INOV-8 RocLite 285 Review by Grant Sisler.

RocLite 285.
When I first took these shoes out of the box, my initial thought was no way will these things last, I'm going to blow a hole in these things in my first ultra. There is not a chance that these things are going to last. How can something this light, possibly be durable at all.  Then I put them on my feet and I had the same thought. There is no chance that these things are going to last! They have a nice snug fit (might be too snug if you have wide feet) but they have a feel to them that's almost like a plastic/paper combination. Still I had already bought them and I figured I should go out and take them for a run.

Man, was I wrong. After over 200 miles of racing, and who knows how many miles of training, the shoes were finally retired, and not because they had any holes in them, just b/c there were too many miles put on the insoles. I was amazed. The shoes have all the normal trade-marks that people have come to expect from Inov-8 shoes as the grip on them is the best I've ever run in. They also do a great job of draining when you hop into a river, lake, or creek to cool down.

I've run up to 50 miles at a time in them and they do a good job of holding up to all the pounding that I've put on them. The only drawback to the shoes is that they are very light (if that makes any sense). If you do a lot of running on sharp, rocky terrain, your feet will take a beating. If you're looking at a tough 100 miler, or even a really rocky 50, then I would recommend the Roclite 320. Basically the exact same shoes, just 35 grams heavier. All in all, the shoes are great. If you have wide feet, or are running a really rocky ultra, then you might want to look into a heavier/wider shoe, but if you're looking for a light, fast and incredibly grippy shoes, these are the way to go.

Grant.

Deep Thoughts, by GSisler

Taper should be a 4 letter word. Normally if you told me I got to sit around, watch baseball, tour de france and just about anything else that comes on TV, I'd be really excited. See, I run 100 miles, but I'm also really lazy. I like doing nothing, but that's because when I'm training, I'm doing a lot!
Tapering is different. You're not allowed to do anything. I love running because it relaxes me, it's fun, and I like being outside. When I'm stressed, or busy at work, a good run clears the head and brings me back to normal. Well, with a 100 miler coming down on me in 7 days, I start to get nervous! I'm not sleeping as well (because I'm not exercising) and I'm thinking about the race that's coming up. Normally, I would just go for a run and then everything would be fine, BUT I CAN'T!!! I have to taper. Stupid taper. Like I said, Taper should be a 4 letter word.

Sudoku for Navigators Anyone?? New Navigation Challenge Book from AR Navigation Supplies.

After many requests from local racers, AR Navigation Supplies has just released the first volume of its Table Top Adventure Race and Navigation Challenge books. Think of this book as Sudoku for navigators.

The book is designed to allow navigators to practice and improve their navigation skills while at home, in the office or traveling. All you need is a Compass, UTM tool and a pencil and you're ready for a table top adventure that will test your skills and improve your navigation regardless of your current expertise. The book contains 12 separate navigation challenges covering 8 different states from New York to California using USGS 1:24,000 scale maps.

The goal is to find your way around each map by following the rules of travel, plotting the route and answering the questions presented for each CP.
If you get lost there is a help section that will guide you through
the common navigation techniques and adventure racing terms to get you back on track.

Challenge your friends to the table top competition and see who should be the team navigator at the next race, it may surprise you.

For all the details on the Navigation Challenges and a preview of the first volume follow the link below.

http://www.arnavsupplies.com/product_pages/nav_challenge/nav_challenge.html

Good luck out there!

Mark Manning
AR Navigation Supplies.

Super Supporter Hailey Curtner takes 1st at San Jose International

Sunday June 21st was a great day for Gel Ladder rider Hailey Curtner
who took 1st place in her division at the San Jose International
Triathlon and 6th woman overall. This was her first outright win!!
Congratulations to Hailey on a fantastic
race.

AR Navigation Supplies - NorCal Woman's AR Clinic

Last weekend baarbd.org hosted the first NorCal women's adventure Racing Clinic... AR Babes!  We had a cohesive and hearty group of women who have NEVER adventure raced  and learned a TON from our amazing partners and sponsors. Team LUNA Chix taught the ladies how to roll down the dirt with colorful bruises to prove it!  AR Nav Supplies showed them the ropes to navigation and what all those lines mean. :) Sea Trek took to the seas and brought on proficient paddling... no swimmers - phew. Big Blue Adventures wrapped it up with a practice session to put it all to the test! We had 100% up take... watch out for these women, they're going to take the AR circuit by storm!

The Breast Cancer Fund 

Project Athena 

Zambrano Coffee 

Mikes Bikes 

Zanfel 

TechNiche 

Ellsworth

Brunton

INOV-8

Deep thoughts by GSisler

Gym should be a 4 letter word. I don't really know why people go to the gym for fun. I can see going to the gym if you want to look better, or to recover from an injury, or if your training for something, but I don't get the idea of going to the gym for a good workout. The gym sucks.
I've started going to the gym this year for the first time in a long time, and all I know is that it hurts. Hurts to the point that doing normal things doesn't feel good after you've gone. I know, I know, it's good for you, it prevents injuries, etc. but if you go to they gym to strengthen running muscles, it just isn't that cool.
There is nothing cool/fun about stepping up and down on a block 20 times while holding a dumb-bell that weighs 5 lbs. Same thing with lunges, people see you walking all over the gym, taking big steps and squatting, they look at you funny. I don't care who you are, it's just hard to take when you're walking around w/ a 5lbs. weigh in your hands while grandpa next to you is hoisting up the 25 lbs dumb-bells and giggling at you.
Same thing for the classes. I went to an ab class on Tuesday of last week, I couldn't cough, or sneeze until Sat. On top of that the big people, the little people, the old and the young were all kicking my ass, definitely hurts the ego when grandma is knocking out more sit ups then you.
Still, I'll be back at the gym later this week, thinking that once I've gone enough times, the pain will go away, and maybe next week, I can use the 7.5lbs. weights.

Deep Thoughts, by GSisler

People always ask people who trail run why they do it? That answer was made simple for me yesterday in Arches National Park in Utah.
We were out there for a "bachelor party" (is it really a bachelor party if you return in better shape then you left?) of my good buddy and running partner Jon. We parked the car and started down the trail, man was it crowded. Sure enough, just a half mile away from the parking lot, everyone just disappeared. Now it was the 5 of us on a sweet trail run, checking out the arches, running around on the slick rock and seeing just how well the Inov8's really do grip with no one around us (insane is the answer, I think I could walk up a wall in these).
2 Hours later we returned to the parking lot and all the masses, but all that time away from the parking lot, it was just 5 friends out on a sweet trail run with no one around to bother us. That's why I trail run.