I celebrated my 53rd birthday over the weekend. It was great having the kids and their significant others, as well as my almost 3 month old granddaughter all there for a get together and dinner. I really didn't need anything for my birthday but my kids always get me something even though I ask them not to. This year they got me a gift card to Wasatch Running. That was a great gift as I was definitely ready to try some new trail shoes. I was not at all happy with my situation at the end of the Buffalo 50 Miler. So the research and pursuit of a new pair of trail shoes began.
I did quite a bit of research online and after determining that every shoe company and most runners are now leaning towards zero drop and minimalist running shoes, I decided I needed to go the opposite direction. Unfortunately I am still about 40 pounds heavier than I should be and I still get a great deal of knee pain whenever I do some extended downhill running. As a result I decided to buck the trend and go with more cushioning.
I have always thought the Hoka One One shoes to be a gimmick as much as anything, and they definitely resemble some type of clown shoes with their overabundant sole's, but after talking with Darrell at Wasatch Running I decided to try on a few different models.
I ended up walking out with a pair of Hoka One One Stinson Evo's. They were amazingly comfortable when I tried them on and ran in them at the store. They also have a crazy amount of cushioning. I was hoping to go trail running in them today after work but Mother Nature threw me a curve with all of the rain. So tonight I will run on the Parkway in my Brooks Glycerine's and do the same on Thursday morning. Unfortunately the Hoka's will not come out of the closet until my next trail outing which due to evening commitments the rest of the week will probably not be until Saturday morning. I can't wait to put some miles on them and see how they feel, or more specifically how I feel afterward.
My training is going well and I am finally getting back to my somewhat normal running routine after taking time off recovering form the Buffalo 50 Miler. Hopefully with the new shoes I can get the trail work in I need and get up to 50 miles a week quickly, as I prepare for the Squaw Peak 50 mile race on June 2nd.
