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This was my first time actually running in Topo shoes ... Topo MTN Racer 2 I was impressed from the first time I put them on by how wide the forefoot is. My feet can move freely without being squeezed, and the midfoot fit is snug without being too tight.
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Today's mission was a hill-repeat long run to gain 800 meters of elevation and cover 28K. I set a goal of no more than 4 hours and 30 minutes. Let's see how it goes!
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I started running at 6:30 a.m. Did a little stretching before starting. I walked slowly for about 300 meters first to warm up my muscles and feel a bit fresh.
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The route goes from the entrance to the summit, which is 2K away. Down 2K and back up makes 4K.
With 250 meters of elevation gain ... I only need 4 summits.
That will give me a total elevation gain of 1,000 meters.
So after coming down the hill, I need to run another 3K at the bottom (totaling 7K).
Up and down 4 times will make the total distance exactly 28K.
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Once my muscles were ready, I slowly jogged up the hill ... Wow! These trail running shoes Topo MTN Racer 2 The sole is so soft (MTN stands for Mountain). It reminded me of my favorite pair, the Altra Timp 3. The softness is very similar, and they are just as agile because the sole is neither too thick nor too thin. As a casual runner, I love them!
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The first summit was a breeze. It took about 25 minutes to reach the top. I still had plenty of energy. It was just after 7 a.m., and the weather was great!
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Downhill. The first long descent to the bottom of the hill took 14 minutes ... The downhill experience, wow ... Because the toebox is wide, my forefoot was really comfortable. My toes could wiggle freely without being squeezed or chafed! Love it! I'd say trail shoes should have a wide forefoot to make downhill running more comfortable.
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Now it's time to run another 3K on concrete ... I covered the full 7K before heading up the next summit. Wow! It wasn't harsh at all. The Topo MTN Racer 2 uses a soft Zipfoam midsole. 1
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The second summit started to get hot, guys. Sweat began to pour. My shoes got soaked. Down to the bottom of the hill, I ran another 3K on concrete. Splash, splash, splash. That was the sound of my own sweat. Since the TPU is completely enclosed (you can see the light yellow part in the picture below), there's no way for water to drain. Fortunately, the upper mesh fabric has a lot of holes, so my sweat evaporated a bit faster. It didn't get too trapped.
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Summit 3 took a while because I had to insert a shot for the review video. I set up the camera and ran up, then had to run back down to pick up the camera. I was exhausted. When I finally reached the summit, I had to film the review for a bit longer. It took about 40 minutes more! + I got another knee wound from falling into a hole. Bad luck! Haha.
It was starting to get hot now. On the way down, I alternated running and walking because my hamstrings were getting tight ... I reached the bottom of the hill around 9:30 a.m. I covered the next 3K by walking for a long time, alternating with 100-meter jogs. It was so hot I couldn't run. It took half an hour.
For friends interested in ordering the Topo MTN Racer 2 > Click
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The Vibram Megagrip rubber sole is definitely something you can trust. It digs deep into the dirt, so steep slopes are no problem, and it has great grip ... But if you encounter mossy rocks, nothing can stop that. Just a heads-up!
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I started to lose heart before heading up the hill. It was so hot! But I told myself, come on. I've had several DNFs on Saturdays. Every time I train for a long run, I DNF.
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I forced myself up the final summit ....
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Huff, puff, whew. I was panting and complaining. I really couldn't jog up. I walked the whole way for this last summit. It took 45 minutes to get there!!! That's a huge difference from the first summit! On the way down, I alternated running and walking. It took about 20 minutes!
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There were 3K left to run at the bottom ... I looked at my watch and it was 11 a.m.!
"Enough! I'm hot"
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In the end, I DNFed as usual. I fell short by another 3K. Haha ... It had nothing to do with the shoes, it was entirely my own weakness!
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For friends interested in ordering the Topo MTN Racer 2 >
Click
#Admin Chai