I’ve decided to kick off a weekly blog where I’ll dive into the shoes I’ve been running in and the types of runs I’ve tackled during the week. It might seem like trivial details, but we often receive questions about my running choices and the shoes we’re reviewing. I figured this could be a fun way to address both of these aspects at once.
This week in Maryland, a powerful storm tore through, disrupting my entire training plan and the store’s scheduled events. My usual routine of 3-4 trail runs had to give way to road runs while the trails are cleared. However, a silver lining emerged from this situation—I had the chance to take some shoes that aren’t in my regular rotation out for a spin.
In total, I managed 5 runs this week, donning the Hoka Mach X twice, the New Balance SuperComp Trainer V2 twice, and the Hoka Speedgoat 5 once. Thanks to the trail debris, I embarked on my longest road run since my Boston race back in April. Typically, I’ll run 2-3 10+ mile trail runs weekly, hardly exceeding 6 miles on the road. Longer road runs aren’t a frequent part of my routine due to the volume of trail miles I cover. This week, I ran an 11-mile road run in the New Balance shoes, and I’m leaning toward declaring them my favorite non-racing shoes I’ve tried this year. Interestingly, the SuperComp V1 was my least favorite shoe last year. However, it’s a different story this time around. This week’s variation from my usual running regimen provided a rare opportunity to try this style of shoe. My feet felt comfortable, and I ran a new loop with some aggressive hills at a pretty strong pace. The shoes offered a blend of speed and fluidity while still feeling like training shoes—striking that perfect balance between performance and comfort. All in all, it was a week of lower mileage than usual due to circumstances beyond my control, including a power outage for half of the week and the need to change my running locations.
