Posts Tagged as "Saucony"

Saucony Minimalist Running Video

Once Inspired talks to Top SA Age-Group Triathlete, Bradley Weiss

Bradley Weiss is an up and coming age-group triathlete from Cape Town, South Africa. Having qualified to race in Spain at the World Cross Triathlon Championships after a good race at Xterra South African Champs Brad managed to finish second in his age group (20-24) at the South African National Triathlon Championships and qualified for World Champs to be held in Beijing, China later this year. I talk to Brad about the past season, training and the races ahead.

Q: In the southern hemisphere the season runs pretty much from September to March for Olympic Distance racing, with a few off road tri’s and sprint races in the mix, what is your main focus for the 2011/2012 season.

BW: Currently my main focus is on the World Cross Triathlon Championships to be held in Spain during April this year(2011) which is an off road triathlon consisting of a 1km swim 20km mtb and 6km trail run. This will be my last race for the 2010/2011 season after which I will take a few weeks break just for the mind and body to fully recover from a long hard season. During winter I will be competing in a few local events but just to keep the body in good form leading up to the World Triathlon Championships to be held in September 2011 in Beijing, China. This will be my main focus for the year unfortunately taking place at the beginning of our 2011/2012 season.

Q: How do you think the variation in season between the Northern and Southern hemisphere affects the performance of the respective hemisphere’s athletes? I mean, for you, your first race of the season will in effect be world champs, whereas for the European, and other Northern hemisphere athletes, World Champs will be their final race. Their entire season build up to World Champs.

BW: Currently I believe the timing is very unfair towards the Southern Hemisphere AGE GROUP athletes because having World Champs at the beginning of the season will not allow you to be at your peak performance for which is ultimately the most important race of the year. However, having World Champs at the end of the European summer will not affect the performance of ELITE athletes from the Southern hemisphere as many of them spend the Southern hemisphere winter in Europe to race as well as train.

Q: After your success at Xterra you qualified to race ITU offraod world champs in Spain. Talk us through your preparation?

BW: Shortly after finding out that I had been selected for the South African age group team travelling to Spain in April I had a serious meeting with my dad to discuss how I would be approaching this year’s racing and which races would be my focus. Travelling abroad is very expensive and therefore careful planning and budgeting as well as a well planned training program is required. Together we decided that attending the world off road champs in Spain would not only be a great experience for me in which I could learn valuable lessons in my build up to Beijing but also a good way to get more exposure for not only me personally but also my current sponsor Saucony. Since December 2010 I have been working with my coach and well known SA triathlete Hendrik De Villiers, he has been working hard on not only my swim which still leaves much to be desired but also my speed on the run. Swimming has never been a strong point of mine but since working with a coach gradual progress is being made. My hope is that after a few good hard winter months of swimming I will finally be able to stay with the likes of Nic Muhl (That’s me) over a 1500m swim. Thankfully the world off road champs is only a 1000m swim which means that although I will be losing time to the leaders it will not be so big a lead that I cannot close them down on the bike. As far as the mountain biking is concerned I have recently purchased myself the Cube PRO series which is a phenomenal piece of engineering. I have never felt so confident on a bicycle in my life. No matter how hard you push the brilliantly designed dual suspension system takes any terrain in its stride. The only complaint I would have on the bikes performance is the climbing abilities, I myself am a climber due to my light 64kg body but I still do find myself struggling up big climbs due to the weight of the bike. From a preparation Point of view I have put my road bike away and only been riding my new mountain bike. I have spent many hours fine tuning my technical skills in the mountains of Stellenbosch (Jonkershoek). I have also been doing 2 track sessions a week in order to improve the speed on my run because of the short course at worlds. The 6km run will be a flat out sprint to the end and I need to ensure that I have the speed in my legs to last that distance. On the 17th April I competed in the I-flex Momentum duathlon series held in Cape Town, Zevenwacht. It was a 5km trail run 30km mtb 2.5km trail run. All the top dogs were there fighting it out for the podium positions. I managed a 4th position only 1min30 back from top SA triathlete Kent Horner which was an awesome result for me and gave me great confidence heading over to Spain.

Q: I know from personal experience that sponsors are hard to come by in triathlon; and even for big events, prize money is relatively low. What is your take on the involvement of sponsors in triathlon in South Africa?

BW: Without sponsors the sport of triathlon in South Africa would unfortunately die out. We have seen significant growth within the last few years in our sport but in order to sustain that growth it is vital that sponsors continue to provide the funding to race organisers.
From a personal point of view i am very luck that i have a very supportive father who is willing to contribute towards my expenses while I develop as an athlete. Personal financial sponsorships are extremely difficult to find as the return on investment is not very high when sponsoring an age group athlete. However, without sponsorship it would be impossible to compete as a full time professional triathlete and therefore these sponsors are out there and it is up to us as athletes to prove to them that an investment in us is well worth the initial costs. This is one of the main reasons I am travelling abroad this year not only for the experience but also for the exposure I can get for my sponsor.

Q: What do you do to maintain balance? Surely you can’t race and train all year round? How do you maintain your sanity?

BW: I am currently studying my honours in management accounting through UNISA which keeps me very busy during my free time between training sessions. A normal day for me would be to wake up at around 6;00-6:30 depending on what session I have in the morning. Then I eat breakfast, do my first session, eat again after, study for a few hours, eat again, complete my second session of the day and if there is any time left in the day try to squeeze a bit more studying in. As you can see this keeps me pretty busy so losing my sanity is not an issue plus I really enjoy my training. I also enjoy a good party every now and again as we all do I am sure. I am not the biggest drinker but a cold beer after a hard race cannot be beaten. Other interests of mine include water skiing, wakeboarding and a good game of beach touch rugby. Between all of this i manage to stay pretty level headed, I think.

Q: The off-season for South African triathletes (other than those competing on the international circuit or some other foreign circuit) has pretty much started. Is there anything specific you do in your off season?

BW: I am a pretty young triathlete so during the off season i must give my body a rest to avoid injury and keep the passion alive for the sport. I normally do a few single discipline races running, cycling, open water swimming etc. This winter i will be focussing all my attention on swimming because it is by far my weakest discipline. Gym work also plays a big role in my off season just building up strength that is usually lost throughout a long hard season.

Q: Talk us though your preseason preparation?

BW: My preseason preparation normally consists of building a good solid base for about 2 months after which i slowly begin increasing the intensity of my sessions building towards my first race as well as my first peak of the season. Depending on how big your base is will determine how many times in a season you can peak which means that a good base training phase is vital for any competitive athlete. This year may be different because i not only have a coach who will bring his own ideas to the table but i also have to ensure that i am in peak shape for worlds.

Thanks Brad

BM: Shot Nic

Saucony Type A4 Review

The Saucony Type A4 is essentially the perfect triathlon running shoe. Super light at 189g, they are quite simply the best shoes I have ever run in.

Yes they are great looking shoes and very comfortable, but there’s little doubt that they were designed purely for speed. For more leisurely runs I use my Kinvaras (See my Kinvara review here).

 

The Saucony Type A4 is truly fast and although I may have mentioned that already it’s really no understatement.

 

There are also a number of features which give this shoe a certain edge over other racing flats. The sock liner is soft and tight which makes these shoes a pleasure to run barefoot in. As a matter of fact, out of more than 20 shoes I have tried, these are the first that I can run in without getting blisters or drawing blood. That alone is enough to get my excited. However they also have the “hydrator” pad inside the top of the heel which prevents the back of the shoe from slipping. This also means that your laces don’t need to be as tight. Looser laces mean it’s easier to put them on… faster.

The only thing that doesn’t work for me is the elastics which keep the tongue in place. I simply cut mine out because I got blisters thanks to my wide mid-foot.

 

Other than that, these shoes are absolutely perfect racing flats and possibly even more perfect for triathlon use. I can’t fault them… now that I’ve cut the elastics out.

Saucony ProGrid Type A4

I just got mine. I’ll be racing in them this weekend at 11 Global Cape Town. Here’s Running Warehouse’s short intro to the Saucony ProGrid Type A4

The History of Saucony

The legacy of Saucony and their amazing footwear stems back to the banks of the Saucony Creek in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, 1898. The name is native Indian and means “mouth of a creek or river”.

The Saucony logo design is based on their beautiful location. The swooping silhouette resembles that of the constant flow of the Saucony Creek, while the cut-outs represent three boulders lying in the middle of the creek.

It was four business men who founded Saucony and first made adult walking shoes and children’s sneakers. Running shoes were introduced only a few years later.

In 1910 a Russian immigrant by the name of Abraham Hyde started a shoe company in Cambridge, Massachusetts called A.R. Hyde and Sons. Renting a tiny space in the back of a laundromat, Hyde started making what he called “carpet slippers”, shoes constructed from old and unused scraps of rugs.

Over the years as A.R. Hyde and Sons grew and so did their range. In 1932 A.R. Hyde and Sons introduced ice skates and by 1938 roller skates, bowling shoes and baseball shoes also formed part of the range.

Then came World War 2 in the 1940’s and A.R. Hyde and sons, commissioned by the US army, manufactured army boots.

The success of the army boots attracted interest from NASA and A.R. Hyde and Sons produced the first pair of space boots, as worn by Neil Armstrong during his moment of “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

In 1968 A.R. Hyde and Sons bought Saucony and the operation was moved to Cambridge.

Saucony did however remain somewhat of a secret among locals, mostly due to the fact that marketing was non-existent.

However in 1977 the editor of a nationally distributed US running magazine got hold of a pair of Saucony and awarded them with their “Best Quality” rating. The attention immediately put Saucony on the map and they became the most desirable running brand in the US.

By the late 90s Saucony became A.R. Hyde and Sons’ dominant brand and the company name was officially changed to Saucony.

In June 2005 the Stride Rite Corporation announced their acquisition of Saucony with both companies based in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area; Stride Rite in Lexington and Saucony in Peabody.

To this day Saucony remains one of the great running brands.

“Loyal to the Sport” – Saucony

References:

www.saucony.com

www.wikipedia.com

www.prlog.com

www.hubpages.com

Saucony ProGrid Xodus 2.0

Here’s a quick video intro to the Saucony ProGrid Xodus 2.0. I will be getting mine next week.

Read more here

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara Review

A lot has been said in recent times about the fact that humans should be running with a more midfoot/forefoot strike. In certain segments of the running community this certainly has taken a firm hold. A midfoot/forefoot strike is said to make for more efficient running and is said to significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Recently launched in South Africa the new Saucony ProGrid Kinvara is one such shoe that was designed to facilitate a midfoot/forefoot strike. Classified as a neutral lightweight trainer the Kinvara is light (218g) and although it may be frowned upon by die-hard minimalist runners for its 14mm forefoot, there is only a 4mm drop from heel (18mm) to forefoot.

This shoe is ideal for those who are looking to experiment with a more midfoot/forefoot running style. I would actually say that this is the perfect (if not only) shoe for those looking to make the transition from traditional running shoes to racer/minimalist shoes. The Saucony Kinvaras are an excellent choice for the “first time minimalist runner”.

Although this shoe might not look like much or even feel like much when you put it on at first, it just gets better the moment you use it for what it was intended for.

Someone asked me what I thought about the Kinvaras after my first run in them. My response:

“At first I wasn’t totally convinced… until I ran in them.”

Yes it is extremely flexible and lightweight/minimalistic, but Saucony have designed a shoe that somehow manages to offer enough support and cushioning to use this shoe for your daily runs.

If you are looking for something a little more supportive however, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Saucony will be introducing the Saucony ProGrid Mirage in 2011, which is basically the Kinvara’s successor, with a heel cup and torsion support added for those who are still not totally convinced.

The Saucony ProGrid Kinvaras are exceptional running shoes. If this whole minimalist running thing has got you confused and you’re not sure which way to turn for your next pair of shoes, I would strongly suggest that you try the Kinvaras.

BSG Energade Final 2010, Big Bay

Coming into the BSG Energade final at Big Bay on Sunday 5 December I wasn’t feeling exceptionally confident. Having not run for 10 days due to a slight toe injury and using a bike that was not in complete functioning order I was planning on just going out there and having as much fun as possible.

With home ground advantage, 12 degree Atlantic Ocean and a stiff South Easter I was presented with a very average day at the office. For others the conditions were testing and the cold water claimed a few DNFs.

Having been spoilt by TYR just 2 days before, I took to the 12 degree water in my new TYR Hurricane Category 5 (Full product review to follow this post). Having got to the first buoy battling the scramble in around third place I found myself feeling very comfortable. After we turned for home and having lost 2 places I pulled over to the right in search of a wave. Thankfully that paid off and with years of lifesaving experience at that beach the home ground advantage gave me a nice rest as I body surfed my way back to the beach and up into fourth spot.

A slightly poor T1 meant that I missed the front few guys by maybe 10 metres and went out on the bike solo. A very short while later I was joined by Mike Davidson. We worked well together for a while until I needed a gear which I did not have access to thanks to a stretched chain. That didn’t bother me too much though because I was just out there for some real fun on home turf.

It wasn’t much later when I was joined by Corne Buys (owner of Lifecycle, a local bike shop in Parklands). We worked well together for quite some time. We managed to catch Mike again and we pushed. I gave it my all and managed to stay with them. I did as much work as I could but no matter how hard I tried the pace demanded by Corne was one that I could only maintain for 30sec at a time. It was with thanks to him that I managed to enter T2 with a 29min bike split.

Into T2 and both myself and Corne slipped on our Saucony Type A racers and off we went. Mike pulled away… and so did Corne. It took me almost 1km to find my legs but a sub 4min/km run meant that I would hold onto my position and finish 12^th overall and first in my category, in a time of 56:31.

We had a great day out there with the BSG Elite team cleaning up overall wins and the Simply Store Race Team, who I happen to race for, cleaning up the category positions with 5 podiums and 3 golds.

My final shout out goes to my girlfriend, Lauren, who had a great race to finish in 1:19. My old man also had a peach of a race and finished 10 seconds behind her.

To veiw all RESULTS please click here.

Image courtesy of Peter Baker – TYR RSA

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara coming to South Africa in December 2010. I will be doing a review on these shoes very soon. Super amped.

Shoe Review: Saucony Grid Type A2

The Saucony Grid Type A2 are great!

4 runs later and my feet have found running heaven. I have never had a shoe fit so perfectly nor deliver such a sublime balance between support, cushioning, ventilation and weightlessness.

Here are 5 reviews for you to read. (No, I didn’t put only the best reviews in. I took the first 5 I found.)

1. “If you’re anything like me, you don’t understand why running shoe manufactures continue to produce ugly, clunky looking shoes. Many look as though they were designed in a room with the lights turned off. Even today most running shoes are hardly fashionable, unless you consider appearing like you have a lump of rubber and foam tied to your kickers; sexy. I for one do not. So I’m happy to see more shoe makers finally coming out with more aesthetically pleasing models as they realize they can amp sales and tap into crossover markets simply by adding some oomph to the design process.”

“The Saucony Grid Type A2 is the ultimate marriage of utility and good looks.”

“With its sleek appearance and sexy lines, you’ll easily forget that although this shoe is head turner, it also trounces the competition in shear performance. Keeping with my routine of buying last year’s model and saving coin, I snagged a pair of these beauties last month and I have been nothing but happy with them since.”

“The first thing I noticed when I took these lovelies out of the box was their weight- all 5.9 oz of them! That’s right; these puppies are as light as a feather, or at least, as light as a 5.9 oz feather.”

“After slipping these on for a frolic, the difference between these and my Brooks and Asics trainers is incredible. Granted though, that the Saucony Grid Type A2s are racing flats, and my trainers are not. But even compared to my Zoot flats (click here for my review), Saucony easily takes the cake for comfort and design.”

“The Grid Type A2 features lightweight, highly breathable mesh uppers that make it seemingly impossible for soggy or sweaty feet to spoil your run, and the integrated tongue and heel finger tugs make slipping these on in transition a complete breeze.

Running barefoot in these are very doable as they offer few friction points and a permeated sole for better underfoot breathability than nearly any shoe on the market. The tongue isn’t integrated like the Zoot ULTRA, but with a lace stay to help hold it in place you hardly notice.”

“The toe box is roomy and the arch support is minimal like any high quality performance neutral shoe. This shoe seems to cater to mid-to-high, stable arches, so if you have particularly wide feet you might feel a bit unstable with the narrow mid sole and heel width of this shoe. Also, these run very small, so buy at least one full size large.”

“The shoe also features Saucony’s XT 900 carbon rubber outsole technology, which makes for noticeably superior road feel and increased durability. Unlike most racing flats that feel like they are slowly disintegrating under your feet as you run, these feel strikingly brawny and robust, but with a light, springy rebound not usually found with a flat.”

“If you’re particularly experienced with minimalistic running, you could easily sport these gems to tackle a full marathon, and look uber sexy doing it. For you triathletes, checking out this shoe is a must if you’re in the market for a flat.”

2. “I have never had racing flats before and I love how light they are but still have some cushioning. I ran with them in a 5k and am planning to wear them in a half marathon on 2 weeks. Love the color as well. Definitely fit true to size, overall I would recommend to others and I have always been an Asics fan, this is the first pair of Saucony’s I have owned and will def look into more in the future.”

3. “I am a triathlete and love that it is so easy to get into the shoes quickly with the heel and tongue grips. I have only raced in these shoes for 4 races and every time the shoe picks up small stones in the vents of the soul and I get a bruised heel that keeps me from running for a few days after a race. This is the only flaw I found with these shoes.” (This guy is clearly too heavy for shoes of this type)

4. “These shoes provide a lot of support for such a light shoe. That is important to me since I tend to end up with knee pain when I run in a shoe without support. The Type A2s are also well built and will last a good long time. I recently used these in a 10K with no problem and am going to use them in a half marathon next month.”

5. “Saucony” is an American Indian word meaning, “mouth of a creek or river.”  The brand’s “river” mark represents the flow of the Saucony Creek in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, where the company built its first factory in 1906.

“Founded in 1898, the Saucony brand today is most popular with marathoners and triathletes.  It may be best known for its Originals line, built around the Jazz running shoe in the 1980s and arguably the most technical running shoe of its time.”

“I’ve tried a lot of running shoes over the last 32 years but I have never owned a pair of racing flats, so I tried the Saucony Grid Type A2.”

“Racing flats are designed to help you run more efficiently.  The absence of a robust heel translates into a lighter shoe with less support and cushioning but better foot to ground power transfer.  I have a normal foot strike, which helps with flats.  The heel to toe transition is smooth and responsive.  The wide open mesh upper hugged my feet and kept them cool.  At a feather light 6.9 ounces, both shoes together weigh less than just one of my trail shoes.”

“If you’re going to run in racing flats, you may as well look fast on the starting line.  I wore them for the first time on the back end of a brick workout after a 25-ml. tempo ride.  I was running on tired legs, especially after an 80-ml. ride the day before, and I wanted a good run.  I may not be crazy fast, but I sure look fast and feel about ten years younger in these shoes.  And there’s a lot to be said for that.  A singlet or tri top and tri shorts or a tri suit with these shoes looks great.  The marathon shirt from your last race with running shorts–not so much.”

“My biggest concern was the low profile, which doesn’t really accommodate an orthotic.  I tried the SOLE footbed but even that was too much of an insert for these racing shoes.  So I ran with the removable, perforated, cushioned sockliner that comes with the shoes.  It felt like I was almost running barefoot.  The super lightweight flats definitely put you in touch with the road.  I swear my leg turnover was just a bit faster in these shoes even though a 90 – 95 rpm ride also increases the leg turnover on the run.”

“It’s also important to me that my tri shoes work well with lock laces.  I find some shoes just have a eyelet pattern that isn’t comfortable with lock laces.  The Saucony worked perfectly.  I was able to use all the eyelets with my lock laces and it allowed an easy and snug fit.”

“Racing flats have about half the lifespan of normal shoes.  I’ll wear them for the 5-mile run portion of the Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon at Uvas next month.  I’ll probably use these flats for 5K and 10K runs and Olympic distance tris this year.  I think I prefer the comfort of my Asics Landreth for anything longer than a 10K.  Did I mention how good I look in these racing flats?”

“I can’t finish a run without getting a comment about these shoes. The bright cobalt blue siding, grey and white mesh uppers, and silver shoelaces make these shoes fashionable on the starting line and in the Starbucks line.”

“Make sure to lift up your foot so the annoying person behind you tapping their foot while you order your coffee can clearly read the “kiss this” printed on the soles. Once you slip these on you’ll know why they are popular with pros like the U.S.’ Linsey Corbin and Australian Kate Major.”

“While looking sharp is half the battle, it turns out the slick-look of these shoes belies a highly functional racing flat. The bright blue sides of these shoes are highly reflective for those dawn and late-dusk runs. The tongue and heel have pull-loops for quick entry and adjustment, a nice feature to have in the transition area. The mesh uppers are highly breathable, and the shoe weighs in at less than 6 ounces, making it ideal an ideal hot weather racing flat. Because of the lightweight nature of this shoe, it’s meant for neutral runners who don’t need elaborate cushioning or stabilization features.”

The Type A2 is last season’s model. The new model, the Type A 3 look just like this:

And there you have it. I really enjoy these shoes and feel so comfortable in them. They are flexible and make running that much more enjoyable for me.