A New Love Affair

I don't usually comment too much on the kit I use when running - sure, I use a "posh watch" to measure distance, time and pace (a Suunto Ambit Peak since you ask) but in reality, running is meant to be a simple sport, where a pair of decent running shoes, a shirt and shorts are enough to get you going. I'm also a creature of habit to some degree, particularly where my running kit is concerned, and I tend to wear the same trusty, reliable stuff year after year where I know it won't cause chaffing or blisters if considering what shoes or socks to wear. When I buy new kit, I won't buy just to keep up with the latest running fashions or crazes, but rather I try to buy the same style and size with the only variance being the colour (I'm in to really bright, vivid colours at the moment).

Back in 2006, I won the Snowdonia Marathon and along with the amazing trophy and personalised painting I received as a prize, I also won a £100 voucher for a pair of Salomon trail running shoes. I don't recall the exact model that I purchased with that voucher - 10 years is a long time and my memory isn't what it used to be - but what I do know is that they were red and black, they fitted like a slipper, and I loved those shoes so much that I refused to part with them even when the studded sole was worn smooth from all the miles over fell and dale, and the fabric was frayed and worn.

I did eventually buy new trail running shoes and not surprisingly, they were Salomons once again. These ones were jet black Speedcross and once again, they served me well and I covered hundreds of miles in those shoes.

My faithful Salomon Trail Shoes

My love affair with Salomon has last for the past 10 years and I still love the Speedcross and consider it to be my favourite trail shoe of all time. It's served me well on the trails and fells in the UK, and even when moving to Canada they've been on some pretty wild and exciting adventures with me. I wore them when I did the TransRockies Run in August last year, and of course, they moved to Arizona with me when we relocated to Phoenix last year.

Loyal and trustworthy Salomon Speedcross :-)

The trails here in Phoenix are pretty amazing and I've done some great runs on the desert trails in my faithful Solomans. But the trails here are different. There are no pine needles to cushion the ground, tree roots are non-existent on the trails, I've yet to encounter soft mud (I'm sure this will change when I experience the monsoons in a few months time!), and although you would think that desert trails would consist of wonderfully soft sand, they are actually very rocky in places which means that the old feet have been taking somewhat of a battering recently. The studs on the bottom of my Salomon Speedcross have been worn down from the rocky terrain, and the cushioning in those shoes is no longer able to serve and protect my feet.

A couple of days before racing Across the Years 24 hour race, we were debating whether to wear road or trail shoes for the race. The course was a gravel path so they didn't warrant a super aggressive grip, but then we figured that we needed something that was slightly better than a road shoe, just in case it rained and we needed something with a bit more traction. 

I don't usually bother with the Boxing Day Sales - they tend to be just another reason for some folks to go out and buy things they don't need simply because they're considered a bargain - but having arrived back in Phoenix for New Year after a recent trip to Calgary over Christmas, we decided to take a look at the local sports stores to see what was left over from the sales and to see whether we could fall upon a bargain with a pair of trail shoes. I wasn't looking for any particular style or brand this time, nor did I want to spend a fortune - especially if they weren't suitable trail shoes for the type of trail running I now did. 

We stumbled upon a pair of New Balance 610 Version 4 and with a further 30% off an already reduced price, we managed to get them for $60 USD. They felt great when I put them on - a little rigid but still relatively comfortable when sitting in a shop trying to decide whether they would feel the same after several hours of running - and so they were sold.

I only wore them for the last hour or so at Across the Years so I didn't really get to test them out properly, but today I headed out for a 15k trail run and with being a recovery run, I thought I would give them a try to see how they felt when out on a proper run. I was amazed!

Apache Wash is pretty close to home now that we've recently moved house, and whilst some of the trails are flat with a mixture of gravel and sand, there are many others that were very rocky. For the first time since being in Phoenix, I didn't notice those rocks. My feet felt absolutely wonderful for the whole duration of the run, and by the time I'd finished, I didn't have the usual aches and pains in my feet that I'd been having over the past few months. The shoes were also extremely light - I didn't notice any excessive weight in them or anything - and they felt extremely sturdy and provided great cushioning on the rocky terrain. They also gripped without any problems heading both up and down Dixie Mountain and the other hills on the Dixie Mountain Loop, and I have to say that I was extremely impressed with the shoes. The good news is too that I didn't appear to suffer any changes in my running gait, so finished the run with no knee or hip problems or anything that can sometimes be caused when trying out a new style of running shoe.

My New Love :-)

So I suppose the moral of the story is, don't be afraid to try something new. I think I may have found a new friend in New Balance trail shoes which is strange really as I also won a gift voucher for a pair of New Balance road shoes back in 2005 when winning the Blackpool Marathon - I never gelled with those shoes and have avoided New Balance ever since - at least until a couple of weeks ago. I do wonder how long this love affair will last - but for now, it's still days of wine and roses.