North Face Hedgehog GTX XCR Product Review

 After a long week end away at the Latitude Festival I returned home to find a box had been delivered. Who doesn't like a surprise or two and as a runner this one was gratefully received. Inside the box was a pair of the latest North Face Hedgehog GTX XCR shoes. I recently contacted the folks at FuelmyBlog.com and indicated that I would happily review these shoes if chosen to do so and luckily I was selected.

So this is my product review so far based on just a couple of runs to date.

Looking at the shoe box you cannot fail to take in the logo Never Stop Exploring. Combine this with the company name NorthFace and you are immediately thinking this must be an off road pair of shoes designed for trail or cross country running.

The North Face to me conjures up images of Mount Everest and survival. Here in Bury St Edmunds we certainly don't get any mountain conditions but for a county that is comparatively flat we do have plenty of hills.



Personally I like nothing better than to get off the roads and to run along paths and trails across farms and fields. I also like variety and I like to run new trails that I haven't visited before as a way of exploring whats on my doorstep in Suffolk. So the shoes should be ideal for wherever you live.

Inside the box the shoes themselves are not as bright as many a running shoe the colour being charcoal grey and sage green.

The laces also remind you more of a walking or hiking shoe . This along with the logo has set my initial thoughts on this shoe that it is somewhat of a crossover between a
hiking and running shoe. I know a lot of people who like to combine walking and running on a long day out in the hills and whilst this might be the ultimate use of these shoes I am going to see how they fare as an everyday running shoe both on the road and on the trail over the next few weeks.
 
Looking at the soles of the shoes they are  vibram outer soles with plenty of tread. Presumably where the Hedgehog name comes from!

As regular readers will know I haven't been able to run much recently due to a plantar fascitiis injury. I still have the injury but thought it time to give it a try out with the new shoe.I slipped on the shoes which were immediately comfortable. As a runner who is slightly over my recommended BMI ideal weight these  shoes seem to provide some  good support. There is a footbed in the shoe called a Northotic which is designed to give stability , support and cushioning on the trail.

Living in town I initially set off running on the pavement but the shoes felt comfortable and within half a mile I was off road and heading along a pathway besides a field. With the recent weather having been dry and warm I am probably not testing the shoes against their full capability as I suspect they would really cope well with wet and muddy conditions come the Autumn and Winter. However as I ran up hill over undulating conditions the hedgehogs give you a lot of confidence knowing that the tread gives good grip.

I didn't suffer from any blisters  after the 1st couple of wears which has happened with one or two pairs that I have had in the past. I also have wide feet but  the standard size 9 shoes felt comfortable with plenty of toe room. 

I have been able to complete a couple of short runs in the shoes below 5 miles without my plantar fascitiis in my left foot really bugging me. During the run I felt the odd twinge but nothing to prevent me from running.

I

Time will tell how durable the shoes are but given the tough looking treads I suspect if you are after a pair of shoes to run on the trails then these may be for you. I have tried many different running shoes since 1982 and believe it or not I was then running in a pair of Dunlop Green Flash! Since then I have used New Balance, Asics,Saucony , Reebok and Nike. All of these shoes and the North Face Hedgehogs are available at  the Fitness Footwear site . These are the 1st pair of North face shoes that I have had and so far so good.

didn't notice during the run but compared to many running shoes they weigh in slightly heavier than some at 862g. This is another aspect which leads me to conclude my initial thoughts that these shoes are ideal as I say for long distance trail running or hiking and would certainly lend themselves to be durable over the winter and it will be interesting to see how they cope in snow as the tread might be ideal for this.

If you don't know who Fitness Footwear are and haven't bought from them before then take a look at their blog. There are some useful guides to running shoes brands which will help you when making your next purchase.

I will let you know how I get on with them and give an update  in a few weeks time.

Sennheiser 5 FOR SPORTS – Running Song Charts

Many of us enjoy going on a training run and listening to music either as a distraction or as an aid to help us to focus perhaps when running to the beat. Running with music for me comes into its own when I am doing any faster paced work which includes some sprints or interval training. Running to the beat of music is definitely proven as a form of motivation.

The folks over at 5 for Sports would like to know what kind of music and which songs motivate you when you are running. With our input they are trying to create the basis for a statistical analysis of the topic running and music and thus develop the ultimate “Running Song Charts“: 

For 5 months sports fans all around the world can state their 5 favorite training- songs on the website www.5-for-sports.com . In cooperation with adidas Sennheiser raffles 250 prizes such as iPods, iTunes-vouchers or sports headphones and a voucher for sports equipment worth 5.555 Euro among all participants as a reward for their participation.
- Many renowned faces from the sports and music world are supporting this campaign. US-Sprinter Tyson Gay, the British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, the Chinese singer Hins Cheung are among the stars that disclose their „top 5“ songs for warming up, running and cool-down. The playlists of the NBA-players Derrick Rose and Nick Batum are already online. And there are more to come.
- The more people contribute their training songs to 5 FOR SPORTS the more extensive the analysis is going to be.  Sennheiser and adidas will share the results – for example differing musical preferences of men and women, or differing musical tastes in Europe, Asia and America – with all participants.


So give it a go there is nothing to lose and it is a bit of fun- for the record my 5 songs that I chose were

Warm up song Mott the Hoople All the Young Dudes
Jogging Song Snow Patrol Run
Sprinting Song The Ramones Blitzkreig Bop
Cool Down Song Peter Tosh Downpressor Man
Relaxation Song Darwin Deez Constellations

This was my instant thoughts and I guess I could come up with another 100 alternatives!

Fitflops

Bought a pair of Fitflops today from Intersports in Whiting St Bury St Edmunds . Willing to try anything to help overcome plantar fascitiis. Fitflops contain a wobble board which supposedly give you a workout while you walk.

I am a little sceptical as to whether these will greatly help but after reading many reviews of folks with sciatica and plantar fascitiis problems benefiting from using these shoes I will give them a try and let you know my verdict in due course.


The official blurb on the Fitflop web site says
"Dass sandals are widely reported to almost instantly reduce pain in the knees, ankles and lower back, to reduce plantar foot pressure, and to help speed recovery from sports injuries. Recommended by physiotherapists and leading podiatrists for injury recovery and realignment, they’re wearable relief for sports warriors everywhere™"

Since April I haven't been able to run and even walking leaves me limping at the moment . Following a visit to my GP early in June she confirmed that I have plantar fascitiis. She said I had two choices  to wait and eventually it will go of its own accord but it may take up to a year! Or my other option would be to have a cortisone injection though this doesn't always work and carries some risks of permanent damage to the heel.

So I am going for the slow wait and see option and doing a range of exercises such as the rolling the golf ball under the foot , pulling a towel back with the toes and foot rises on the stairs!

In the meantime I haven't  been cycling since early June , it does act as a substitute though I much prefer running. I guess I will have to get back on to the bike in the short term. I would prefer long distance walking if I could but this seems to aggravate the heel pain in my left foot. Perhaps the new fitflops will give me sufficient support to do some longer walks in comfort.

Cycle ride to Flempton Suffolk

Back to the cycle this morning on day 6 of Juneathon. The weather was overcast but a little humid. I felt a bit stronger on the bike this morning after 2 days of not cycling.

My route took me through the villages of Fornham St Martin, Hengrave , Flempton, Culford and back to Bury St Edmunds. I did 11 miles in total for a total cycle mileage for the week  of 60 miles the most I have ever done. For a non cyclist with a heavy bike I found it hard at times. Not sure if I will beat this but for the mean time I need to carry on cycling as my foot injury hasn't yet improved for me to run on it

One Hundred Push Ups

Week 2 Day 2 of the 100 push ups programme.

My sets included 14 , 16,12,12, and 20 push ups for a total of 74.


 Being injured and not doing any running I am feeling tired after 5 days of Juneathon. Today was the least that I have done but you certainly feel it in the arms and chest.

Swimming and Walking at Holkham Norfolk

No cycling or running today instead on day 4 of Juneathon I did some swimming, walking and week 2 day 1 of the 100 push up challenge. It being such a lovely warm day we set off for the coast up to Holkham Bay in Norfolk.

Once you park the car at Lady Anne's Drive at Holkham you then have to walk a mile to reach the sands. It is a lovely walk along duck boards through pine trees It must be another half mile or so of sands to reach the sea!  There was a good breeze to keep the temperatures down and more comfortable. However you can't come to the sea and not go for a swim so after setting up base in some sand dunes I walked down the beach wandering how cold it was going to be. It was actually warm partly because you had to go a long way out to get to any depth. The shallow waters were more easily warmed by the sunshine. This was my first swim of the year, probably for a year since swimming at Southwold. If you just want a beach Holkham is ideal however you should note there are no commercial outlets such as food vendors or toilets which is fine in my book.

After this we went down the road to Wells Next the Sea a busy small town where there was very limited parking. We found some parking out of town and walked back in for a mile. This is worth a visit to a traditional fishing port with boats and plenty of fishing for crabs on the marina. Wells has the commercial attractions such as fish and chips, ice creams and amusements but go to Holkham if you want a good sandy beach.

After a day out in which we walked 4 miles approximately and did some swimming I still felt I hadn't really down enough for Juneathon so I returned to do week 2 day 1 of the 100 push up challenge. My session included 5 sets of press ups which were 14,14,10,10 and a final set of 20 for a total of 68 press ups , 4 miles walking and some swimming.

A cycle ride to Hawstead Suffolk

Another early morning start. There was a clear blue sky and it was already warm at 8am as I set off for Nowton. I went past Nowton Park and the church at Nowton before reaching Hawstead. Here there is a big open green with wild flowers and an overgrown football field.

From this point there was a long climb up Bell Lane, the road twisting and turning but I climbed up this fairly well making use of the 15 gears. My bike is old and heavy but it is doing the job for me filling in as a temporary means of providing me some exercise and site seeing around Suffolk.

I returned home through Nowton Park where there wasn't a sole to be seen.

Today I did 11 miles for a total of 49 miles this week so far. It was also day 3 of Juneathon and this was another motivation to get out on the bike.

A cycle ride to Great Saxham Suffolk

At 8am I set off on my cycle for a shorter ride of 9.3 miles to Great Saxham. This morning was warm and dry which was welcome after yesterdays rain. I hade to compete a bit with the traffic on the road going out of Bury St Edmunds to Little Saxham.

Once I had turned up the hill to Great Saxham it was traffic free. The minor road between Gt Saxham and the A143 Horringer Road is shown as unknown and it is not possible to get directions following this route for some reason.

There was a nice downhill stretch back to Lt Saxham along the A143 before turning back to Bury.

Thats day 2 of Juneathon and so far so good.  What I have noticed so far is that cycling just doesn't give you that buzz, that runners high that you can sometimes get during a good run. Perhaps it will come if there is such a thing as a cyclists high? I am still getting pain in the heel so I am not ready yet to try running unfortunately but may be in a week or so.

A wet cycle ride to Stanningfield Suffolk

The forecast for today wasn't good and in hindsight I chose the worst time to get out and do my Junethon Cycle ride. At about 1pm the rain started as a steady drizzle and progressed into a steady rain. I wore two tops and a pair of shorts as despite the rain it wasn't cold.

At Great Whelnethum I passed an old 2nd world war pill box

However by the time I reached Stanningfield I was soaked through. Feeling damp I decided that the  Red House Pub at Stanningfield would be my half way point.  I was begining to struggle to see through my glasses and every so often this led me to stop and try and dry the lenses. Rather than find a different way home I took the easy decision of just repeating the same route home.

The ox eye daises in Cullum Rd are slightly going over now.So a wet start to Juneathon and 13.4 miles on the board. Roll on tomorrow hopefully the weather can only be better!

Cycle ride to Gt Barton Suffolk

A typical bank holiday Monday the weather being cool and overcast with some rain. My cycle ride this morning was 15 miles and took me on a loop out to Gt Barton past the Holy Inocents Church. On to Thurston, Rougham, Rushbrooke and home.

All ready for tomorrows Juneathon though I wish I was running!

A cycle ride to Lackford

I warmed up for Juneathon with a 16 .4 mile ride out to Lackford in Suffolk.  I woke early this morning and eventually got up at 6.30am. The weather was overcast and the dark clouds threatened rain as I set off through Bury St Edmunds and out of town to Fornham Saint Martin. Out at Culford I disturbed a muntjac deer which was crossing the road and then made a bolt for it crashing through undergrowth to reach safety. Muntjac deer were in the local news this week after repeatedly raiding allotments in Bury St Edmunds the local gardeners want some action to cull them.


At Brockley Corner I decided to veer towards West Stow rather than Ingham. I notice on the map there is at Brockley Corner a Hill of Health Tumulus. Not sure how this got it's name ironic for a burial mound.

After West Stow I followed the road past the Anglo Saxon Village. Here you are just within the KIng's Forest . Here there is a mixture of pines and broadleaf trees and you are always likely to see deer. I turned for home along the Mildenhall Road and the next village I reached was Lackford. The run for home was fairly straight taking me though Flempton, Hengrave, Fornham All Saints and home.

A Cycle ride to Tuddenham Suffolk

My cycle ride today turned into a little longer ride than I planned. I forgot to take a map and the route I planned wasn't possible as I missed a turn. Still I came up with an alternative circular ride of 20 miles my longest yet.

My route took me from Bury St Edmunds through the villages of Risby, Cavenham and out to Tuddenham. The name, Tuddenham, dates back to AD 854 and is derived from the Anglo Saxon ‘Tudda’s home’ and is about 10 miles out north west from Bury St Edmunds. The icknield way passes through the village which is on the edge of heathland

I had planned to turn towards Higham and Gazeley but instead found myself 10 miles out. Rather than directly turnaround and follow the same route back I instead followed a road back to Higham, Barrow, Gt Saxham and Lt Saxham and then back into Bury.

The verge on the route between Lt Saxham and Bury  was covered in poppies and other wild flowers.

Total time for the ride was 1hr 43 minutes for the 20 miles for a 5.10 mile pace

The Bad Shepherds in Bury St Edmunds

Tonight we went to see the Bad Shepherds at the Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange tonight. Who are they you might ask ? Well they are a band that plays well known punk songs on folk instruments.

I guess a lot of people go an watch for the novelty value as punk tunes played using mandolin,uillean pipes,bazouki, whistles and pipes shouldn't work but it does. The reason I think it works is because traditional folk music is often about protest and this is in common with the classic punk song. Above all it was a lot of fun.

The only thing I would have changed would have been to remove the seats at the venue. We were surprised that seats had been layed out as this is dance music. OK one other thing I would change  the bar only sold two beers neither of these being local surely we could have had Greene King!

The future of this venue is very much  in doubt  and there is unlikely to be any  live music from this site from next year. The new Apex should act as a far better venue for music.

Tonight the Bad Shepherds performed a number of the Clash songs including Londons Calling and I Fought the Law. I guess the last time their songs were performed at the Corn Exchange was back in 1978 on the 14th July when I saw the Clash in their prime on their out on parole tour. They had just released their White Man in Hammersmith Palais.

Off to Hessett

White Horse Beyton

Out of bed at 6am and off for a cycle ride whilst it was still cool and before work. Yes this morning it was already lovely and warm and I knew I had to get out early before it became to hot later in the day.

My cycle ride this morning felt a lot easier and the saddle didn't bite half as much so if nothing else I am wearing my back side in!  I followed theNational Route 51 out to Thurston. The cycle route is part of Sustrans one of the UK's leading sustainable transport charities.

Beyton Suffolk

From here I followed the Thurston Rd into Beyton and turned near the White Horse pub on the road up to Hessett. I stopped for a quick drink at All Saints Church Beyton, this is one of those lovely round tower buildings. Beyond Hessett I followed the same road turning right at Smallwood Green before emerging at Bradfield Woods.

From here the Felsham Rd took me through Bradfield St George , Lt Whelnethum , Sicklesmere and home.

Railway Crossing at Thurston

My route was a total of 17.5 miles which took me 1hr 33 mins. My pace per mile is coming down but is still less than 12 miles an hour so can be classified as very a beginner which I am - having cycled 3 times this year! My pace per mile is now about 5.20 which is down from 5.45 .

All Saints Beyton

Its progress and I hope to get under 5 minute miling. Thats my target as I build up to the Juneathon.

Suffolk Words, Sayings and Stories

A friend of mine was walking up Abbeygate St in Bury St Edmunds, behind two very smartly dressed girls. A woman on the other side of the street waved her hand to the girls in greeting  whereupon the following remark from one of the girls fell upon my friends astonished ears :

Hessett Village Sign

'Why do her wave to we? Us don't know she'

In a corner of Suffolk I recently heard a woman with her child and dog in a railway booking station ask for 'A houle, a half and a pup return ticket'

I had a clear out recently of race t shirts. At so many races now the organisers give out a race t shirt often with the name of the race and the sponsors and quite often these are cotton not technical shirts. I was hoarding these shirts but never hardly  wearing them. I was running out of space in a wardrobe and these were the culprits so I have now got rid. This got me thinking as to what you would prefer as a race prize. Cheaper race entry and no prize? A medal? A  t shirt ? A certificate? A goodie bag with some food and drink? Or perhaps you have entered a race and had something fairly unique as a prize?

Personally I go with the medal which has some what gone out of fashion in recent years. Let me know your preference.