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.