Summer Run "Cooling" Tech: Adidas Climachill, Now 2nd Generation is Even More Chill

This is an update of a 2014 post. Effective in 2014 ClimaChill fabrics now are made of a lighter knit making them even more effective and are my go to tops for summer heat for the 2nd year in a row.

I tend to sweat a lot and have often struggled in the heat. Over the years I have tried several technologies that claim to "cool". Here adidas Climachill is in my view a true innovation, maybe on par with the Boost run shoe midsoles I like so much. The way I understand it there are two ways to cool or provide a sense of cooling: accelerating evaporation from the body and fabric or conducting heat away from the body.

First a bit of science on how it may be possible to cool or provide a sensation of cooling

Review-adidas Adizero XT Boost Trail Shoe-Superb Upper. Agile and Stable with Great Traction. Suitable for any Terrain, including road.

The Adizero XT Boost is a superbly agile and versatile shoe equally adept on trails, mud, or road. The XT Boost is a 9.75oz/276 gram trail runner with a beefy 4mm lugged Continental rubber Race King outsole and a Boost layer only under the ball of the foot, the rest of the midsole being a road racer firm but responsive EVA. 10.55 mm drop. $140 MSRP. On sale July 2015.

adizero XT Boost

adizero XT Boost. Boost material is only under the forefoot back of the toes. Heavily lugged Continental Race Rubber outsole

Tried Some New on the Run Today: UA Speedform Gemini, Garmin VivoActive, 2015 adidas Climachill Tee, Dynafit Enduro Dry Short

Trying some new today.  Reviews to follow

UnderArmour Speedform Gemini: Very nice cushioned shoe, just the right firmness for me,not too soft and also not stiff and harsh. Similar firmness to a Hoka Huaka or Altra Paradigm but with 8mm drop 29/21 so a decently thin forefoot.  Upper is "trail shoe" supportive, maybe a touch too supportive for me for the road. Feel my midfoot and forefoot is over supported not flexing forward even though the midsole and outsole is plenty flexible enough.

Vivoactive GPS Watch. Great screen in sun. Super light and thin if a bit square. Replaces my Magellan Echo which drowned at Boston. Cancelled my delayed Apple Watch. Already miss the ease of setting up fields to the Magellan via iSmooth Run app... but with GPS on board I won't need to carry a phone at races. Configuring on a watch is tedious and old school. Run operation is super simple with auto-lap vibration alerts. Still haven't found how to configure for a workout average pace field as defaults are instant pace and lap pace.

adidas Climachill even better than 2014 edition. A lighter knit vs weave, not as slick. Should be incredible in heat as the original was.

Dynafit Enduro Dry Short: from a mountaineering brand moving into mountain running. Super light and comfortable. 2 large hip pockets, each plenty big enough for a large iPhone and then some, plus zipper rear pocket. Very comfortable elastic waistband with no cord. Run large... when loaded. I sized to a SM for my 33" waist.

Gemini, Vivocative, and adidas Climachill all available from Running Warehouse 
US here

Dynafit Enduro Dry Short available from Backcountry.com here

Purchases at these links support my blog. Thanks!

adidas Energy Boost 2: First Look from Holabird Sports

The original Energy Boost was one of my Best of 2013, actually the Boost material was and is the best. The Energy  got me through 2 painless (almost), blister less marathons.  The next generation Energy Boost 2 is hitting the market in Feb. 2014. From what I understand all changes are to the upper.  Video from Holabird Sports describes some of the changes:

• a new TPU cage at the midfoot upper. I thought this area was fine so will see.
• still the sock like Tech Fit upper which I liked, but many didn't,  but with new arrangement of overlays in forefoot. It looks like the forefoot overlays are reduced to 2 from 3 and the front overlay is moved a bit back from the toe which may make the feel a little more open and less constraining and directed. 
• weight at 9.9 oz Men's 9. Adidas has the Boost 1 at 9.5 oz so heavier, not a good thing.

First Review: Nike+SportWatch GPS

Update 4/20: Ran the Boston Marathon with the Nike+SportsWatch and it was 99.05% accurate, 26.45 miles vs. 26.1 miles. Excellent! See my post here for details including unofficial status from Nike on average pace on SportsWatch.

Update 4/23: Added the Polar Wearlink+ heart rate strap to my SportsWatch. Watch instantly acquired the sensor.  Despite a 2000 mile change in location from my last run the GPS was acquired in less than 20 seconds. Some spikiness in the heart rate capture the first 1.5 miles then a smooth capture the rest of the way. See post here.

I have now taken 10  runs with my recently purchased  Nike+SportWatch GPS

Some Impressions:

Very easy to set up, see, and use on the run.  They got the user interface on the watch just right. Total of 3 buttons (left on picture): up, down, and select. Tap screen to mark laps or bring up backlight. You set up your "key stat"-distance, pace, elapsed time, etc.. when the watch is connected to the computer. It will show up in big numbers on the watch. Your other stats are in smaller but very legible numbers above. These are selectable as well. I omitted calories. You use the up down arrows to display them. The figures are preceded in a scroll by their title. Very useful. When you end your run all stats are displayed and lap times scroll, no need to hit a button to "view" each lap as on the Garmin.

1. Size is far less bulky than the Garmin 205. It can also serve as an everyday watch.Watch is rated at 40 days of use in non GPS mode. There is no alarm clock or audio alerts for pacing targets as of yet. 

   

   Side by Side Nike+SportWatch GPS and Garmin 205

2. Unlike my Garmin there is no way, at present at least, to see your run's entire average pace. Pace displayed is a momentary pace and is goofy and highly variable. miCoach pacer also lacks average pace. A potential workaround is to set your auto laps to less than a mile, say 0.25 miles. I will be talking to Nike about when and if such a feature will be available.
3. The Nike+ auto laps but there is no way at present to combine auto laps with a manual lap capture, say half marathon in a marathon. I may set the watch to manual for the Boston Marathon as the mile markers will be easy to see. You mark laps by tapping the screen. It does take a firm tap not a brush of the screen which takes some getting used to. I have also found what may be bug in the manual mode. Pressing the up down keys to see your top of screen data points (pace, distance, calories)  more often than not marks a manual lap which it shouldn't and seems to lock the watch into lap times. 
4. The USB connector to upload data and change watch setting may be fragile. It may also be a bit thinner than a normal connector. I found that on my older Mac with likely a worn computer side connection that connection, particularly using the cable, can be problematic. Direct connect without the cable and a bit of jiggling to get the contacts right works fine. With my side by side 2 USB port older MacBook I had to get a small USB hub to be able to connect the watch and any other USB device due to the width of the clasp. 

   

   USB Connector and Strap Closure
   

   

   USB Connector in the open position. Left Flap snaps over the connector

5. The Nike+ web site now includes maps (Beta) of your route. Very similar to Garmin Connect or miCoach.  Clicking on the red Map Beta triangle in the "Classic" Nike+  below top right... 

Nike+ Route View

...brings one to a new route view complete with elevation, route, splits, and HR if you captured it.  Very nicely done but not obviously found at first. Beta site appears to be built differently than current cartoonish and slow Flash route and pace screens. Much faster to load.

Nike+Beta Maps

Turning on the Heat Map feature shows your relative pace through the run in colors. It would be better if  the heat could be matched to laps to make the data less granular:

Nike+ Heat Map

Finally, I was able to upload the results of the run for Nike+ to the popular Daily Mile site but route/map information did not travel over to Daily Mile. Might have done something wrong and will have to try again.

Accuracy and Performance:

1. Foot sensor was found instantly. GPS was found in about 70 seconds for the Nike+ on my second run and 60 seconds for my 4 year old Garmin. The Nike+SportWatch has a very neat QuickStart feature. Activate the foot sensor, chose QuickStart, start your run and when GPS locks in it will take over. No waiting for GPS. Will try this on my next run.
2. GPS accuracy when combined with the included foot sensor equivalent to my 4 year old Garmin 205 on a totally straight wheel measured mile of a certified race course with no tree cover. 1 mile measured=1.01 miles on both units or about, 40-50 feet over the actual measured mile,  6-10 seconds per mile at 8:30-9:00 pace.  Accuracy with the foot sensor alone 1 wheel measured mile=0.98 miles on the sensor. Apparently the sensor is calibrated when combined with the GPS. I wonder over time if the sensor will split the difference and approach accurate 1 to 1. There is no ability, as of yet, as with adidas miCoach Pacer or NIke+SportBand to  adjust the sensor manually based on results on a measured course. 
3. Update 4/8: I spoke to a friend who is telecom engineer about GPS and foot sensor. He says the GPS knows how accurate- how many satellites it is locked onto at any time. My Garmin has such a score configurable to display Settings>General> Data Fields>Accuracy He thinks the Nike+ will calibrate the foot sensor when accuracy is high. Update 4/9: Confirmed by Nike. See my post here. When GPS accuracy is low does  the calibrated foot sensor take over?  Remains to be seen if this is the case. I would recommend running with both foot sensor and GPS activated.
4. GPS accuracy on a longer run on a winding road course with somewhat more trees but no leaves showed the the Garmin at 7.59 miles and the Nike+ at 7.53 miles with the greatest difference in mile 2. I did not have the foot sensor for this run. Nike claims that the combination of foot sensor and GPS improves accuracy with foot sensor picking up for GPS when signal is weak. All of my later test runs with combination GPS and foot sensor were far closer Garmin to Nike, albeit on a very straight road. Tomorrow I will test side by side on the same windy course with foot sensor on. 

Nike+ SportWatch Splits

Garmin 205 Garmin Connect Splits

Pros: The ergonomics and usability of the watch are outstanding. Very easy to see and use. It can be an everyday watch as it is not as bulky as currently fashionable "big" watches and in 2 days of runs and always on clock function the battery has barely budged.   The ability to run with heart rate monitor,  GPS, sensor for indoors and under deep tree cover or winding trails, or combining both without the need for a heavy extra foot pod is very useful and practical. Accuracy seems equivalent to my Garmin and may improve as the foot sensor calibrates. New and somewhat hard to find Maps Beta is outstanding in its depiction of your route and performance data.

Cons: Important data, especially average pace for the run and average pace for the current lap is currently lacking. Not able to mark a manual lap when auto laps are on. Manual laps seems to more often than not  block out access to other data points accessed through the up down buttons. Pressing these buttons marks another lap, an apparent bug. Heat Map of run performance should match laps. USB connector may prove fragile.

More to come and clarifications from Nike when I receive them. See my earlier post about the SportsWatch.
Link to Support Page for Nike+SportWatch GPS. Includes download of user manual which illustrates various watch screens and set up very well.

4/7  Update:
Currently showing sold out at nike.com

If you have the Nike+SportWatch GPS please feel free to comment, correct me, add here to help others. This is one of the first reviews of the Nike+SportWatch out there and I have only had it a few days. Wanted to get the info out to all interested as quickly as possible. 

Outdoor Retailer-Adidas CC Trail Running Shoe

Adidas is introducing a very cool, super flexible trail shoe the CC Trail.

Available in July for $95.  I was told they weigh about 6 oz. They will be providing me info on the heel to toe drop which appears quite low. CC stands for Clima Cool so these would be a very comfortable summer shoe. Tight, thin mesh similar to the Saucony  Kinvara so one would expect minimal dust sneaking in and great water drainage. They are very flexible and similar to Nike Frees. I wonder how well they will shed mud and small rocks, expect fairly well given the flexibility but testing will tell  I also wonder how well they will wear on rough rocky trails. Might be best for smoother trails  While maybe a bit too radical for my trail use, these may make a very fine minimal road shoe given their cushioning, light weight, and flexibility.

My 2010 Favorite Running Shoes

My 2010 Favorites:

1) Hoka One One Mafate-totally different yet minimal in a way. Clown shoe high, almost 2" off the ground yet in my view oh so cushy and natural. Great on the trails and on the road a feeling like running barefoot on grass  For long, long hauls road or trails and recovery runs.  Effectively zero heel to toe drop??

2) Saucony Kinvara-solid minimalism, light and cushioned, Good for every distance ( I ran my marathon in these) and speed. 4 mm drop

3) adidas Adizero Rockets- very light, fast and responsive yet also cushioned, firmly. The shoe that runs fast!  6 mm drop. Narrow over the instep and at the toes and hard to put on. Not for wide feet.

Runner ups:

Golite Flash Lite- first zero drop "shoe". Solid smooth trail runner. Road runnable. Very comfortable walker.  If you can only take one shoe for multiple purposes this is it.

Ascis Hyperspeed- similar to Rockets but not quite as snappy on the go. 7 mm drop

miCoach Update-Issues with HRM signal on the Zone

An update to my initial review of the miCoach training systems. After replacing the batteries on the miCoach Zone HRM unit I am still unable to get the unit to synch with the watch. I saw a gradual increase in the synch time to see the first heart rate after each workout start then yesterday it never synched, I contacted miCoach support and got them on the first ring over in Europe somewhere. The instructions they sent to reset the unit did not seem to work on my first try. I have written them for further assistance.

The Mobile miCoach on my T-Mobile Blackberry continues to work like a charm monitoring and recording performance based on pace. Unfortunately it does not provide heart rate monitoring for indoor workouts or trails and hilly terrain where pace is less of an indicator of workout effort than heart rate.

Adidas miCoach

For the last month or so in preparation for the 2011 Boston Marathon I have been using adidas miCoach. training program. I am finding micoach to be a fantastically well designed and executed program, once understood-integrating smart phones, web, and optional gadgets. It is a bit complicated from a "marketing" and initial presentation and explanation standpoint. I hope this post helps explain the various elements.

The system can include:

• a free GPS based pacing program miCoach Mobile for certain Blackberry smartphones and carriers as well as an iPhone app. (more on this later).
• a free web site to upload the results of your workouts, see them on a map, tabulating elevation gained and even get a score vs. goal.
• very well designed workouts and calendar schedule for different race distances, abilities, and also for sports other than running.
• a line of associated gadgets for purchase including 
• a heart rate monitor, the miCoach Zone ($69.99) , 
• a stride counter, audible pace, stride, distance HR player with transmitter to PC the miCoach Pacer ($139.99) all associated in a package with the heart rate monitor for situations where GPS based training doesn't make work such as indoors or on trails where heart rate would be more useful than pace. MP3 players can be plugged in to provide music and coaching.

I currently use the free miCoach Mobile GPS app, miCoach web site and the Zone heart rate monitor.