SKECHERS news.....

Skechers team is getting bigger!!! The latest week Skechers has announced two new talented  team members.

Jessica Crate:
" Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia, Jessica dominated on her high school track and cross country teams while excelling as a two-time Canadian and World Junior Nationals team member. She attended Arizona State University and Florida State University on both academic and athletic scholarships then followed her collegiate career with a transition to long-distance endurance running. Jessica finished her first marathon—the 2009 Las Vegas Rock-N-Roll—an amazing first in her age group and 9th overall. In 2010, her first year competing in triathlon, she qualified for the National Age-Group Championships and a chance to compete for Team USA at the World Championships in 2012. Next up is a focus on qualifying for the marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics and completing her first Ironman 70.3 before heading to Worlds. A USA Track & Field certified natural running instructor in her “free” time, Jessica is excited to be on the team and loves that her Skechers GOrun 2 shoes have “a racy feel and put you in touch with the road.” 

Adrian Sherrod
 " A recent graduate of Chico State, Adrian was the 2011 CCAA Conference Champion and 2-time Division 2 All-American in Cross-Country. His PRs for Cross Country are an impressive 14:09 for the 5K and 29:52 for the 10K. Adrian will begin his transition to road races this fall and is excited to be wearing Skechers Performance footwear as he accomplishes more success in this next phase of his athletic career."

Training
 Competitor Running has released a series of exercise videos with Meb, check it out!

http://running.competitor.com/tag/skills-and-drills

Reviews
GoBionic Trail Reviews
http://www.examiner.com/review/trail-running-shoes-skechers-gobionic-trail-review

Back to racing again

Saturday I did the Cinco the Mayo 5K in Lafayette, NJ. A small local race in northern NJ. I did not have a goal really just needed to get some speed back in my legs. This was my second race representing SKECHERS Performance Division, using the all black gear and the great SKECHERS GoRun Speed.

The race opens up with a mile long hill, a bit steeper in the incline then Heartbreak Hill. A really tough start and you get really heavy breathing already from the start. Second mile is flat with some downhills but I found it hard to recover from the first hill. Third and the last mile is on trails, unfortunately the trails were to soft and it was hard to keep the pace. My SKECHERS GoRun Speeds had good traction but the softness of the trail drained the legs. Right quad bother me a bit and it slowed me down some as well, as I didn't want to push it to hard. I had hopes to do a sub 18 but got 18:42 on my watch, official time was 18:51. Place second. A decent race with some good speed.

It was nice to be back in the all black SKECHERS gear after Boston, getting some nice speed. I could definitely feel the marathon still in my legs as they were very saggy, but overall I'm happy with the performance.

New Goals

Its more then two weeks after Boston and the feelings are still bitter sweet. Its kind of hard to digest all impressions. With a new personal best its time to move on and set up new goals. I have started very slowly to amp up my mileage, picking up paces at times. Nothing major at this time. The legs has responded pretty well to it but of course they are tired. Motivation after Boston has been very low, kind of feel drained after the race and the terror attack. Sure thing the bombers got the message out, Its just to sad they got more publicity then the winners of the marathon.

Lelisa Desisa and Rita Jeptoo winners of Boston Marathon 2013

 For the spring and summer I will do some local 5K's and the Poconos Red Cross marathon as a part of a relay team. Team Space Running powered by SKECHERS has a great chance to win the mixed category of the relay.

As a part of SKECHERS ambassador program I will have the opportunity to try some new shoes. The last couple of days I have been using the new GoRun Ride 2. Very nice cushioned ride for easier and longer days. As soon as I have some more mileage on them I will post a review.

With the new PB 2:59:47, I do believe I'm ready for a sub 2:55. With the support from SKECHERS performance Division, if I can stay healthy over the summer, and with some good coaching.
 Possible marathons for the fall are Steamtown (very fast marathon) and NYC.

Boston 2013

 

Althoughcat this year's Boston Marathon I did a personal best; a sub 3, my most perfect race and for the first time representing Skechers Performance Division, none of that feels very important in the face of the tragic events that ended the race. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims in Boston! 

How do you really respond to such a horrible act? I would love to be happy about my time and performance but my feelings are bittersweet. I know the best thing to do is, to honor the victims with your hard work and running, to come back next year doing your best and run stronger then ever!

I had a perfect day, I had done all the preparations right and the weather was just right and for the very first time I was representing Skechers! For Boston I was wearing my black racing outfit and a pair of Go Run Speed. I knew I had the best possible gear out there, thanks to Skechers. I had decided and tested the Huma Chia seed gel before the race, which is such an awesome gel. In my opinion the best tasting gel out there, so natural and you can really feel the "kick". Its the first gel I actually can say you can feel the difference. I also like to mention Bolle eyewear, the Vortex felt great in the sun, no issues with fogging up. Nice shades!

 

 

In my past Bostons Marathons, I have been opening up a bit too fast. Boston Marathon is known for its brutal start with all the downhills. Its during the first 10 miles that you blow your legs up but this year I was able to control my pace. I was careful and it actually felt really good, very easy.. The temperature  was right but I could tell it was getting warmer. Half way I passed right under 1.29, maybe to close to 1.30 but I felt it was under control and I was hoping to do negative splits. right after mile 13 I knew my family and wife Erin would be cheering. That's always a motivational booster to see them and get some extra energy! Mile 13-16 is relatively flat and I was hoping to save some energy, but around mile 15 I started to feel a bit of fatigue. I was getting worried and negative vibes started to act up in my head.  But over the hills in Newton I managed to get energy back, just by controlling my pace and cruising past some of the runners who had opened up too fast. My legs felt better and I kept a decent pace over the hills (thanks to my friend and coach Reno who has been drilling me hard over the hills all winter long) After Heartbreak its mostly downhill and I tried to open up my gait and loosen up. I was focusing on the mile marks, setting up new goals to keep pace. I was counting down and was looking forward to seeing famous landmarks like Fenway Park. At this point shoes are very important and my Skechers GoSpeed run was like an extension of my feet, I could not notice them and they gave me such a great response. At one point around mile 23 I thought it was going to be an easy last three miles to complete the sub 3, but the time was flying by, I had to pick up the pace! The last two miles I had to finish hard to reach my goal and on Boylston Street finally finished  my first sub 3! The feeling was incredible to finish strong and to see the 2:59:47. No terrorist in the world can take that feeling away from me!

Im still shocked after what happened to all those innocent people and kids. I'm sure Boston will come back stronger then ever to honor those victims. I know I will, stronger then ever to honor them! Im looking forward to meeting all those fantastic Bostonian's again and high five all those happy kids!
 

Proud member of Skechers Ambassador Program ( I couldn't have asked for a better support and gear from the team!)
Stefan

Skechers GoRun Speed Review

From Coach Caleb......Great review! RunningSwede Skechers GoRun Speed review will be up soon as well!

http://www.coachcaleb.com/training/tips/shoe-review-skechers-gorun-speed-my-choice-2013-boston-marathon

Skechers GoRun 2 Review

GoRun 2 was released in December 2012. As mentioned earlier in this blog I was at first skeptic to try Skechers. The first GoRun got mixed review pretty much because of the aggressive mid foot "bump". Some runners loved it, some runners hated it. On the 2 edition the bump is reduce a lot, it s still there but not noticeable. GoRun 2 is now in my rotation and my review is based on apx 100 miles of mixed running (endurance, tempo, hills, intervals, you name it...).

What Sketchers says:

Skechers GOrun 2 is the next generation of a serious minimal running shoe. Designed for speed with innovative performance technologies to promote a midfoot strike, it works as a great transitional shoe to foster a barefoot running experience.

Details:

Independent circular GOimpulse sensors offer flexibility and feedback for a more responsive running experience

M-Strike Technology™ promotes a midfoot strike

Radically lightweight - No extra material, no extra weight, nothing to slow you down

Breathable 4-way stretch mesh toe panels engineered to allow toe splay

Custom Fit insole is removable for an even more minimal feel

Roomier Forefoot - Extra space to reduce friction and allow your toes to spread, grip and push off

4mm Heel Drop - substantially less heel drop than traditional running or training shoes to bring you closer to a natural barefoot experience

Resalyte™ Midsole - Proprietary lightweight injection-molded compound with memory retention helps absorb impact

Progressive Flex midsole transitions from stable platform to forefoot flexibility

Construction:

Nearly weightless synthetic and mesh fabric upper

Nearly seamless flexible upper with lace up front

Flatlock stitching detail for seamless feel and lighter weight

Soft smooth fabric shoe lining for easy barefoot wear

Weight: Radically lightweight 6.6 oz per shoe based on a men's size 9 

This is my take:
Im not going really compare it to the first version as I have not tried it, other then the reduced bump. The second edition does not have a bump to talk about really and my concerns with the GoRun Ride I had, has been addressed (pebble collector, aggressive bump, folding mesh).

Upper:
The upper is created by stretchy mesh, by Sketchers called 4-way. It really looks minimalistic but it really does a good job keeping your foot in place. On the Go Run Ride I had concerns about some mesh getting folded, this is not a concern with this shoe. The heel counter, is soft but keeps the heel in place. Ive heard from other runners about possible heel slippage and the insert sliding back, but I have not experienced this matter myself and the heel counter offers enough of support and a secure lock to me. One concern is the lacing. The laces are flat nylon and during several of run I have experienced some hot sport on top of my foot. They also make it harder to secure the arch lock. After I switched the laces this issues was taken care of.  Regarding breathable mesh, I have to wait and see more towards the summer as Ive only been using the shoe in cold weather running.

 Mid sole
The Resalyte really shines and I cant say enough of positive things about this mid sole compound. Reaslyte is a really light and responsive compound. You get a really nice energy return, a specially on your faster days! On Go Run 2 the foot sits really close to the ground and the road feel is great. At first I was concerned about the thin fore foot but the more I got used to them it was not really a concern. I have taken the shoes over 20 miles and the compound holds up really well. For the right runner this shoe can go the full marathon for sure. The Resalyte is very durable and does not show any sign of breaking down.

Outsole

Lack of rubber in high traffic area.

The sketchers use its Independent circular GOimpulse sensors technology. The pods are definitely smaller then the Ride ones and can possibly wear out quick. I read Runbloggers review and the wear test shoes he did. Apperently the first versions of the GoRun2 had more rubber under and on the high traffic pods.  I could have used some more rubber in the high traffic area, so the durability is  a concern of mine. The placements of the pods and the flex grooves makes the shoe very flexible. So far the shoe has not collected any pebbles, this is during winter months with ton of salt and pebbles on the roads.

Over All
Go Run 2 gets more and more time in my current rotation. This shoes is up against Saucony Kinvara 3 in my rotation and the Kinvaras get less usage. You can pretty much use this shoe for anything, for me it could be the potential Boston marathon shoe.The shoe really shines when you take them for tempo runs and its easy to go too fast (could be an issue :) ) Some concerns I have is the laces but its an easy fix, just change them. Also the durability could be an issue as the mid sole compound is exposed in higher traffic areas. Some runners have experienced heel slippage (Insert slides back) but my foot has been secured at all times. Sketchers keeps improving and I'm sure this shoe will replace competitor shoes in runners rotations as it did in mine.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive Running shoes from Skechers Performance Division as part of their Skecher Performance Division brand ambassador program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Skechers Go Run Ride Review

I have to admit that I was skeptic when I was told that Skechers were going to release running shoes. Mostly because of Skechers attempts in past to create different kind of exercise shoes, at time ridiculously looking. Then Skechers announced that Meb Keflezighi would run in Skechers and runners around including me started to be more curious. Skechers first release was GoRun, a 4mm drop shoe that promote a mid foot strike. I was tempted to give this shoe a try but after I been reading some mixed reviews a decided to wait. The biggest complain was the aggressive mid foot "bump". According to  reviews the "bump" was suppose be less aggressive on the new Go Run Ride. So I decided to give Skechers a try......

 Skechers GO Run Ride Web site info:

Innovative placement allows the GOimpulse sensors to move together and independently

Dynamic interaction helps to enhance sensory feedback and to promote a more responsive run

M-Strike Technology™ promotes a Mid-Foot Strike

Radically lightweight - No extra material, no extra weight, nothing to slow you down

360 Degree Responsive Flexibility - SKECHERS GOrun flexes and twists allowing your foot to move more naturally

Sockless Running - Integrated OrthoLite® anti-microbial removable sockliner helps inhibit odor and prevent slippage

Roomier Forefoot - Extra space to reduce friction and allow your toes to spread, grip and push off

4mm Heel Drop - substantially less heel drop than traditional running or training shoes to bring you closer to a natural barefoot experience

Resalyte™ Midsole - Proprietary lightweight midsole compound provides just the right impact absorption

Construction:

Nearly weightless synthetic and mesh fabric upper

Nearly seamless flexible upper with lace up front

Stay-put tongue

Soft smooth fabric shoe lining for easy barefoot wear

GOrun Ride features a more cushioned Resalyte™ midsole

Adds a toe-off GOimpulse sensor on sole

Weight: Radically lightweight 7.8 oz per shoe based on a men's size 9

The Upper

The upper is very minimalistic with a soft stretchy mesh and a few over lays. The feeling is very sock like and the foot get really locked down. The heel cup does not have any kind of structure just enhanced mesh and a overlay. I was skeptic about the heel fir and a possible slippage but the heel really stays put. Nothing to worry about. Mesh is breathable and does not create any hotspots for me. The tongue is of a thicker neoprene ish material and and is integrated with the mesh all the way up for a better fit. At time the tongue get folded where attache to mesh and can possible create a hot spot.  The laces could have been of better quality as the get twisted fast and could possible create hotspots.

Salty Rides...

The Midsole

The midsole of the GO Run Ride, uses the same compound as GO Run,  Skechers Resalyte™  a very lightweight and resilient compound . I have almost 200 miles on my Go Run Rides and the compound does not show any sign of break down. As with other compounds Resalyte responds really well when you are picking up the pace. Im pleasantly surprised how well Resalyte works. On the Ride the midsole is a bit thicker the GoRun but still has the 4mm drop. The midsole is very flexible and the  M-strike "bump" is still present but not as aggressive. In fact when I get my legs going a bit faster the "bump" is not even noticeable.

The Outsole

  The outsole is created by several GOimpulse sensors™. These sensors according to Skechers  are independent circular sensors that are supposed to deliver feedback for an interactive running experience. Some of the are covered with rubber including the midfoot "M-strike" area. In reality this means that the Resalyte compound take most of the beat, but the pads has not shown much wear after 200 miles. I noticed the first 50 miles that the pads went down scary fast but after this it stopped, and I would say that Go Run Ride shows normal wear and tear after 200 miles. A big issue I have is all the stones and pebbles the outsole collects a specially in the heel part. After each run I probably pull out 10 new pebbles.....

Stone Collectors..

Overall

I think Skeckers are listening to there  customers and are improving their shoes. Go Run Ride is not a perfect shoe but after been reading Go Run reviews it seem to that Go Run Ride is an improvement. This shoe has been tested in all kind of weather and training conditions and it can be used for pretty much anything. The shoe really shines when you get up on the midfoot and you are picking up your pace. The upper is great with its sock like fit but could use higher end laces and be careful when you lace up so the tongue does not fold. Ride come in an Ultra version (more open mesh) and a weather protection version as well. With this shoe I get more curious about what Skechers has to offer in the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive Running shoes from Skechers Performance Division as part of their Skecher Performance Division brand ambassador program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”