Montrail Bajada – a review by someone who runs in them.

see that box right there?  yeah,  i know you do.  and see those sweet puppies laying on top of it?  yep, you do.  those pieces of awesomeness are the Montrail Bajada (http://www.montrail.com/Men%27s-Bajada%E2%84%A2/GM2138,default,pd.html) trail running shoe.  that is the shoe that i have worn for the past year-plus of running and racing and a top-notch shoe in my book.  while this is the fourth Montrail model that i have worn since i started running on the trails, the Bajada is the only one that i have bought a second (soon to be third) pair of since i like the shoe that much.

let me tell you why:

first off, Montrail is a shoe company that has not only been around quite a few years, but they make a quality product that most anyone can afford.  since they do not mess around with clothing or packs, they can concentrate on shoes.  just shoes.  and they do not have a line with dozens of different models; they make a handful of shoes worthy of the Montrail logo.

while they do have a few ‘minimal’ models, Montrail is not really trying to jump on the less-is-more bandwagon.  while i personally like less shoe, they are not for everybody.  it took me a few years of racing on all types of terrain to learn what i like and do not like.  there are of course lighter and faster shoes out there, but the Bajada combines all of the details that i like in a trail-running shoe:

- a relatively even shoe with a 10 mm offset
- good for all distances from an easy trail 5k to a hard 100M
- great on the roads as a door-to-trail shoe or as a road shoe in a pinch
- a super-grippy rubber (Gryptonite) compound with mid-height lugs that are evenly spaced over the surface of the sole
- a bit wider than normal outsole for stability
- a fairly light weight at 10.3 ounces
- pretty colours!
- a flexible midsole with more than decent articulation and enough cushion to handle the rockiest of trails (having put in a few hundred miles in the Texas Hill Country, i know about rock running)
- fast for how ‘clunky’ they look compared to some of the super-minimal models
- a comfortable fit especially with regards to a narrow foot; no heel-slippage issues nor toe-scrunching
- an upper with just enough padding to keep your foot happy but not so much that your foot gets hot and sweaty
- plenty of mesh to keep your foot cool and (relatively) dry
- a lacing system (plain ol’ shoelaces – which i like) that keeps your foot in place

if i have any complaints at all about the Bajada, it is that the welds keeping all of the mesh together on the sides do split after about 5-7 months of serious running.  while this is normal wear-and-tear as far as i am concerned, the issue has been addressed by Montrail.  i am ok with the tears as i have 6-800 miles on each pair and they are still wearable.

would i buy another pair?  HECK YES, I WOULD.  am i excited about the new Montrail FluidFlex?  yes, i am.  and i will likely get a pair of those, too.

but hey.  i am just one guy who likes his shoes.  a lot.

proof that they are a pretty fast shoe!

no, really.

keep an eye out here.  will be changing things up a bit and posting more soon.

and, no, i am not pregnant.

2012 Mardi Gras 10k

i raced this course last year, and since it is held at a local brewery (Terrapin Brewery), i decided to come back and race again. it fits very well in my early-season schedule, is not a 5k, and i won last year (2011 Mardi Gras 10k results), so i wanted to try and defend my title.

i found out the day before that it was a NOON start as opposed to the typical early morning start, and since i had to work that day, i was unsure that i would be able to race. luckily my shifts as a prep cook are pretty flexible (thanks to mike bradshaw – owner of the grill!), so i was able to get most of my work done before i had to head to the race. since the brewery is only a mile and a half or so from work, i rode my bike to the race. this let me stretch my legs a bit and not have to worry about parking.

when i got to the brewery, i checked in, got my number, and talked to mark and david of (Athens Running Company) for a bit. they more-or-less ‘sponsor’ me as i run in their gear and they give me a pretty sizable discount on said gear. works for me. and them. while changing and warming up, i spied the competition and tried to pick out who i would have to battle. i saw a couple of guys that looked like they might challenge (including one in an Atlanta Track Club singlet) and a couple of others. after racing for a few years and seeing familiar faces, i am usually pretty good about picking out who can run.

the race was running a few minutes late, so there was a few extra minutes to warm up a bit. the temperature was good, especially with the cloud cover (we had cool rain last year), so this was just to stretch out a bit. i lined up at the front as usual and WENT as ‘start’ was called. i immediately jumped behind the athens-clarke police department motorcycle escort and got up to speed pretty quickly. i already sensed that there was no one with me. i kept the gas on as much as i felt i had to, but with no one to run with (i peaked around a few times during the race), it was just a time trial for me. i kept it well within my comfort zone while still knocking out some quality miles. i finished in first and immediately went back out on the course to cheer some of the other runners on. i did not know any of the other racers this year personally, so i could just yell the generic ‘go runner!’ greetings. the second place finisher came up to me and we chatted a bit.

i stuck around to cheer on the runners as long as i could, but i had to get back to work. like last year (and i feel like a jerk for having to do it), i had to leave before the awards were given out. sorry, guys!

i want to thank any and all associated with the race (ESPECIALLY the volunteers), terrapin brewery (thanks for the hospitality – and the free beer i had to miss out on!), the city of athens-clarke county, athens running company, brooks running company (i raced in the pure connect this time), and my bo$$ for continuing to let me pursue my dream/passion.

my data file from the race including a map

2012 Race Calendar – pending

2012 RACE CALENDAR
==================

2/18 – Taste 10k** – Athens, Georgia (r)

2/25 – Cowtown 10k** – Fort Worth, Texas (r)

2/26 – Cowtown 50k** – Fort Worth, Texas (r)

3/3 – Nueces 50M**^ – Rocksprings, Texas (t)

4/16 – Boston Marathon** – Boston, Massachusetts (r)

4/21 – National College Blue Ridge Marathon** – Roanoke, Virginia (r)

9/7 – Wasatch 100M* – Salt Lake City, Utah (t)

** – registered
* – applied
^ – national championship
r – road
t – trail

gluttons.

happy killing and eating things that you should not kill nor eat.

fatasses.

do not like.

life.  not so much right now.  ready for it to be better.

perhaps…

but maybe tomorrow.