Getting Cold

It is still slowly creeping towards winter here in France. The snow is lying in Chamonix and the temperature is dropping( -12 today) but the running has continued.

I love the crisp cold winter air. Brilliant for running but don't stop for too long
or warming back up could take some time.

I have been out for some great little tours on the skis with the usual crew. We are not going for epic skiing but just to get the uphill legs in shape for the season ahead. You would think that coming from my summer of running that my legs for skinning up would be super strong. Think again! I can't say I am struggling with the tours but my legs do feel it more than when I run but it is only a matter of time before I get into the swing of things. It is more my back and hips that are feeling it as I am using muscle I have not really used since last winter.

Very cold afternoon skin up Le Tour

Running has been great. I have been out running in fresh snow in the evenings and also had some fantastic lunchtime jaunts along the side of the river in glorious sunshine albeit bitterly cold. I have not had to use my proper running spikes yet as it is more hard packed snow than ice at moment on the trails and roads so I have been using Yaktraks which are awesome. They are pretty much crampons for your shoes and they work very very well. I have not had a problem yet with them coming loose and they give me loads of confidence on descents and so far have yet to have a little tumble with them on. I would definitely recommend them. I totally love running in the snow and even more so at night. If I pick the time correct then I can run around the forests here after work and not even need a head torch sometimes as the snow glare can be so bright. It is a nice change from charging down trails dodging rocks and tree roots. Running on snow is great and just a nice change for a while.

I do prefer skiing powder than running in it
but it was fun this night.

The neoprene socks are on every run now and needed. Along with another pair of socks they keep my feet dry and very warm. I have a decent collection of trail running shoes but I am drawn more and more to one pair and I hate to admit it but it is my Salomon S-lab Sense Ultras. A shoe I always swore was not for me and was way too expensive. I still think it is very overpriced but I managed to find them online for half the £180 price tag so I snapped some up and I love them. I am going to be reviewing some kit next summer so thought I would share on here what shoes I run in and what I like and don't like about them.

Excellent for Winter running

From Top L to Bottom R. Adidas Adizero , SLab Sense Ultras , SLab Sense
New Balance Leadville , Brooks Cascadia 7's x 2 pairs

My Adidas Adizero XT is the one shoe I run the least in purely because I think this is a shoe for the UK. It has amazing grip from the Continental outsole(same rubber as used on the classic and brilliant Sportiva Raptors) and huge thick tread like Inov8 shoes but better. It is perfectly suited to fell running and very muddy wet conditions something I don't see much in Chamonix but I use them in Scotland on the Munroe’s and they perform amazingly well. They are slightly on the small side for me but I chose this for more precision on technical ground but I could never run an ultra in them. They just don't have the right support or comfort for me for long distances but defo a great shoe for short UK fell/hill running races. They can be picked up super cheap these days online. Mine were £40!

I briefly spoke of this shoe and could talk for hours on how much I love them. The Salomon S-lab Sense Ultras. Yes a ridiculous price but also ridiculously light(210grams UK 8.5) and comfortable with the best fit of any running shoe I have ever worn. These shoes are a beefed up version(in a very small way) to the original Kilian Jornet shoe the S-lab Sense which I also have a pair of and yes they are also stupid money(£200) but again I hunted down some half that price at the end of the summer. The original Sense is a little lighter at 185grams (UK 8). It is a very minimalist shoe meaning it has very little cushioning in the heel and forefoot to help you run in a more forefoot striking pattern. I am not going to go into the right and wrong ways to run and all this barefoot running is the way forward malarkey. There are pros and cons to everything and if you want to find more about it to make up your own mind then just type it into Google and you could be there for days reading through it. Anyway the Sense has the most amazing sock like snug fit of any shoe I have ever worn. It has very little grip on the sole so is best suited to smooth trails or dry rock. I use them for short races up to 20km and they work great but think I would struggle trying to do 100k with them as my running technique is not quite good enough to be able to use them properly forefoot striking for that distance but short distances I find them great. They are not for Scottish hill running. They do not grip on wet grass or rock , trust me on this! The Sense Ultra was brought out to aim at a broader market than the very specific Sense (apologies if the names confuse you) it has a little bit more grip on the sole , not much at all though and the toe box is a slightly different dogleg kind of shape making it a tiny bit more roomy. The biggest difference is the stiffness of the shoe. The Sense is very soft and flexes very very easy. Salomon added longer support struts to the Ultras to make it a bit more stiff and it really does make a difference to us normal runners. I have built my running up from small distances on the Ultras and I reckon now I could run 40km if not more quite comfortably on these. They are great great shoes but do cost a lot of money and will not last as long as most other shoes but if you can find any of these cheap then snap them up. The best way for me to describe running in either of these is like running in a very comfortable cushioned sock and the precision on trails is phenomenal. Sorry if this was all a bit vague comparing these but I could go on for hours about them. Bryon Powell of irunfar.com wrote a great review about these shoes a while ago so go check it out.

Now to the New Balance Leadville 1210. These are quite hard to come by in the UK but you guessed it I bought mine in Leadville(special edition colour!) the day before the big race. Yeah you could say the name is all marketing to get people like me to buy these shoes but I must admit this is not the reason I bought these. Well not purely the reason. My three main reasons for buying them came up in two seconds when I asked the shop staff in America about them as I had never seen them before. He said they fit like a Brooks Cascadia , are lighter (292grams Leadville , 389grams Cascadia 7's) and have a vibram sole. Done. Sold. I will get to Cascadias in a minute but I love them so another shoe that fits like them will work for me. Lighter is always good and a proper grippy sole is the one thing missing from the Brooks so the New Balance Leadville was born. The shoe fits snug and very comfortable all around and the toe box is deliberately made roomier to accommodate your foot swelling when doing an Ultra and it works. The shoe holds your foot and there is plenty of room in the toe box in both height and width but doesn't ever feel too big even when at the start of a race when your foot hasn't swollen up. Good job New Balance. Love them.

Now my go to shoe for long distances. The Brooks Cascadia 7's. I admit I wore the 8's for the first 50 miles of Leadville and for all of the Mont Blanc 80km with no problems but each time I go back to the 7's they just work better for me and they can be found for £50 online. I have 3 pairs of 7's and a pair of 8's. I love how comfortable they are and the cushioning for long distance is perfect. They are super robust and dry out pretty quick after river crossings. The only downside is what I briefly mentioned before and that is the grip. It is not the best but by no means terrible. I used my 8's for the first 50 miles of Leadville and then changed to a pair of 7's for the final 50 when my feet were sore and they worked a dream.

All of these trainers will be updated for next summer so keep an eye out for them. I will continue to use my Cascadias for long runs but the Leadvilles are creeping up to be my go to shoes for an Ultra. I am eager to see what the new Cascadias will be like next year and also the new grippier Salomon S-Labs! To find out more in depth/proper reviews head over to irunfar.com.

Hope I didn't bore anyone too much on this , this is just all my opinion after a summer of using all of these. Everyone’s feet are different so none of these might work for you but if you get a chance just trying slipping your feet into a pair of S-labs. Be it the Sense or Ultras and you will not be disappointed.