Run It Fast®

Bryon Powell over at IRunFar.com got his hands on a preview pair of the upcoming New Balance Minimus Amp MT1010 trail shoes earlier this week and wrote an impressive and detailed review of the minimal trail running shoe.  The shoe will be a descendent of the New Balance Minimus MT10 that was released in 2011.

The quick lowdown on the New Balance MT1010:

I see the New Balance MT1010 as a low-to-the-ground, lightweight (at 7.7 ounces for a US men’s 9, it’s the exact same weight at the MT110) trail shoe that’s protective and supportive enough for everyday trail running shoe for those of us who aren’t waifish, who don’t run like a gazelle, and who don’t always run on buffed out, rock-free trails. In other words, it’s a trail running shoe for most of us whether we’re training (20 or) 100 miles per week or running a 100-mile race over rugged terrain.

READ IRunFar.com’s Full Descriptive Review + Many Photos of the MT1010

Some of you have been asking what shoes I used during The Last Annual Vol State 500K.

Well, here is a detailed answer to that very simple question:

I started in a pretty new pair of Newton Gravity running shoes that I’ve used successfully for several marathons and smaller ultra marathons. After 40 miles I had a blister and thought perhaps the raised rubber lugs on Newtons were helping to intensify this or creating it. altogether. It actually could have been several factors, but once that idea it got in my head it stuck there.

I then tried a pair of Spira del Sol II shoes that had about 200 miles on them. They were ok but still painful with the blisters. In an act of desperation I tried on an original pair of yellow Spira del Sol I shoes I had retired 3 years ago with 550 miles on them. The past 3 years I’ve used the shoes to mow the yard, hike in, and run errands to the store.

Bingo, they felt better and I could move comfortably in them. I used those for the majority of the rest of the race. I used the Spira del Sol II (white) two more times when the Spira del Sol I’s were wet from the rain. I did the last 40 w/ the Spira del Sol II because the del Sol I (yellow) were wet.

I had Blake (crew) set the Spira del Sol I (yellow) shoes out with 3 miles to go so I could pay them back the honor of finishing the race in them. I was in a mad sprint to finish the race and didn’t have time to switch back into them.  They will never be forgotten though.

Here is a mile-by-mile breakdown:

Newton Gravity 1-40 (40)

Spira del Sol II white 41-50 (10)

Spira del Sol I yellow 51-74 (24)

Spira del Sol II white 75-80 (6)

Spira del Sol I yellow 81-207 (127)

Spira del Sol II white 208-211 (4)

New Balance Lite 212 (1)

Spira del Sol I yellow 213-274 (62)

Spira del Sol II white 276-314 (40)

VS500 Totals

Spira del Sol I (yellow) – 213

Spira del Sol II (white) – 60

Newton Gravity – 40

New Balance Lite – 1

# of miles on them before #vs500k

Newton Gravity – 43 (now – 83)

Spira del Sol I yellow – 558 (now – 771)

Spira del Sol II white – 197 (now – 257)

New Balance Lite – new (now – 1)

It just goes to show that you never know what might work out during an extended ultra. The very last thing I threw in the car before taking off to begin this epic journey was the pair of Spira del Sol I (yellow) running shoes. I had retired them several years ago but would still wear them from time to time just to walk around in or to wear to the store.

My crew quickly realized the success I was having in them after trying them in an act of desperation. She sole of the right shoe developed a crack throughout it about half way through and my crew panicked. The shoe started to fall apart a couple other ways as well but it held tough and strong. The Spira del Sol was key to me being able to finish the 2011 Vol State 500K.

– joshua holmes

2011 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results

[image: Carl Laniak]