The Marshmallow Shoes: A Brief Review

A couple of months ago I shelled out for a pair of Hoka One One's. Having done well with the lightweight low-drop approach up until now, I was skeptical about this Giant Shoe. But my post-op ankle wanted something just a little more sturdy as I started to run again, without the weight and added tech of the typical "stability" shoe. The Bondi Speed 2 fit the bill. Surprisingly lightweight but a stiffer sole, with just a slight rocker bottom.

I've taken them on treadmill, road, and trail so far, and they've been stable on all terrain, although they're made to be a road shoe. There's definitely a cushion-y feel that I'm not used to in my old standby, the saucony kinvara. My feet run narrow, and there's plenty of extra room in these - they would probably work well for someone with a wider foot. The extra room gives my foot plenty of space to spread out, preserving that "natural" running feel despite the platform and cushion. As touted by the ultrarunners who seem to love the Hokas, it's easy to hammer the downhills with these shoes without your quads feeling like they went through a meatgrinder. The locklaces that they come with are decent, although I'll probably end up replacing them - I have to pull them far enough out that the loop bounces around a bit too much for my liking.

So, the marshmallow shoes have earned a permanent place in my shoe rotation, despite the fact that I'm convinced I look like bigfoot in them, and feeling like I'm running with marshmallows attached to my feet makes me hungry...

Russian Subways Now Accept Squats for Payment

This has gotten a lot of coverage in the past few days, and I love it. A few thoughts:

(a) Would this work in the US? Guesses on how many people would actually do 30 squats to pay their way?

(b) Is it financially sustainable for public transportation entities?

(c) Do we need an alternative for people with disabilities who can't squat?

Half Full Tri - October 2013

It's been a long time since I did a race just for fun. I've decided that should happen more often, as it results in images like the above. After an ankle surgery and a gnarly bike crash this summer, I was just happy to be back on my feet. Heck, I was even prepared to walk the run if need be to protect those still-healing bone bruises. The Half Full was the perfect venue for this, as it's really about something bigger than swimming, biking, and running. It was a great day, and truly inspiring to see all of Team Fight out there kicking butt! A nice clockwise lake swim, a bike course with lots of rolling hills (and sheep! cows!), and a decently hilly run course finishing in Centennial Park.

Seeing as they were only a short distance away, my parents came and spectated. This was their first tri. So, I got to hear things like:

Dad, at the swim start: "You look like a baby seal!"
Mom, as I transition to bike: "Why aren't you wearing socks? WHY IS NO ONE WEARING SOCKS?"

Still finalizing next year's race schedule, but would definitely come back to this one. Thanks Half Full!