Have Salomon lost the plot?

A few years ago I attended a Salomon workshop. It was a great day and getting to run with Kilian and Anna Frost were among the highlights (not that I kept up for long).

During the presentation, one of the main things that stuck with me was a comment from the team manager (it could have been one of the designers, I’m not sure). He was responding to a question about if Salomon would make a road shoe. His comment was: ‘We are a mountain company, and that is our focus.’ It may not have been those words verbatim, but that was the idea. It meant a lot to me that a company would focus on their strength and not branch off into every possible area of running in order to make more money. It reflected my passion for trail running: my focus is here, on the trail, and I don’t worry about everyone else around me who does triathlons and weights in the gym, because for me it’s about the trail and the mountain.

So, I am disappointed today, about 3 years after that workshop, to see the release of a road shoe from Salomon.

There seems to have been a movement in the company towards commercialism and away from that passionate single mindedness I loved about them. I remember the days of there being only a few models of shoe. The heavy, tough XA pro, and the lighter XT wings.

Now there are so many shoes, in so many variations, I can’t keep up. I can’t help feel like this barrage of shoes into the trail running niche is simple an attempt at turning a bigger profit. For example, there is no reason why anyone needs a shoe like the Fell raiser. It’s too big and heavy for the serious runners to use (they would use the Fell cross for muddy running), and its tread is too aggressive and impractical for the everyday running. So, who is it for?

The same is true for many models.

The pointless Fell Raiser

Another big disappointment is that you can no longer buy the original Sense. The first model, super light and super fast, isn’t available to purchase anymore. The reason given is that no one needs the shoe Kilian uses, we all need heavier, less fine tuned shoes. To me, that’s a display of Salomon’s move into a commercial industry and away from a focused, passionate pursuit of excellence.

The best shoe they ever made, now not available. The original Sense

I write this with passion because I love the brand and I am unhappy to see it move this direction. My opinion is that Salomon refocus on its passion and its roots: make a smaller range of gear, but focus on making it well. Make the very best trail running gear in the world, instead of trying to make gear for every type of possible running discipline.

I could go on and on, but the point is made. Please Salomon, stick to what you said before and refocus on the small, narrow and difficult path that is your strength: that muddy and gruelling trail up the mountains.

A few pics

I enjoy having something to show after a run other than the readout from my Garmin. I'm always excited after a long run to see how some of the pics turned out. Its great having little mementos to keep in order to remember the good times out on the trails. Above are a few recent pics.

Explore, within reason

We all know that trail runners love to explore. Mountains, fields, dirt roads, forests. Those are the pictures captured on every trail running product, because that’s the heart of trail running. 

Sometimes, however, when I decide to explore a new route, or a new junction on my normal route that goes off into the unknown, I wonder if I am alone in the following though process: ‘What if this trail ends just up ahead, and I don’t achieve the distance I planned to? Then I will have to go back, find another trail to make up the distance, and run a route that isn’t neat!’ 

Heaven forbid we should run a route that isn’t a simple out and back, or circular route. Nothing ruins a run more than running little bits and pieces simply to achieve the distance you set out for. 

That’s probably why I find such comfort in my well known Saturday morning route! 

Are runners OCD, or is it just me? 

UROC

UROC (Ultra Race of Champions) took place this last Saturday.
What interests me about international trail running is that there really isn't a 'World Cup' type of event, that everyone aims for to see who is best (sure, there is an event called the World Cup, but hardly any of the main sponsored athletes attend it). This was the Ultra Sky running final, but by no means was it a true representation of who is best in the world. Somehow, I really feel like this is a good thing.

Cameron Clayton at mile 18- Pic: Travis Trampe

Firstly, the reason I say it wasn't a true representation is that many of the big names were not able to run UROC due to injury. Many of the big names didn't make it to the race due to their focus being on other events on the calendar. Notably Tony Krupicka, Tim Olsen, Miguel Heras, Ryan Sandes, and a few other big names weren't running due to injury or other race focus.

Trail running is so dynamic, with so many different disciplines, that there really is no way to put your finger on who is best, and I think that really keeps things exciting. I also feel like that represents the challenge of trail running on a more personal level: You may train hard with extreme focus on a specific type of race, only to find that the training doesn't necessarily carry over into a different discipline, and as such there is no way to ever really conquer it. You may train for a short mountain race, only to find that you simply can't keep up on a long flat course, or visa-versa. You may train for a hot race, and find that even with all that training under your belt, you just can't handle a cold course.

UROC showed that despite our best predictions of who is the best in the world, everything can change on race day. When the runners line up on the start line, we can guess all we like, but no one will know until the finish line is crossed who will be the best.

Kilian and Dakota- Photo: Rob Timko

I find this inspiring and challenging. Even the best of the best who contended at UROC will never be able to stand back and say that they are unbeatable. That inspires me in my own running to know that the real battle, the real challenge and the real race is just me against myself. The people who I might race against are really just there to join me in the journey.

(Photos taken from irunfar.com)

There's joy after a fall

There's a wonderful trend I have noticed among trail runners. The fall from success to failure always seems to bounce back into rediscovery of the core joy. What I mean is, when a trail runner doesn't hit what they are aiming for, it seems that nine times out of ten, the result is that the failure leads them to discover the real reason they run.

This year seems to have been a tough one for a lot of the international athletes in the trail world. News of injury, sickness, and even mountain rescues have been on the blogs of the top athletes. Each story of failure is followed up by a story of rediscovery. I think this pattern is inspiring and shed's some light on the heart of the trail.

A great pic from the Trans-alps run last week. This captures something of the heart of the trail for me, although I bet their legs might not agree with that, 3 or 4 days in!

Last weekend Kilian Journet was rescued from a mountain with his climbing group after their climb didn't go as planned, and his main comment was along the lines of 'well, sometimes the mountain reminds you that it is stronger.' Anna Frost from Salomon international is taking a break to remind herself of her desire for the trail. Anton Krupicka had a DNF in the UTMB a few weeks ago, and still comments that it was one of the best trail experiences he has had. Ryan Sandes spent a weekend in the mountains not running according to a program but just having fun trying to get the passion back. 

Every one of these athletes have done two important things in their failures (I use the word failure simply to express how they missed their original goal. The overall result, however, is far from failure and is quite the opposite): They have firstly acknowledged their disappointment in missing their goal. Secondly, they have taken a step back from the pressure of performance in order to find their heart once again on the trail.

The example they set can be used for the day to day runner as well. There are ups and downs in running. Sickness, injury, fatigue, lack of enjoyment. These things are going to happen, even in the course of training for a big race we will have such ups and downs. 

When we are down, it's time to remember why we run. 

It's time to forget our weekly mileage and our shortcomings. 

It's time to remember the joy of the trail, of being alone with our heartbeat and our steps on the dirt. 

Only then will we find our legs feeling lighter and our run feeling stronger.

The first gear review of many, or, do the French always drink like this?

When you are out on the trail, gear is important. It's vital to be comfortable, light and agile in your kit, as well as having the means to take into the back country the necessary items. Despite being a gear-head, I also love feeling light and free, and I always marvel at how freeing it is to go for a run in just a pair of light shorts and running shoes. I believe there is an important balance between minimal running and being prepared.

That's probably one of the reasons I love Salomon gear so much, particularly the S-lab range, because a lot of time and effort has gone into this exact challenge: keeping it lightweight, but also being able to carry enough for the demands of a long trail.

I've been hoping to review some gear for a while, and thought I'd start with the Advanced Skin S-lab Belt. 

Thankfully someone has designed a running belt that isn't big and chunky and uncomfortable! When I first saw the soft flasks and felt how light and practical they were, it made me wonder why I have been using hard plastic water bottles! It just makes Sense (excuse the cheesy Salomon pun).

The S-lab Belt is really lightweight, and fits snug and tight around the runners waist. The first time I put it on I was confused and didn't know which way the belt was supposed to be worn. I have since learnt that the idea is for the two soft flask holders to be in front, and the two zip pockets at the back. I find that it is also just as comfortable wearing it the other way around, but slightly harder to access the water. Also, people might think you are 'challenged' for wearing it backwards. I used to wear those 90's fanny packs on my side, convincing myself I would set a new trend. Today, no one uses fanny packs. Moral of the story: wear you S-lab belt the right way around.

The belt works nicely with either one or two of the 250ml (237ml actually) soft flasks. For a medium length run, 500ml total is really enough, without having to take too much weight. The soft flasks fit in very comfortably and have a small elastic to secure them in. The back zip pockets are great for keys, cell phones, or other small supplies. I find that if I just use one soft flask, an iPod fits perfectly in the other front pocket, and i can easily whip it out while running to change tunes along with my fussy music moods.

I do have one complaint about the belt. The two securing clips really do clip in nicely, however, the plastic slide to adjust the tension tends to allow the webbing to slip very easily. This can be frustrating when the belt tension keeps changing while running. On some runs I have resorted to simply putting a knot in the webbing to stop this slip. I have yet to try re-threading the webbing like a rock climbing harness. I suspect this will work, in which case my only negative aspect of this product will be irrelevant.

All in all, this is the best solution i have found to hydration and gear storage for short to medium runs. The belt is very comfortable, and with no hard edges due to the soft flasks, it really deserves it's 'Skin' name, as it fits so snugly. I am hopeful the designers will fix that one issue, which will give this belt 11 out of 13 ice cream cones on my own personal rating system, the '1 to 13 ice cream cone scale for hydration belts.'

It seems relevant here to talk about the Sense Hydro S-lab set. Or, you may know them as 'those weird glove things some people run about with.' 

I first saw these used by a Salomon athlete in the Western States a few years ago and was eager to try them out. When I saw some at an REI store, I grabbed them and told my wife I needed them.

As it turns out, they are another out-of-the-box thinking kind of product by the S-lab folk. Essentially, instead of wearing a bottle on your hand, like with normal bottle carry systems, you wear a glove-type hand cover, and a soft flask tucks into that. It is very comfortable, and while I tend to enjoy having my hands free, I hardly notice that I am carrying water when I wear these. You don't have to even try close your hand to keep hold of the flask, it just sits comfortably in your palm, waiting to be consumed. And maybe that is the main problem: having water so accessible makes me want to drink ALL the time. So, the main downside for this product is that it makes water too easy to drink. Next  I will be saying they make shoes too comfortable...

Wait, I do have one more downside. The fact that the soft flask sits in your palm tends to warm the water up pretty quickly in warm weather. In fact, I calculated that during my regular run, if I stick to my personal rule of 'no water before the halfway point, or 5km, whichever is first,' the the water was normally warm by the time I indulged. 

Despite this, H20 is still H20, and I was still hydrated by it, and thus I will have to give this product 5 out of 6 chocolate eggs on the '1 to 6 chocolate egg rating scale for carry bottle systems.' There is of course a rating scale for everything.

Well done Salomon. I obsess about your products for a reason. They capture what trail running is. Light, fast and free, while at the same time practical. 
And awesome, of course.

Waterfall running

Something about finding a waterfall on a run makes it seem more epic. I enjoyed this photo taken by my wife while we were out on a trail in Wilderness, South Africa. Great place for some forest trail running!