Merrell All Out Rush and All Out Fuse Review and Giveaway!

A few months ago, the folks at Merrell were nice enough to send me two pairs of shoes to test, the All Out Rush and the All Out Fuse. 

Giveaway!
Merrell has generously given me two pairs to give away to you, dear readers. 

If you'd like a pair, leave a comment below on which shoes you'd like to win and why. You may also Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway for another chance to win. Let me know you did so in your comment and be sure to mention @MerrellOutside in your Tweet or Facebook post.

Using RandomPicker, I'll choose two winners by the end of the day Thursday, September 25.

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! Congratulations to Elizabeth Cleary and Shelly Cable! Send your contact info and I'll have Merrell send you the pair of your choice!

Thank you, Merrell. I have really enjoyed running in both pairs of these shoes. Below is my review.




The All Out Fuse
I basically live in the minimalist-leaning All Out Fuse. 

They are very lightweight (just 13 oz - that's for the pair). They fit like a glove and they're what I want to run in on all my short to mid-length runs on pavement or dirt trails.

When I have worn them on rocky trails, they aren't so minimalist that this is a deal-breaker. I simply wouldn't choose them for exceedingly rocky trails like the Massanuttens or the Appalachian Trail in Maryland or Pennsylvania.

These shoes are fantastically responsive and light. They have surprisingly good toe protection and a tread that really grips. The more I run in these shoes, the more I fall in love with them.

Merrell All Out Fuse

Another bonus: I get frequent compliments on the All Out Fuse when I wear them with casual clothing.

The All Out Rush
These babies are noticeably more rugged than the All Out Fuse. This is the shoe for my rockier runs. 

The All Out Rush performed equally well on the super-technical, rock-laden Appalachian Trail and the hard-packed jeep roads and soft dirt trails of the Vermont 100 miler. They loved the trails of Rock Creek Park in DC as well as the George Washington National Forest in West Virginia. I can take these shoes anywhere and know I'll be running happy.

Merrell All Out Rush after a trail run in West Virginia

Once I had them on my feet I mostly forgot I had them on. That's the true test that a shoe is working well for me. They simply performed solidly.

The feel of the slightly low cut around the ankle took a little bit of getting accustomed to at first, but in the end I really liked that feature. Anytime I can find another couple of degrees of freedom, I'm excited about that!

They're lightweight and nimble at just over 14 oz for the pair. They run a little wide, I think; I have a narrow foot and noticed that the toe box puckers a little when I tie them. The rigid sole provides more than ample protection while still allowing me to feel connected to the trail beneath me.

The traction is top notch. Though I have not yet had the chance to run in wintry conditions, they handled everything else Spring and Summer threw at me with aplomb; grass, mud, dirt, big rocks, sharp rocks, wet rocks, gravel.

Merrell All Out Rush at the Vermont 100 Miler 

These were both excellent shoes for trail running and I've already bought a second pair of the All Out Rush. I plan to buy another pair of the All Out Fuse after a few more miles, too. 

Don't forget to leave a comment to be eligible to win a pair for yourself!

Salomon Sense Mantra Shoe Review

Salomon Sense Mantras

Awhile ago, some kind folks sent me a pair of Salomon Sense Mantras to try out. After six months of running and walking in them it's time to tell you my opinions. The shoes were provided free to me.

My first run: There was a sensation of my heels not being secure, almost like slipping, though that wasn't actually happening. It took a few runs before I forgot about it, and then I loved the feel of the Sense Mantras.

These are not "minimalist" shoes, but they have all the best qualities of them.

They are lightweight, weighing just 9.2 ounces and have a 6 mm heel to toe drop.

Running in the Salomon Sense Mantras allowed me to feel close to the ground and connected with the terrain, a must in my book.

Incredibly, despite their light weight, they also manage to feel sturdy. I felt stable and confident running on technical trails and pavement alike. 

They handled trails with aplomb. They did well on hard-packed dirt and clay, sandy trails and muddy slop. With the exception of heavy leaf cover (I have yet to find a shoe that excels in these conditions) they performed admirably.*

The toe box provided plenty of room for my feet and I never had any trouble with my toenails hitting the front of these shoes. 

I am less of a fan of the "Quicklace" system. Perhaps because I have somewhat narrow feet, I find it hard to get the fit exactly right every time. I also didn't love tucking the end into the little flap because I had to squeeze it under the lace I had just gotten to the desired tautness. 

On the other hand, once locked in place you don't have to worry about re-tying or re-tightening these laces.

Finally, these are a good looking pair of shoes! While that's low on my list of desirable shoe qualities, I love running shoes that look good (and not too bright or flashy) with a pair of jeans.

Would I buy these again? Absolutely, I would put these in my regular running shoe rotation. They have been a pleasure to run in. 

My well worn pair of Sense Mantras

*Right about the time I received the Salmon Sense Mantras I noticed the ball of my right foot was intermittently tender. As I began testing these shoes, I continued to rotate in three other pairs of shoes regularly. The Salomon Sense Mantra can't be to blame for my foot tenderness, but for this reason I am not rating them on rocky trails, as I cannot reliably say whether they felt "protective" enough for me on that type of terrain. I kept thinking this mild pain would go away so I could rate the shoes on this aspect, thus my delay in posting this review.

Laurel Highlands 70 Miler: A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Once Upon A Time, a girl with pigtails ran the Laurel Highlands 70 Miler (in 2006). She was met with wonderful cool weather and helpful spirits and she completed her journey with aplomb.
 
She ventured forth again in 2008, but the Evil Rains came and she failed. She knew she couldn't let Evil triumph, so she returned once more to fight the good battle. This is her race report. It's a modern day fairy tale!


Self-Doubt. I don't think I've ever had more anxiety about a race. I was filled with doubts. I didn't believe I had the mental toughness to push through when things got difficult. I didn't want it badly enough.

Problems. I had good reason to feel pessimistic. Since changing my diet to Whole30/Paleo, I'd only had a SINGLE successful long run. The fuel I'd been trying and tweaking only got me so far in each race. The taper was upon me and I'd run out of time to test any other methods. I would be trying an entirely new fueling system in the longest race I'd done in seven years. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Betrayal. My beloved Vasque Transistor FS, the shoes I've worn during all my long trail runs for the past three years, were causing me ankle pain even on short runs. I'd have to rely on my Asics road running shoes and my seldom-worn (and never tested on trail) Brooks Pure Cadence for most of the 70 miles. 

Experimenting with Potions. I had decided to try Vespa Junior for my fueling strategy. The ingredients read a bit like a recipe for witch's potion:

• Filtered water
• Orange juice
• Honey
• Royal jelly 
• Bee propolis 
• Wasp extract
• Eye of Newt (ok, kidding on this one)

According to the website, it helps the body utilize fat stores for energy, especially if your daily diet is Paleo/low carb. You still eat some carbohydrate during the run, but much less than you'd otherwise need. It also appealed to me because I could avoid consuming a lot of sugar.

The plan: Consume one Vespa 45 minutes before the race began, then every three hours. I'd eat baby food squeeze packets and LARABARS for carbohydrates. I filled my hydration pack with good plain water, and took a page from my favorite American Women's 24-Hour Record Holder and ate pieces of Nuun for my electrolytes. Fizzy!

I reigned in my pace out of respect for the difficult course, and to assess whether my fuel was going to work. I felt curiously optimistic.

There's a bit of climbing in the first 9 miles ...

Magical Occurrences. I started the race not truly expecting to finish, but determined to enjoy the miles I ran. I made a promise to myself to stay positive and not let a single complaint escape my lips. I felt well-rested and strong. My improved climbing ability thrilled me. The temperatures stayed cool. Hubz crewed for me, and his steady, take command style was the perfect fit, as usual. My fuel seemed to be working.

Three Pairs of Shoes. My Asics GT-2000 road shoes worked better than expected on the wet, steep trail. One drawback: I felt every pebble and twig. By Mile 39 my feet were tender, so I switched to my Vasques, hoping they'd work. But they had turned against me. Within a couple of miles, they began to hurt. The next chance I had, at mile 46, I swapped them for my yet-to-be-tested-on-trails Brooks Pure Cadence. They were the good fairy in this tale. Cushioned and protective, roomy in the toebox yet snug enough to prevent my foot from slipping, they delivered me through the perilous woods.



Leaving Mile 57 Checkpoint. It's not yet dark, no idea why my headlight is on.

Solitude. I ran alone from Mile 20 on, but for a few short conversations with other runners. I was making up time and feeling good, and enjoying the silence. Memories of my last race here came flooding back as I recognized each section of trail and drank it in. I couldn't wait to see what awaited me around the next bend.  

Rejuvenation. All the anxiety, doubts and worries I'd been carrying drained away with my rhythmic steps. A deep peacefulness settled into my soul.

I didn't want it to end. Until about six miles from the finish, I was enjoying every moment. Yes, oh yes, I was sore and stiff and hurting, but what I was gaining was worth all that and much more.

I chose to leave my camera behind. No matter. No photograph can capture the way the waning sunlight sets the field of ferns aglow at Bearpen Hollow, nor the satisfying cadence of running those gentle downhills. It can't convey the cloying scent of the flora and damp grass, the sounds of alternating calls of birds as they settle in for the night, the peeping of frogs in the darkness, the staccato of thousands of light rain drops hitting the tree canopy but never reaching you, the silence in between.

I have often remarked that the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is my favorite. Yet I was repeatedly surprised and moved by the surrounding beauty as I ran. I felt grateful to be out on these trails. I was so glad I decided to run despite my qualms.



A Happy Ending