Countdown to Boston 2015: My Annual New Balance Post

Note: With the 119th Boston Marathon only days away (20 to be precise), I'm going to be doing  a countdown to Boston series as I did last year. In the final days of the taper, it's hard to get my brain to focus on much other than the upcoming race, but with plenty of Boston-related topics, hopefully I can at least keep the blog interesting.


If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know to expect certain things as April draws near. First, you know my blogging is likely to pick up--last year 50% of my posts, or 3 out of 6, were done in April. Second, you know I will ramble incessantly about the Boston Marathon. Third, you know there will be a post about whatever special shoe New Balance decides to release for the marathon.

My usual trainer is the New Balance 890 and my marathon and long speedwork shoe is the New Balance 1400. For the past three years, New Balance, a Boston-based company, has released a special version of the 890 to coincide with the marathon. While I didn't buy the 2013 kicks (glow in the dark cool; purple shoes, not so much), in 2012 and 2014 I made a beeline to Marathon Sports to pick up a pair.

Well, this year New Balance has another pair of limited edition shoes, but the 890 is out and the Fresh Foam Zante is in. Now I haven't run in the Zante or any of NB's Fresh Foam line but most of the reviews I've seen have been generally positive.

For their Boston edition of this shoe, NB followed the approach they took with their NYC Marathon release--the shoe has the Boston skyline printed on the insole and it has "Boston" printed on the reflective "N" logo on the shoe's upper. One noticeable and cool difference? These shoes have "FASTAH" printed on the sole.

I really like the look of these shoes and since I've already decided I'm not buying this year's jacket, they seem like a tempting expo purchase. That said, I've been running in the 890 for the past 5 years and my motto is generally, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I guess I'll wait and see how impulsive I'm feeling in a few weeks.

Shoe Porn: New Balance 890v4 Boston Edition

For the past several years, New Balance, the Boston-based running shoe company, has introduced special versions of some of its shoes in advance of the Boston Marathon. This year they've done it again with their 890, my go-to trainer.

Photos courtesy of New Balance

This year's edition plays up the social media aspect of running with #LoveBoston printed inside and outside the heels. I'd say it's a pretty good sentiment for what will certainly be an emotional marathon weekend.

These shoes are a bit more than usual at $120 a pair, but I have a feeling I'll be swinging by New Balance's Boylston Street store to pick up a pair after crossing the finish line.

Countdown to Boston: A Different New Balance for Boston

Note: With Boston only days away (12 to be precise), I'm going to be doing  a countdown to Boston series as I did last year. In the final days of the taper, it's hard to get my brain to focus on much other than the upcoming race, but with plenty of Boston-related topics, hopefully I can at least keep the blog interesting.

Last year New Balance offered some awesome limited edition kicks for marathon weekend that turned out to be my favorite expo purchase. This year, the Boston-based shoe company is offering another exclusive, but with a very different take on the Patriots' Day race.

The funny only-in-Massachussetts (and Maine) holiday has a close association with Paul Revere whose midnight ride (he was joined by the less-celebrated William Dawes) to Lexington on April 18, 1775 presaged the next day's Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Okay, the point of that historical digression? This year, New Balance has decided to kick it pre-revolutionary style with their shoes.

Instead of offering sneakers covered in lobsters and other Hub emblems, they're offering shoes perfect for a midnight ride. That's right, this year's limited edition 890s glow in the dark! They also feature a homage to Paul Revere on the back. I think they're pretty cool looking, but I don't feel the same need to splurge for a pair since I stocked up on the 890v2s when my local running store had them on clearance.

What's your take on this year's shoe?


Photos from sneakernews.com

Countdown to Boston: New Kicks!

Note: With Boston only days away (9 to be precise), I'm going to begin a countdown to Boston series of posts. In the final days of the taper, it's hard to get my brain to focus on much other than the upcoming race, but with plenty of Boston-related topics, hopefully I can at least keep the blog interesting.

It's a common piece of advice that the last thing you want to do is run the marathon in a new pair of shoes. By the time race day comes around you're supposed to have done plenty of training runs in your shoes so there are no surprises on race day. I have no plans to mess with that this time around, but that doesn't mean I won't be picking up a new pair in Beantown.

One of my training shoes and the that pair I've worn in my last two marathons is the New Balance 890. They're the company's lightest neutral trainer at 9.7 oz and I've found them surprising comfortable, especially since I was used to a more cushioned (and therefore heavier) shoe. They have a seamless upper which is great because it means there's not much that can rub your feet.

This year, in honor of the Boston Marathon, New Balance is releasing a special limited edition of the 890v2. Adidas may be the race's official sponsor, but New Balance is Massachusetts born and bred. I don't really buy into gimmicks like limited edition shoes (Asics has offered NYC Marathon editions of some of their trainers the past couple years) but since I'm in the market for a new pair post-marathon, I might just pick these ones up.

I wish I had a better photo, but here's why these shoes are wicked awesome: the tips of the shoe laces say "run fastah"; the inside is decorated with Boston icons like Heartbreak Hill, a pint of beer, and the ducklings statue from the Public Garden; the heel has a lobster on it. I know I'm going to squander some hard-earned dough on a race souvenir, so it might as well be something I can use, like these shoes.
__________________
Today's Run: