Mizuno Wave Hitogami Review

Introduction

A couple months ago, I reached out to Seth Hasty (formerly with Mizuno; now with Skechers) about trying out the Hitogami for my blog, especially since I haven’t run in Mizuno since about 2005. A month or so later, the Hitogami arrived at my door for Jordan and I to test out. The Hitogami is not a shoe I would normally consider buying given its heel-to-toe drop of 9mm, but…. it seemed like everyone and their mother-in-law was trying this shoe, so I figured Jordan and I should give it a shot, too. Why not? Shoes are just tools - there is no one shoe that fits all needs. 

The Mizuno Wave Hitogami is Mizuno's new mid/long distance racer, which replaces the Ronin and Musha racing flats. It incorporates Mizuno's new proprietary U4ic EVA foam midsole and, of course, the iconic wave plate. Mizuno graciously provided these shoes to Vagabond Running for review. 

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Newton BoCo AT Trail Shoe Review

Introduction

Newtonrunning.com 

Given our review of both the Newton Energy NR, one of my favorite ground-and-pound shoes, and the MV3, an amazing racing flat, it probably shouldn't surprise the reader of this blog that I was super stoked when I first heard that Newton was releasing their first trail shoe, the Newton BoCo AT!

I've reviewed a few trail shoes on this blog previously, and given my trail running background (not competitively, but having lived in the mountains for four years running trails), I have a good idea about what constitutes a good trail shoe. 

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Ryan Hall, Running Criticism, and What Our Sport Needs

The BAA recently announced that Ryan Hall was added to the elite field that will be running the iconic Boston Marathon in a year which will witness the largest entry field ever for this race come April 21.

Ryan Hall has not performed as well the last 1.5 or so years compared to his first five years following his American Record setting half marathon debut in 2007 at Houston running it in 59:43.

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2014 Running Blogs to Follow

It is always difficult to give a full appraisal of the most pertinent blogs to follow on any topic, let alone the diverse topic of running. In reality, my "2014 Running Blogs to Follow" necessarily reflects my own social sphere of influence more than anything else. However, I think that the blogs below represent a fantastic source for those of you that want to get as much information as you can about the running and ultra-racing world, information about current and upcoming running shoes and apparel, and more.

So, without further adieu:

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ENERGYBits Review and Giveaway!

Introduction

One aspect of running that I find particularly interesting relates to nutrition, particularly because I have a very sensitive GI  and do most of my runs in a fasted state. And by fasted, I mean no food in my body usually for 12+ hours.

I have been following EnergyBits on Twitter for quite some time, and somewhere during our communication EnergyBits reached out to me (I think a few weeks before Thanksgiving) and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their product. Algae before or after a run? Meh, why not.

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Arc'teryx Sarix Running Shirts (Spring/Summer 2014)

Arc'teryx Sarix Sleeveless before my bike-commute

Introduction
Arc’teryx—a shortened version of Archaeopteryx, perhaps the earliest transitional species between dinosaurs and birds—is an outdoor equipment and clothing company based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  In other words, Arc’teryx is located in a region of the world in which they do not have to travel very far to test their amazing equipment and gear. They sponsor amazing ultrarunners ranging from Adam Campbell to Joe Grant.

Arc'teryx is definitely a brand favorite at Vagabond Running Blog, and we thoroughly enjoyed the versatility of the 2013 Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody for our numerous running adventures. So, we were pleased when, at the end of the Summer last year, Arc'teryx was kind enough to send two samples from their Spring/Summer 2014 line-up of running clothing: the Sarix short-sleeve and sleeveless techinical shirts.

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Lems Primal 2: The Go Anywhere, Conquer Anything Shoe

Introduction
You may remember from my review of the original Primal Origin that I was a big fan. It was my first minimalist shoe so there is some history there as well.  If you have not checked out my review of the prequel to this shoe you may want to refresh yourself because the new flagship shoe from Lems builds largely on the foundation of the previous iteration. The updated sequel called the Primal 2 is a step in the right direction for this shoe and this company. (Disclosure: These shoes were media samples provided free of charge to Vagabond Running by the manufacturer.) 

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