Next Run: Brussels 42K

2012-10-07 09:00:00 GMT+01:00

Rainradar

Click on the image or here for large image!

Sunday, 16 June 2013

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

Saturday, 18 May 2013

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

Thursday, 9 May 2013

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...

Friday, 3 May 2013

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.


Friday, 29 March 2013

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.

Friday, 22 March 2013

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.



Sunday, 10 March 2013

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.