We have a spare FREE ENTRY going for a BlackFish for Challenge Henley this year ... first refusal goes to the volunteers who helped at the aid station last year.  The plan is:

1. Out of those who were at the aid station who'd like to be 'in the hat' ... we will pick out a winner! 
2. If no-one who was at the aid station wants to go 'in the hat', then the place will be offered to all BlackFish who express an interest.

So, with Plan A in place, who helped last year and would like to enter the draw for the free entry?

Cheers!

Hi Everyone

At long last, the BlackFish kit has arrived :)  The kit is Zone3 fabric ... quick drying in the tri top and ultra soft and gorgeous (with fabulous long arms!) in the lightweight l/s cycling jersey.

We've only got a limited amount on this first print-run ... the pics are on this post http://homeoftheblackfish.co.uk/minimums-of-10-feedback-crucial

I'm in the same size as I was in the Fusion, and generally speaking they seem to be coming up pretty 'normal'.

£77 - 15% for BlackFishes for the tri top

£75 - 15% for BlackFishes for the l/s cycling jersey

Cheers

Despite owning a pair of VFF KSOs for the last couple of years, I’ve never completely embraced the whole barefoot running movement. I’m a great fan of a high-cadence efficient running style; I’ve loved every minute of Helen’s Perpetual Forward Motion workshops and I’ve been running in minimalist (Vivo, Inov8, MV2 etc) shoes for some time. I just never really enjoy running in my KSOs. They seem to over-tax my calves, my toes feel crushed and while they are definitely quick it isn’t without a higher perceived effort. It goes with out saying, YMMV.

Until now, that is. Now, that I own a pair of Vibram's NEW SeeYa road shoe. Now, I’m a fully-fledged, 100%-converted barefoot evangelist. I like these shoes so much I am actually going to change my name to ‘Barefoot Jim’ and disappear into the Copper Canyon in search of the Turmahara. OK, the last bit might not be true. But you get my point.

I picked up a pair of these 'bad boys' in Boston a couple of weeks ago…unaware that they would soon be making an appearance on UK shores. Since then I have logged about 50 miles in them on a number of different surfaces – tow path, road and track – and thought I would share some of the highlights with you.

First impressions
The SeeYa is a brand new barely-there pared-down super-minimal version of the Bikila/KSO. Notably, it’s the first shoe from Vibram that is specifically aimed at serious runners. The sole is made from the same TC1 Rubber that you’d find across the VFF line-up. The footbed is a 3mm polyurethane insole with antimicrobial dri-lex sockliner used in the Bikila and the Spyridon. The SeeYa is unique, however, in that uses a super-thin polyester stretch mesh upper.

(download)

Click here to download:

first-impressions-vibram-five-fingers-seeya-eBihEwdDtxbwgszFqzeg.zip (25.63 MB)

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Maybe I was Carrie (from SitS fame) in a previous life. Maybe I’ve just turned into a shopaholic. Either way I have a bit of a (running) shoe fetish at the moment. I am currently rotating around 10 different pairs of running shoes. I often cite my 6-days-a-week running programme as the reason for needing so many different shoes. While there is some truth in this, it’s probably more down to an interest in efficient and fast running and the love of SBR “stuff”.

So preamble aside, I thought I would share a brief review of two new pairs of running shoes acquired while on a work trip to the US a couple of weeks ago. The first is the NEW Newton Distance Neutral Lightweight Trainer – just out in the last couple of weeks. The second is the VFF SeeYa (review to follow), which Helen is now stocking at Ten Point. I have about 35 miles in the Newtons and 50 in the SeeYa at this point.

Newton Distance Neutral Lightweight Trainer
By way of some background, the Newton Sir Isaac was my first shoe aimed at promoting a more efficient running style. Before that I had simply bought neutral running shoes that looked nice. Simple. Style over substance. I’m shallow. So what!

The Sir Isaac changed everything for me and, in my honest opinion, remains a great entry level or high mileage training shoe. I have hundreds of miles in my pair and they barely look used. In the search for more speed, I upgraded to Sir Isaac’s speedier, and lower drop, cousin, the Distance Racer. This shoe helped me to a 3hrs 50 marathon at Ironman Germany and a 1hr 25 half at the Big Cow. Heck, don’t just take my word for it. This was the shoe that Crowie wore to win the Ironman World Championships in 2011. Metaphorically speaking, it’s got *F-A-S-T* written all over it.

So, earlier this year I was pretty excited to learn of a new replacement for the Distance Racer – the Distance Neutral Lightweight Trainer. I was less thrilled to learn that it wouldn’t be available on UK soil for several months after the US release. Fortunately, a work trip to Boston meant I was able to lay my hands on these puppies a few weeks early.

First impressions
Marmite. Love it or hate it. It divides people. The same is true of the styling of Newton running shoes and the updated Distance Lightweight trainer is no exception. It’s hard to ignore the lime green, orange, yellow and red colour-way. Personally, I love it but those looking for a discrete running shoe should look elsewhere. Other shoes in the Newton 2012 line up share a similar theme. Go bold, or go home.

(download)

Click here to download:

first-impressions-newton-lightweight-distance-trainer-pAEyyGCwGjgjyBxCsIat.zip (21.99 MB)

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On Bank Holiday Monday the 7th of May, The Butla will be making an appearance.

He'll be riding out - and I quote - "nice and easy" from Ten Point starting at 10 am.  Plan is to ride for about three hours, though other peeps may choose to go for longer.

I'm up for it, see you there.

Martin