Two lessons learned today. First, if you make a Twitter account you should probably check it. And second, shoe reviews are best done with angles of the entire shoe. Especially the sole.

This morning I had the spontaneous urge to check my runlittlegoat twitter account. I figured it was probably dormant, despite connecting all of my Instagram photos to it. I was almost right. It was almost lifeless, except a few posts directed at me to give an update on the Hoka One One Valors!

Remember these guys? Valors Vs Bondi3's

I figured that the only people reading my blog were my equally fitness and health crazed friends, and...my Mom. (Thanks Mom!). 

To make up for it, I'm going to give this person AKA Midpackbiped on Twitter, a quick recap on the Valors. 140 characters just did not cut it.

I was surprised to find that I've done over 400 miles in these shoes so far (thanks to Strava tracking them!), even with alternating them between the Hoka One One Clifton's (My previous "review" here)  and Altra Olympus's. By the way, the olympus shoes are a STEAL right now. 

I can't complain. The Valors have held up. Keep in mind though, that I'm somewhere between 105 and 110lbs, so I don't think I'm the best person to talk to about shoe wear and tear. It's clear that they have plenty of miles left in them.

The only thing I don't like about them, is the toe box. I REALLY wish they would take a hint from Altra and really give a toe box that let's your foot splay out. I don't think that I have an unusually wide foot, but I'm a bit sensitive to my toe room. Especially when I wear the Injinji toesocks, I find that my toes are uncomfortably cramped. I just said toe way too many times in this paragraph.

I DO love the upper. It's substantial in quality, but is also light and breathable. The colors are nice, but I've never been a huge fan of the Hoka Logo smeared all over the side. I don't mind it, I've learned to accept the fact that runner's can't choose a shoe primarily for their looks. They're definitely getting more fashionable as the years fly by, but I'd love to get rid of the giant logo.

And does anyone else think the bird flying in the "O" looks like a women's bikini? That's all I see. I bet you can't unsee it now, can you.

The ride is cushy and smooth, and I still reach for those on the days I need an extra soft footfall for my legs. 

Now, I have to say that I am getting confused with all of the different models they are putting out. I know that the Valors are comparable to the Bondi's, but I'm not sure how different it is from the Bondi4. Then there's the Vanquish, and Odyssey, and don't forget the Constant. I used to feel like I knew everything about Hokas, and could probably be a better sales person than most of the running store employees, but now I'm starting to lose that feeling. Too many to keep track of, all with very slight differences! 

Anyway, that's my updated review. These shoes will probably go into retirement if I choose to run with them in the AR50. It's scary that I don't know what shoes I want to run in yet. 

And I'll end with a new pair of shoes I received today! I got the fancy and sleek Skora Core's. Made from...goats. I guess it's fitting. Or is it? I will write a review for them soon, but it won't be running based I don't think since I'm not much of a minimalist. I wanted to get them just for wearing casually, because they are just that good looking. 

Now go follow me on Twitter!

Jack approves!

My Skora Core's. And our dirty old floor.

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Hoka One One Valor Update

HeatherIhn 0

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First of all, I was looking at my Strava data and look at this! See that really tall spike in June? That was 66.8 miles, BUT 50 of those miles were when I went crazy because I was injured and decided to bike 50 miles to make up for it. And no, I don't bike. And yes, my butt did hurt. I also got brutally sunburned because apparently that happens on a bike? Anyway, the highlighted bar in February is my current highest RUNNING week mileage, which weirdly also adds up to 66.8. I am such a believer in MAF training, because I had no idea this kind of mileage was possible on my body without injury. *KNOCKS ON ALL THE WOOD*

Things I've learned this week: running 32 miles and then trying to continue training by running six miles two days later is going to suck. The third day (12 miles) isn't any better. And the 4th day (8 miles) is probably going to feel worse. However, if you go to bed earlier than your Grandmother at 7:45pm on a Thursday night, 12 hours of sleep should do your legs some good. SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT. Don't be that person thinking you can squeak by with 4-5 hours and be perfectly normal. You're either a freak of nature, or you're lying to yourself.

I thought my recovery from the 32 mile would be a little bit faster than it was. Then again, it is quite a feat to conquer, so I'm amazed that my legs were able to continue as tired as they were. The soreness was primarily in my quads, I think from the 1300 ft of gain that I wasn't prepared for. It was a bad time to move my office seat to the 2nd floor. :| Stairs were not my friend.

Surprisingly, my paces weren't too shabby despite the extremely heavy and sore legs. It was reminiscent of the days when I was sore from horse back riding, but not as bad I guess. I cranked out one of my fastest runs ever on Thursday. A 10:05 pace average for 8 miles. The weird thing is that it felt slow! I have made major progress since the last time I did this run in early December, considering that this is after my 50k and my legs were still so sore. I chopped 50 seconds a mile off in three months! I'm sure it's even more if I actually gave my legs a break long enough to let blood flow back.

Earlier this morning (MUCH earlier) I finished my longest run of the week. A measly 24 miles.

Just kidding, it's not measly. In fact, I kept longingly gazing into the ocean and any hotel pools that I passed by. I was so tempted to jump in to give my legs an icy relief. They just aren't used to so much abuse! The temperatures were also quickly rising, despite me getting out of the house at 7am. Sorry East Coast/Mid West, but our temps are actually pretty warm out here. It was 78 degrees in our house mid day.

The heat was rough on me, and by 12 miles my heart rate started climbing past my 149 MAF hr. I managed to keep it at or below 160 for the remainder. The sun was brutal, as you might be able to tell from my wicked runner's tan line. I guess that's one downfall of the compression socks.

Prior to the run I freaked out because I realized I didn't order any Injinji toe socks to keep my little toe blister at bay. I found this awesome wiki page that showed step by step instructions on taping, as well as describing the different types of tape and methods. I'm definitely bookmarking it. The tape actually worked out great. I felt my toe hurting a little at the end because of the swelling, but it remained blister free!

Oh, and I got new Hoka One One Clifton's! As usual, they were a dream straight out of the box. I really wish the tongue was thicker. I put in both of the insoles to give a tighter fit, but they were cushy and a smooth ride. I didn't realize that my shoe collection is skewing sharply to the Teal/Yellow/orange, but at least it's consistent? I'll be alternating between the Hoka One One Valor's and the Cliftons for the next couple of weeks. Possibly my Altra Olympus' if my toes start to feel too cramped.

My shoe lineup. Valors - Cliftons - Nike Wildhorse

The Cliftons!

And that's about it over here! I have another 10 miler tomorrow, and then lots and lots of gardening!

A last little note I wanted to share is my recipe for my new favorite shake EVER. Again, I need to post a disclaimer saying that I may not be the best judge of taste right now. I haven't had sugary or carby foods in months now, so...yeah.

I recently discovered Maca root Powder. I wanted to balance out my hormones a bit for training and health reasons. Turns out it also gives a great energy boost and is a sort of superfood. Some people apparently are turned off by the taste, but weirdly I enjoy it. A LOT. I was so excited at the malty texture and subtly sweet taste it gave my smoothies.

My smoothie ingredients

So what do I do? I use my little Magic Bullet blender, and fill it about 1/3 full of crushed ice. I then put in a cup to a cup and a half of Flax Milk, unsweetened (or unsweetened Vanilla). I have tried a lot of non-dairy milks and this one hands down is my favorite as far as texture and flavor. I also put in a tablespoon of almond butter for some fat and calories, and a tablespoon of chia seeds for the Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Lastly, I use some stevia drops for flavor. I've been using the Vanilla Bean and the Peppermint drops (just maybe 3-5 drops of each) from Sweet Leaf. Blend it up and it's sooo good and filling.

I'm not into artificial sweeteners but I do like that stevia comes from an actual plant. These add just a hint of sweetness without the sugar. Oh so good!!!

That's all! Enjoy your weekends! Don't forget about Daylight Savings!

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Maca Root Powder, Hoka One One Cliftons, and SO MUCH RUNNING.

HeatherIhn 0

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I just got my new Hoka One One Valors in the mail today, from the ever so lovely Running Warehouse. I swear by them, and have only good things to say about them. They have an awesome 90 day no sweat return policy, as well as lightning fast free shipping and returns! Since I live nearby I get free overnight shipping. It's sort of amazing. Not to mention that they seem to select the best running products out there, and the prices are hard to beat!

And no, I don't work for them. But...call me RW! I LOVE YOU!

I love shoes. I am obsessed with learning about them for some reason, and could probably babble off a billion different brands and shoe styles, as well as their advantages/disadvantages and drops. I tried to get into the minimalist thing, but I really believe that my high and rigid arches works against me there and I always end up with shin splints. I still try to run in flatter shoes every now and then to keep my foot strength up, but for the long efforts I stick with my cushy shoes. 

Right now I'm alternating most between the Bondi3 and the Altra Olympus. I like the Olympus, but I find that out of the box they are pretty stiff and a bit heavy. It took me a long time to get my first pair to where I want them to be, and now I think they are the softest shoes ever! I have put in over 500 miles on them, so I retired them, but I wear them around town and am in heaven! I'm still breaking in the 2nd pair, so I'll probably retire my Bondi3's now.

I love Hokas. I can usually wear them straight out of the box for a half marathon (and many times, I've actually done that) and they are usually fine. I loved the Bondi2, but haven't been too crazy about the Bondi 3 shoe, which you can see on the right of the valor in the photos. The upper was too roomy and my foot felt very loose in them even though I ordered a half size smaller than I usually do for running shoes. I also DESPISE those speed laces, I don't know how they lasted so long on this particular pair. I think I lost the other ones.

The Valor seems to fix those issues, and the upper fit snugly and like a dream. I got them in a size 7, and while they look slightly larger, they actually fit the same length wise and feel perfectly cozy. One of the best improvements I think is the tongue. I hated the paper flat tongue of the Bondi3.

The height and drop is very similar. 35mm heel, 31mm forefoot, 4mm drop for the Valors and 35mm/31mm for the Bondi3. There is a bit more durability in the sole of the Valor, but it seems like most of the improvements are made to the upper. They are also TWO ounces lighter than the Bondi3's. Not to mention they just LOOK cooler in my opinion.

If it's anything like the Bondi, I expect a lot of soft cushy goodness on my first run. Maybe with the improved upper I will be less likely to get blisters. I always used to get blisters on the outside of my big toes when doing marathon distances.

Anyway, I just wanted to show them off before I get them dirty. I will be updating more on them later!

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The Valors have arrived!

HeatherIhn 0

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