Saturday, December 13, 2014

Shoe Review - first look at the New Balance MT00v2

A very belated post... And a different topic than the posts I had previously planned to write.

I've been intending to do a blog post for a while: firstly I was going to do a recap on the amazing experience that was #Runstreak Day 1000. Next, I was going to write about my 3rd year of streaking (bringing up 3000 miles in 2014 with a 3 mile run in Bratislava), then about the wonderful surprise of having loads of running friends turn up unannounced in tutus for parkrun the weekend of my 40th birthday.

I'll hopefully get round to writing about those subjects sooner or later, but instead, I'm going to do a quick look at some new running shoes that the kind folks at New Balance UK sent me a few weeks ago.


A light, very comfortable and grippy, zero drop off-road shoe, but not at all like the original version.


A bit mucky now - as good off-road shoes should be.


The second edition of New Balance's 0mm drop trail shoe is very, very different to the original MT00 model. I was sent a pair of the first model to review a couple of years ago, but didn't get on with them at all. They were incredibly light, totally minimal in every sense, but didn't fit me well, and for me, the grip wasn't anywhere near up to scratch. I only ran in them a handful of times, and fell over more frequently than in any other shoe I've tried. I ended up giving them away.


The MT00v2 (or Minimus Zero Trail V2 to give it its full name) is a very different shoe, in fact I'm surprised the model identifier hasn't been changed. The new version is still pretty light compared with most similar off-road shoes (it weighs around 250g for UK size 8), but it's almost exactly twice the weight of the original MT00). With road shoes, I'm a big fan of ultra-light racing flats (the 108g Mizuno Wave Universe 4 is my race shoe for half marathon and every shorter distance), but when it comes to off-road running, especially in wet / muddy UK conditions, weight is only one of many considerations.

MT00v2's Large multi-directional lugs across the full sole give great grip 

Where the MT00V2 scores over its predecessor (and many other off-road shoes I've tried) is its grip in tricky conditions. I've only run 40 miles in the shoes so far, as I've been doing lots of road races over the past few weeks, but I have managed to try them out in the muddy woods near home where they were reassuringly secure in some really thick wet mud, and I gave them their first race outing at the entertaining Lakeland Trails Ullswater 14K, where they were great on the wet rocks and hard-packed trails around the lake shore.
Having fun at the Ullswater 14km in the MT00v2s

From the limited amount of running I've done so far in the NB MT00v2s, I've learned enough to know that they'll be one of the shoes that I choose for off-road training runs and shorter races during this winter. The MT00v2s are probably most similar (in weight, grip and the conditions to which they are suited) to my favourite short-distance muddy race shoe, the Inov-8 X-Talon 212s, but the NBs feel a bit more geared towards comfort (they have a very padded heel collar and plush tongue for example), so I'll probably use them for training more than racing.

The 0mm drop of these shoes feels comfortable over short distances for me, but as I've had a niggly Achilles for the last few months, (and also as the MT00V2s don't have a rock plate to protect the foot on longer / rockier runs), I'll probably only wear them for runs below 15 miles or so for now.


Initial Conclusion and an important note on sizing.


I intend to post a fuller review (and a comparison with some of my other favourite off-road running shoes) later in the winter, but for now I'd definitely recommend the MT00v2 for anyone looking for a light, grippy, comfortable and good value trail shoe, that works well in UK conditions.
My only size 11 shoes. 

One important note is that for me (I have very wide feet with a high arch and high-volume mid-foot), I needed to size up in the MT00V2s. I usually wear a UK size 10 in Saucony and Brooks shoes, size 10.5 in Adidas and Inov-8, but in the MT00V2s I'm wearing a UK size 11.

New Balance originally sent me a UK 10 to try, but I could hardly get my foot into the shoe, and as they didn't have a size 10.5, trying size 11 was the only option.

The size 11 (US 11.5, EU 45.5) feels very slightly long for me, but not in a way that adversely affects my running, and width-wise it's pretty much spot on, so I'm not sure whether a 10.5 would have been big enough or not. As with any new shoe, I'd definitely advise trying the MT00V2 on in a running shop if you can.




Saturday, August 16, 2014

#Runstreak Day 1000 is very nearly here! And to celebrate I'm going to attempt to run 100km through the Peak District!


As most readers of this post will probably already know, on 23rd November 2011, having lost 5 stone (70lbs / 32kg) earlier that year, through diet and cycling, and having just run my first 10K race, I decided to try running at least 5km every day for one week

Here's how I looked about a year before starting my runstreak.
it was Movember, honest. 


Here's how I often look and feel when running now :)







I've got a bit carried away.... :)


Since then, my 1 week experiment has snowballed a bit, and by the time I reached my first year of running every day, or '#runstreak' as it's known in the online world, I was totally hooked and I'd run my first half marathon, marathon and ultra marathon, clocking up nearly 3000 miles of running in the process. 


It wasn't just the running itself that had me hooked though, it was the inspiring new people I was meeting through running, and the amazing new places that running was taking me. 

At the end of that first week, I was having a great time, so decided to try running throughout December 2011, and started to connect with other runners online. 

Here's one of my favourite pictures from my first year of #runstreak
on my first run in the Peak District. August 2012

My biggest challenge so far...

On Monday 18th August 2014, I'll reach the landmark of having run every day for 1000 days, and I'm going to be marking the occasion by attempting my longest and toughest ever run - 100km (62 miles) through the Peak District. 

The route for this adventure can be seen here

I'll be very lucky to accompanied on this daunting challenge by several of my friends, some of whom I've met with through running, and others who I've known for a long time, and who I've reconnected with through a shared appreciation of just how much fun running together can be. 

I'm not known for my concise blog posts, or for blogging frequently, but as I'm hoping to do a follow up post after Monday's adventure, I'm going to keep this post free of lots of stats, lists of "lessons I've learned" or excessive eulogising about just how lucky I've been to meet so many great people, visit so many wonderful places and have so much fun over the past 1000 days. 


Thanks to everyone for all the amazing support so far.
I do want to take the opportunity to thank all of those who've run with me, encouraged me online, and supported my obsessive and crazy running antics in person. In particular, I'd like to thank my brilliant other half Sarah, whose support really is always invaluable (not only because she'll be driving round the Peak District on Monday to make sure we're kept supplied with cake and pies), my fantastic parents, and my kids, who've put up with my obsessive running for nearly three years now. 

With Sarah at the end of the Highland Fling 2013. 
my longest run so far - 53 miles
#

With my Mum, Dad and younger son, Kieran, preparing
for our first  time as a family pacing team at our local parkrun


I'd also like to thank the fantastic group of running friends and family who are going to run some or all of the 100km with me on Monday, I'm really looking forward to spending the day with such inspiring people, and I hope it will be a day we'll all remember.

I'm hoping to raise some money, too... 


I'm also hoping to raise some funds for Beating Bowel Cancer by completing Monday's challenge, so I've created a JustGiving page - any donations greatly appreciated!