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A couple of weeks ago, I was witness to the unveiling of the new Brooks baby: Glycerin 8.  I occasionally drool over a nice looking shoe or pine over a new model, but it takes a good shoe to impress me.  And, this one definitely did.

– Fresh out of the box. Two security guards unload the shoes. We wait with bated breath –

– Tadaaah! Toby Claudio of Runnr/Toby’s and Hitler Dulay of SRI hold the precious cargo. Check out the Men’s silver/orange…I like! –

Toby Claudio of Runnr admitted that there were no plans to hold a mini press launch for the Glycerin 8.  But, after testing the shoe for himself—and being amazed with the cushioning, he felt compelled to tell the public about it.

Hitley Dulay of SRI presented a background of Brooks as a company.  Did you know that Brooks is the No. 2 running shoe in the US?  (Asics No. 1, Nike No. 3).  Hitler went on to discuss the features that make Brooks Glycerin 8 unique, especially Brooks DNA Technology.

– Coolness.  The Brooks Green Silence, a performance racing flat using earth-friendly materials (hence the name). Note: each side has a different color so it looks like you’re wearing different shoes. Eduardo Buenavista and Fr. Robert Reyes each have a pair of this –

ROAD TESTING THE BROOKS GLYCERIN 8

I was privileged to receive a pair of Brooks Glycerin 8 for road testing after the press launch. I took it for a spin first at an 8k run on concrete and then during Rexona Run’s 10k at SM Mall of Asia. I took a break from it for a week or so and found myself using it regularly for training runs this week.

– Brooks Glycerin 8: Runner’s World Editor’s Choice Spring 2010 –

PLUS

1. Brooks DNA Technology. In the shoe is a highly viscous, non-Newtonian polymer fluid which makes the Glycerin 8 highly adaptable.  Say what?  Bascially, the shoe automatically and physically adapts to your footstrike and gives you the kind of comfort and protection you need as your pace changes throughout a run. It’s like custom cushioning!  Hitler made it easier to understand for us visual folks.  He showed us exactly how Brooks DNA works:

– Dipping your hand slowly into the polymer fluid will allow you to feel its mud-like, liquid consistency.  If you walk and jog slowly, the shoe will provide you ample cushioning –

– Punch the polymer fluid and it suddenly feels as hard as a brick.  (I tried it myself!)  If you run or sprint at a fast pace, the shoe will respond by giving you protection and dispersing the impact away from your foot –

After using the shoe, I guarantee this was no marketing ploy.  It truly works.  The shoe was well-cushioned and comfortable, yet it was responsive to my every step.  When I run on concrete, I usually feel the tension and tightness on my ITB and the harsh impact on the foot.  This time, I was almost oblivious to the harshness of the road.

2. Stability. The Brooks Glycerin 8 is a neutral, cushioning shoe.  It’s not the perfect shoe for a flat-footed, overpronating runner like me, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how stable it felt during runs.  No knee pain, baby!  (Note: I haven’t tested it for runs above 10k.)

3. Comfortable Fit. My feet sat snugly inside. Toe box or vamp was perfect for the width of my feet.  Heel counter cupped my heel well so that there was no annoying movement with each step.

4. Attractive. It’s a handsome shoe.  I loved the Men’s colors more, but I wouldn’t say I complained about mine.  The shoe does not have too many frills; it’s not ostentatious either.  It’s the kind of shoe that stands out in the crowd because of how simple and clean it looks.

5. Green shoe. And I’m not talking about the color. It’s an environmental shoe.  All materials used to make the shoe are completely recyclable.

MINUS

1. Heavy. For someone like me who favors Nike+ Lunar Glide and Newton Racers, you can imagine how heavy the Glycerin 8, a training shoe, felt when I first used it.  I was literally dragging my legs (especially during Rexona) and I felt like I had to double my efforts with each step.  But, after a few runs, my feet got used to the weight and I was able to enjoy its cushioning and stability.  Weight: Men’s – 12.6 oz; Women’s – 10.3 oz

2. Blisters!!! I wear low socks, which was never a problem with other shoes.  With the Glycerin 8, however, the achilles notch (the topmost portion of the back of the shoe that hits your heel) was hard and high for my taste.  I learned about this the hard way during my Rexona Run 10k (see photo below. Cringe!)  I wore ankle high socks during the next runs—problem solved!

– Yeooowch! Back of my foot right after Rexona Run 10k –

SUMMARY

It took me quite some time to review this shoe thoroughly.  The Brooks Glycerin 8 and I were off to a rocky start with the blister and weight issues, but I was so impressed by its features—DNA technology, comfort, and stability—that I was motivated to give the shoe several chances to prove itself to me before I labelled it “For Gym Use Only”…and I’m glad I did.

– Neighbor’s cat spotted my shoe after one Saturday run –

– Looks like she loved it too –

As of this week, I’m happy to report that I’ve used the Glycerin 8 on most of my training runs on the road and treadmill.  I don’t see myself using it in any race (I have the Newton Universal Racers for that) nor for any long runs (It’s still the oh-so comfy Nike+ Lunar Glide), but it will definitely be one of my training buddies for NYC Marathon.

Website: Brooks

Brooks Glycerin 8 retails for Php 6,495.  It is available at Runnr and selected Toby’s outlets.

The best thing about being bull headed is that I rarely ever give in to peer pressure. I try something new only because I want to, not because everyone else is doing it.

That explains why, early in my childhood, when my cousins would practice for weeks and finally dance to “Frosty the Snowman” in front of our entire clan during Christmas parties, I would sit back with my older siblings content to watch from the sidelines with a naughty grin. As early as 8, I thought to myself: “In no way will I make a fool of myself that way.” Stubborn. Unyielding. And yes, I was a little party pooper.

In college, even when more than half of my groupmates started smoking, I never picked up a cigarette. Never held one in my hand, never even puffed. If it didn’t make sense to me, then I wouldn’t even experiment on it. Yup, I was the boring, square one in the group.

The past couple of days, everyone was off to Camsur for the Ironman 70.3. And I thought: “Who cares if everyone is going?”  A number of runner friends who couldn’t bike nor swim like me registered for the relay event to be in on the action. My thrifty self rationalized that it wouldn’t be wise to spend so much money to run a half marathon when I could easily run a half in Manila for free.

So, over the weekend, hubby and I, along with friends JunC, Mariel and JunB, covered 22k along the empty roads of Manila, where one used to spot dozens of runners and triathletes training. On Sunday, hubby and I took the kids out for a bike and scooter ride in the South where, as expected, the roads were free of the hardcore teams training together.

Everyone was in Camsur!  And, it was one of those rare times when I wished I was doing what everyone else was doing (Tri-ing) where everyone else was (Camsur). I thought of friends who were probably as nervous as hell the night before and were having the time of their lives on race day. I thought about the boys of Team Hammer racing in their new trisuits for the first time together. I dreamed of one day doing the same.

Don’t get me wrong. This had little to do with peer pressure, and more of…uhm…E-N-V-Y. How I wished I could have the courage to swim 2k and bike 90k before the half marathon. How I wished I could’ve been there with a crop of average people—executives, parents, entrepreneurs, students—who were challenging their bodies (and minds) to accomplish extraordinary things.

Aaaah, the seed of the Ironman 70.3 dream has been planted in my mind. And, it’ll take a year or two for me to see if I can make it come true.  In the meantime, this regretful, stubborn, party pooper will enjoy viewing all the Camsur photos on Facebook.

Congratulations to all the finishers of Camsur Ironman 70.3, especially to Team Hammer!

A few months back three lucky readers won New Balance Running Shoes which NB management specifically chose for their respective foot types. In return, NB requested for honest, unbiased reviews of the shoes. Pretty good deal if I may say so!

Here’s the summary of their reviews.  At the end of this blog, you may click on the links to download each of their full reviews:

MIKE JANEO
SHOE: NEW BALANCE 760
FOOT/SHOE TYPE: low arch, neutral shoe

– New Balance 760 –

PLUS

1. DESIGN & COLOR: The design is subtle and is made to be functional. The nice comments I got from friends who saw me sporting the shoes with my weekend casual wear are confirmation that it really looks great!
2. SURE LACE: I’m very satisfied with how it works. I don’t have to worry about pulling my laces too tight or what will I do if it gets loose because it stays in place once you’ve pulled them together
3. REFLECTORS: This shoe has more than enough reflectors for your safety if you are usually off running on the roads before sunrise or at night.
4. LIGHT AND COMFORTABLE: The thin mesh material keeps the shoe flexible and comfortable.
5. Great fit especially in the heel and towards the arch. The LockDown Liner™ wraps the mid-foot for a snug and comfortable fit.
6. SHOCK ABSORPTION AND CUSHIONING: N-ergy® and ABZORB® are trademark features of New Balance and they are known to provide ample amount of shock absorption and cushioning which is very much needed by heavy runners like me.
7. STABILITY: TS2® or its Transition Support System is very evident on the shoe’s performance which benefits me a lot having a low arch and being a mild-overpronator.

MINUS

1. BLISTERS: I cannot confidently point out the specific factor in the shoe that may have caused me to get blisters but I just had to point it out here as a delta point since I haven’t experienced having blisters for the longest time that I was using my Nike Run Avant.
2. WIDE TOE BOX: Not a big deal for me, there could be positive and negative effects of having this (I’m thinking blisters could be a negative effect ) but having a roomy feeling on the forefoot is something that I needed to get used to at first.

Over-all, I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 rating. For me, the New Balance 760 is a great stability training shoe built for faster pace but short distances. Low arched runners who have an over-pronation problem will benefit much from this shoe.

– Mike in his NB 760 at Chase the Sun, Neutrogena Run –

I will continue to use the 760s for my training runs as I was able to maximize the features and benefits of this shoe during my interval and tempo runs. I will reserve my Nike Run Avant for my long runs on a weekend and for my future races.

MARTIN CRUZ
SHOE: NEW BALANCE 758
FOOT/SHOE TYPE: high arch

– New Balance 758 –

PLUS:

1. WIDTH: I liked the wide opening of the 758. It gave a lot of room for my wide feet to play inside since I am trying to run landing on my mid foot.
2. CUSHIONING: It’s not really soft but the cushioning is fine with me. With my weight of 186 lbs, it gave good support on my landings.
3. DESIGN: I liked the looks as well compared with my old NB 845 shoes. I guess NB is also catching up on making the shoes look beautiful in addition to the great functionality it provides.

MINUS

1. SOLE: The only challenge I had doing the mid foot run was on the heel part of the sole. Since it is quite thick on that part, I have a little difficulty running on my mid foot. But I am beginning to find the sweet spot landing mid foot with that shoe.

I have run in this shoe for almost a month now. I have ran with it on my long run prior to the Dream Marathon of the Bull Runner, I ran with it on the Dream Marathon day, I used it during my short runs on weekdays and I can say that I am satisfied, I liked the comfortabilty and I can recommend using New balance 758 running shoes to anyone with the same need as myself.

– Martin in his NB 758 at TBR Dream Marathon –

ETHEL SAMSON
SHOE: NEW BALANCE 740
FOOT/SHOE TYPE: neutral

– New Balance 740 –

PLUS:

1. Wide toe box. It lets me stretch out and move my toes in all directions a bit inside. It had prevented me from having more crooked and dead toe nails.
2. Breathable mesh on the upper part of the shoes keeps my toes well ventilated and yet it has a considerable outside protection, that doesn’t let moisture in easily, even when you’re already pouring water all over.
3. Steep curve on the flex grooves are perfect for me as I’m a forefoot striker. I love it that even a slight forward bend would already give me a forward thrust. Even though it doesn’t have that bulk cushion as compared to the heel part, I’m amazed that with just the perfect pair of socks, I’m not having blisters on the ball anymore, no need for a footbed.
4. Slim arch side on the midsole towards the shank, the tongue, shoe laces. The slim fit of the midsole part thru the arch part of the feet and the placement of the shoe laces behind the tongue keeps my feet in place comfortably. The sides don’t rub, and my longest toe hardly makes contact with the toe cap part, despite of the wide toe box and the fact that I’m a forefoot striker.
5. The stiff heel tabs towards the heel counter and the sturdy medial post and outer sole keeps my heel from rolling in or out and provides the best cushion when I’m too tired, is unconsciously heel striking, and not running correctly anymore.

– Ethel in her NB 740 at the 1st Eagle Run in Cebu –

To read the full reviews of each runner, click below:
Mike Janeo – New Balance 760
Martin Cruz – New Balance 758
Ethel Samson – New Balance 740

Yesterday, my NYC Training Program required hill training of 11km. I wanted to run outdoors, but for the first time, I was apprehensive and anxious about it. The mere thought caused sweat to drip down my forehead even before I started to run.

You see, during my last run, I spotted three higads in different locations leisurely hanging from the Acacia trees lining the road. Twice I leapt to the side avoiding a nasty and not to mention itchy rash that would’ve been caused by those hairy creatures.

I also got a text from a friend, Michelline, who runs regularly on the same course. She has rashes all over her body, even inside her shirt, from those awful higads. Rumor is their coach, Patrick, now carries Caladryl in his bag as most of his students have higad rashes.

I may be The Bull Runner but urban higad legends like that scare the hell out of me. So, as I neared the intersection where I was to choose: road or treadmill at the gym, I questioned my driver hoping for some kind of reassurance:

Me: “Manong, madami kayang higad ngayon?”
Manong: “Meron maam. Pero, mahuhulog lang sila kapag nahanginan. Kung walang hangin, walang problema.”

I took a quick glance out the window and observed the stillness of the trees. I took a deep breath and pointed ahead.

Me: “Deretso tayo, Manong. Tatakbo ako sa kalsada.”

So help me God.

I ran on the road like a poor animal being hunted by a predator (only the predator in my case was much smaller than I was). All my senses were in full alert. My eyes were focused straight ahead, as it should be, mainly to watch out for higad. I ran as fast as I could hoping to finish 11km at the shortest possible time to minimize the risk of catching the rash.

Half the time the battle was all in the mind. I cannot count how many times I flicked off something away from my neck thinking it was a caterpillar only to realize it was the tail-end of my braid. I scratched my left arm, my right leg, my left leg, and my ears so many times that I wonder how I was even able to run. It didn’t help that it suddenly got windy. Manongs words kept on playing over and over in my head.

I covered 11k of challenging hills with a pace of 5:43 min/km. That’s close to race pace for me. Who would’ve known the higads could’ve helped me run that fast on a training run?! I was happy. But, what made me even more ecstatic after the run was the absence of any itching whatsoever. I survived! Take that, higads!