New Balance MT110v2 shoe review

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have had a love affair with the original NB MT110.  It was one of the most anticipated trail shoe and in most ways it didn't dissapoint.  It was an industry leader for a lightweight trail shoe and it is common knowledge that Anton Krupica called it the best trail shoe he had ever used.  Of course, no one shoe is perfect.  The biggest complaint about it was its durability.  The perforated plastic-like material was prone to tearing open if it came in contact with a sharp rock or stick.  How long they lasted really depended on what type of terrain they were used on.

But despite its faults, it had one very magical aspect for me.  The fit.  It was simply perfect for my foot.  Built on the NB minimus last (NL-1) it was as if the designers snuck into my room, cast my foot, and then built a shoe just for me.  And I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.

I have probably gone through 6 or 7 pairs since they first came out.  I love it for runs under 20 miles in the woods, even though I once used them for 70 miles of the Leadville 100.  If I was asked to design version 2, I would try to address a few things.  I would add some better traction.  I would change the outer material for more durability.  And I would add a bit more cushioning for longer runs.  From what I have read by many, my list of desired changes is a pretty common one.

When New Balance first announced and showed this new version a lot of people were surprised.  It looks nothing like the original.  With the different materials, much deeper lugs and a bit more cushioning, it looks like a perfect match for what I was hoping for.  The one thing that nobody understood was the change of last.  The V2 is no longer built on the minimus last.  I questioned that immediately, way before I ever held one in my hand.  I mean, the minimus design is what drew so many of us to that shoe (and the others built on the NL-1).   And it no longer looks foot shaped, it looks like a 1930's dress shoe with a super pointy toe box.

Hmmm....seperated at birth?

But sometimes looks are deceiving.  Unfortunately for me, this time they are not.  When I first put them on my feet, I could feel the tighter toebox immediately.  But as I've learned many times, the first impression standing in my living room doesn't nessisarily translate to how a shoe feels on the run.  So I headed out to the trails and put 15 miles on them.  My notes say: "First run in MT110v2.  Nice shoe, but the toe-box is too narrow." 

There are two areas that bothered my feet on this run.  You can see in the picture above how my foot fits on the footbed of the V2, next to the original version.  The addition of a footbed is another change on this shoe as the original didn't have a separate one.  The skin on the outside of my big toe, where my toenail starts, got "lifted" or sort of "torn" and my pinky toe, which is pretty small and short, again on the outside edge.  You can also clearly see the extra area in front of my foot which creates a dead feeling area at the front of the shoe.  Three days later I took them to Pats Peak to test their traction and see if I had better luck with the fit.  After only 7 miles I ran into the same problems.

Steep climb up the ski mountain.  Incredible traction!

Close up view

Being a bit bummed out, I decided to reach out to Brendan Murray, who I believe was the lead person at NB for the development of this shoe.  I explained that I was happy to see the shortcomings of the original addressed, but could not understand the decision to move to the PL-4 last.  He wrote me a very thorough explanation and then followed up with a phone call to help me explain better. I'm not going to post the entire email/conversation, but here is a small piece:

"Since we already had a 4 mm off-set trail model in our iconic minimus trail 10, we felt that continuing to make the 110v2 in the same fit and nearly the same stack heights would have been redundancy from our stand point and really limit the trail community with choices.  Futhermore talking with our ambassadors such as Tony, and their needs, they were asking for a slightly straighter lasted model in the forefoot - as ones foot needs adjust and change over time.  The idea of using the PL-4 last allowed for the trail runner who was seeking a lightweight trail model which provided slightly more girth in the midfoot and depth in the toe box, that the 10 didn’t, a new option.  The new 110v2 will also provide slightly more cushioning under foot (the trail 10 has a midsole specific stack height of 8/12 while the new T110v2 has a 10/14)."

He also gave me a perspective that I would have never considered.  He stated that although the original was extremely popular with the trail running community, they actually were not reaching the full sales potential based on their market research.  NB actually had a sizable amount of complaints regarding the NL-1 last for this shoe.  There is a visual look of a "hook" shape because of the way the shoe curves on the lateral side that actually prevented a lot of people from purchasing the shoe.  All of these factors led to the decision to change the last. 

Close up of lacing system, which does a good job at keeping the non-lasted tongue in place.

On the few runs that I took, my only problem was the toebox.  I want to like this shoe so badly.  The traction is awesome.  It seems to drain well.  It still retains that excellent balance of ground feel and protection.  They feel fast!  The materials seem like they will be far more durable than the originals.  If this shoe fit the way the original did I would probably have 500 miles on these things by now.

More cushioning than the originals

Here is what I suggest.  Forget these are the next MT110.  Consider them to be a new mountain/fells running shoe.  Try them on.  If they fit your foot shape and you liked the "running feel" of the originals, then you are psyched.  There are a lot of positive features of this shoe.  I just wish they fit me better.

9.8 Oz for size 11 (they fit a bit small, just like the originals.  Try the same size as what you wear in those (1/2 size up)

As a side note I also need to add that I don't like writing negative reviews.  I think that every shoe reviewer/blogger feels a sense of appreciation to any manufacture that has been kind enough to provide free shoes for review (which these were for me).  But I read too many reviews that are flowery bullshit because of that very fact.  I truly believe that the good manufactures listen and with enough feedback, make positive changes for the next version.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.  Either way, I don't write these reviews for them.  I write them for you.  I will never stop writing honest reviews, with both the positive and the negative.  Obviously it is only from my perception.  Everybody's feet shape and needs for a shoe are different.  But my goal with reviews is to give exactly that, my opinion.

Call for comments:
Have you tried them?  What's your opinion?  

What? Running 100 miles isn't hard enough?

2:53pm, Sunday January 12th:  In about an hour I am going to find out if I have been picked in the lottery to run the Tahoe 200, a 200 mile foot race around Lake Tahoe with almost 40,000 ft of elevation gain and loss.  Ever since I first heard about this race I have been consumed with the idea of running it.  According to their site, the race is the first of its kind in the US.  There are other (very) long distance races of 200 miles or more, but none of them are one continuous trail, as opposed to a loop course.

For the first time in several years, I have that "what if?" and "how the hell can I possibly do this?" feeling again.  I had this feeling when I decided to run my first marathon.  And then again when I did my first 50k and 50 miler.  But it really feels like the first time I decided to enter a 100 mile race.  My first 50 miler was a huge endeavor, I just couldn't imagine how I was going to be able to cover twice that distance.  But the fear of the unknown is a strong motivator.  And after running a bunch of 100 milers my motivation to continue with this sport has been waning.   I'm sort of at a cross roads as far as ultra running is concerned.  I know I can run 100 miles.  I know that I can place pretty good at them.  I know that I love the training.  But, the only thing I can really set my sights upon is getting faster and trying new courses.

When I first got into Ultra running I didn't care what place I came in.  I had two goals.  Finish, and enjoy myself.  On some level I have come to dread racing.  I would love to think that I could just run 70-100 miles a week because I enjoy being outside.  I would love to stop with all the specificity that the training involves and just run.  And more than anything, I want to learn to be patient and enjoy being outside again.

The thought of trying to run 200 miles has rekindled the fire.  Every running step I have taken since hearing about this race has consumed me with the thought of getting ready.  But, really, how the hell do you prepare to do this?  And THAT'S the fun of it!

I will finish writing this post in an hour, after I find out if I got in or not.  There are only 75 spots available and almost 200 people in the lottery.  I've got pretty good odds and a good feeling that I'm going to get in.  I have my fingers crossed!

4:55pm:  WHOO HOOO, I'm in!   Man, that was tense.  They announced the winners of the lottery 6 or 7 names at a time on twitter.  My name was pulled 67th and I had almost given up.  So now, the mystery of how to prepare for this thing begins.  For more info about the race, check out their website, Tahoe 200.  Now I just need to figure out what shoe(s) I'm going to use!

Photo credit: Tahoe 200 website

Training for a 100 miler training re-cap 6 Weeks to go.

Welcome to my favorite trails!

The beginning of this week marked 6 weeks to go until the Massanutten Mountian 100.  Here is a recap of what I did and how it went.

Monday - Rest Day

Tuesday - 15 miles on trails (1:59:21 - 7:58 pace).  Ran the trails hard. Attacked the hills and ran the last mile in 6:30.  Beautiful weather and ran with just shorts.  No shirt, no water, no food.  Just me and my feet moving quickly over the earth.  This is the type of run that makes me love running.  Shoes - Montrail Fluid Flex

Wednesday - 10 miles of trails and roads (1:19:08 - 7:51 pace).  Took it easy, really felt Tuesdays run in my legs.  Shoes - Montrail Fluid Flex

Thursday - Ran the same 15 mile trail route as Tuesday (2:08:59 - 8:36 pace).  Legs felt completely dead. Shoes - La Sportiva Helios

Friday - 10.1 miles of trails (1:26:01 - 8:31 pace).  Felt ok.  Not great, not terrible.  Shoes - La Sportiva Helios

Saturday - 15 miles (2:19:17 - 9:18 pace) on the West End Farm Trail .  The trails were tough.  Covered with a few inches of snow and slush, with lots of mud underneath.  Every step ended with a slipped toe.  Really hard work.  Even so, I felt strong.  Shoes - La Sportiva Helios

Sunday - 25 miles (3:43:47 - 8:58 pace). Ran the Bow Snowmobile Trails.  First two miles felt terrible.  Tripped somewhere around mile 16 and slammed my elbow into a rock or root.  Wanted to cry because I have bursitis in that elbow and it really hurt!  Decided that I needed to toughen up and suck it up.  I can tell my endurance is getting better as I only got to a certain level of fatigue and then never got worse.  I actually felt better the last 7 or 8 miles.  Surprised at the pace I was able to keep.  Shoes - Montrail Fluid Flex

Summary - 90.2 miles in 12 hours 56 minutes

This was somewhat of a tiny cutback week in terms of sheer mileage.  The next two weeks will be the hardest before I taper back for the race.  The weekend was tough because I went to my nephews wedding on Saturday night.  My brother and sister in law were kind enough to get me and Amy a vegetarian dinner, but it wasn't vegan and the only thing on the table I could eat was the green beans.  Luckily Amy packed me a cooler so I had plenty of food, but I felt like a dipshit sitting at the table with nothing on my plate.  That night people were partying until 2pm slamming doors and being super loud.  I got almost no sleep.  It made it tough to get out the door for today's long run after driving home.  As I sit here typing this, I'm wiped out.

So I made it another week being a Vegan who also doesn't have any alcohol, sugar or wheat.  As much as it is a pain, I am feeling great and starting to lean out.  If I can keep all this up I am confident that I'm going to have a great race at Massanutten! 

One of my favorite spots on the Bow Snowmobile Trails

Training to run a 100 mile race

When I talk to runners about racing 100 miles on foot the most common question is "How do you Train for that?"  My friend Pete from Runblogger has started to post a weekly review recapping his training for a marathon.  He suggested that it might be cool to post what sort of workouts I'm doing as I prepare to run the Massanutten 100 race on May 18th.  My goal is to write a weekly recap on either Sunday or Monday leading up to the race.

With only six weeks to go, I am now in my peak training.  I have been gradually building up to almost 100 miles per week.  In March I ran 383 miles.  While many marathoners run 100 miles per week, the training for a mountainous Ultra is considerably different.  The biggest difference is probably the consistent back to back long runs on the weekend to build endurance.  Below is my recap from last week.

Monday - Ran 5 easy miles (41:45 - 8:21 pace @ 1% grade) after work.  Shoes - Hoka Bondi B 2.

Tuesday - Ran 15.2 miles on trails (2:12:22 - 8:43 pace).  Trails were very icy and I had to be very careful on the hills, especially the descents.  Was supposed to throw in 4 1/2 mile hill repeats, but had a mental breakdown and decided that doing hill repeats was no fun and I needed to have fun in order to train this hard.  Wrote coach an angry email.  Starting to feel burnt out, even though I'm getting stronger.  Shoes - La Sportiva Helios

Wednesday - Ran 8 very easy trail miles with my brother (1:22:51 - 10:22 pace) and fell in love with running again.  Later in the day I realized that I was supposed to do 10.  Figured I'd add in the extra miles later in the week. Shoes - La Sportiva Helios

Thursday - Ran the same 15.2 mile trail route as Tuesday (2:06:00 - 8:20 pace).  Attacked the hills like a fartlek run at coaches recommendation rather than doing structured hill repeats.  Had much more fun and enjoyed the run. Shoes - Montrail Fluid Flex

Friday - 8 miles of roads (1:01:32 - 7:42 pace).  Was supposed to only run 5, but I got in the extra miles that I forgot on Tuesday.  Felt very easy, glad to see a somewhat brisk pace for the effort.  I also hiked with Amy for about 5 miles earlier in the day.  Shoes - Montrail Fluid Flex

Saturday - Got up at 5am and ran 20 miles (2:45:13 - 8:16 pace) to work.  Then worked all day.  Did a few big hills on the route. Shoes - Altra Torin

Sunday - 22.5 miles (4:55:00 13:07 pace).  Did the Tully Mountain trail with Ryan and Kristina.  Trail had a lot more snow and ice than we expected.  Trail was pretty messy.  Shoes - Montrail Fluid Flex

Summary - 93.9 miles in 15 hours 4 minutes

This week also marked the beginning of my strict diet prep.  No more alcohol, sugar or flour.  My plan is to eat this way until after the race.  I have done this before with very good results, but it is not easy!  I will write more about the diet in a later post.

Beautiful scenery on the Tully Mountain Trail