New Balance Minimus Road Zero Review: An industry veteran's analysis

New Balance Minimus Road Zero MR00

The New Balance Minimus line has taken the running world by storm. Soon, you'll be tempted by the New Balance Minimus Road Zero (MR00), the first zero-drop offering from New Balance. This review, from our new contributor Ken, is a full-on critique of the shoe after 200 miles from an industry veteran. Take it away, Ken!

I had the huge privilege to receive a pair of this highly anticipated minimal shoe from New Balance back in August 2011 (8 months before its release) and give it a lengthy test.  For those of you that do not know me, my name is Ken Larscheid, owner of Elite Feet Running Store in Brighton, MI.  I test many shoes that we are thinking about stocking in the store for our customers, and Zak thought it would be a great idea to have me review this shoe I am already so familiar with.  I think about how they fit in the mix of competition already on my shoe wall, how it will fit a customer’s foot, and if it fits in with our philosophy at Elite Feet Brighton.  Any new shoe must fit all of these characteristics to be able to earn a spot on Elite Feet Brighton's shoe wall, and the New Balance Minimus Road Zero does that. Now I want to share my thoughts and findings with this shoe.

The new "Average Guy" contributors are all more qualified than I am...and other news

I have been very fortunate to make some unique connections in the running world of late.  My interviews with Geoff Roes, David Riddle, Anton Krupicka, and my friend Kyle Kranz have added a new series of voices to Average Guy Hits the Road and it seems to really be resonating with readers.  Traffic has increased by about 500% in the last three months.  In addition, I have started doing in-depth analyses of running shoes and products, which has brought us a lot of new readers looking for information on barefoot running and barefoot style shoes.

In honor of all our new readers, I have been working hard behind the scenes to line up even more Above Average Athlete interviews for you, and a series of new product reviews.  In the next few weeks, you can expect interviews with Krissy Moehl, an incredible, world-renowned ultra runner, and Hal Koerner, another legendary ultra runner and two-time Western States winner.  We have sneak peak product reviews of the New Balance Minimus Road Zero, Merrell Mixmaster, and Ashmei Running apparel.  Plus, a few more surprises I don’t want to let out of the bag just yet.

Geoff Roes Interview: Above Average Athletes

Geoff Roes (image from Clif Bar)

Geoff Roes is a humble and quiet guy who just happens to eat 100 mile ultramarathons alive. I connected with Geoff after having interviewed Anton Krupicka for our "Above Average Athletes" column, and was very grateful to get his thoughts on running, gear, his popular and incredible Alaska Mountain Ultrarunning Camps, and his unconventional plans for 350 miles on foot...in winter...in Alaska.

In 2010, Geoff won the Western States 100 Mile Endurance run in record time, beating Anton, Killian Jornet, Nick Clark, Hal Koerner, and other top ultramarathoners in what can only be described as one of the most tense and epic races of that distance on American soil. In 2011, Geoff won the Ultra Race of Champions 100k, Crow Pass 25 miler, Santa Barbara 100 miler, the Zane Grey 50, and the Chuckanut 50k. Thanks again to Geoff for getting to know us and taking the time for Above Average Athletes!

Barefoot Shoes: Right for Every Run?

Merrell Barefoot Collection Trail Glove

Lately I have been following a lot of great blogs out there and have been watching an animated series of discussions on the barefoot "purist" vs. "barefoot shoes" debate. To say that it is polarizing would be an understatement. On one side you have the die hard barefoot runners, those brave souls who first bucked convention and dared to run totally barefoot through any weather and for any distance. Guys like Jason Robillard were the first big proponents of that philosophy that I encountered.  Recently, a lot of this dialogue has been taking place in the comments section of a few posts on Jason's entertaining and thought-provoking blog, Barefoot Running University.

I am not a pure barefoot runner.  I do sometimes run barefoot for short runs, on grass, the track, the treadmill, even a few blocks of concrete of asphalt, but mostly just to do a checkup on form. I've rarely set out to hit the bricks barefoot and I am not sure I am really ever going to be that guy.  Even with the emergence of truly barefoot running as a legit way to train, I am one of the second wave of barefoot running advocates that finds that a middleground works well for me. In the past year I have transitioned to a far more natural running style, administered primarily by working on short, truly barefoot, treadmill sessions with a mirror and metronome. I worked in minimalist or "barefoot" shoes over time and have now swung totally into the zero-drop, uber-flexible shoe category.

Skora Running Shoe Review: Skora Form Takes on the World's Finest

These babies get the "Instagram Treatment"

Rarely do I feel like I have my hands on something that few people are fortunate enough to own.  Rarely do I feel like I have something that I honestly wouldn't change, something I could not have imagined better myself. Rarely do I get to enjoy the top-of-the line product (I am a constant compromiser). Rarely do I convert so quickly to a new piece of gear, to the detriment to all the other stuff I have accumulated. Rarely have I ever had anything like the Skora FORM. I am sure it sounds like an overstatement, these are just running shoes after all.  However, when running is truly your passion, your vehicle for self-discovery, and your ticket to longevity and health, it is a big deal.  When a simple pair of shoes is so revolutionary, so empowering, and so enjoyable, it enhances this critical experience and thereby truly changes the game.  I’ve had these a short time, but I’ve run twice as many miles in the past week as I would normally at this phase of the year, only because my comfort while running and rapid recovery from workouts was so accelerated. Amazing stuff.

Anton Krupicka Interview: Above Average Athletes

Anton Krupicka is arguably the most recognizable top ultramarathon runner in the United States.  His trademark minimal approach to racing and spending time in the mountains is well documented.  His familiar beard and long hair, simple, low profile shoes, and approachable, likable character have made him a big hit in the ultra world and beyond.  Still not sure you know Anton?  Pick up any edition of Runner's World or Trail Runner from the past 12-18 months and look at the ads...he's the guy in the Minimus ads.  More than that, Anton has played a critical role in the development of the New Balance Miniumus line, a daring foray into low-profile, natural running gear from a major manufacturer.  His masterpiece in this regard is likely to be the New Balance MT110, an incredible trail shoe I am currently testing.  This remarkable shoe was developed over two years of hard work, with a great deal of input from the man himself.

Anton's relative fame in the running community is well-earned.  The two-time winner of the Leadville Trail 100 also shattered the course record for the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run in 2010, only to come in second to another record-breaker, Geoff Roes.  Anton is likely to enjoy even more widespread recognition following the recent release of "Unbreakable," a fantastic documentary about that 2010 race. He also regularly documents his training and experiences on his own excellent blog, Riding the Wind.

I was lucky to have briefly met Anton in Grand Rapids a while back, when he was there making an appearance on behalf of New Balance. After connecting through Facebook, He agreed to do the Above Average Athletes Q and A, and we can't thank him enough for taking the time to share some fun details about his life as a top ultramarathoner, a graduate student, and a man that loves good food and good music. Read on for more!

Above Average Athletes: My Interview with David Riddle, Elite Ultramarathoner

David Riddle after winning 2011 StumpJump 50k

If you are a follower of elite ultrarunning, read www.irunfar.com regularly, or are a subscriber to Ultrarunning Magazine, you may have heard of todays “Above Average Athlete.”  If you aren’t tuned into the ultramarathon community, you’d be forgiven for thinking David Riddle is just another average guy in the Midwest. After all, he works as an aerospace engineer for General Electric and lives in Cinncinnati, not exactly traditional habitat for the prototypical elite ultramarathoner.

In 2011, though, David Riddle won six 50k races and broke the course record in each one, then ran the JFK50 and broke a long-standing course record to cap off the season.  He also competed at the 100k Worlds and took second at the USATF 100k championships at the Mad City 100k. In 2012, he has accepted an invitation to the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, and will go head-to-head with some of the world’s best. 

I only heard of David for the first time myself down in Chattanooga, where I completed my own first 50k.  That day, he finished in less than half my own time on his way to taking a new course record. We thank David for taking time out of his clearly busy lifestyle to answer a few questions for us!

Two Years On: How My Awesome Wife Continues to Inspire Us

Two years to the day

I'll keep this short because it is a pretty emotional topic for me and for Moira, but tonight marks a special occasion.  Special, and happy in a holy-$#!*-you-did-it kind of way, but pretty bittersweet because it is a date I'd rather not have to remember at all. Today is exactly 2 years since Moira finished her long, challenging treatment for breast cancer. Just three months after Leo was born, on May 22, 2009, we received her diagnosis.Shortly thereafter she started months of chemo, two surgeries, and then 40 radiation treatments.  Today, January 4, is the day she walked out of that last radiation treatment. She is still cancer-free.  She has long, beautiful, curly brunette hair. She is working full-time for a great cause at getDowntown. She is the best friend I've ever had, and the best mom for Leo. She writes stories, drinks beer, and has fun.  She's my inspiration and daily companion. She was the reason I was able to finally change my life and the reason we're all here reading my blog today.  Thank God she's such a fighter.

Many of you know that I recently nominated Moira for a contest put on by one of our favorite Michigan companies, Stormy Kromer, called the "Living Legends" contest.  That nomination was picked as a finalist and I subsequently bugged my facebook friends to vote for her every day for a month. I thought maybe a new, updated adaptation from my nomination essay would be the right set of words to post today about the challenges she faced and what she accomplished. Please read on...

Above Average Athletes: My Interview with Kyle Kranz

Kyle on Skorarunning.com

Kyle Kranz is a kindred spirit.  He lost a bunch of weight and is now a distance runner, I lost weight and became a distance runner. He eats a plant-based diet, and I eat a plant-based diet. He is a natural running advocate, and I am as well.  He is a fan of Skora Running, and they are one of my favorite up-and-coming minimalist shoe companies. He is an ultramarathoner with a hundred-miler in the bag, and I'm an ultramarathon finisher as well, though it was only a 50k for me and the 100 miler is still to come.

Kyle is a great guy and someone I made a connection with online through our mutual dealings with Skora.  The more I clicked on his blog, the more I realized that Kyle may not WIN his next ultramarathon, but his is a story that should be told, and his example is one that should be followed.  I asked him to be my interview subject for my first-ever "Above Average Athletes" interview, where I hope to do a recurring series of Q and A sessions with inspiring runners like Kyle, and folks from all walks of life and across all the family - cancer - ultramarathon - minimalist running topic areas that we cover here at Average Guy Hits the Road. You can catch Kyle on his own blog "Running on the White Line." Click "read more" to get to his fantastic interview below.