Friday, October 16, 2009

Run With No Watch and Product Reviews
















Did a fantastic run today. I know it was longer, but I didn't wear my watch so I'm not sure how long. Time wise I'm guessing around 2 hours but again I can't be certain. It just felt good. I had my phone/camera with me to take some pics, but my mind was so into the run I forgot to take 'em! best of all, I got to try out two things that I wanted to review here on my wonderful blog. First is my new Nike Lunar Glides, and the second is my new Skull Candy Ink'd ear buds. (See pics above-obviously :) )

Simply put, the Lunar Glides are the best running shoes I've ever had. It's a bold statement (and keep in mind I haven't really been running for more than a couple years) but these shoes are just amazing. I went through a couple pairs of the original Lunar Trainers and loved everything about them. The Lunar Glides have just taken it to another level.

One thing I've noticed about Nike shoes is that they often feel like cardboard straight out of the box. Trying them on, they usually feel stiff as hell and really require a break in period. Usually I'll wear them to work for at least a week before really running in them. With the Glides I ran them straight out of the box. The had a bit of that trademark "cardboard-ness", but soon they felt like an old glove around my foot. They did everything I wanted them to and nothing I didn't want them to.

The one complaint I had with the Lunar Trainers was that they were a bit bulky. I hate feeling the shoe on my foot and I had a little of that with the literally wider Trainers. The Glides are a bit more streamlined and low profile so this "bulkiness" is virtually eliminated.

I don't know about the stability of the shoe as I usually run in a neutral shoe, but I again didn't feel it getting in the way like the stability shoes I have worn. Nike touts the shoe as being both a stability and neutral shoe, but I can't be sure how accurate that is. One thing is for sure though, it's a great everyday training shoe and pretty fast.

Lastly, I've read that the "big thing" about the Lunar Foam is that it's suppossed to be like running on grass, giving you the advantage of feeling less beat up post run. I've definately seen that to be accurate with this particular shoe. I ran mostly on pavement today, with a lot of pounding downhills. My legs felt fresh and still springy for the rest of the day. Excellent shoe!

Next, I got a pair of Skull Candy Ink'd ear buds for my Ipod the other day. I'm not a big tech guy, but since I do plan on doing a lot of long base training days this winter, I wanted to update my ipod equipment. I was a little weary on spending $20-$25 on little ear buds, but after using them I see what all the fuss is about. These things rock! They have some sweet sound and block out ambient noise so that you hear nothing but the full music as you run. No wind, no screaming kids, nothing! However, you have to wonder just how safe it is to run with these things in your ears while you ignore your surroundings. Even for people like Lucho who dodge bobcats, pumas, lions, and rabbid dogs :) when they run, blocking out things like cars and wildlife can be dangerous. In the end you have to make the call. All I can say is that my Ipod has never sounded so good and I look forward to downloading some bass-filled music to boom in my headphones!

One bonus product!

1 Jack Russell Terrier named Lucky!!!

That's right, my best friend and frequent running partner is the best "thing" I've ever "owned". She's fast, will catch most rodents, and lick you to death if you keep hitting the "Snooze" button at 4:30am! Feed twice daily and keep water readily availible. Expect her to suddenly bolt off the trail at whatever squirrell, rabit, and even DEER that she sees. Very protective of her owner and often thinks she's as bigger than she really is. Final words, dog is truly man's best friend!

Thanks for reading.

4 comments:

  1. Awesome- thanks for the reviews. I hate my i-pod ear buds, and I'll be trying the new Lunars. I loved the originals and the Glides are getting good reviews.
    And a Jack Russel is one of the dogs we want to get. Maybe too smart though! I don't want a dog that can outsmart me!
    Cheers

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  2. Lucho-
    No problem! I've been wanting to try the new Lunars for a while and was able to get a pretty good deal on them from the local shop. I didn't like them when I first tried them on, but I'm hooked now!
    I had trouble with the ipod buds too, they were just a hassle. Skull Candy is the way to go.
    Jack's are definatly smart and mine reminds me of that every day! Great dog though and would probably be great for the boys!
    Good luck with the recovery!

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  3. Thanks!
    We have mountain lions and bears in our neighborhood and I've wanted a dog that will be loyal to the kids if they ever run in to one. I think a Jack would be smart and quick enough, and loyal, to protect the boys and still get away. I'm also looking at a Shib Inu which are miniature Akitas. They were bread in Japan for hunting bear. They cost like $2000 though.
    T

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  4. Jack's are certainly quick! I've heard the Shib Inu is an awesome dog! A little more aggressive than the Jacks, but wonderful nonetheless. 2 G's is a bit pricey, but it's tough to put a price on protection. Not to mention how cool it is to tell everyone your dog was bread to hunt bear! Doesn't get much tougher than that!

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