Shoe review: Saucony Pro Grid Triumph 6 and Type A2

By now, readers may know that I spend way too much money on shoe - running, cycling, trail, etc. No, I am not Imelda Marcos, but my purchases are purely driven by necessity. (Yes. Some people would take issue with that statement!)

I supinate and my right shoe always wear out too fast. In part this is because of the less than durable outer soles I find on some shoes recently (Nimbus 10!!). But also in part, I don't wish to wear out what little cartilage I have left. So I buy cushioning and replace my shoes religiously when they reach ORD date, which is 600 to 800 km.

My latest purchases direct from Saucony First 2 Market - I have to thank MBF for this actually ... she needed to replace her hurricanes - were the Pro Grid Triumph 6 and Type A2. I have been a fan of Saucony for some time. I have two pairs of Triumph 4s, one pair of 5 and now the 6. After the gold and orange 4s, and bright red Type A, I am ready for any color. So the luminous green Triumph 5 and lime green Type A2 were, not shocking whatsoever. In fact, bright is in.


How did they run?
I needed a light racer for the upcoming sprint and OD triathlons, and I liked the Type A I bought two years ago. The latest model Type A2 did not disappoint. After being used to heavy well cushioned shoes, I almost felt like I was running barefooted with the A2s. What have improved over the older Type A are (a) drainage holes along the soles, (b) better layering on the soles - cleverly laid out where the impact is most likely, and (c) breathable uppers. The only grouse I had was that the A2s are not cheap relative to the Triumph 6 (less material and technology!). But still cheaper than other comparable performance shoes such as Newton and Zoot.

The Triumph 6s felt lighter than the 5s. The one piece sole design is retained but drainage holes have now made their way into (through?) the soles. The ride is as plush as before, so I am quite pleased in that department. My grouse? Well the shoes made a flopping noise that was not present with the 4s and 5s. I figured the noise came from air trapped under the channel running through the middle of the sole. While the noise is not loud, it is somewhat annoying.

The true test will come soon enough, when I take them through the races.

What I can say for now is that my latest shoes have caught the eyes of the garbage truck driver. I gave him my two pairs of Triumph 4s and he wore them proudly the very next day. When I ran past the garbage disposal truck the other morning with my luminous green Triumph 6s, I swore I could see the glint in his eyes as he smiled broadly and waved to me.

Hey, you gotta wait 600 km, ok?

For Saucony Type A2 shoe update, click here.

Saucony Triumph 6 update coming soon.

TLog: Lap Times

Continuous swim (20 laps):

1.12, 1.18, 1.20, 1.19, 1.19, 1.18, 1.17, 1.19, 1.21, 1.25, 1.20, 1.23, 1.22, 1.22, 1.15, 1.23, 1.24, 1.27, 1.29, 1.29

Ave: 1.19

Last five laps with sighting.

TLog: speedwork week

Monday: 30 k on the road, through Selarang and Changi Village -- need to get used to hills, and starting easy
Tue: 50 laps swim, focus on going fast
Wed: 7 km aerobic run in the morning and stationary bike in the evening. 2 min fast spin, followed by 3 min recovery. Only managed to do 7 sets
Thu: 50 laps steady swim, focus on sustained swimming for 20 laps. Ave lap time during 20-lap continuous swim: 1:19 (down about 2-3 sec). Now doing bilateral breathing and sighting after right breath. Fastest lap: 1:04

Akan datang:
Fri: intervals 10x400m; 1 hour easy bike ride in afternoon
Sat: rest
Sun: brick session - 2 hour bike + 3 km run

Guiness world record at Tokyo marathon Mar 22, 2009

Akinori Kusuda, a 65-year-old Saitama man completed the 2009 Tokyo marathon as his 52nd full marathon in as many days, setting a new Guinness world record.

"I don't feel anything special with this record," Kusuda said after finishing the race Sunday. "But I'd be pleased if some runners are inspired by what I've just done."

The previous world record was 51 marathons in 51 days, set by a 48-year-old Italian man nearly a year ago.

Read more.

ID band: first impressions

"ID Band specialises in high quality customised silicone wristbands for emergency and medical purposes 100% high-quality grade silicon, non-transferable, non-stretch and tamper evident. Our commitment also extends into the lifespan and safety aspect of the wristband; sterilisable, 100% hypo-allergenic, easy to wear with soft, rounded pliable edges that and less likely to catch on foreign objects." ID Band website.

The concept is similar to that of road ID, of which I have two. Why two, you ask? The reason is that I have the shoe ID designed specially for shoes, and I have more than one pair of running shoes. Why did I not order the wrist ID, I don't know. But the ID band is similar to the wrist ID.

The immediate advantage of the ID band over the shoe ID is apparent. I don't need multiple shoe IDs, and I don't have to bother with transfering my shoe IDs everytime I use a differen pair of running shoes. The second advantage is also clear. The shoe ID cannot be used on cycling or tri shoes.

A fairer comparison would be between the wrist ID and the ID band. Two factors weigh in favor of ID band - comfort and cost. The wrist ID is a metal piece attached to a velcro band. Over long distances, it could prove uncomfortable. I would certainly want to apply some petroleum jelly on the band when I run a marathon with it. But washing the wrist ID nylon band after the run may be a tad troublesome.

The ID band, in contrast, is softer and elastic. So it should be more comfortable (I can only validate this after a long run. But I wore the ID band for two hours for this morning's bike session, and hardly noticed it was there.) And it would be easier to wash off any petroleium jelly from the ID band.

Cost. The ID band costs SGD 18.80 (not including a 10% discount for SGrunners). The wrist ID costs USD 19.99 (or SGD 30.20). 'Nuff said.

The one advantage the wrist ID has over ID band is the two 3M reflective strips to enhance visibility in the dark. As far as I can tell, the ID band is non reflective.

Another advantage is that the road ID have an interactive feature which allows one to call a toll free number or go to a website to find out about the user. But that works only in the US. So moot point for us folks in SIN.

What else do I like about the ID band?

I can use it for running, cycling and swimming. I can even wear it all the time as a fashion statement ala Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG wristband!

I like bright colors for visibility and the yellow color I chose did not disappoint.

I can't wear it on the ankles. So I won't have the problem that a friend had when he wore an ankle ID for the Aviva 70.3... marshalls kept asking him why he had two timing chips!

I like the variety in terms of colors and sizes. Even kids can use the ID bands.

I like the allergy symbol to highlight allergies, of course.

Last but not least, I forgot to mention the obvious. Why do I need the ID band? As my good friend said, if something happens to me when I am out there on the run, they'll know who to contact! Morbid thoughts. But this is the same reason why people buy insurance.

I buy insurance, so why not ID band? Two words: Risk aversion.

TLog: dropping the heels

2 hour bike ride this morning. Learnt a new technique yesterday at the bike shop: Drop the heel when pushing (down stroke). To me, this motion by having the heel lead the downstroke, creates acceleration and power, and allows for a smoother transition to the up pull stroke.

I tried it this morning, and consciously tried to keep cadence high. Also played around with the different gear combinations, together with cadence above 80. With the new fit and heel dropping, I was surprised I could bring the speed up to 30 kph. In fact, I maintained this speed for 5 km straight (even though HR went up to 160!).

On the way back, I diverted to do a short slope. Had to go to the largest gear, so clearly work is needed. The downslope compensated for the hard work. :)

Bike Fit and ID Band

Went for a bike fit yesterday at Passione Bike. Didn't realize that the session would take 2 hours and had to do a lot of pedaling!

Outcome: saddle raised by 1 cm, changed stem to 120 mm (from 110 mm; aiming for 125 mm eventually), saddle seat moved forward marginally, shoe cleats adjusted, handlebar raised by 1 spacer (10 mm, 20 more mm to go eventually) and most significantly of all, my right leg is longer than my left.

Didn't know that. Perhaps that's why my right shoes get worn out much faster and my right knee gives problems every now and then. Note to myself: get measured.

And the ID band I ordered almost two weeks ago came in the mail today! Nice.