New Balance, Hierro, version 3, trail running shoe review

I have been impressed with this trail running shoe from New Balance. I’ve worn these for the past four months. 

They look and feel great. They do however miss being the perfect shoe for me with a few items. 

Yes, they have a great grippy VIBRAM outsole with their “Fresh Foam” mid-sole. Not really sure how long with “Fresh Foam” feel will last. 

The outer sole is not wearing down, even with running on super rough and jagged trails and plenty of road miles wearing them. The color I chose was sweet. The super bright, eye popping Hi-Lite with Black & Bright Cherry. I wear the standard width and a size 14. 

The sold is pretty durable even on the toughest of trails I have run them on. I like how the shoe is  breathable with the small vents on the front of the shoe. it keeps my toes ventilated, yet protected from the trail dirt and dust. 

The shoe fits great, even having a difficult time tying them up as tight as I like them.  They are a little difficult to put on with the “dust stopping” ankle collar. 

After putting them on I have to go back and adjust the ankle collar on the outside near my sock. I wish they were one more set of lace holes near the top, near the ankle collar. Having this extra set of lace holes would help really tighten down some of the slipping my foot does while inside the shoe. I have never suffered from any blisters or toe issues while wearing the shoe. Being a heavier runner, I like the weight and protection of this shoe. 

I can’t wait to see if they produce a version 4, if that’s in the making. I like the shoe even with some of the fitting issues. For any trail runner, I would recommend this shoe. 

New Balance, Hierro, version 3, trail running shoe with me on the 14 mile San Tan Xterra trail run. 

Four Years Later

What took so long?  That's a great question, and I guess I really have no answers for. 

I've kept active, road cycling and mountain biking, with some running. 

Four years after having my left knee's MCL repaired. Recovery and rehab took about a month or two. I have done a few short sprint triathlons over the past four years, but nothing really run focused. November 11, 2018, I will run the longest distance (14 miles) since that simple surgery. I have peaked in training at 10.5 miles. Sure, I could say there wasn't time to train or I was busy with other endeavors, and that would be correct. I have always had a love/hate with running. 

Who's happier in this image? My mom or me as I came out of anesthesia from the surgery. 

(Note: I was still a little out of it as you might notice I put my shirt on backwards) 

One note the doctor told me as I marked with a sharpie marker, which knee they were operating on, that he would have be back running, and this weekend it is. 

Images of the surgery the doctor took inside. 

I am excited. I have a few mental goals and time goals I am shooting for. The weather, now that it is fall and cooling off, will be perfect. 

Mountain bike race prep!

I'm ready.  Felt the best I have all year on and off the bike. Swapped out tires for a fresh set of rubber for the trails. Looking to have a great race, as part of a corporate team this year. Six riders, each riding their fastest 10 mile loop in Usery Mountain Regional Park.  I was hoping and will get back to the more in depth lead up to the race. 

Then I turn around and need to get ready for my 14 mile trail run next weekend. 

Training for the trail run went a little crazy last weekend, running 10.5 miles on the actual race course. Got lost on mile 4 to 6 due to the trail not being marked. This weekend they are marking the course prepping for race day, so I hope they mark it well. 

Coming down to the wire for training

Getting my last few weeks of training in for both a mountain bike race the first weekend and a trail running race the next.

I've decided to run the full trail course, the 14 miles tomorrow.  I know what most of the course looks like and feels like. I've ridden most of the course on my mountain bike, one time or another, except for the steep parts, which I have run in training numerous times. I will update this blog, early next week, after running the entire course. 

I am excited to not really put down a fast time, but complete the course and pin point where I will be needing water and nutrition. The day of the race, there will be aid stations out there, so I am not concerned about that, as I only plan to use the water from there on race day. 

Next week is the mountain bike race. I am pretty prepared. I just need to make some final adjustments to the bike and switch out a tubeless front tire for a newer one with better tread. 

Being I am camping out there the night before and night after the race, I need to start packing some clothes, tent, sleeping bag and food. 

Seven minutes !

I am pretty excited. This past weekend during my training trail run, I was able to shave off seven minutes from the previous weeks run. The same distance and all. I really focused this week hard to try and speed up my running on the course. I tried not to walk as much and really conserved my energy on the steep inclines. I am really satisfied with the shoe/sock/footbed insole I have been running in. My legs don’t feel beat up like they were in my older broken down zero drop running shoes. They weren’t trail running shoes to begin with so that had a little to do how I felt running. I glanced down at my Suunto Spartan every so often to check my heart rate. The majority of the 8.5 mile run, I was in my Zone 4. I didn’t feel my breathing was labored at all. 

The last three weeks I have followed up my training trail runs with a good “leg day” workout. The leg resistance bands are paying off to.  

This next weekend I plan on getting some good mountain bike trail miles in, as the mountain bike race I am doing is a week before my trail running race. 

Feeling strong out on the trail. I need to also in the next few weeks, before taking two weeks off for a family vacation, bump up my longest distance to 10 miles. 

Amazing workouts this weekend

The weekend started with a long run on Saturday morning. The 8.5 mile run was on the same loop I did last weekend on the desert trail.  

I am getting used to the new shoes I got maybe about a month ago.  Made an adjustment in them using my own footbeds inside. I write about these footbeds here shortly, but I have used them in the past and that's one of the reasons I have gone back to them. Sure I have tried and used others, but these are the best I have found out there. 

Back to the weekend of training. 

I worked on getting my heart rate in my Zone 4. I kept it there for the majority of the run. I got in a groove and just felt good out on the trail. Cooler weather was nice as I was able to get out about 15 minutes before the sun rise. Nutrition and hydration where both good. I was able to get in an extra half mile over my previous run out there in the same amount of time. 

I looked forward to a group cycling ride Sunday morning for my recovery. A slow, max speed of 16 MPH group ride. The 26 miles helped my legs recover well. A few hours after the ride, I joined members of my family for a "Leg Day" workout. Using dumbbells and other weights along with resistance bands. Doing wall sits, walking lunges, squats and lateral side steps. Last week's leg workout had me sore the next day. Today, I recovered from it pretty well. Not sore, but a little stiff. All good and felt great getting these workouts in. 

Working on resistance band workouts and looking forward to some shorter runs this week. 

Week and weekend recap

Eight mile trail run to start off Labor Day! 

This past weekend, a three-day, Labor Day holiday weekend, I moved my long run to Monday. 

Saturday I joined a group bike ride, for 33 miles. I did the same route a week ago with the same group. This time the heat was back in the desert. I still had a great time and focused on my heart rate staying high in the long mountain climb.  I was surprised for not having the amount of food (fuel) I had before hand I felt really good. Kept up on the hydration. 

Took Sunday off to recover and slept in a little, which is rare. 

Monday, I set out on an early morning start trail run. I planned on at least six miles and was able to get a total of eight in before heading back to the vehicle. A little cloud cover and rain the night before had the air temperature down and felt good. 

Training update from over the weekend

This weekend’s training sessions went very well. I can start to tell I am getting more comfortable getting my heart rate up in my Zones 3 and 4. 

I was going to do my long run on Saturday and follow it up with a road ride to help the legs recover. I did it the opposite though.  I rode with a group ride Saturday morning. Under an odd cloud cover and some sprinkles. The out and back round trip 33 mile course I had ridden numerous times before.  It has a good climb in it. I rode it harder than I have before, feeling very strong and able to keep up with more riders than in the past. Set some new PR’s on Strava segments. Nutrition and hydration were spot on. Felt energized the entire time. 

Sunrise at the top of Goldmine! 

Followed it up Sunday with a 6.5 mile trail run. The miles taking place on the course I am running on in November. Once again the cooler morning temperatures helped. I set some PR’s on a few segments here too, but also did a fair amount of walking getting used to the terrain. There is one steep hill, a good 500 foot climb, I was able to get in twice before I was finished for the day.  Hydration was good, but I could have eaten a little more to keep my pace up I believe. 

Not sure what the next three-day Labor Day weekend will have in store. 

I would like to get a good eight or nine mile run under my belt, and I think I am up for it. 

Training is going well and as expected, but I still need to work on getting more training in. 

My lungs and breathing have never felt better

Not as much training as I planned this week, but had some key workouts completed. Trying to keep my power up while running, using the Stryd, power pod on my foot to measure just that.  

Synched with my Suunto Spartan, I can set a target heart rate or power output during a workout. 

I had a slower recover run last Monday, but still felt good afterwards. 

Thursday night, I set up my watch to keep me in my Zone 4 during a two mile run. I wanted to see first off what my power output in that zone is, and also hoped that keeping my heart rate there for the two miles would not have me totally gasping for a breath. 

It worked. I started off taking a little bit to get my heart rate up and then into my Zone 4.  An early downhill jaunt was not the trick, but quickly I had to work harder climbing up out a the area I was just in. Locked into my Zone 4 and just kept plugging away. On the more level ground I had some good speed and was still able to stay in the zone. The course was a one mile loop, I was doing twice. Of course my heart rate was going to go down a little on the descend, but I pushed hard and ran downhill faster to keep it up. Hitting the uphill I had to look down at my watch a few times because it kept warning me to slow down. I had my heart rate into Zone 5.  Pulled back a little on the speed but never fell out of my Zone 4.  Finished one of my fastest back to back miles in 10 minutes each.  I typically average a 12 minute mile as of late with a lot focus on the long steady distance, so not to go all out and blow up fast. 

I am very excited about my accomplishment and my lungs and breathing have never felt better. 

Looking back, could have I pushed myself to be faster, maybe so, but I wanted to stick in the Zone 4 and see where that would put me. 

Looking forward to a good weekend of cycling and running, hoping to get some trail miles in on Sunday. 

Adjusting my training schedule and healing a blister

This past week I have had some great workouts after returning from a brief vacation. For my training I am wearing both my Suunto Spartan WHR to capture my courses as well as my heart rate info. Synched to it is my Stryd Running Power Meter.  I am hoping to increase my strength and speed over the course of the training program. 

Next week I will start adding a weight program into my training. 

Also on my training run this past weekend I was able to get out on the steepest part of the run course. I know I need to update my shoes, to be a more "trail" running shoe, but the shoes I wore, were okay. The steep incline had my foot riding in the back of my shoe more and caused some rubbing. Enough rubbing that the last mile of the 4.5 mile run was a little rough. The rubbing caused a good size blister to occur. My goal now is to figure out a plan to cover it so it can heal fast and I can get out running still. Another goal I have is to find the perfect sock/shoe combination to eliminate the blister situation. 

Do you have any tried and true remedies for fixing this issue fast? I would love to hear and try anything. I am open to your suggestions. Comment or follow me on Twitter @timhakr. 

Training about to kick into high gear

Training is about to kick into high gear. Two races are coming up this fall.  They will be signed up and then make them totally accountable for in the next few weeks. 

The first is the team of four, mountain bike race. The team with the most laps in the eight hour period wins.  Each rider takes on the 10 mile course lap, one member out on the course at a time. 

The second race, is the next weekend from the mountain bike race, but this time it is a trail running race. The distance is 14 miles, so its just over the half-marathon mark. 

Focusing on running.....well kind of

I have begun to really focus on my running. I have a trail run on my calendar for November.  So the past few weeks I have begun focusing more on my running. The training runs have moved to early morning to avoid the heat of the summer here in Arizona. I am feeling stronger and getting faster already. I am not out to set any record breaking times or anything but just finish it. Tried a few new pairs of shoes and am really leaning towards the HOKA ONE ONE Speed Goat trail running shoe.  The two pairs of my own shoes, I am using right now are breaking down. I will need to get a new pair of shoes before too long. The race is 14 miles long, so just over the half-marathon mark. My training so far has been on streets and sidewalks. I will need to get out on the trail soon and get used to the uneven trails with rocks every so often. 

Focused on some running while bike is needing repairs

The last week I have started up getting back in to running. I need to start getting a good base under my belt, as I am looking at a trail running race in the fall. 

Not to mention I am waiting on a few parts to get both my road and mountain bike tuned up and ready for a good year of riding. 

Friday afternoon, I came home and started to prep my road bike for a group ride on Saturday. Both tires were flat. I swapped out the bad tubes for new ones. I inflated them and prepped the bike on the car rack for Saturday’s ride. This would be the last weekend for later start group rides, with the summer heat arriving early. 

Saturday morning, I woke up got dressed and grabbed my gear. I happened to check the tires before leaving and both were flat again. The tubes were good as well as the tires, but I’m thinking it was the rim strips, even though I checked them before.  With the great weather outside, I loaded up a water bottle in my Orange Mud Hydra Quiver, put my running shoes on and got out the door.  I went for a six mile run, not really focused on speed, but just the long steady distance. 

I felt great the entire time. Slowing down and walking a few times. Watched my heart rate so I didn’t get it too high and explode myself out there. 

I will continue running and have some repairs/tune ups to do on my bikes went the parts get shipped. 

A quick look at the LED's on the MIO Alpha chest strapless heart rate monitor

Here is a quick video showing how the MIO Alpha, chest strapless heart rate monitor,  LED's change color when  under, right on and over your target heart rate.

Lupine Lighting Wilma 2400 Lumen Kit

With the daylight hours being decreased due to winter, lights are a needed item when out training.  I am super impressed with the Lupine Lighting Wilma 2400 Lumen kit I have been using.  First off, the light produced by this small unit is similar to a car's headlamp in the terms of brightness.  When the German engineers produced this gem, they put a lot of thought and care in the design and function of this light.  The light comes with a headband mount, which is perfect for running, walking or trail hiking.

View a quick video on the great features of this powerful light.

  It throws off a 26 degree pattern, which after a quick adjustment can be directed out farther or directly down right in front of you.  I have both the headband and bike helmet mount and switching the lamp between the two is a quick "no tool needed" process.  The rechargeable 8.4 Ah battery lasts a long time.  There is a nicely thought out gauge on the battery to let you know how much power is left.  The button on the top of the lamp itself is used to turn it off and on, hitting the button once cuts the power of the light back by half, while pressing and holding the button turns the lamp off.  The kit comes with a 12-volt car charger.  Once again, very well thought out.  I could see this coming in handy for a quick charge on the way to meet a fellow group of riders, or to charge during a long race when a household outlet will be hard to find.

Winter rides are perfect now, being visible to others on the road, as well as being able to see what's in front of me out on the trails or roads, either running or biking. When the sun does begin to rise earlier in the summer months, you can bet I will be out even earlier to avoid the heat and sun getting my rides in.

SOLE footbeds

**********UPDATE: April 2015**************

If you reading this, drop me an e-mail (timhakr @gmail.com) as to why you are interested in footbeds and what brought you here to this page.  Are you looking for comfort while running or cycling? Do you suffer from foot pain?

This blog post is from March 2012

SOLE footbeds are quick and easy to mold to your custom foot shape. They come with easy to follow instructions. SOLE footbeds are used to help with muscles on the bottom of your feet to avoid pain in the Plantar Fascia.  SOLE also makes sandals and flip-flops that are custom fit to your foots bottom profile.  

My walking shoe size and cycling shoe size are 13, while my running shoes I buy size larger 14, to avoid troubles with my toe nails. When preparing my footbeds, I used the insole inside my cycling shoe to match the SOLE footbed for size and cut them to fit.  For my running shoes the SOLE footbeds came in my running shoe size. Also with the seven different types of footbeds, SOLE offers just what you are looking for. 

Not know what SOLE footbed would be suit you? There is an easy questionnaire on their website   www.yoursole.com , answer some questions about your arches in your feet what type of activity will you be wearing the footbeds for and the site lets you know what would work best for your situation.

Great expectations for 2012

With 2012 starting tomorrow I have a bunch of goals on my achieve list.    A few of them are improving my times on races I did last year as well as compete in my first Xterra triathlon.  Sure it's easy to write down goals and dream big, my goals are not so far out there they can't be obtained with some hard effort and strong determination. I look forward to the new year with great expectations.  
Here is wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

An easy fix with fogging sunglasses

About 4 years back I had a pair of custom sunglasses made.  The frame I chose did not have any nose pads, which was fine for the time being. However, after a few bricks of swimming and running I started to notice the lenses would fog up. While running I would take the glasses off and on to help the problem.  What needed to be done was a very simple fix and it helped in two ways.  I made a pair of nose pads using regular caulking, yes from the hardware store.  I placed a few small circles of caulking on some wax paper of different sized until I had a bunch of choices.  I let the caulking dry a few days, and then picked a matching pair, size wise, and stuck them in the nose piece of the frame.  AWESOME!  The pads help lift the glasses off my nose a bit letting air flow under them and help with the fogging problem.  They also work to help stop the glasses from slipping off the bridge of my nose being they are a little sticky.  A very simple and easy fix.  No more fogging issues.

Learning from the past and changing the future

Over the past few years I have been training and racing, I have learned a lot about myself and my strategies during racing. Over the last week, I looked back on my training schedule and nutrition from my half Ironman race.  During this race I felt very weak at the end and over the 6 hours on was on the course lost about 11 pounds of weight.  CRAZY!  I was really only concentrating on liquids and gels during the race.
Things I am doing different this time around are:
1.    I have started in my training using more solid easy to digest PowerBars and Gel Blasts.
2.    I am eating more calories prior to training rides and runs as well as before races.
3.    I am taking in more plain water during training.
4.    I have started watching my calories being burned wearing my Mio Quest heart rate monitor

Trail runs planned

I have been wanting to get out and hit the trails for awhile and this weekend is looking pretty good. My shoes are really trail ready, but it will beat the pavement. A local regional park is not to far from my house. When I was preparing for my first marathon back in 2007 I hit this park every weekend for my long runs with friends. It will be different to see how the trails have held up.