Pros:  The Skechers GOrun is marketed as a ‘Lightweight Minimalist’ shoe that ‘Promotes a mid-foot strike’. With a 4mm drop I would consider this shoe as an option for runners used to a 10mm-12mm drop wanting to get into a lighter shoe without losing the comfort that a slightly higher heel gives for cushioning. The GOrun weighs in at around 196 grams (my current daily shoe weighs in at 349 grams) and fits like a comfortable glove on your feet. I normally require a 2E width, but with the Skechers, the toe box is wide enough that the normal width shoe was perfectly fine for me.

I also want to say for the superstitious among you that the Skechers GOrun may also be under the influence of magic….okay, maybe it is just good engineering.  These shoes promote a more efficient foot position and have helped me, a self-admitted heel stomper, to become much more light-footed and efficient in my running. The shoe design does this by the ‘rocker’ or curve in the shoe’s design. Simply put, the shoe on a flat surface looks like a banana with the two ends up and the middle contacting the surface. This seems to create a contact point that is easier to ‘feel’ as your foot lands thus creating a smoother more efficient forefoot running stride. The negative to this is that when walking in the shoe it feels funny underfoot so you will likely not retire these shoes for use in yard work.
Cons:  I was very excited about the potential of wearing these shoes without socks. The interior lining looked well sewn with no seams to act as pinch points and the gusseted tongue would keep debris out of the shoe when running on hard pack trails. Unfortunately, without socks I found some hotspots that developed into nasty blisters. I also noticed that the shoes held water longer than other shoes I have run in, which might have also contributed to the blisters.
Ideal for: Runners looking to move from wearing ‘bricks’ to a lightweight shoe will find this a nice transition and will likely not see a need to move all the way to a zero-drop shoe. Another group of runners who may find this shoe appealing are heel strikers wanting to find a more efficient running form. The shoes design really helps your run on the mid-foot without requiring you to think about your running form when running.

As a 200-plus-pound runner I can also categorically say that these shoes provide a nice lightweight option for heavier runners who traditionally are not well served by the running shoe industry.

About Peter Lariviere:
I started running in March 2010 while on a trip to Cuba. It may have been the location but I discovered that I actually liked running. My running is geared more toward ultra distance racing and solo, self-supported runs. Some recent accomplishments include finishing 50 miles in 12 hours at the Ottawa Self Transcendence Race in September 2012. For 2013 I want to complete a Kanata to Orleans run (over 50km) and run Rigaud to Navan on the Prescott-Russell multi use trail. I hope to run the Rideau Trail from Kingston to Ottawa in 2014.

Visit his blog: www.peterlariviere.blogspot.ca

Follow him on Twitter: @lariviere_ peter

By: Karen Karnis

When you shop at The Running Works in downtown Guelph, ON, you never know who you’re going to run into. Store owner Andrew Catton is a former Speed River Track and Field Club athlete, and says it is fun to be able to count Olympians such as Eric Gillis, Reid Coolsaet and Alex Genest, as well as countless other record-setting and up-and-coming athletes among his customers.

He tells a story of the time Gillis came into the store just before the London Olympics. “He held the door for a man coming in behind him and told me he was going downstairs for a minute. The man pointed at an autographed picture of Gillis on the wall, then pointed at Gillis as he disappeared down the stairs. He just looked at me quizzically,” says Catton. “Then he said, ‘Wait, is that…’ and when I nodded, he just said ‘shouldn’t he be in London?’”

But Catton’s connections with the Speed River team are not really about fame, even though it makes for good stories. “When I ran with Speed River, Dave Scott-Thomas and all of those people were really good to me. Now I have a chance to give back and support the group the way I have been supported,” he says. The Running Works is an official sponsor of the team, and Catton says, “Sure, that doesn’t make us any money, but if we are able to help a kid get a deal, making it easier to strive in the sport – well, I know what a difference that can make.”

Catton has only owned the store for the last twelve months, but he’s been in running retail for over ten years. As an area manager for the Running Room for several years, he travelled a lot. So when Susan Wahlroth called in 2009 to see if he’d be interested in a job managing The Running Works shortly after he found out that he and his wife Shannon were expecting a baby, he jumped at the chance. Then in 2012 when Wahlroth told him she intended to sell the store, he decided the time was right to take it over.

“When you’re working for someone, there is plenty of opportunity cooperation and sharing a vision, but you don’t have the final say. Sure, you’re making decisions, but you don’t get to make those calls one hundred per cent,” he says.

Catton believes there are a lot of advantages to having his own independent running store. “We are really able to get at customer needs,” he says. Unlike chains with fixed inventories, the independents have the flexibility to cater more specifically to their customers. “If after talking to a customer, I feel there is something that could really benefit them and we don’t carry it, I have the freedom to bring it in for them. This allows us to go above and beyond to get customers exactly what they need.”

He also loves to carry new, innovative, and hard-to-find products. As a gear-junkie, he’s willing to bring things in to see how they go over – but he’s selective about what he will continue to carry. “We try things, and sometimes it’s a mistake. In those cases, we’ll take it off the wall. If I can’t believe in a product, I won’t sell it. There is no point in buying into a fad to make a buck if it’s not actually going to benefit people in the long run,” he says.

Catton counts Mizuno among the more innovative brands that he carries. “They’re always pushing the envelope. Mizuno has been doing lighter-weight regular training shoes for years. Mizuno has been doing adaptive support for years. Other companies have just started to get there.” He adds, “My favourite product is the Breath Thermo gear. How warm it keeps you with fewer layers is awesome.”

When asked if there was anything else he wanted to add, Catton said no story about The Running Works would be complete without a mention of his staff. “You must have good people around you or you’re not going to be successful,” he says. “Just like with any athlete, who has a whole team behind them – coaching, healthcare professionals and other support crew – it’s never just one person, it’s a whole microcosm. I can’t be in the store all the time, but because of my staff, I never have to worry when I am not there.”

By: Nikki Reiter

Most individuals will celebrate a vacation; however, along with catching the sights, going out for meals or keeping up with the kids’ activities, runners tend to feel a bit guilty about skipping out on their regular training routine. Getting in at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity each day should help you ward off detraining and allow you to return to your normal training schedule refreshed – isn’t that what a vacation is all about?

Try the following suggestions to help you feeling good about your training:

Plan Ahead – Try to use your vacation as a recovery cycle so you can be at peace with missing your runs knowing it’s time for regeneration.

Do Some Research – Check out where the locals run or talk to the concierge at the hotel. Better yet, search for the local running group to have someone to join on a group run and find out more about the area you’re visiting. Don’t be nervous, runners are a welcoming bunch!

Prepare – Headed to sunbathe and afraid it will be too hot? No problem. Try deep water running. Headed to a winter wonderland with poor footing? Try other aerobic activities such as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. Worst-case scenario, find a hotel with a treadmill and practice running some intervals or a tempo at a goal pace.

Prioritize – Get your run done early in the day and get out of the way. With spending all that time with friends or family, it might be nice to wake up and have some alone time and then be ready for the day’s activities.

Mix It Up – Use your surroundings to switch things up. Running on the beach is much more difficult than the pavement, so you can go shorter and still get in a great workout. Try other forms of cross training to get your heart rate up. There are fitness gains to be made by changing up your workout

Race – Search the Internet to see if there’s a local race happening in your destination. You won’t feel as bad taking a few days off if you’re going to put in a race effort at some point during your trip.

In the end, remember that time away is great to regenerate both mentally and physically. Don’t worry too much if you miss a run or two – it’s vacation now isn’t it!

***

Nikki Reiter is a Mizuno Running Brand Ambassador from Kelowna, BC.  She holds a master’s degree in biomechanics, coaches Cross Country at UBC Okanagan and is the founder of Run Right Gait Analysis Service (run-right.ca).

“iRun to age with strength and grace.” ~Pamela Dransfield

The following is a guest post by Pamela Dransfield who tested the Skechers GOrun 2.0.

Pros: These shoes are beautiful to behold and a pleasure to wear.  I have never received any comments from passersby (or those I have been passing) about the appearance of a shoe, but often get compliments when I am running in these.  They are so light weight and comfortable all the time.  My feet are not passengers in these shoes.  Because of the minimalist design, my toes get to participate on uneven terrain, which gives a great sense of balance and adventure.   Even after long runs, they dry really quickly.

Cons: I really have nothing negative to say about these shoes.  It has been a great experience running in these and other than some initial adjustments, I experienced no problems and find no drawbacks to the design or performance of this shoe.

Overall: I wore these shoes (with socks) entirely outdoors, on pavement, gravel, dirt road shoulders, and soft groomed trails.  Nanaimo is a very hilly city, so I had the opportunity to run both uphill and downhill on every run.  While the shoe was great on my usual stomping grounds – pavement – it was way more fun when I was “off-roading” as the low profile allowed me to use and feel my feet more as I ran, which was a really refreshing experience.  I ran in sun, rain, and on a bit of ice and slush one day, though we do not have snow here generally speaking.  I was cautious on the snow day, but didn’t have any issues with grip.  My runs varied from 5 to 12 km and my feet felt great at the end no matter the distance or terrain.  Overall, I am a true convert to this minimalist shoe.

A runner of only the past 4 ½ years, I am still learning to discern what I like and don’t like, what works and what does not work for me in the world of running gear.

These are well-made, comfortable and lightweight performance shoes at a great price. There is an amazing choice of fun, bright colours (and laces).

The first thing I noticed when I put these shoes on was the curved bottom which feels like a bump. It does take some getting used to but that ‘bump’ feeling went away after a while. I already am a mid-foot/toe striker but felt these shoes guided my gait at first in a way that made my running feel unnatural and I had to think about my form. But after a few runs, that was no longer the case. Now my runs feel effortless and are fast!

I really liked these shoes and will continue to train in them, especially for tempo runs and speed work.  They make me feel fast like Meb Keflezighi (still nothing could be further than the truth)! But I probably will not make these my go-to marathon shoes because I miss the cushioning other shoes provide on varied terrain when heel striking on downhill stretches or on walk breaks.  They are super comfortable – no slipping or sliding, plenty of cushioning and therefore no blisters. Used these shoes inside on the treadmill, and outside in all kinds of weather conditions – sun, wind, rain and snow!

About Jennifer Pevec:

Back of the packer training for Marathon #8 in the spring. Enjoy half-marathons, swimming & cycling events.

Read Jennifer’s post on Running for a Reason!