As excited as I was to try the shoes….I was also wary. After spending years transitioning from a heavy heel crasher to a more efficient mid foot striker, I've worked my way down from high heel, severe drop shoes all the way to lightly cushioned Altras. I've seen other friends and athletes wearing Hoka shoes and as much as I was curious about how they felt, I never had the desire to open my wallet for a pair. That fact was reinforced at a local triathlon last season when I slowed at an aid station for a drink and some guy in Hokas came squishing up behind me sounding like a duck running on a wet blanket. Once I saw that Altra had entered the ultra cushioned market, however…I was determine to give them a try.
I decided on a 7 mile loop from my house for the maiden run where most of the trails were gravel, dirt and just a few rocky areas. Right out of the chute I noticed an issue….my normal landing area was directly on the "rocker" part of the sole where the shoe transitions from mid foot to toe. It was kind of a no man's land where I was either too forward and landing on my toes or running what seemed to be flat footed in order to take advantage of all of that cush…some easy adjustments to stride and landing put me back where I belong.
I assumed the shoes would be great on the flats…but the hills looked like a problem? The downhills would probably be sloppy and the uphills would eat all of my energy trying to push out of the "hole" in that cushioning. In fact, nothing could have been further from the truth. The Olympus does a great job of removing the road or trail from the running equation. It takes the "feel" of the trail away from your feet but doesn't substantially change the way you run or your running economy.
I described the feeling to my wife (and running partner) as a case of "mild neuropathy" of the feet. That is, you can't really feel anything except a slight give in the soles….but you can still tell you're running. The Olympus doesn't at all give the feeling of running on pillows….more like firm cushions that give when they need to, but don't bottom out and leave you a big hole to climb out of. All in all…they are a very comfortable ride (and they made me taller too!)
The last test for me was running up the 12% incline back to my house thru Boca Negra Canyon. I assumed that on a hill that steep….the shoes would have to rob some of my momentum and slow me down, but again…the Olympus came thru with ease. I scooted up the hill as I would in my Provisions, only missing some of the feel of the trail on the way up.
So…who are these shoes for? It's probably easier to say who they are NOT for. The are probably not for elite runners who are looking to PR on a technical trail run/race. They are probably not for a runner who lands on their toes and cannot adjust to a more mid foot strike. They're probably not for guys or girls who are 6'10" because hey…the world doesn't need any more 7 footers.
Other than that I'd say that almost any runner would benefit from the Olympus. They might become your everyday, every run shoe…or they might become your recovery run, or "just go out and cruise" shoe. I'd definitely have them in the arsenal for long days on the road or trails because let's face it….any amount of impact attenuation per step is going to add up over the course of 10,15,26, or more miles.
For me, I'm psyched to have the Olympus in my Altra running stable. I suffer from what I'll call "contractile cramping" in longer runs. That is, a muscle can only expand and contract so many times before it decides to call it a day and shut down. This has been a common problem in some 70.3 and all Ironman distance races I've done. The only way to get past it is to either reduce the number of strides by over striding (bad idea), increase the number of strides but lighten the impact by running baby steps (not as bad…but not great), or somehow find a way to reduce the damage each foot strike does…..Bingo! That's where the Olympus comes in to my plan. A race like the SOMA 70.3 in Tempe, AZ is run on almost all hard, white concrete paths. There has NEVER been a time in my 6 trips down there that I have not cramped…but the Olympus might just ride in and save the day. I'll be testing them out for sure at SOMA this season and potentially at Ironman Coeur d'Alene as well.
If you've suffered the impact of too much running I'd suggest giving the Olympus a go. They are definitely NOT what you're thinking about ultra cushioned shoes….there is nothing sloppy about them. What they are a damn fine pair of shoes that give you the chance to run hard, feel good, and have your legs thank you when the run is over. What runner wouldn't want that?
I'm planning a loop of the 3 Sisters volcanos this weekend in the Olympus and will write some thoughts on that longer, more technical run next week.
Check them out at your local running shop or at www.altrazerodrop.com
#rethinkingrunning #zerolimits
