Saucony Tempus

 

A few months ago in one of my reports I told Asics the Kayano needed to be reimagined. I had spent a long while listening to runners as they described their experience in the latest version. At the same time I listened to sales people talking through the latest version. I then asked them if the shoe was easy to sell or hard to sell. To a person they said it was getting harder to sell. The Kayano was butter. For more than 2 decades it was one of the easiest shoes to sell. Find the runner who needs that kind of support, put the shoe on their feet and more than likely they would never take it off. If the shoe was getting hard to sell I thought it needed to be reimagined. 

The Tempus

About 4 weeks ago I received an email from my Saucony contact. She said “I am sending you two shoes to test.” The first was the Saucony Ride which I talked about last week. The second was a totally new shoe called the Tempus. 

I like discovery so I didn`t read the description. I simply pulled it out of the box when it arrived and did my normal 10 miles in it. Instantly I knew it was a supportive trainer. After only a mile the though bubbled to the surface “This is the reimagined Kayano”. 

Foam and Structure

The main midsole you are running on is Power Run PB. Until this shoe this foam has shown up only on the go fast shoes of Endorphin Pro, Endorphin Speed and Freedom. It is ultra light, ultra resilient and just plain bouncy. It just feels fast. 

To support your foot there is a Power Run (EVA) super frame. It is the best way I can describe it. This foam provided the guidance your foot needs. As your weak foot and then ankle come in contact with the running surface the frame guides your foot to that super bouncy foam under the ball of your foot. This fame is not the selling feature. You need this frame. 

What you have always wanted is a lighter shoe that feels bouncy. The Power Run BB Foam gives you both. 

Upper/Fit

The upper is a premium mesh with support built into it. The heel fit is outstanding. The under foot just feels supportive. 

Price: $160

Available at www.Saucony.com or at your local running store. 

If you need a supportive shoe, you owe it to yourself to search this shoe out. You will understand what lightweight and fast feels like. 

Track and Field plus Saucony Ride 15

 

Philadelphia is a nice place to run. The picture above is in the first mile of my run and the run got better from there. I was in Philadelphia for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals track meet. It was my first time in the city and of course my first time at the famed Franklin Field where the Pen Relays are held each year. 

The Track Meet

• Every time I am around high performance track athletes I am humbled. Their dedication and determination to the craft is outstanding. 
• If you ever get the chance to go to a track meet spend some time watching the field events. My favorites are the Pole Vault and High Jump. The kids become friends by the end. You drop out of the competition when you fail on 3 attempts at a height. I watched the boys pole vault. The boy who won passed on a height. The 4 boys left after 3 attempts all failed at that height. The boy had to go to the next height and get over it or the championship would go back to the previous cleared height. He would finish 4th because the other boys had cleared that height in less attempts. The boy under much pressure calmly ran up to the pit, planted his pole and cleared the new height. He was crowned champion. But because he hadn`t failed out it is customary to keep jumping until you do fail. That is why everyone becomes friends. In the end, everyone fails. 
• Every time I go to one of these meets I compare the runners and their times to the times our son ran at that age. He would have been competitive in both the mile and 2 mile for 4 years. His team when he was a sophomore would have placed high in the 4 X 1 mile relay and DMR. 

The Saucony Ride 15

On my trip I took two pairs of running shoes. The New Balance 1080 which I love and put 500 or more miles in. I use it for my work at the meet and with all the walking I do to get to the meet it was a comfort. I took the Saucony Ride 15 to run in. Saucony has sent me so many shoes it’s crazy. I saw the Ride 15 at the Boston Marathon on a runner. I sent my buddy at Saucony a note on how dynamic it looks coming down the road. He sent me this pair. It feels better than it looks and like I said it looks quite dynamic. 

• The base of the Ride 15 is wider. I am not sure how much wider but I would guess between 5 and 10mm. That simply gives you inherent support. 
• They did something to the Power Run foam that makes it feel bouncier. 
• They added an upgraded sock liner which feels really good when you step in. 
• The upper is simple and effective. It has plenty of room in the forefoot for most feet and it comes in widths for everyone. 
• At $140 it has some competition. The Brooks Ghost is the #1 shoe at this price and the Nike Pegasus at $10 cheaper is the most dominant shoe in all of running. The Ride 15 for the first time ever stacks up against both of these shoes. Will it outsell them, probably not but for sure it will take sales away from both of them and from others trying to win feet at $140. 

My best judge of a shoe is that I never notice it. On brutally hard surfaces in Philly on tired legs I never once thought about my feet in 16 miles of running on the weekend. 

It`s a good life…….

The Swedish Way

 

Earlier this year I put myself into the best shape in a couple years. My main purpose was to race the 70.3 Oman. There I did not have the fastest time but given the long travel 3 days prior and the 12 hour time difference I was very happy. Most importantly I was energized after the race and no drained at all. Clearly I had done something right. I noticed through all of my work travel this year that the fitness carried as well. No, I was not and that supreme fitness but I was good. 

There was something missing though. Maybe it was all the travel or maybe it is my age, I could not recover like I used to. My sleep score on my Oura Ring said I was simply worn out. My resting HR rate would be higher than normal or my sleep would be restless. My body temperature would be high or my HRV would be low. 

My former coach Gordo Byrn said he was going to work on getting extremely race fit again. He was going to use the Swedish protocol of 5 days on and 2 days off. The more a read up on the benefits of doing this the more it made sense to me at my age. I have been on it now for two weeks. 

I will update more as I get into summer. Realistically I am training for life and the extremely busy back half of the year. 2 - 3 trips to Europe with one keeping me from home for slightly more than 3 weeks then a quick turn around to NYC.