathon. The Adidas Sundown Marathon.

I did not have enough training for this marathon and the results showed. I suffered....

Finished the race in 5 hrs 53 mins or so...

Overall, the experience was average. I wanted to enjoy the atmosphere and the run but to be honest, can't wait for the run to finish just halfway into it :(

Things I learned from the marathon:

1. Rest enough. Was still running errands during the day and did not get enough rest.

2. Eat enough. Due to hunger, made a slight detour 21km into the run to the nearby 24 hrs MacDonald's for a burger and an apple pie :p. What was I thinking!!!

3. Familiarise with the course. I had no idea about the course until the actual race.

4. Treat injury before the race. Think my left knee cap is seriously busted now :(

Keep running.......

Review: Adidas Adistar Comp 4, Green means Go!!!

Review: Adidas Adistar Comp 4, Green means Go!!!

I see value for money buy when I see one! I was recently at Velocity window shopping. When I wandered into the Adidas factory outlet in Novena Square, a nice shocking green Adidas Adistar Comp 4 caught my eye. That's a pair of shoes which I saw not too long ago at Adidas' main stores which I liked very much. The design is nice, the weight is incredibly light and the colour is well, shocking. Only problem is that it retails at S$182, hardly the kind of money I will shell out for a pair of racing flat. But not when the shoe is now selling at 70% less. Like I said, I see value for money when I see one. So I grabbed a pair without any hesitation. So much for window shopping! Here's my review of the Adidas Adistar Comp 4.

Weight 5/5

No complains in this particular department. As a racing flat, the Adistar Comp 4 is amazingly light. Out of the box, the shoes felt almost weightless in the hand. Once put on the feet, it just feel like part of you. As expected, the upper has minimum overlays and the midsole is thin (typical of all Adidas racing shoes including the adizeros). Infact, the midsole employed by Adidas here actually seems no different than its other Adizero products and (apart from the design of the upper with other Adidas Adizero models) I find it hard to differentiate any difference in terms of the midsole . The shocking green gives the shoe a really nice and fierce feel as though it is ready to be taken for a quick race and conquer the world.

Cushioning, Stability, Responsiveness 3/5

This department's rating is really a mixed bag for me. Understandably, I expected the cushioning of a racing flat to be lesser than standard running shoes. However, I was a little disappointed that the Adistar didn't have more to offer here. Putting the Comp 4 for a short 10km run, the cushioning felt inadequate to me. The midsole material (adiprene+ in the forefoot and the adiprene in the heel) did not seem sufficient. On the other hand, the shoes did give a low to the ground feel which is quite cool. That of course also translate to a pretty stable ride. Responsiveness is a let down. If nike can make responsive shoes with very thin zoom air, I don't see why Adidas can't do it with their racing flat.

Fit, flexibility, traction 4.5/5

The fit of the Adistar Comp 4 is excellent but runs a little smaller and I have to go 1/2 size up than my normal sizing. The material used are pretty top grade especially around the ankle and the heel collar. Once the laces are tied, it provides a very good "lock-down" feel. Coupled with excellent flexibility of the shoes, it actually increases your confidence of not incurring injury whilst racing or negotiating sharp turns. Traction of the shoes are also very good here. Adidas employed its signature Adiwear material which provided good grip.

Durability 4/5

So far I've only clocked 2 runs (one 10km and one 5km) in the Adistar Comp 4 hence it's still early days before I can say about its durability. What I can say is that judging from the outsole wear after the 2 runs, it is actually more durable than I expected given the wear is actually quite minimal than compared to other shoes when I pout them through the same distance. Also, the shoes don't require any break-in. The shoes felt immediately comfortable although as mentioned, I wished the cushioning could be better.

In a nutshell, the Adidas Adistar Comp 4 is a real nice looker and has all the elements of a good racing shoes. It's light, it's low to the ground, it's stable and it's fierce looking. However, I would have expected better cushioning to come from the shoe and I was a little disappointed by it. Having said that, at S$54 I could hardly complain.

Disclaimer: The opinion rendered is strictly my own, based on my personal experience whilst running in the shoes. It is not intended to act as any technical or professional advice. Please do not rely or infer on this when deciding which shoes to buy as every runner's profile is different.