Shopping – Skora Running
We here at the OGRE HQ ( otherwise known as the Swamp ), have a strong bias towards shopping local, shopping small, and shopping made in USA. It is hard to do all of the above these days, but with care, you can usually hit 1 or 2 out of the 3. In addition, we like to add a 4th category, and that is shop with quality people.
This time we are profiling a small shoe vendor from the Seattle, Washington. They are not really local and they do not currently have any retail dealers in the Atlanta area. Unfortunately, they are not using US manufacturing either, but that is not unusual in the shoe industry. Even New Balance only builds a limited number of shoes and products in the US at a significant price premium.
Because of the limited retail presence, Skora has put together an excellent process for returns that works with their “Love Your Run” Guarantee. Shopping for shoes online is still a bit of a stretch for some, but it might be worth a shot for you.
Before we discuss the vendor itself, it is probably a good idea to explain what led us to consider Skora in the first place.
When I started running, I was ‘fit’ into a structured shoe, lots of padding, lots of correction. I was a heel striker with a slow cadence. I ran like that for about 8 months, but eventually, things started to hurt (knees, hips, hip flexors, etc). That tends to happen to a lot of runners, particular later in life, new to running, runners. Like many of those runners I decided to fix the stride. In the process I went through a small boatload of shoes trying to find something. You name it, I tried it.
What I finally decided was that less, is more. A lot more. It was an educational process. I learned more about shoes, shoe construction, foot dynamics, and a lot of theories about running. There is a lot of science, mixed with a lot of assumption when it comes to shoes, stride and feet. There are not many hard and fast conclusions that you can take away from all of this information.
What I ended up with from all of my research and testing was not a specific shoe but a set of fit concepts.
- It all starts with the toe box. Lots of shoes advertise a wide toe box, but this circles back to the individual foot, and too wide leaves a lot of room to slide around in.
- The arch isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Found out the hard way that too much arch support weakens the foot, and actually makes mid-sole striking harder to do and support. Arches in my ideal shoes have more to do providing shape and keeping that wide toe box from sliding around than supporting the foot.
- Heel cups suck. Just because I want a wide toe box doesn’t mean I have ankles, and need a huge heel opening that cannot be kept tight on the foot.
- The sole shape in the heel of the shoe influences the entire stride, from foot to lower back. If you have ANY pronation or supination in your stride, the shape of the heel by definition alters the shape of the stride.
- Padding is not evil, but can interfere with the shoe comfort.
Notice, I don’t note ‘minimalist’ or ‘zero drop’. Those are not criteria, they are results.
What I ultimately found was that to meet the criteria I had to kiss a lot of frogs. Along the way, I learned a lot about shoes.
At the end of the day though, I did almost 3 full years running in a minimalist trail shoe that met the criteria. Wide toes, shape, but not arch support, enough padding to prevent tears when I stepped on something rough or sharp, a heel that didn’t slip and slide, and a heel sole that was rounded that let my stride flow smoothly from my natural landing position into the push off, all while protecting my very very damaged knees.
In the last year, that shoe was discontinued, so I had to find a suitable replacement.
That led me back to the list of shoes and vendors I had tested initially. During that initial cycle of research I had tried a shoe from Skora Running that I really liked but it had one little problem. A design tidbit that caused some blistering on the back of the heel at the cuff around the shoe opening. I had been using that shoe as an every day walking shoe for the last year or so. Based upon that, and the addition of some new products to the line, I thought I would give Skora another chance.
You see Skora have a couple of things that you can’t find in other offerings. The design of the heel’s sole is unique in that it mimics the shape of your heel itself and provides no “wedge”.
It meets all of my criteria and adds a seamless inner that makes is suitable for wear without socks. It is a zero drop shoe, but has a 16mm stack. That stack makes the shoe itself and exceptional candidate to wear on all terrains. So it was, early this year, I picked up a pair of Fit’s to give a shot at replacing the shoe that had been my staple for the last couple of years.
That is the background, so let us talk about the shopping experience.
First thing, since they lack a retail presence, all of the ordering process is handled through their website. Fortunately, for small web retailers, the web site is very well designed and the ordering process is painless. In addition, they have a nice little tool that will compare the fit of your chosen Skora to most of the established shoes on the market, including the more obscure shoes that I was wearing at the time. Shipping was also remarkably prompt considering Skora is in the northwestern corner of the US, while I am in the southeastern corner. That’s 3000 miles for those counting it.
Looking back at my notes on the first run in the Fit on TrainingPeaks, I see that I loved them right away, but didn’t like the laces. Not the lacing, but the actual laces, or more specifically, the need to tie them. I had already switched to the Nathan Lock-laces on my other shoes, and missed them. However, the shoe itself was an instant hit, and required very little transition time going from a 4mm drop 8mm heel stack to a 0 drop, 16mm heel stack. My only reservation at the time were a dimple pattern on the inner that I worried would make the shoe uncomfortable for long runs, or sickles runs.
I need not have worried. The first longer runs proved that the textures in the inners improved comfort. Shortly thereafter, the Fit got promoted to be the shoe for this season. I ran a pair of sprint triathlons, and an Olympic distance race before I made the decision to run the Chattanooga 70.3 in those Fits. I was concerned about moisture retention. The early races proved that not to be an issue, so it was that I found myself running the 70.3 in those very same Skora Fits.
That was in May. Fast forward to the end of August. Those Fits now have 450 miles on them. I have two more pairs waiting in the wings, and have yet to put a mile on one of them, while the other has been being used to fill in. At 450 miles, my running shoes are usually very worn, and ready to be retired. These on the other hand have at least 4 more weeks and a full marathon left in them I think, as they are going to carry me through the end of the training and race day for the Chattanooga 144.6 (yes the bike course is 4 miles longer).
To say that I think the Fit is a great shoe is an understatement. It strikes a near perfect balance between the minimalist/barefoot and cushioned running trends while making few sacrifices associated with either.
Along the way though, Skora tossed a curve ball. Middle of July, they teased a new version of the Phase.
I loved the look, and there were some subtle changes in the shoe that I had to grab a pair to try out. The arrived in early August, and I rotated them into my running. The issue that held me back from the original Phase was gone, and this is the best minimal shoe on the market, bar none. I did 13.5 miles in my first run in them, I did a sanctioned 13.1 in them 2 weeks later. What I know is that they are the best shoe I have ever run in.
That was not what I expected, and after the 144.6, I expect the Phase to become my primary run shoe, but I am unwilling to change the plan from the Fit 6 weeks prior to my first 140.6 long course triathlon.
What you can take away from this though, is simply this. I believe that running shoes are even more of an individual comfort choice than wetsuits are for triathletes, and that every runner may need to try many shoe options before they find what suits them best. I believe that anyone that is serious about their running shoes needs to give the little guys at Skora a real shot. The product matrix is simple, with 5 products, at 3 targets. I am sitting on two of those products as the 1 & 2 in my personal favorite shoe list, and the Tempo, the max cushion shoe they offer would be my go to over other max cushion offerings. The Core and Form both look like they are excellent products as well, I simply haven’t had the opportunity to log miles in them.
In closing, I want to also give special mention to the excellent customer service from the company. In each instance that I have had a question or concern, I have had an answer within a day at most. Knowing the size of the company, and that they are doing it all in house, that is impressive in this day and age when customer service is a lost art.
Truth or Bullshit: Cyclists don’t obey the rules of the road
We all hear it. It is the first thing out of every anti-cyclist screed. So how does it fair in honest evaluation?
Drivers love to complain that cyclists are constantly breaking the law by rolling through stop signs and running red lights. Does it happen? Sure. Cyclists do it, and I sometimes do it too. When it comes down to it though, motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are all people going places, and they all break laws in their own ways. After all, that speed limit sign? how often do you treat it as a minimum? If the regional studies are accurate, the number of cars at or under the posted speed limit is < 25%. In addition, studies have shown no meaningful difference in the percentages of law breaking between groups. Pedestrians jaywalk. Cyclists roll through stop signs and run red lights. Motorists speed, tailgate, fail to signal, fail to stop before turning right, drive while drunk, drive while distracted, and others. In other words, yes, cyclists don’t obey the laws, but then again, neither does anyone else.
One group breaking laws does not justify another doing the same. You do not hear anyone saying that car drivers do not deserve to be on the roads because they break the laws, that is reserved for drivers who have made egregious errors in judgement that have typically cost lives before they are removed from the roads. It is not that cyclists break the laws any more often, only that because they are different, drivers cling to that as a reason to vilify them. Breaking the rules is something many people do regardless of activity.
On a scale of truth to bullshit, let’s call this truth as a front for bullshit.
As the old saying goes, People in glass houses shall not throw stones.
Rough Commute This Morning
I admit it. Rarely do I actually get annoyed enough to throw ‘the one fingered salute’. This morning, it happened three times, on one road, all within the space of about one mile. It was a morning commute, but instead of being in commuter gear, I was in training gear, and moving at a training pace. What does that mean? It means, I wasn’t poking along.
The route this morning was selected because of the timing, my normal route up Highway 9 would have put me in the middle of the Midway Elementary School traffic at Post Rd. as a rule, those are situations that I will avoid because they create stress points for car drivers. Oddly, that stretch of road is plenty wide, and even though it is a 45 mph speed limit, I’ve had almost no negative interactions until the actual light, and the 500 feet from the light to the far end of the school. In that school space, there have been quite a few right hook attempts but that is more or less to be expected. In the interests of not going through there this morning, I elected a back road route that is far less traveled. A route that I was traveling against the flow of rush hour traffic.
So I chose to loop out to Union Hill Rd and come across Shiloh Rd back to Highway 9 well north of the school. You know, doing exactly what drivers say they want cyclists to do. Be courteous, share the road and use roads that aren’t so busy, and fast. So I find myself on Shiloh Rd headed west towards Majors Rd and Highway 9. The speed limit is 30 mph. As you can see from the above recording, I crossed that road at a speed of 21 mph average, with the first speed dip coming at a location where I slipped out of the way to allow two following cars to go around, and the second longer dip where I sat up and soft pedaled the accel/decel lane by the church to allow the two cars to pass there.
Unfortunately, the sections where I didn’t have space to give up, is where the proverbial feces hits the air moving devices that uses spinning blades. Shortly after entering this tight section of road, I was buzzed, and I do mean that in the closest sense of the word, by three vehicles in fairly quick succession. First was a white Chevy truck, who apparently couldn’t be bothered to slow down to near the speed limit, since I was moving at about 25 mph at that point, and wait until the oncoming traffic cleared. At least he had the courtesy not to smoke me out with his diesel until he had completed the pass. I only had to ride it as it was dispersing. Following him was the young female driver in her wine colored Kia mini-SUV. She gets the epic fail, since she was close enough that I felt the passenger side mirror blow past my shoulder. Finally, we had the dark green Oldsmobile. I don’t have a clue what this driver was thinking, since they started to give room, but then decided not to since there was oncoming traffic. Instead of hitting the brake and slowing, this driver seems to think crowding me and oncoming traffic would be a good idea.
Sadly, that last actually terrifies me. The other two, I can deal with, though the frustrate me, and my salute might have been an overreaction, this crowding both approach creates so many risks, and I saw one of them today. The oncoming driver, feeling crowded, dropped the wheels off the edge of the road, at speed, and twitched back into the lane. The two cars passed each other so close they could have swapped paint. It is a situation that leaves me feeling more vulnerable than any other. I can avoid most issues, but this one, I can’t once the driver has made this choice.
The only thing I could have done, was before the incident, I could have removed that option from the drivers menu of choices. In hindsight, on this section of road, I have no choice but to adopt a vehicular cycling lane position, and force the driver to leave the lane to get around me, or to run me over. My innate southern courtesy screams at me that this is rude, and I should be giving up the lane, but my safety dictates that safety wins over courtesy.
Even further though, this is just another example of where doing what drivers think they want cyclists to do actually creates more risks than cyclists behaving like they are cars.
Race Report – Area 13.1 Half Marathon
Area 13.1 Half Marathon – Race Report
Usually, this would be an easy report to write, as this is the third year for us running in this one. Well, 3rd for Scott. Dru skipped a year, and last year the even conflicted with our race in Savannah. Anyways, I digress. For us, this is an event that we look forward to on the calendar because it is very much a home town event, and the format is different and fun.
What makes this so different?
To start with, the race is an evening race that finishes in the dark, by design. In addition, the route itself lends itself to a kind of eerie, alien and rock n roll vibe. Finishing in the dark, on a course that can only be lit by tower lights and generators means alot of handheld or head lamps, which only adds to the fun vibe.
The big downside to this event is that late August in Atlanta is almost a promise of heat and humidity. This year was no exception, with temps in the mid 80’s, but crazy humidity. To the point that I have done runs in the rain where I finished the run feeling cleaner and dryer than this one. Sticky? no, soaked. To the point that a pair of merino wool socks were completely soaked and the feet were full prune status by the end of the race.
This year Scott and I went out at the same time, instead of prior events where we would split into self selected pace groups. Both of us had time goals in mind and they were not too far apart. It made for a good time.
Course
This year, the half course saw some changes from the course used in prior years. While in the past the course has been nearly pancake flat, this year a couple slight variations. First was a change to moved an early section of the first out and back loop from an old gravel residential road to a crushed gravel nature running trail by the river. It certainly made a scenic change, but at the same time it created a narrower course at a early point in the race. There were still alot of runners in close proximity this early, so some of the spots got tight and slowed the pace down. The second change added a good hill to the route. Essentially, 110 feet of climbing in about a mile, starting at mile 6.75. To put it mildly, it kinda hurt, but in a good way.
All in all, the changes slow the race down, but still make it a better overall event. In addition, the changes work hand in hand with the other new feature this year. In addition, they added a 5k that runs on the same first out and back loop that goes off about 15 minutes after the half starts. After running the race, I am pretty sure that the course changes in the first loop were to accomodate the 5k and I think the net result is great for the event on the whole. Though the participation numbers appeared to be higher for the half, the 5k should allow the even to grow into a premier Atlanta event over the coming years (assuming Roswell doesn’t do something silly with permits as they did in 2014).
In the end, this is an event that has had some trials getting to this point, but today, I think they have built a great foundation, and are set for it to become one of Atlanta must do events each year.
There is one other big thing to note. In past years, water stops and frequency have been a concern for this event. Judging by the setup this year, I think organizers heard the concerns and tackled them quite directly. With water more often than every 1.5 miles, there was more than adequate supply of hydration, and nutrition along the course..
Conclusion
On a would we do it again scale, the answer is, yes. As long as we don’t have an event that conflicts in the coming years, I expect to keep running this event. I really hope the stick with this new course layout as well, as it just flows really well.
Sunday Morning Ride Cancelled
Due to inclement weather, the Sunday Ride has been cancelled. Looking at the radar, it would be right into the teeth of a nasty thunderstorm, with a few more behind it. Better safe than sorry this close to race day.
Weekend Training & Racing
Well, it is almost the weekend again. So what is the plan this weekend? After last weekends adventures this weekend seems tame. With just a long swim, 17 mile run, and 75 & 6 miles brick on the plan. How to tackle this?
Well, the plan this weekend is to swim Saturday, and then do a couple miles of running to get the legs loose before doing a half marathon in Roswell ( Area 13.1 ) instead of the training run. Sounds like a solid plan, and really, I am looking forward to this race. I like the course, although this year adds a wrinkle with a short climb on Lower Roswell Road that could prove interesting. The course sets up to be a fast race, and with the late start, hopefully the temperatures won’t be so insanely hot. It should be good fun.
Sunday morning we will follow that up with 75 or miles at 7:30 from Endurance House using the OGRE 85 Route. This is of course open to anyone that would like to join in. The pace shouldn’t be too fast, since I will probably still be flat from trying to push a PR in the 13.1. In addition, this route has several built in bail out points to cut it short as needed.
Have a great weekend, I know that we will try hard to do just that.