Vibram FiveFingers Komodo Sport LS Review: How do VFFs compare with Merrell Trail Gloves and New Balance Minimus Trails?

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For all of my chatter on this blog and to my friends about my own positive experiences with natural running, I have never actually owned a pair of the most minimal shoes out there…the grandfather of all minimalist shoes…Vibram FiveFingers. I have tried them on, tried them out for a few steps, and watched them in the market regularly as they grew from offering a few basic models like the venerable FiveFingers KSO and the popular FiveFingers TrekSport. In fact, the growth of FiveFingers brand and lineup over the past few years is nothing short of remarkable.  Recently, I bought a pair of FiveFingers Komodo Sport LS multi-sport/running shoes from Bivouac of Ann Arbor.

Grand Island Marathon Part 2: Ups and Downs on Grand Island

At the dock about to go over to G.I.

The race was an adventure.  As we lined up, we were told the route had been altered between miles 17 and 22, so you could throw your race plan out the window.  Apparently a Forest Service vehicle or something was stuck on the trail, and there was no time or way to remove it, so the call was made.  The island is mostly uninhabited, except for the Feds, the few old homesteads, and the bears.  The race was pretty neat.  It was, of course far hillier than even a hilly road marathon, with a wide variety of surfaces to contend with.  There were small sections of singletrack with some usual ruts and rocks, there was a lot of old Forest Service road, and there was a good long section (a mile?) of beach.  That was wild, given that the only acceptable place to run was along the waterline, which condemned you to running on a steep slant and dodging the crashing waves.  Hindsight being 20/20, I may have taken a few minutes to peel off my shoes and socks and run in bare feet, just for the refreshment and novelty of it.

Grand Island Marathon Part 1: A Beautiful Place!

Last week, Moira, Leo and I had a fun adventure in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  We went there originally for me to run the Grand Island Trail Marathon, but also to spend some quality, private, quiet time as a family and take in an area we don’t often hear about down in the lower half.  In short, we had a great trip.

I ran a new personal best for the marathon distance on a hilly, sandy trail course, we all got some long, deep nights’ sleep, and Leo had a good two hours every day to throw rocks in the water at the beaches of Lake Superior.  I am breaking this report up into two posts...this first one is all about the trip and the environment, and the second will be about the race itself.

Elite Feet Brighton: A Special Specialty Running Shop

A few weeks ago, my coach Marie posted some info on Facebook about a new running shop in Brighton, just a few clicks up US-23.  After a little digging, I went from curious to anxious about getting a chance to visit the shop.  After all, who likes running gear as much as I do? Who obsesses over running shoes and minimalist running products like I do?  Well, it turns out the crew at Elite Feet in Brighton do.  In fact, while they do carry a full line to address any runner’s needs, they clearly have differentiated themselves as a shop with a true belief in running form education and natural running/minimalist footwear.