Captain Bluetooth's Week in Running: Life Beam hat, NB 1600, Topo Magnify, Clifton 2, On Cloud Crusier, Altra Impulse, adidas miCoach Smart Run

I say Captain Bluetooth as I am now testing all kinds of wearable electronics for my Competitor Magazine columns. This week's Bluetooth fun the Life Beam hat, the heart rate sensor is in the sweatband and transmits to your BT watch, app, etc.. So far works perfectly. You will also note my wrists festooned with adidas miCoach Smart Run, Apple Watch,  my trusty Garmin Vivoactive  (review here) topped off with the Life Beam hat..

Captain Bluetooth: All Wired Less Up

 I ran 40 miles in a bunch of different shoes this week...

From 11 o'clock clockwise:
New Balance 1660, Altra Impulse, Topo Magnifly, Hoka Clifton 2, Salomon X Series. Life Beam Hat in center

I started he week in Park City where I had a fabulous 9 mile trail run in the Salomon X-Series. Kind of firm on the road especially the forefoot the X shines on trails. Incredible upper (review here).

Then back to home base in NH where the running is flat... I ran a road interval workout in the New Balance 1600.

New Balance 1600v2

I thought they would be a bit too light for me but was delighted in the snappy cushioned ride, snug upper and superb road feel.  Very surprised at the amount of cushion from the 13mm forefoot. Have a pair of 1400, a slightly more cushioned (heel only has more stack) cousin of the 1600 on order, might be my next half and marathon shoe. Will be comparing these 2 in a review shortly

Topo Magnifly

I ran the Topo Magnify on the road this week.  I have been hugely impressed on how this road shoe  performed on  trails in Utah. A very nice roomy toe box yet with an extremely supportive  yet light single layer mesh upper makes this a great trail shoe. So far at slow speeds.on the road, I am finding them a bit soft/low in the heel, likely due to relatively soft heel rubber  They almost run like a zero drop Altra even with their 5mm drop. At speed and more on the mid foot I think they will run differently as the forefoot has very nice full coverage rubber.

I ran in the On CloudCruiser, very smooth just the right firmness but quite heavy.

ON Cloud Crusier

Altra Impulse

After a run in the Clifton 2 I  ended up the week in the new Altra Impulse. Again a surprise as the combination of "support" features under the arch, the asymmetrical lacing and full contact harder rubber and Stabli Pod in the forefoot had me feeling for the first time that I could regularly run an Altra. No sinking missing heel as I have often felt with Altras. Altra calls this a support shoe and usually I can't stand support shoes but I think this lighter support is more gentle guidance and stability in stride than hard posting.