Merrell Trail Glove debut & Barefoot Run
Made prior arrangement with Ryo for 5km run barefoot. Feeling bad that I did not do anything on a Sunday (!!!) due to my foray into drinking the previous night, I just had to do a solo 5km on the my spanking new Merrell Trail Glove. As such I ran the first 5km myself with the shoe and the next 5km with Ryo with the shoes in hand.
Decent pace for the first 5km with the Trail Glove. The shoes are very comfortable and the fit is nice. I appreciate the large toebox which allows very natural toe-splaying as the forefoot hits the ground and finally 'roll-off'. The padding is much less than the H-Streets so hence it takes a bit of getting used to, actually its more 'barefoot minimal' than the H-Streets. I feel that the sole has a bit of arch support compared to the flattish H-street....this is good as I feel that the TG promotes mid-forefoot striking in the shoe itself while I have to focus a bit on natural running with the H-Streets. I can't say for sure which is better at this point. I still love the H-Streets but the trail run last Saturday really had my feet beat! The TG offers I think a better sole which is a bit more rigid and offer just a tad more protection. Still, the TG do feel quite good on flats tarmac/cement paths so I really think it can be used in trails as well as for normal runs.
On this run I tried to go fast but still feel rather uncomfortable in the abdominal & stomach area.....soreness from the trail run but not as bad as yesterday. Managed 5:34min/km which I think is still decent. Shoes are promising and I love the fit and comfort for the toes.
On the run with Ryo, I could only pray that he did not kill me on this one! Thank goodness he was being friendly and we had a nice chat and run....except for the last 1km+ where we upped the pace to 5:15min/km which is I think quite fast for barefootin'! Managed to complete the 5km just slightly under 30mins. I should try this with him for 10km soon! This must be the first barefoot run that I came out of unscathed! no bruises or cuts, thank goodness. Need to build the skin thickness.
I better get back on the saddle soon. My Parlee is all prepped from the weekend waiting for some action. Last weekend for zero action for my rides! Will try tomorrow.
Decent pace for the first 5km with the Trail Glove. The shoes are very comfortable and the fit is nice. I appreciate the large toebox which allows very natural toe-splaying as the forefoot hits the ground and finally 'roll-off'. The padding is much less than the H-Streets so hence it takes a bit of getting used to, actually its more 'barefoot minimal' than the H-Streets. I feel that the sole has a bit of arch support compared to the flattish H-street....this is good as I feel that the TG promotes mid-forefoot striking in the shoe itself while I have to focus a bit on natural running with the H-Streets. I can't say for sure which is better at this point. I still love the H-Streets but the trail run last Saturday really had my feet beat! The TG offers I think a better sole which is a bit more rigid and offer just a tad more protection. Still, the TG do feel quite good on flats tarmac/cement paths so I really think it can be used in trails as well as for normal runs.
On this run I tried to go fast but still feel rather uncomfortable in the abdominal & stomach area.....soreness from the trail run but not as bad as yesterday. Managed 5:34min/km which I think is still decent. Shoes are promising and I love the fit and comfort for the toes.
On the run with Ryo, I could only pray that he did not kill me on this one! Thank goodness he was being friendly and we had a nice chat and run....except for the last 1km+ where we upped the pace to 5:15min/km which is I think quite fast for barefootin'! Managed to complete the 5km just slightly under 30mins. I should try this with him for 10km soon! This must be the first barefoot run that I came out of unscathed! no bruises or cuts, thank goodness. Need to build the skin thickness.
I better get back on the saddle soon. My Parlee is all prepped from the weekend waiting for some action. Last weekend for zero action for my rides! Will try tomorrow.
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