Product review: Inov-8 Roclite 319

We're week 2 into training for the Black Hills 100 (trail) run coming up in July. I made a point to do some research on the best (recommended) trail shoes and found that Runner's World recently covered a review of the latest trail running shoes in their Spring issue. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the article that resonated with me but the comments of all the other readers. It was clear that Runner's World was missing several brands that of course, required me to dig deeper into this world of outdoor running.

Upon further research, three brands kept popping up in online reviews and outdoor apparel sites (REI, ZombieRunner.com and Amazon.com)...

1. Inov-8
2. Solomon
3. Merrel

I landed on the Roclite 319 by Inov-8. While it's not the prettiest shoe in the world, there are clearly some advantages it has over many of the trail-inspired shoes out there by Brooks, Adidas or Asics. For starters, the quick-lace shoe strings are thin and slick - which means with one quick yank, the shoe is evenly tight all the way up the front. Second, there is a wide band of grey rubbery material that extends from the sole up about 1.25 inches all the way around the shoe. It protects the foot not only from the moisture you might find in shorter grass but also the sharp edges of closely-spaced rocks.

I personally like the extra cushioning the shoe provides as well as the firm sole. While it feels a little wide compared to my road-running shoes, it's understandable a trail shoe needs more surface area to deal with the various terrain our there in the world. The cleats on the bottom also made running through sand somewhat enjoyable.

Running through the SanTan Mountains last weekend I was able to test these out over 7 miles. I definitely felt stable throughout the entire run - both up slope and down. They weren't very heavy and they breathed nicely. I also purchased the Inov-8 Debris Gaiters as well. They worked great and I literally did not have one piece of sand in my shoes.

Thanks for reading.

Where did the mojo go?

For the past several weeks, running has not been the driving force in my daily routine. It's been a chance to take things easy, sleep in and enjoy the spring break holiday with my kids. A month has gone by since Ragnar and I have logged maybe 20 miles total. I don't feel bad about that but I can certainly tell it's had a negative impact on my work/life balance.

I love my job. There are days when the list of things to do is overwhelming and long. I could spend 14 hours a day and not get it all done. Though I love what I do, I've discovered that without running (or a fitness goal of some kind) I fall deeper and deeper into that abyss of all-work-no-play-makes-Trevor-a-dull-boy. I become the Jack Torrence of our house...."Heeeeere's Johnny!!"

Creating a boundary between work and running actually helps me ensure I am more organized, efficient with my time and aggressive with deadlines. For example, I've been stewing on a work issue for the past several days and was not getting anywhere. It was actually p*ssing me off that I couldn't get it figured out. Though I had to force myself to go running early this morning (a small win all by itself), I was able to spend time completely focused on this issue. By the time I had sorted things out in my head, 5 miles were in the bag and I felt great that I had accomplished 2 things at the same time.

So where's this blog heading Trev? Good question.

Just like we do at work, we set goals for the year and then map out a plan to get there. The same holds true for my endurance (fitness) goals. Given that I've been languishing in the solitude of work, I finally pulled the trigger on a race I've been contemplating for a while now.

We'll be in South Dakota most of June (more on that later) and it was the perfect opportunity to revisit not only trail running (which I've fallen in love with) but a distance that I know will challenge and push me to the very limits of my physical and mental capabilities.

Hello Black Hills. Hello 50 mile run with 9,100 feet of elevation gain.

Where did the mojo go? It was just misplaced.

But now it's found.

Life without a (race) plan

In the last couple weeks since Ragnar, I've come to realize that without a race plan or future race goals, I'm one of the least-motivated people on the planet when it comes to a traditional gym-rat routine. I can understand how people get burned out doing the same 'ole thing at the gym week after week. Though I'm probably not the only person in the world paying for a gym-membership and NOT using it (which annoys the hell out of me that I'm wasting money), I just can't seem to commit myself to going there and finding anything useful or fun to do.

I'm struggling with this overall idea of being a triathlete as well - am I or aren't I? While I enjoy the disciplines, I feel like I'm past the novelty of the sport, distance and training. It's still enjoyable for me but I think the real challenge will be taking the last couple years and using them as a baseline to improve.

Relative to endurance racing, I've discovered that I just can't let the sleeping dog lie either. These past couple years have been an ever-expanding-non-stop-achievement-of-bigger-and-bigger-things...something I didn't think was a part of my persona. The "problem" is, I can't seem to stop.

I'm clearly not the first person out there to push and push to see what I'm capable of (think, Dean Karnazes). But it's different when the fight is personal. I have no special story - no ABC After School Special of any kind. Just a dude trying to stay in shape and have some fun. What can't I do? I'm not sure I will ever stop asking that question. At the same time, I kind of like being that 'crazy guy' everyone's friends know who did something that is unimaginable to a large percentage of the world.

So back to this notion of a race plan. I wanted this year to be full of new and exciting things...so far, it has not been a disappointment. I'm getting antsy without anything on the (race) calendar though. I'm sure that will change soon - scheduling and $$$ are under review. Hopefully, I'll be able to share more concrete plans here in the near future.

The push is coming.

Nothing to do!

Well here we are, a week after Ragnar already and I'm starting to feel anxious and achy. I've been taking at least 5-7 days off after each major event to just let things settle. I haven't run since last Saturday.

Sunday I was tender.

Monday I felt some lingering aches.

Tuesday I felt 90%. But I know better than to push too soon.

The great news is that my recovery time seems to get quicker and quicker with each event/endurance race I do. I also seem to be eating more after each event too - not sure what's going on there but it doesn't seem to adversely impact anything.

For the first time in almost 2 years, I am not registered for a race/run/event/stupid distance. Oh there are things out there I plan on doing but for the time being, I'm going to rest. Of course I'll run casually to keep the juices flowing (and weight off - damn you mini Cadbury eggs!) but no "training" per se...

Besides, we have some family stuff coming up and a busy couple months with work will limit any formal training routine.

Know what though? I'm totally fine with that.