Running, Reviewing and Volunteering...

I'm not really a big reader of running magazines and websites except for the free Competitor magazine which I'll randomly pick up when it's on display in Marathon Sports. For a free publication it's excellent and has some great articles which go well beyond the standard "10 ways to train for your first 5k" fare. In a recent edition there was an article by ultra-distance runner, Scott Jurek, where he spoke of the importance of taking time off at the end of the year while staying involved by volunteering at races etc.

Many of my friends tend to do this already and I write this with chilled hands having spent the morning shivering by the Charles River as part of the RaceMenu Miss Santa 5k crew.

It was a lot of fun and great to see so many runners and volunteers there that I know including a large team from Back On My Feet headed by Betty and Bridget, several TMIRCE'rs, fellow Team RaceMenu/mix1 runners and my favorite regulars of the Charles River loop - John and Trish (pictured).

It was only the third year of this 5k and already it has grown into over 400 people which is really impressive; I should't be too surprised as it offers the best course of all the Boston 5ks which are happening in December with lovely views of the river and Boston/Cambridge skylines. Brunch and beer at the nearby Cheers bar followed for many lucky runners!

My legs were stiff as I stood by the river due to a healthy 10+ miles yesterday with the Marathon Sports running crew out of Brookline. The weather was beautiful and clear as 12 of us headed up Beacon Street on our various distances. The majority of us were doing the 10 mile loop and I had the pleasure of running the second half of it with Paul and Liam, two insanely fast yet humble chaps, who did most of the talking as we ran up Heartbreak Hill. Total pace was 7.35 min/mile albeit progressively faster from start to finish. Even though it was less than three weeks since running Philly Marathon, my legs felt great which  may have been helped by a successful first run with the Newton MV2s on Wednesday night plus taking Thursday and Friday off.

So, the MV2s... as mentioned here, I did my debut run in them on the treadmill to avoid the rain outside. They are incredibly lightweight with a zero heal-toe drop so I approached this run with caution as all the literature screams. I've been running in the Gravity's since last October, as well as the super lightweight PUMA Faas 300s more recently, so the transition into them will likely be not as severe as most.

I set the treadmill to a 5k loop and started out slowly... ahhh, although it's only been a couple of months, I'd forgotten how much I liked that trademark Newton feel - the "bump" under the mid foot where the actuator lugs are and the comfortably designed toe box. Within half a mile, I was reminded of how they help to focus on running form and, after a mile, I was comfortably picking up the pace to 7.15 min/mile. All too quickly, the machine slowed into cool down mode just before 24 minutes and I started walking again. My calves definitely felt like they'd had a workout which I continued to feel into the next day; all to be expected with an innovative shoe like this and I can't wait to wear them again on a slightly longer run... outdoors preferably. So, keep checking back for my test reviews as I continue to put these beauties through their paces.