Posts by louiscwolff:
Gear Blog: Minimalist Shoes
**By Andrew Palmer**
Several runners, both beginner and elite, have been gravitating towards “minimalist” shoes. These shoes are designed to mimic running barefoot, and have very little support and cushioning. They are supposed to strengthen your primary foot muscles and prevent injuries, but unless used right can increase your risk for injury. Runners are supposed to ease into these shoes, and begin using them for shorter
The Nike Free was one of the first minimalist shoes to hit the market
runs and work their way into longer runs.
Nike was one of the first companies to introduce this idea, with the Nike Free. This shoe has a minimalist mesh upper an extremely flexible bottom. The shoe is extremely neutral and provides extremely minimal support. It retails for $85.00.
Reebok has also come out with a minimalist shoe recently, with the introduction of the Zig shoe. It has a little more cushioning then the Free does, and rises up a little off the ground in the heel so it is not as minimal as the Free. It has a mesh upper as well to cut out weight. It Retails for $99.00.
The most minimalist of the shoes that have recently come out is the Vibrum 5 Finger shoe. It fits the foot like a glove with certain places for each toe. The shoe is designed for extremely efficient neutral runners, and is not suggested for most people. For this shoe to be successful and not injure someone, a runner needs to ease into it. It retails for $75.00. (continue reading…)
Baseball beats Damascus at senior night
Varsity baseball beat the Damascus Hornets 11-5, May 6, improving to 9-6 on the season.
Michael Flack hit his third homerun of the season as the boys went up 4-1 after two innings, 9-3 after the third, and never let the Hornets come within three runs. Pitcher Ryan McGill had his first win of the season as he is usually a closer, but was forced to start since pitcher Reid Kellam is still battling nerve damage. After another away game to finish off the regular season, the Vikes will enter the playoffs without a first round bye.
Gear Blog: Injury Prevention
The Strassburg sock is an essential tool for injury prevention
**By Andrew Palmer**
One of the key ways for a runner to be successful is to stay injury free. There are several tools for staying injury free as well as for repairing an injury as quickly as possible. Most of these devices and be purchased at any running store.
“The Stick” is a massage tool that is divided into small sections and designed to press and roll up and down your legs. It compresses and stretches your muscles, loosens up your legs and improves flexibility before and after runs. I have also found that it speeds up recovery between hard runs. It comes in a 14 to26-inch sizes. They retail for $21.50 to $42.50. (continue reading…)
Under Armour Enters the Running Business
**By Andrew Palmer**
This past year Under Armour has made a push to enter the specialty running business. They have started designing and producing clothes for running, as well as running shoes. They have assigned a new team that is made up of runners to work on this line, and are in the process of building some competition gear as well.
The Under Armour Revanant is a great shoe for runners who need a lot of support. It is designed for sever over-pronators who need a wide toe box. Wear testers liked the fact that it has an elastic lining inside the shoe that holds the shoe in place. The Revanant retails for $120.00. (continue reading…)
2010 Spring Shoe Guide
The DS Trainer 15 has decreased in weight from last spring. Photo courtsey Road Runner Sports
**By Andrew Palmer**
There are several new running shoes that have come out for spring 2010. Here is a look at a few of the ones that are receiving the highest reviews.
The Mizuno Wave Creation 11 is a heavy shoe that is made for neutral runners that want a long lasting, cushioned shoe. The shoe has Mizuno’s normal “wave” technology that runs throughout the shoe and cushions the shoe through rebounded energy from the runner’s initial impact. The shoe retails for $135.00. (continue reading…)
Girls’ swim team captures first Metros title
Shulkin broke the county record for the 100m butterfly. Photo by Caroline Lippold
*By Caroline Lippold*
From Feb. 24-27, the Viking swim and dive team competed in the 46th annual Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships. After two days of swimming preliminary rounds, finals were held Saturday night where the girls’ team clinched their first-ever Metros title.
The girls’ team won the title with 447 points, defeating private school powerhouse Good Counsel (333) and public school rival Churchill (321). The boys’ team placed seventh with 202 points which was enough for the Vikings to take home the combined team title.
Unlike dual-meets, Metros requires swimmers to compete in a preliminary round for each of their events. The top 20 swimmers from preliminaries advance to finals where the top 10 swimmers are placed in the “A” heat and the next group of swimmers compete in the “B” heat. (continue reading…)
Gear Blog: Running Socks
The brooks nightlife sock comes in high contrast colors. photo courtesy of brooksrunning.com
**Andrew Palmer**
One of the most critical parts to a runner’s health and comfort is proper running socks. Proper socks provide an extra layer of cushioning, and extreme breathability to allows heat to leave the runner’s foot and micro-fiber stitching that wicks moisture and keeps the foot dry. This technology is extremely successful in blister prevention.
There are several different types of running socks, and all get the job done. It is completely up to the runner as to which style will be most successful for them. (continue reading…)