Saturday, January 31, 2015

Shoe de Triomphe

Hopefully I won't be saying "Whoa is me."
Today's run (treadmill): 40 minutes

I love a bargain, especially when it comes to running gear. Unfortunately, not all bargains pay off. Back in November, I was able to purchase a pair of ASICS Kayano 20s for $64. I've subsequently seen these shoes selling for $109 (discounted from $160 MSRP) because the 21s have since replaced them. So saving $45 on these highly rated "top of the market, super cushioned" shoes should have been a win-win. At best it's a win-tie.

I've done my best to appreciate the Kayanos, but they don't provide the fit or the comfort that I'd expected. If I'd paid full price, or even current market price, I'd be upset. Fortunately, I have the opportunity to put the Kayanos aside with no penalty. Saucony has asked me to test a pair of their new Triumph ISOs. This is Saucony's top neutral shoe, with some very promising attributes.

Like the Kayanos, the Triumphs are designed for bigger runners who do a lot of mileage. That describes me not at all. According to CDC.gov, I weigh 13% less than the average adult male in the US (although I'm sure the gap would be smaller compared to the average male runner). In terms of volume, I run 50% of the weekly mileage of the average competitive runner. So this shoe may not be a match made in heaven. My plan at the moment is to love the Triumphs and relegate the ASICS to weekend casual shoe status. We'll see. I should be taking delivery next week,

This week has been awful in terms of running. I worked from home on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and all three days should have provided opportunities for running. Between the big snowstorm on Monday and workdays that tied me up from 7:00 AM to early evening, I could not fit in a workout. I was scrambling to get some documents together before a video conference call yesterday and cracked my toe on one of the slate steps that lead down to the den. My hopes for a lunch hour treadmill run were dashed by what I thought was a broken toe.

This morning my toe was a little better. Still swollen, but the pain wasn't as sharp. I put a little foam padding under the toe joint and wore my Kinvara 3's on the treadmill with decent results. I kept it to 40 minutes just in case. I'm probably going to do the same tomorrow. With more snow coming on Sunday and Monday, it looks like I'll be spending a lot more time running inside.

6 comments:

  1. Again, why aren't people sending me free sneakers?

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  2. I've always run in kayanos and have the 19's now. I'm a big runner & wear out lightweight shoes. You may find the Sauconys very similar to your 20's. I'm interested to see how you like them.

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    Replies
    1. I'm concerned that the arch will be too high. I'm somewhere between mid and flat. My perfect shoe (minimal category) is probably the Saucony Kinvara 5 and (traditional category) the Brooks Adrenalin 15s. Too bad they're not sending me any of those models : )

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    2. High arch is perfect for me! Are yours the same color as the ones in the picture? I like them. I give you permission to "make" them send me a pair in a size 6.

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    3. I'll try to use the huge influence I have on a major shoe company like Saucony to get you a pair. I don't know what color shoes they're going to send me but I'll post a pic.

      If Saucony won't send you anything I'll be glad to send you my pair when I'm done with them. You may need to wear an extra pair of socks to fit my size 11s.

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