Tag Archives: featured

Usually when something stupid happens I ask a simple question "Is it me?" Most of the time I come back with, "It might be me..." This time it isn't me. Truthfully, there has been a meaningful period of time where I haven't been particularly active on the Spartan Facebook pages. There was a time when I/We were extremely active in the Spartan community, and in the OCR community in general. However, I can remember when it all changed and I remember my frustration when they started moderating content, any and all content. I feel like they have gone too far now, and it is at a point where it is just flat out dumb.

When I first heard about the HOKA Evo Jawz, my imagination ran wild. I first pictured a smooshy pair of platform shoes with an aggressive lug pattern and wild colors. Well, it looks like I got the wild colors part right, but they are far from platform shoes. HOKA, known for their lineup of running shoes, decided to step outside of their comfort zone and enter our world with a shoe that ticks all the boxes for obstacle course racing: light, aggressive, bold, and reasonably priced.

Runderwear specializes in making underwear that won’t make you regret putting in those miles. Their primary focus is to make moisture-wicking, seamless, comfortable and anti-chafe underwear that will help you to stay as comfortable as possible on your runs, even the long ones.

I think it needs to be said that Spartan Race has finally figured it out. In years past, Spartan races have been widely inconsistent, but these last two years have seen some changes that have given us a more consistent race experience from one of the most recognizable names in Obstacle Course Racing.

I will admit it, sometimes I am a bit forgetful. Unfortunately, for me, it always seems to happen when I have an Ultra (Ultra Beast for those not up on the new Spartan Lingo) on the horizon. Last year, in Jersey, I decided to run with my goto shoe, the Inov-8 230. The day went on fine, but I started to realize my feet don't like to be crammed up in a shoe for extended periods of time. For the Sunday Beast run, I decided I would tackle the mountain in my Altra Superiors and I quickly remembered how much I loved the Altra trail shoe. I figured it was high time for me to get my foot into another pair of Altras for some late season races in preparation for the demon that awaited, Killington Ultra. With that in mind, I put myself, confidently, into a pair of Altra King MT 1.5's and...

Runners that love to run know that injuries are almost a given. We have knee issues, ankle issues, hip issues, etc. While running is good exercise, without balance you can end up sidelined. But… with our already packed schedules it’s sometimes hard enough to find time to run, let alone …

The leaves changing color, cooler temperatures, pool closings, back to school; all signs that Fall is approaching, right? Nope! It means it’s time for the Spartan Ultra in Killington!

There is one race series I look forward to every year, Savage Race. For me, Savage Race usually provides me with the best race experience of the year. Last year, I was lucky enough to participate in both Albrightsville and the Maryland races, but this year, I had only the PA race on my calendar. I can comfortably say, and defend my position if necessary, that Savage Race puts the racer's experience above the bottom line, making it a must run race. While everything isn't always peaches and cream when it comes to putting on and running an event like the ones we all love to run, there are times when your customer services skills hat must be worn. Some wear it proudly, some don't even let you know that they have one. This year, in this race, I got to see first hand what Savage is made of.

With ultrarunning becoming a popular transition from obstacle course racing for some, new races are popping up all of the time. In talking with a few friends last year about some of the ultras we had run, as well as some of the more challenging OCR events, we realized a lot of us enjoy races with a lot of vertical gain. It seems most of my OCR, and a good bit of my ultra friends, really enjoy playing in the mountains and the challenges that come with the ups and downs of terrain. Some people really enjoy just plain old running, but it can get monotonous and, frankly, boring.

So apparently Inov-8 and I have a certain pact made. I get my hands on their shoes and then I break a cardinal athlete rule. I use them for their first trial on a race day. We then examine for carnage or shenanigans to see how they did.  Like its predecessor, the 212s, the X-Talon 230s are some pretty sweet looking Off-Trail/OCR Shoes. They have a little more conservative color scheme, but you feel like these are one tough shoe. Certainly ready to tackle any course you are about to face.