For about two months now, I’ve been running with less shoe around my feet. I’ve been alternating between two zero-drop shoes: the New Balance MR00 (which we’ll call the Minimus); and the MV2 (“M V Squared”), a performance shoe by Newton. The time has come to review both.

The original pic for this article had a big bloody “vs.” in the middle, and lots of fire and explosions. But it wouldn’t be fair to declare a winner. After all, I’m not comparing apples to apples in this post; as I said before, the MR00 is a cushioned minimalist-style shoe, and the MV2 is for road-racing. I’m comparing apples to very, very apple-like oranges.

Anyway, on to the categories!

Fit

Minimus: This slipper is long and loose. It works for my feet, but a narrow-footed runner would probably find it baggy.

MV2: The ‘Squared is tight, but it has such a soft, light upper that it doesn’t squeeze or pinch. It just feels like a race-day shoe.

Feel

Minimus: This shoe makes me feel like an overweight ninja. It’s so light that I can really get a good cadence going, and so thin on the bottom that I feel every bump in the road (in a mostly good way).

MV2: The feel of the forefoot lugs creeped me out at first. It was like having a couple balls of yarn under my forefeet. But now that I’m used to it, the extra cushioning feels a lot more protective than the Minimus.

Function

Minimus: I wouldn’t recommend this shoe to anyone who isn’t ready to run minimal. Try to trudge or land on your heel and you’ll discover that there’s no soft padding to protect you. The low profile is excellent for weightlifting, however. It works for the run to and from the gym, and everything in between.

MV2: While the MV2 is inherently less stable than the MV2, it was my go-to for each week’s long run. I found its design far more protective than the Minimus.

Bottom Line: Wide-footed runners will find something to love in each of these shoes. For the true minimalist experience, I highly recommend the Minimus. For a go-fast shoe with a little extra protection, try the MV2.

Last weekend, Yurbuds sent a lively representative to our sports store. He passed out free pairs of their Ironman sport earbuds, which he proclaimed would fit our ears perfectly, even in motion.

I have problematic ears. Keeping buds in them requires the very stillness of death, which is not a usual part of my workout.

I was dubious.

My suspicions grew when I saw the devices. They resemble livers, or perhaps alien spacecraft. And they’re BIG. No way they were going in my ears.

Yet somehow, amazingly, they fit. And not only do they fit, but they fit well. I can tug on the cord and even whip my face back and forth without them coming out. I’ve finally discovered earbuds that can stay in my ears during a workout.

Before I gush too much, though, I should mention that their fit comes at a price. The phones I recieved cost $49.99. That’s expensive (I mean, they’re not even endorsed by Dr. Dre!).

For this reason, I recommend them for runners who can’t wear anything else. If you’re blessed with ears that will hold cheaper buds, fine. For the rest of us, these are worth a few extra dollars.

I must admit, when I was asked to test the HPL #020 Race Vest by Nathan, my gratitude was mixed with disdain. After all, unless you’re on a bike or in the army, Hydration Packs are dorky. There’s a good reason why, when one appeared in The Office, it adorned the socially inept Dwight K. Schrute.

Sorry, couldn't resist working The Office into this one.

Yes, they’re dorky. But so what? If a runner is wearing a hydration pack, chances are they’re at a level of training which necessitates it. And at that level, fashion tends to take a back seat to function (way, way, way back). After all, we wear ugly shoes and short shorts and heart rate bands. The typical elite runner does not look cool when he’s working out. So what’s a little extra uncool, when it yields results?

And now, with that digression out of the way, I can get to the actual review:

Nathan HPL #020 Race Vest Review

—Cons—

The water tube sometimes grinds against the eyelet through which it feeds—it makes an annoying sound every other stride. Pulling on the tube ends the noise, though. This has only happened once to me while using the product

I wish there was a tighter/Velcro loop to hold the end of the water tube when I wasn’t drinking from it. There are two loops on the front straps, which makes it seem as though one is meant to stabilize the tube on your body and the other is meant to hold the nozzle (so that it’s not flapping in the wind). The nozzle is too small for these loops, and kept falling out.
My solution was to tuck the nozzle through the strap and under one arm. It worked, but seemed clumsy and made the nozzle hard to retrieve sometimes.

Hydration packs don’t look strange on a biker. On a runner, though, they’re dorky. With the pack on, I attracted a LOT of hate from passing drivers.
Of course, the kind of training/racing that warrants a hydration backpack is demanding enough that fashion shouldn’t matter. As an ultra runner, looks are pretty close to the bottom of our priority list.

—Pros—

I didn’t notice any sloshing sound from the water bladder, even when it was three-quarters empty.

The pockets don’t look like they hold much, but they can contain everything I need for safe travelling and distance running (cell phone, “power” food, keys, cards, money, etc.).
This eliminated the need for a second bag, which was great because I didn’t know if there would be a safe place to store one—having one bag grants peace of mind.

I loved the fit. My nipples chafe easily and so I was leery of the big straps that’d be going over them. But the straps fit perfectly to minimize rubbing. After a 22 mile run, I suffered less chafing than I would have in a cotton shirt.
The snug fit also makes the pack less noticeable. No jostling!

The material is super light and dries quickly. And even after long runs, it doesn’t stink.

Great for Gu on the run. Gu’s consistency demands big gulps of water, which means diverting runs to pass water fountains or pre-placed water bottles. This eliminates all such worries.

Most importantly, the steady stream of hydration meant fresher-feeling muscles throughout and after a long run, and less recovery time.