Beautiful weather continues in Sewanee. 80º today and sunny, calm winds. Still lingering soreness from the stadium stairs on Friday, calves and quads. Didn't really do an especially hard workout today, just some moderate 300s to try out the new super shoes.
Hoka trainers on
stretches, drills, 100m
Hoka Rocket X2s on
50m
300m - 47.90
Nike Vaporfly 3s on
300m - 47.59
Nike on left, Hoka on right foot
100m - 14.31
Nike on right, Hoka on left foot
100m - 13.97
Didn't push it too hard today. Maybe I'll attempt a 3x300 tempo next time. Now... the shoe report.
HOKA ROCKET X2 vs NIKE VAPORFLY 3
This is first impression, more testing is necessary to determine the full characteristics of these awesome shoes.
The Hokas look more like a normal shoe. The Nikes feel more like a normal shoe.
Both these shoes are listed as having an identical 31mm forefoot stack. Measuring them, that's about right, although the Hokas feel taller. The width is about 6 to 7mm wider in the Hokas at the widest part of the forefoot. The Hokas weigh 6.7 oz, the Nikes 5.8 oz.
The biggest difference is that the Hokas seemed to have a sweet spot on the forefoot, as if they're specifically 'tuned' to strike in a certain spot. The foam feels bouncier than the Vaporflys, maybe a little firmer, giving the impression of running taller. The Nikes are light, fast, comfortable but don't feel really remarkable in terms of responsiveness. In fact, I think the Adidas Takumi Sen 8 feel more responsive. The Hokas really feel more responsive.
Also, due to the slightly wider footprint and more foam on the lateral side, the Hokas get the nod as being a bit more protective than the Nikes.
Overall.... first impression: nod to the Hoka Rocket X2.
Bill, having competed in junior high, college, and later as a master I think I know a little about the track events (will exclude the straight hurdles, the 300 and 400 hurdles, and the steeplechase for obvious reasons).
ReplyDelete100. Pretty hard, and you must get a good start (for obvious reasons).
Also, you must not fall to temptation and start leaning well before the finish line. Yes, I have seen some sprinters in the 100 go into "finish mode" about 12 meters before the finish line.
200. The easiest of the sprints. You get a good start and then run the rest of the way at 98% effort. As you come around the turn it can even feel like you are running downhill (I mean the "effect" of running on a curve).
400. A hard race. and you must select an approach that is right for you.
800. It is imperative that you take the right approach for you, as the 800 can be won with a variety of styles. These can include going to the front early and then taking any of a variety of responses if someone comes up to challenge you in the first 500, even letting the challenger go by you if you feel like it.
1500 Choose the style that is right for your abilities.
3000 steeplechase, A tough race, as you must do a variety of things right.
5000. The easiest of these races. It does not last forever, and you must simply choose the right pace.
10,000. Who wants to run 6.2137 miles on a track? Go to a nice road race instead.
Peter Taylor
Fairfax, Virginia.
Bill, I forgot to say that I also competed all 3 years of high school (a private school called George School). I never won a race, as my times were 11.4 for 100 yards (dead last), 56.0 for 440 yards, 2:13.1 for 880, and low 5s for 1 mile.
ReplyDeletePT
Thanks for your insight and good to hear from you.
DeleteThanks, Bill. Oh, by the way, our athletic director at George School would not allow us to use starting blocks on the slow cinder track. He (Stanley Sutton) was born in the late 1800s, and thus that is probably not a surprise. Also, several of our athletes refused be to the 3rd sprinter that day, and thus they reached all the way down me.
ReplyDeletePT
I meant refused to be, of course.
ReplyDeletePT