Well, not really. Picked these up from Running Warehouse, with an $8 discount for mentioning runblogger.com. Can I recommend runblogger.com? Why, yes I can! His review of the Saucony Grid Type A5, the first ever running flat I’ve ever owned and, as of this morning, run in, begins simply, “I think I’m in love.” That was enough for me.
In the past, I’ve felt that you really need to try a shoe on in the store to make the decision. I’m no longer sure about this. Granted, I’ll know one of two things when I try on a shoe in the store: Whether I love it or hate it (in the store). What remains to be seen is whether I’ll continue to love it. (I guess we can pretty much rule out the case of buying the shoe you hate just to see if it grows on you.) And though I dearly appreciate my local running store, which is totally the real deal, my last visit there after trying five pairs of shoes on I left flummoxed. They all seemed credible options, but nothing really grabbed me.
Anyway, I got the leprechaun energy again when I put this one on. There is something about a box that comes in the mail. And it is so unlike any shoe I’ve run in. I used to run in stability models. Then switched to neutral. Then to Hoka One One Bondis, which are, of course, gigantic, and also the Hoka Stinson Evo Tarmac, check again the box “gigantic.”
But these, these are 5.6 oz of pleasure. Honestly, I don’t think that even registered when I read the review. I just wanted something with a low heel-toe drop. This one is 4 mm, the same, incidentally, as the Stinsons. And I just checked and they actually weigh less than my Vibram KSOs. Running in them, it’s like running in a sock.
I threw together a run, knowing the window of opportunity was very narrow. Forgot the watch. Ran 2.44 miles (logged that course many times), but not sure about the time — around 20 minutes, pace 7:54 min/mile or something. I like the shoe. Felt a bit like running in the Vibrams, so light. Felt very connected in my stride. And, perhaps, felt like I was running faster than I actually was. Will see, when I get the watch back into play.
For the week, that puts me at a titanic 6 miles! You can bet I’ll be attempting to put together an easy 10 tomorrow morning. If that’s not possible, I may go into convulsions or do untold number of plyometric exercises. I’m guessing this is not the shoe, just yet, for an easy 10. Perhaps I’ll try my other new shoe for that…
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