Shoe Review: Topo Hydroventure waterproof trail shoe

I had never heard of Topo Athletic until coming across their posts on Instagram recently. They are a newer company based out of Massachusetts, "with a mission to develop footwear that honors the shape and biomechanics of the human foot". 

Always on the look out for the best trail running gear, I was intrigued by their design, as well as their claim to being waterproof.  Here, in the Pacific Northwest, that last part could be useful!

Having a shoe sent that you have only seen on the Internet can be like rolling the dice. I requested a ladies 10, though I normally wear a 10.5. I didn't see an option for my usual size. Surprisingly, they fit very well right out of the box! 

New Year, New Shoes, New Sponsors!

I'm feeling pretty good this week on several accounts!

#1 Change of perspective
 I had one heck of a 2013. I put a lot of thought into writing a summary of how bad it went, all the trials and tests of the year-- the months of time sitting on the bench wondering if I would ever run again.

I even made a graph of how bad 2013 was... (I used to be deeply concerned about numbers. And quite honestly, there are still a few that hold a special place in my heart.)  Then I looked at the colorful bars and decided I really don't need to win a "suck" contest.

Better late than never! Frozen Trails Runfest race report

I was really looking forward to Frozen Trails this year for several reasons. Perhaps the most important was

Birthday Trail Run

Birthdays aren't over-hyped in my home, but they MUST be celebrated. :)

Don't get me wrong, cake is great... but, my idea of how to best celebrate another year is to find something new to conquer or explore, then spend the next few days refueling and recovering!

Sunday, a friend and I met up in a nearby town at an hour that really should be spent under fluffy covers with a soft pillow. We did a quick transfer of gear and discussed our options again. Then headed to the North Umpqua River outside of Glide, OR.

North Umpqua River, as seen from Mott Bridge

Kristen had a plan for a loop that included about 6 miles of the trail called the "Mott" segment, with a 6 mile return down a different trail. (This would be about 2 miles longer than I have ran in over 6 months.)

Skies had been wet, and the climate is always cooler up in the Cascades. So, we dressed in layers and I brought some essential trail items "just in case". :)

We arrived at our destination at dawn and found a nice, weathered outhouse. And some guy in a van who looked like he spent the night there. He was going to bike the first section we planned to run.

First bit of trail as we headed out..

As we headed upriver, I noticed right away that the trail was beautiful, but had a lot more rocks than another segment downriver. There were some close calls, as sometimes those rocks and roots can sneak up on a runner!  I was glad I had on my Brooks PureGrits, because they allow me to "feel" the terrain without slipping. This was probably the scariest bit of running trail I have ever been on. I am sure I will see scarier though!

The single-track got rather narrow at one point, with a steep wall on one side and a drop off to the river on the other side.. And there were 2 trees across the path. I thought of the cyclist and hoped he was an expert! O_o 

At the end of the Mott segment, we took a bridge (built by the CCC in 1936) across the river. Then we ran along the road for about 1/2 mile before picking up the Riverview trail back down.  This trail was much wider, having been made for forestry vehicles.

Tiny mushroom growing near a campground outhouse :D

Downhill = fun running!!

I don't know any of our actual distance or pace information, since we left before I got a good GPS reading. Oops! Chances are good we might have lost the signal anyway.

Afterwards I was fortunate to get a hot shower at Kristen's house before heading home. If you ask me- a hot shower is a real treat after a cold run! So is a little cake :)

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Do you do anything "running related" to celebrate your birthday?

What items would you take "just in case" if you were heading out to run new territory?

Cake, ice cream, or neither?

~Fall Trail Special~

I had this great idea that I would do a Vlog (video blog) a couple of weeks ago, and I even posted one to Google+ ...

It was up for 5 minutes and then took it down as fast as I could. O_o
Not sure what inspired me to put myself out there on video, but maybe I'll try that again next year..heh.
Maybe not.
Instead, readers are stuck blessed with a photo blog of my adventures over the last few weeks.

There has been a fair bit of good fall weather here, so it would be a sorry thing not to lace up my PureGrits and take them for some old-fashioned abuse! Brooks would be proud. (HoneyStinger should be too, though I have been eating a years supply of goodies I planned to use for racing and training fuel as snacks.)

  Ridgeline trail ~ Eugene, OR

This year my boys are in school one day a week, (I still home school the other 4 days).
It's been an adjustment for us all; but, one perk has been that I am in the Eugene area weekly now, and am free to run trails for a few hours that day! :D

I'm so grateful my parents will watch our youngest while I go running on Ridgeline, or one of the other local paths.
***

Another spot I have fallen in love with is Cooper Creek Reservoir. There are views of the blue/green reservoir through the woods almost the whole way.

 Cooper Creek Reservoir ~Sutherlin, OR

This trail is almost 7 miles if ran as an out-and-back.  It's easy to re-run part of the trail to add in some more mileage. And, I'm the kind of nut who would do it three times to make a very rolling 20 miler (Someday... not anytime soon).

I was there on the weekend and ran into 2 or 3 groups of people. On a weekday I would be surprised to see anyone at all.
***

Most recently, I was able make a trip I've been wanting to do for some time: a close-to-home "destination run" ~  the North Umpqua Trail.

 At the top of "Bob's Butte" with new friends! ↑ 

A Facebook group of Roseburg area runners met and covered a short section (just over 7 miles of the 79 mile trail) together, taking many stops to rest, stretch and take pictures -- perfect for where I am with running right now.

We had a great time visiting, getting to know each other, talking about anything and everything, and taking in the gorgeous fall scenery.    I can't wait to go back!
***

Things have been going well, but this week is a cutback for me. It's very easy for me to try to keep adding to my mileage when things feel as good as they have....It's much harder to restrain myself when the weather is great and I have more opportunities to run. 

I'm still running much lower mileage than I was at last year at this point, but, considering the restart I made in August, I've put in quite a bit of time on the trails and gravel roads in the last few weeks. I tried moving from 3-4 runs a week to 5.

This is a lazy graph, because I'm not bothering to tinker with the colors right now. 

Almost all running has been at easy heart rate (< 140) and about half on trails or gravel.

Now my foot is giving me hints that it would like to adjust for a bit. This time I will take the cues- A cutback is in order. I am trying to remind myself this is still more running than I did when I first started out on my journey- and I had no injury issues to contend with back then. It's about keeping a positive perspective, enjoying each run, and staying smart right now. And a massage with some stretching doesn't hurt either...

I don't know what's in store for the rest of the year for running. I'm considering a low key race in November. That may, or may not, be able to happen. Either way, I am blessed just to be back "in it" and able to enjoy the incredible trails Oregon has to offer.

****
How do you feel about taking cutback weeks? 

Have you ran any fantastic destination runs lately?

Does the idea of a VLog make you nervous? 

Brooks PureGrit2 trail shoe review

I got my first pair of trail shoes via Brooksrunning.com and have managed to put about 100 miles on them so far.

The PureGrit2 ($110) weighs 8.2 oz for ladies', and 10 oz for the men's shoes. This is considerably lighter than many trail shoes on the market, but slightly heavier than the original PureGrit.

And they feel light...weighing less than my usual road trainers by an ounce. (Weight makes a big difference, especially in racing if you encounter water, as anyone who has ever ran in very wet shoes knows!).

These are part of Brooks Pure line and are designed with a 4mm heel-toe drop. There is good arch support within them, but they still maintain a "natural" feel. The asymmetrical lacing feels comfortable, and once laced, I don't notice them again.

Compared with Brooks Cascadia8, these are a sleeker, nimbler model. The Cascadias feel more like a rugged hiking/running shoe with a wider toe box (too wide for my foot), but the PureGrits fit more closely with less sole and bulk to the upper.

How they performed
I was able to test the PureGrit2 shoes on a variety of trail surfaces: gravel, bark, grass, packed dirt and slick mud. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I was unable to test them in loose sand, snow or icy surfaces.

 The hardest test for the shoes was certainly mud, but in my 7 mile run with mud I lost traction only twice- both times going downhill on a very slick slope, and only momentarily. Overall, they handled very well on each trail  they were worn.

The flexibility rivals my other speed shoes, but they are still sturdy and protective.  And as far as protection goes, there were no issues with rocks poking through to my feet. I suspect there is something (thin plastic maybe?) within the bottom of  the shoe to prevent this.

The PureGrit2s seem to almost repel mud.

Water penetrated my PureGrit2s when going through puddles, but the mesh upper fabric design allowed for it to drain quickly. My friend, who wore regular trainers on the same muddy run, had mud caked on her shoes when we finished.

A couple of cautions
The heel tab/achilles notch hits my foot a little higher than in some other shoes. Wearing longer socks will  keep them from rubbing sand or dirt into your foot. Gaiters are also recommended for especially gnarly trails.
If you are new to the 4mm platform, take your time adjusting to them.

Evaluation
The PureGrit2 are an excellent lightweight trail training and racing shoe. I would strongly recommend them to anyone, especially those interested in a trail shoe with lots of flexibility and a lower heel drop.

Paying it Back

Ever wondered what a trail 50k in Western Oregon is like in April?

We've been experiencing some unseasonably warm and dry days here..until a few days before the Shotgun Trail Blast. Then things turned more typical- wet and wetter. I had the Shotgun Trail Blast on my radar but was unable to race it this year. Since I am still pretty new to trails and trail races, I thought I might volunteer this for fun anyway.

Racers at the start of the 50k- Different waves for each distance

 The course was looped - 5.2 mi X 6 for the 50k racers, X 3 for the 25kers. I was assigned to an aid station about 2 miles from the finish line (.25 if you are not racing).

When I went to relieve the first shift, I found 2 ladies standing on the muddy trail by the table, wearing soaking-wet sweatshirts. I can only assume they were there from 9am until I got there at 12. It had been raining non-stop.  They seemed glad to see me and quickly made their way back downhill.

For the next three hours I was water-girl, Gatorade-girl, gel dispenser, keeper-of-the-first-aid-box, and cheerleader. I loved it!

Under my rain coat, I wore 3 layers of shirts and stayed mostly warm by walking up and down a stretch of about 40 yards so I could see if anyone was coming. There weren't a load of racers in the combined 25-50k, so there were some longer stretches with no one coming through.  I passed the time filling cups, arranging gel packages and hiking my little track. I also timed myself at wall-sits against a fir tree several times. :)

Photos with permission from Long Run Picture Company

Whenever racers appeared I cheered and also asked to see how they were feeling. There were a few complaints about being "done" or "wet", but most were happy to keep moving through. The station was at a slippery downhill hair-pin turn, and I saw several racers almost bite it. Luckily there were no accidents, but as the race wore on, the mud got thicker and slicker.

The last racers came through at about 3:20pm. I packed up the folding table, garbage bag, first aid box, and made a short hike back to the finish line shelter. Some delicious, hot food catered by Qdoba, was waiting for me there (Or maybe it was for the racers, but there was enough for me too..).

A few things I took away from the experience:

• It was surprising how many people wore regular trainers. It was muddy and trail shoes are the only way to go in those conditions. Mud just cakes onto regular trainers and makes them very heavy.
• It didn't appear that anyone brought a change of clothes after the race, or for changing into during. I offered a shirt to a lady but she didn't take it. Perhaps it would have been wet in 5 minutes. I hate wearing a rain coat to run in, but I hate being cold more.
• Nearly everyone coming through on the trail said "thank you" . This happens at other races I have volunteered, but I think the trail racers are especially thankful to see another body there for them - just in case.
• The race company, eclectic edge, does a great job organizing their races. I enjoy volunteering, but they also offer a discount on future races for volunteers as an incentive- a nice gesture. There were loads of medals, awards and random prizes- and lots of wet, dirty but satisfied, finishers.
• For sure, this was a challenging course. The first man might have passed me only once in my shift, but was running well and it still took him 4:38 for the 50K. The first female finished in 5:46, and she was definitely running. Trails just can't compare with road times.

I'll be heading back there once things dry out a bit, as there is a fantastic trail network at Shotgun Creek- (though beware of many roots and rocks). Hopefully I can slosh through the mud next April with a bib on, but after this weekend, I'll know what to expect!