I love wearing the Skora Form all around in my daily life. While I’ve found the faults to interfere with the comfort of wearing them on regular long runs, I still find these shoes to be very comfortable for the day-to-day lifestyle as well as form/speed drills. I’m also not a big fan of the $185 price tag. However, they have a more affordable brother, the Base (which I have not tried). Have any of [...]

I finally got the chance to review the light and fast, La Sportiva Vertical K. This shoe was made for racing. It’s cushioned while maintaining a low and fast profile. While it does have it’s short-comings, I overall like this shoe very much and have really racked the miles up on them. If you get a chance, try on a pair for yourself. Click to watch the review above and don’t forget to subscribe to my [...]

This last weekend, caked in mud, sweat and tears, I completed my very first ultra marathon – something I NEVER thought I’d be able do if you asked me a few years ago. This wasn’t just any ultra, this was the insanity that was The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship 50k race in the Marin Headlands of San Francisco. By now, some of you may have heard the stories, the gossip, and the legends of [...]

I’m pretty sure that I am crazy. I decided to take on a one-day double century bike ride smack dab in the middle of my marathon training schedule. Why? Because I thought it would be a fun challenge. I guess that’s if you consider torturing your body and social life a “fun” challenge. THE HISTORY So the Seattle To Portland bike ride (STP as we call it) was my very first endurance challenge back when [...]

I may have whispered the word, “Wow”, to myself hundreds of times in a 4 hour time-span. It was pretty much the only way to sum up my 2012 Big Sur Marathon experience. I mean, when you have 26.2 miles of rugged cliffsides, breathtaking ocean-views, quad-slamming hills, and brutally canted California coastal highway between the start and finish line, you’re pretty much guaranteed of loving every second of the run. This marathon did not disappoint. [...]

Let’s just say that this race taught me a thing or two in humility, perseverance, and outright pain & suffering. This was by far my worst marathon to date; but was easily the most important test of my will to finish and push through what I would only consider the impossible. In fact, it’s only now – weeks later – that I’m able to get over my pride, write about it and share my experience. [...]

Just because this is ‘GingerRUNNER.com’ doesn’t mean I ONLY run! In fact, growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I’m pretty sure my blood is pine tree sap and glacier water. I love the outdoors. From camping, to hiking, to climbing, to backpacking. Thanks to Gregory Backpacks and the Baltoro 65, I was able to take my very first 4+ day backpacking adventure into the Washington State Olympic National Forest this last fall. First of all, [...]

The Hydrapak E-Lite Hydration Vest is an extremely light weight hydration pack that has just enough room for all the essentials for a long trail run or even marathon. Sporting a 1liter bladder, the E-Lite vest gives you some piece of mind, knowing you’ll have enough fluid for those longer run days. It’s easy to refill, utilizing Hydrapak’s notorious bladder system. While not as robust or comfortable as far more expensive hydration packs, this one [...]

I’ve spent the last few months running trails on and off in this shoe. Salomon does an amazing job with the Speedcross 3. It’s rugged, relatively light, fast, and grippy. Not having run in earlier iterations of the Speedcross, I can’t speak to the changes from the previous versions, but I can stand by the solidity of this model. The lugs allow for constant grip on softer surfaces, even performing beyond expectation on snow and [...]

I finally get a chance to review my Newton Distance Lightweight Trainers. This is my go-to trainer and the shoe I’ve run in the most. In fact, I just ran the San Francisco Marathon in this shoe. It’s fantastic for forefoot runners, or those who are further along in the process of natural running. If you’re looking to START forefoot running, I would recommend looking at the Gravitas or Sir Isaac from Newton before this [...]