Record (temperatures) at Badwater

Tomorrow sees the start of one of the most extreme ultras: The Badwater Ultramarathon.

Of course the distance of 135 miles, or 217 kilometers, can be considered a challenge. Or the altitude gain. Starting at  -86 meter, in Badwater, the lowest point in the US. The finish is at Mount Whitney at 2548 meter in the Sierra Nevada.

The challenge is the temperature. The temperature can hit 54 degrees centigrade. The record is from July 10th 1913 when it reached 56,7 degrees centigrade.

This extreme temparatures are of course caused by the burning sun over the dessert. The valley is a kind of bowl in which the air circulates  so it will not cool down during the night. Something I learned from this Polish Newspaper thanks to Google Translate ;-)

By the way looking for a record of your own. You have to beat::
Men: Valmir Nunes (Brazil), 22:51:29 (in 2007);
Women; Jamie Donaldson (USA), 26:12:16 (2010).


 
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Veronica Campbell-Brown 'tests positive' for banned diuretic – reports http://gu.com/p/3gtnm

Burn Fat Fast!

Burning Calories. Burning Fat. How tot loose weigth in no time? Avoid the intake of harmful calories. Resist the fastfood temptation.

It is a 'hot topic' given that a search on 'burn fat' results in over 20.000.000 hits in a tenth of a second on Google.

It is this kind of food that has more calories than you can burn in one day. And what does your body do...store it as fat.

This can easily be avoided. How? Burn the calories on your plate! Set the burger ablaze!

And that is exactly what photographer Henry Hargreaves did. Creating this stunning images in the proces. Just consider why the food doesn't look that burned....the fat in the food is burning. The photographer says this is not an anti fastfood action but I can't say its pro fastfood either;p. Just enjoy the food....as eye candy!




















inspiration and images: fastcodesign.com

Sneakers with head lights

From time to time at Kickstarter you come a across an initiative related to running. Like one for the very minimalistic shoe (see my dutch blog), Strapless Heart rate Monitor of the funny bottle.

This time the idea to strap headlights on to your running shoe so you can safely run in the dark en monitor the road ahead of you.

To be honest I don't think it will work as good as they tell you in the video.

As a runner you should look ahead of you. So I think a strong head mounted light is better as this will cast its bundle where you are looking. It also a more constant source of light shining ahead of you. They argue such a light will not enable your eyes to adjust to the dark for 'night vision'. I on the other hand think that this flickering light around you feet is as bad for your night vision and only provides light just around your feet forcing you to look down which is not good for your running posture.

The solution offered in this video is a good idea when it comes to visibility. I have to admit they promote it with "See and Be Seen" on the kickstarter website.
As your feet move, the light is constantly moving as well, attracting attention from drivers and other people out on the road. But for this purpose they have to provide tail lights as well as head lights. Or maybe even focus on tail lights as the hazard in the night is behind you because you see other traffic coming towards you.

Then again: you can buy jackets with led light, arm straps, vests and all with led light and reflecting strips.

So I have to admit that to me this not an innovation but a gimmick. Lets see if they can prove me wrong and raise the capital needed. So far, 3 days going in a 4 week campaign they have raised ~$700 from the $38.000 required...

Easy to use fitness app

There are numerous apps that enable you to track your activities. Apps like runkeeper, map my run, my tracks. These apps require you to configure it before use, activate it when you start and stop it when you, well, stop with the exercise.
This annoyed the designers off this new fitness app 'Moves'.

Moves automatically registers all day long you activities. walking, running, cycling. And this all day long as displayed in the time line below:

It was never so easy to keep track of your activities and learning at the end of the day to know how much you moved....hence the name 'Moves'. More info on the site moves-app where you can download the app currently only available for iPhone.

Feet in the Clouds: Serious warning

In his twitter time line Scott Jurek posted this picture from the cover of Feet in the Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession

Sounds like fun reading.

And of course for the average runner this warning is to be neglected.

Professional fit?

Sometimes inspiration for a posting is right there in front of you. For example while waiting for a train looking at the poster (pictured next to this text) on the platform. OK, this looks like a running shoe but why offer a free hairdryer along with it? Because it is supposed to help you to create a perfect fitting shoe.

This poster introduced to me the U form technology from Reebok. This technology makes it possible to create some form of custom made fitting shoes just like te professionals have.

How? Thats where the hairdryer comes in.

You'll heat up the shoe for two minutes en put in on. After 8 minutes of colling down on your foot should offer a custom made fit.
De U form logo is an indicator if the shoe is heated enough when it will turn red (200 degrees Fahrenheit, or 93 deg. Celcius).

Next to the U form technology the shoe has another feature to offer: Realflex.
The shoe on the poster looks like a running shoe but it might be a (cross)fitness shoe.
The running shoe with U FORM  displayed next to this article does not have the realflex sole.
However a wide range of running shoes with Realflex technology are available on amazon. But these are without U form.

You can take a look at thev video for an illustration of creating this professional fit with the simple use of a hairdryer.
To me the use of this simple tool takes away a bit of the marketing value of the shoe. To me they should have created a bit more high tech approach to heating the shoe.

Overview Running Shoes 2013

Below you can find an overview  in alphabetical order of the (new) shoes available for 2013.

For every shoe the weight is based on the shoe for men,  roughly size 42/43 (7,5 / 8).

I decided to use amazon widgets for the images and an indication of the prices.

adidas Boost Neutral Weight: 278 g Adidas and BASF started looking for a new material with the requirement: Soft and fast. This became the energy boost. Read my blog on this shoe. Not available on Amazon. Wanne read more on this innovative shoe.
adidas Falcon Elite 2  Weight: 227 gram (women, size 38) A ligth an comfortable shoe. Order it on the  Adidas site and customize it.
adidas Response Cushion 21 Neutral Weight  332 g What's in a name: a shoe with losts of cushioning.
adidas Supernova Glide 5 Neutral Weight: 318 g Next ot this neutral shoe Adidas offers the Ride(support) and Sequence(extra support).
Adidas Supernova Solution Neutral Weight: 320 g The extra layer of Adiprene in the midsole offer extra cushioning. Stability due to support under mid foot.
Adistar Salvation 3  Weight: 354 g The heavy weigth from adidas for the heavy runners. Wide, stable and lots of cushioning. All available technology is used to offer heavy runners a comfortable ride.
ASICS Gel Forte Support Weight: 345 g The maximum support shoe in the Asics range.
ASICS GT-1000 Support Weight: 325 g
ASICS GT-2000 Support Weight: 325 g The GT-2000 is the ASICS bestseller. It did not stop Asics from a complete make over of the sole and midsole compared to its predecessor the GT-2170.
ASICS GT-3000 Support Weight: 300 g The GEL-3000 is renamed to GT-3000. It lost some weigth but still offers support for runners with late over pronation.
ASICS Kayano 19 Support Weight: 270 g Still going for maximum comfort but with less weigth.
Brooks Adrenaline 13 Support Weight: 320 g Most sygnificant change was the lowe sole. The flex grooves under the forefoot are slightly depper for improved movement. It is still a shoe with lots of support and cushioning.
Brooks Defyance 6 Neutral Weight316 g The neutral version of the support shoe Adrenaline GTS. They took away the extra support on the innerside of the foot but the rest of the shoe is the same.
Brooks Ravenna 4 Support Weight: 315 g The Ravenna 4 is somewhere between neutral and support. The upper contains an elastic band to create a close fit to the foot.
Brooks Trance 12 Support Weight: 345 g A sturdy shoe for the heavies.
Karhu Fast4 Neutral Weight: 311g This shoe is not available from amazon. Click here for the available shoes
Karhu Strong4 Support Weight: 332 g This shoe is not available from amazon.Click here for the available shoes
K-Swiss Blade-Light Run II Nuetral Weight: 269 g
Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas Weight: 195 g The first minimalistic shoe from Mizuno still featuring the wave technology.
Mizuno Wave Inspire 9  Support Weight: 295 g Offering support for runners with only a light degree of pronation. A trainer suitable for roadraces as well.
MIZUNO Wave Prophecy 2 Neutral Weight: 351 g The bulky sole did not change compared to the previous edition. They saved some weigth on the upper of the shoe.
Mizuno Wave Ovation 2 Weight: 290 g Suitable for a wide range of runners. Simple shoe without some of the high tech features of other Mizuno models but with the  wave.
Mizuno Wave Rider 16  Neutral Weight: 280 g Where the Ovation is at the lower and of the scale, the  Rider is one of the race horses of Mizuno. Thanks to the Dynamotion Fit-technology it follows every motion of the foot.
New Balance 860 V3 Support Weight: 328,8 g Combining speed an support. A challenge in which the 860 succeeds.
New Balance 890v3 Neutral Weight: 271 g Thanks to its low weigth suitable as trainer but also as race shoe.
New Balance 1080v3  Neutral Weight: 288 g The New Balance 1080v3 is a shoe for neutral runners looking for extra cushioning.
New Balance 1260v2 Support Weight: 338,9 gram
Nike Air Pegasus+ 29 Neutral Weight:  298 g Turning 30 this year (read my post). A good shoe to start with for nuetra runners.
Nike Flyknit Trainer / Lunar Neutral Weight: 240 g The innovation from Nike (read my post) with the seamless, knitted, leigthweigth upper.
Nike Lunareclipse+ 3 Support Weight: 310 g Trainer for runners that look for cushioning and support.
Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 Weight: 263 g This specific shoe is not available on amazon. Click here to see the available shoes
Saucony Guide 6 Support Weight: 283 g Little changed after the succes of the Guide 5.
Saucony Progrid Echelon 3 Neutral Weight: 298 g A neutral shoe for heavy runners, looking for some extra cushioning.
Saucony Mirage 3 Weight: 247 g Saucony's answer to natural running. Some support remains but clearly a change from the traditional running shoe.
Saucony Triumph 10 Neutral Weight: 295 g
Scott T2C Evolution  Neutral Weight: 240 g Something between a light trainer and race shoe with a midsole from AeroFoam.
Scott eRide AF trainer Neutral Weight: 241 g
Skechers GOrun Ride / Neutral Weight: ?

This overview is based on various sources such as magazines (Runner's World NL) and the overview on running.be.

Strapless Heart Rate Monitor

Found in a magazine listed as 'innovation': The first heart rate monitor that does not require you to wear a band around your chest.
So if you are a runner and want to train with a HRM but hate the band around your chest? Here is the solution. The Mio Alpha.

Using an optical sensor it measures your blood flow in your wrist to determine your heart rate.

They used Kickstarter to raise capital so you can find more info including some video's on the site. what I learn is that it is a simple monitor, using a led to indicate if your in your training zone. But for things like GPS, speed, distance and the like they advise the use of you favourite App on your Smartphone.

The watch is available from amzon.com.

Running marathons in Belgium

For everybody looking for a running experience in Belgium a full list of the marathons in Belgium. I myself ran in Brussels. My positive experience resulted in post on my Dutch blog (read with Google Translate):

Belgische marathons in 2013
3 March	2e Marathon en 29e Bardelaereloop (Lembeke)
7 April	Vlaanderens mooiste marathon (Zwalm)
21 April	DVV Antwerp 10 Miles en Marathon (Antwerpen)
12 May	Maasmarathon de la Basse Meuse(Visé)
9 June	Marathon Nature (La Roche-en-Ardenne)
21 June	Nacht van West-Vlaanderen (Torhout)
29 June	Marathon der Noorderkempen (Rijkevorsel)
11 August	Rhythm and Run Marathon (Antwerpen)
15 September	Instapmarathon (Arendonk)
15 September	In Flanders Fields Marathon (Ieper)
22 September	Alproleiemarathon (Deinze)
22 September	Bosmarathon (Buggenhout)
29 September	Geelse Natuurmarathon (Geel)
29 September	Marathon Oostende (Oostende)
6 October	Brussels Marathon en Half Marathon (Brussel)
27 October	Hageland Marathon (Aarschot)
17 November	Marathon Kasterlee (Kasterlee)

A running shoe is a 'Best Invention of 2012'

The Nike Flyknit, well known among readers of this blog, has been selected as one of the 26 'Best inventions of 2012' by Time Magazine.

You can find the Time article here and my previous post over the FlyKnit Lunar (February 2013) and Racer (February 2012) and the fashion shoe the Flyknit Chukkas.

One of the other 26 inventions has nothing to do with running but just looks great so here it is: Indoor Clouds!

10.000 kilometers with Polar RS200sd

Last week I did a short run. Not too long because of a heavy cold I had (and still have). The kind of run you do not talk about. Nothing like hours in beautiful surroundings, runners high, the pain, the exhaustion, dehydration, the cold.... Well you know; the kind of stories you share when you talk with other runners.
And suddenly this run became one of those stories. As it turned out. When I completed run I completed exactly 10.000 kilometre since I bought the watch, heart rate monitor in November 2007. Not 9998 or 10.001 or 10.002. No, exactly 10.000 kilometre.

That will make this watch a dependable piece of technology. Of course the battery is changed a couple of times and I have had one new wristband.

I see the watch is still available online (Polar RS200sd). Take care that you order the one with footpod to track speed en distance, the sd.

More recent is the RS300X SD Heart Rate Monitor Watch with S1 Foot Pod

Photographic evidence:
Total Distance tracked since 18.11.2007: 10.000KM!

Going underground

People come up with the creasiest places tot run (a marathon). In Germany they ran a marathon last week in a former saltmine. The Kristallmarathon in Merkers:

• 500 meters underground;
• 13 laps;
• 750m climbing;
• 500 participants;
• Helmet and headlight mandatory;

The winner finished in 2:45. The mine is used for other activities such as mountain biking (or should I say underneath mountain biking) and various concerts.

Below some video's to give you an impression of the event.

Eat & Run; book by Scott Jurek

The Dutch Edition of Runner's World features Scott Jurek. Thanks tot the book 'Born to Run', his achievements as ultra runner and the Opel Ampera commercial he needs little introduction.
Reason for his appearance in the magazine: The dutch translation of his book: Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultra marathon Greatness.

This triggered me to look around a bit and I found on his website a short promotional video (see below first video). A bit less bash full but to me more interesting is a short contribution to TEDMED (see second video).

Scott Jurek is not just a great ultra runner. He is a vegan as well. I think you might say he is a living example that being a vegan is healthy. Otherwise you would not be able to run 266 km in 24 hours or complete 100 miles trails in 15 hours!

In the TEDMED video he tells what inspired him to change his lifestyle.

The book is available from amazon .

Breezing: Track your metabolism

Every runner knows that loosing weight is a matter of creating a unbalance between the calories that enter your body and those that you burn. That is to say less calories entering, more calories burned and not the other way around.

That is why regular running helps you to stay fit and in shape. You increase your metabolism. In general toning your body to a better shape than any given coach potato.

Of course this rough approach can be more refined. Everyone using an heart rate monitor during running, or a GPS watch (see my post on five of them) or an app on the smart phone knows that these devices indicate your calories burned during you exercise.

Apparently this is not accurate enough for some geeks. Thats why they came up with 'Breezing'. A small device analysing your breath, communicating with your (Andriod) smart phone app to display your metabolism. Giving you detailed feedback so you can fine tune your exercise. It analyses your breath on oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production.

Is this more accurate than a heart rate monitor? Can be. Every trained runner knows that with improved fitness you can run a given speed at a lower heart rate because your body becomes more efficient in the transport of oxygen to your muscles and burning the fuel in your body and turning it into speed. I have to say I am a bit sceptical. Just go out, enjoy the run, use your common sense and eat healthy and your scale will tell you the resulting weight loss.

The video below explains a bit more on 'breezing' although I have to say it is more 'features' than 'benefits' or 'practical use';

Adidas Energy BOOST: It looks like Styrofoam but it isn't

Adidas launched a new shoe with the name 'Energy Boost'. New in this shoe is the midsole. Where most midsoles are made of EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate), with this shoe Adidas uses BOOST.


The midsole is made of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane).

Solid granular material (TPU) is literally blown up and turned into thousands of small energy capsules which make up the footwear’s distinctive midsole.

With the cell structure, these capsules store and unleash energy more efficiently in every stride. Tests conducted by the Adidas Innovation Team show that the highly durable material found only in Energy Boost products provides the highest energy return in the running industry.

Additional benefits of this material is that its performance is more stable both over time and changing temperatures. Delivering a more constant ride to the runner.

Good marketing this about energy capsules but to me it looks like Styrofoam/polystyrene. Look at the picture. It looks like the sole was cut out of the protecting Styrofoam around your newly bought TV.

The video below illustrates the energy return.

More on the site of Adidas.

Flyknit Fashion

After introduction of the Flyknit last year the shoe for the very day runner followed a few week ago with the launch of the Nike Lunar 1+.

Below a few very interesting pics of the Flyknit for Fashion: de Nike’s Flyknit Chukkas.

This shoe is not a sports shoe but a fashion shoe for every day use.

 

The design is a collaboration between designer Mark Parker and Tinker Hatfield and the Japanese designer, producer and musician Hiroshi Fujiwara. The shoe is a nice mixture of sole of the Lunar shoe, the Flyknit technology for the upper but the classical ankle booty.

scource: fastcodesign

The Innovator: Mike Friton from Origami to Running Shoes

On vimeo I found this very nice interview with Mike Friton, 'The Innovator'. Stylist, sculptor, innovator, designer with Nike for 30 years and one time teammate of Prefontaine running the Steeple Chase.

This short but well made video gives a nice insight how he plays around with very different materials and structures to discover new posibilities.
The Innovator on Vimeo.

Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius shoots girlfriend

Allegedly mistaking her for an intruder, Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend last night. Read more on BBC.

Tired of bottle belts or camelbacks?

Sometime ago I saw a runner who had a normal drinking bottle stuck between the waistband of his running short. It looked highly uncomfortable but hey, maybe he thought the same of me carrying a 330ml bottle in my hand.

Someone must have thought the same and came up with a solution. A bottle shaped to be carried along in the waistband of you short, skirt or even sports bra (see video). This guy used kickstarter to crowd source the capital required to produce his invention and here it is. Simple Hydration Water Bottle

the bottle in use

Myself being a skinny runner I fear of loosing my short if I weigh it down with a bottle so I stick to carry my bottle in my hand (it tones my arms as well;-) ). The bottle can carry 384 ml of 13 oz. share your experience, post a comment underneath this posting!

You can order the bottle on . amazon.com: Simple Hydration Water Bottle

Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+; Flyknit upper with Lunar Sole

A year ago Nike introduced the Flyknit. The upper was not made of various materials stitched together to make up a shoe. No, the upper is knitted. So no stitches that might cause discomfort and a lighter upper.

For the more 'average' runner is fancy upper is now combined with the popular Lunar Sole to produce the Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+.

It is widely available in (on line) stores.

Run, or exercise with classical music

Most people, who run with music will argue that it helps them perform better. And according to this Daily Mail article they are right. Best would be if we believe the expert Jack Lewis, to use classical music: "'Energetic but not overly-fast classical music can be ideal in the gym."

For those who spend time in a gym you will agree that the music played can best be described as 'a beat and not much more'. And yes, this upbeat music has a positive effect on the intensity and duration of the exercise but you might consider a classical alternative that offers the same beat. Why? It has added benefits!

It will reduce heart rate, blood pressure and lower perceived exertion, at the same time. In addition, relaxing music has been shown to lower levels of cortisol in the body, the hormone associated with stress.

According to Lewis the classical music that survived time is more sophisticated and has these nice side effects.

OK, but which music to pick? Lewis suggests music with a beat per minute (bpm) in sync with your heart beat. For the 140 bpm he suggests Beethoven's Symphony No. 4, the Fourth movement (Listen and download MP3 on amazon).

Lewis has more tips but to me these are not listed as 'classical':

• Michael Jackson's Rock with You (MP3 download) for warming up with 116 bpm
• Johnny Cash's Heart of Gold (MP3 en preview ) for the Cooling Down

Natural(?) running according to TeVa

Nop, the question mark is not a mistake. Read on and I will explain why I put the '?' in the caption of this blog.

The current development of running shoes is less sole, less drop, less cushioning, less heel landing and more forefoot landing. A more natural approach to running even resulting in, what I call 'gloves' for the foot.

TeVa looks at this development an thinks "Why not change the shoe instead of the running pose of so many runners? Lets take of the heel cushion and make a more round sole which makes it easier to roll from heel to toe.
TeVa want a chip of the growing market of off trail running such as mudruns.

"We took our testing beyond the traditional flat environments of a lab and developed a way to test both uphill and downhill movements, mimicking the various terrains of the outdoors," said Geoffrey Gray , Doctor of Physical Therapy at P3. "Our extensive data showed that the TevaSphere represents the best combination of performance and stability of any hiking, walking or running shoe we tested."

The TevaSphere design stands in stark contrast to bulkier, squared-off heels and over-cushioned insoles of other athletic shoes. It also addresses the poor support found in "minimalist" footwear that encourages consumers to change their stride to adapt.

"The majority of consumers continue to land on their heels whether running or walking," said Chris Hillyer , Innovation Manager at Teva. "We felt compelled to create a technology that allows people to transition through their stride in a natural way without expecting the consumer to change."

(quotes van PRnewswire)

TeVa thinks heel landing is the more natural style of running for most runners and instead of changing your style they adapted the shoe. Of course I am no expert and certainly did not do al the research they say they put into it but looking at all the developments going on I tend to the idea of the barefoot approach of a more fore or mid foot landing. Hence the question mark in the caption.
And yes I agree, I also land on my heels certainly when I am tired at the end of a run. But yes I try to change to a more forefoot landing, smaller and quicker stride.

According to the article the shoe will be available from February 2013. As of now I can only find two women shoes on Amazon.com (see below the video).

Requirements for an elliptical trainer

Every die hard runner prefers to go outside for a run but every now and then you have to resort to other training methods. No matter the reason the elliptical trainer is a good indoor alternative. It mimics the stride from running, training the same muscles at roughly the same levels of intensity from the perspective of cardio fitness.

"Why not going for a treadmill?" I can hear you think. It is completely similar to running outside. That is not entirely true. Because on a treadmill every stride is exactly the same as the previous whereas outside the pavement, or better still, the trails in the park changes all the time forcing you to change your stride. This avoids a monotone movement.
And yes the elliptical trainer is monotone as well as a treadmill but without the impact of the strides. With this in mind it is a good cross training method for runners.
Wanna buy one for yourself? First answer the following questions:

• How much space do I have available for the elliptical trainer?
• What is the body weight and length it can handle?
• Do I want a more heavy and stable frame or is it more important that I can easily move it around the house?
• Do I want to workout on various resistance levels?
• Do I want adjustable pedals for different users?
• What is the stride length (which is more important than the height)?
• Do I want a display and/or programmable exercises?

Did you answer the questions? Now you can find a suitable trainer matching the requirements you wrote down answering the questions. For example on Amazon.