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