Welcome to our first round-up of 2022! We are excited to debut a brand new round-up feature for the year, focusing on the biggest things to happen at Doctors of Running this month along with a few bonuses that we are excited to share. This month has been tremendous for us, with a new face, a new feature, and a whopping 17 reviews and features to kick off the year! Let's dive in.
Ten Things To Check Out From January 2022
at Doctors of Running
at Doctors of Running
1. Launching Our New Beginner's Guide to Running
There is a lot to consider as a new runner picking their first real running shoes. The options are limitless, and design combinations are difficult to pick out for an average person who is unsure of their own running mechanics. We put together our first guide on the subject, tackling what to consider as you purchase your first pair and also provide a few options to get folks started.
Read the guide here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/best-running-shoes-for-beginners.html
Read the guide here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/best-running-shoes-for-beginners.html
2. DOR Giving, January 2022: Life Rolls On
Each month at DOR starting in 2022, a member of our team selects a charity of their choice to donate 10% of our monthly profits to. This month Senior Contributor David Salas selected Life Rolls On for our monthly giving!
From Life Rolls On about their work:This past week we donated 10% of our earnings - $182 - to the organization to help support the work they do! Visit https://liferollson.org/ for more information. You can find a link in our bio to their page to learn more! Additionally, let us know if you decide to also help support the cause this year! We’d love to hear and give you a shoutout.
“Founded by 2X World Adaptive Surfing Champion and 6X US National Adaptive Surfing Champion Jesse Billauer, Life Rolls On is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with various disabilities. Believing that adaptive surfing and skating could inspire infinite possibilities beyond any disability. “
3. Hoka Spring 2022
It's Hoka season! Hoka's become one of the fastest growing running companies in the world thanks to their beloved cushioning in the Bondi and Clifton series. This spring they introduced some new players to the game, from the new plated trail runner in the Tecton X to introducing some new foams between the CMEVA in the Kawana and the ProflyX in the Carbon X3. Find all our reviews here:
Hoka Kawana Review
Hoka Mach Supersonic Review
Hoka Carbon X3 Review
Hoka Tecton X Review
4. New Year, New Team Member! Meet BJ McGeever
We are excited to welcome BJ McGeever to the Doctors of Running team! He joins us as our new audio engineer for the podcast. He's done wonders for our first two podcasts of the year already and we're excited to continue our work with him to make our audio the best yet.
About BJ: BJ McGeever is an audio engineer living in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications and Spanish. He’s spent his professional career as an audio/video producer for churches, specializing in live music engineering. BJ picked up running at the beginning of 2019 and was quickly hooked, soon finding himself with far too many shoes. He joined Doctors of Running in early 2022 with the goal of taking the podcast to new heights. He’s finding his way back to full fitness after an injury-plagued 2021, with a half marathon coming up in March. He lives in The Woodlands, TX with his wife Allison, two kids, Penelope and Benjamin, and dog (and faithful running partner) Koda.
About BJ: BJ McGeever is an audio engineer living in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications and Spanish. He’s spent his professional career as an audio/video producer for churches, specializing in live music engineering. BJ picked up running at the beginning of 2019 and was quickly hooked, soon finding himself with far too many shoes. He joined Doctors of Running in early 2022 with the goal of taking the podcast to new heights. He’s finding his way back to full fitness after an injury-plagued 2021, with a half marathon coming up in March. He lives in The Woodlands, TX with his wife Allison, two kids, Penelope and Benjamin, and dog (and faithful running partner) Koda.
5. Jumping on the Cross Trainer Train
This month we took on our first cross trainer review with last year's Reebok Nano XI. This is our first foray into reviewing cross training footwear and we hope to expand further in 2022! In this review we look at the characteristics that separate a cross trainer from a running shoe, and explore what makes the Nano so good at its function.
Find the review here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/reebok-nano-x1-trainer-review.html
Got a training shoe you want us to check out? Let us know at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
Find the review here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/reebok-nano-x1-trainer-review.html
Got a training shoe you want us to check out? Let us know at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
6. How Much Does DOR Make? Part 2
Back in the summer of 2021, we agreed to start doing a semi-annual report on how much we make at Doctors of Running. We released our second report this month, highlighting big changes over the past half year.
Find the report here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/how-much-does-doctors-of-running-make.html
Find the report here: https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2022/01/how-much-does-doctors-of-running-make.html
7. Meet Footwear Industry Veteran, Stuart Jenkins
Stuart Jenkins is an innovator and footwear industry veteran with over 43 years of experience. We got a chance to sit down with him to talk about his career and starting his latest venture, Blumaka. There, he focuses on a unique insole that delivers both cushioning and grip to help "konnect" the shoe with runners.
Listen to the full podcast on the run here. Follow us on Apple, Spotify, or Anchor to keep up with our weekly podcast!
Listen to the full podcast on the run here. Follow us on Apple, Spotify, or Anchor to keep up with our weekly podcast!
8. Current Shoe Deals at Running Warehouse
Our friends at Running Warehouse have some really cool deals going on right now for folks looking for everything daily trainers to their next racing shoe. Here are a few of our favorites we've spotted. Note: the following are affiliate links that support Doctors of Running.
Sacuony Endorphin Pro
Deal: $99 | Review
Never tried a super shoe? This is a great entry point for less than $100. Great for workouts and a variety of distances depending on your preferences.
Adidas Adios Pro 2
Deal: $174.88 | Review
The Adidas Adios Pro 2 is a unique super shoe that won't work for everyone due to an aggressive lateral heel bevel. For those that have minor stability issues inward though, this is both a great deal and potentially excellent purchase for fast racing.
Hoka Rincon 2
Deal: $91.88 | Review
People looking for a simple daily trainer that can do a bit of everything, this is a great pickup for the price. Check the review to make sure its fit would suit your tastes.
Adidas Terrex Apparel
Deal: $59 - Windbreaker | Review
Shield yourself from the elements in style with this excellent windbreaker for Adidas.
Our friends at Running Warehouse have some really cool deals going on right now for folks looking for everything daily trainers to their next racing shoe. Here are a few of our favorites we've spotted. Note: the following are affiliate links that support Doctors of Running.
Sacuony Endorphin Pro
Deal: $99 | Review
Never tried a super shoe? This is a great entry point for less than $100. Great for workouts and a variety of distances depending on your preferences.
Adidas Adios Pro 2
Deal: $174.88 | Review
The Adidas Adios Pro 2 is a unique super shoe that won't work for everyone due to an aggressive lateral heel bevel. For those that have minor stability issues inward though, this is both a great deal and potentially excellent purchase for fast racing.
Hoka Rincon 2
Deal: $91.88 | Review
People looking for a simple daily trainer that can do a bit of everything, this is a great pickup for the price. Check the review to make sure its fit would suit your tastes.
Adidas Terrex Apparel
Deal: $59 - Windbreaker | Review
Shield yourself from the elements in style with this excellent windbreaker for Adidas.
9. Carry Your Phone and Nutrition Like Nobody's Business | Running Gadget of the Month
UltraAspire Fitted Race Belt
$32.95 at Running Warehouse
$32.95 at Running Warehouse
A great belt for runners who want their phone all the time. Figuring
out how to carry your phone is one of the great frustrations many
runners have. It’s terrible for balance, emphasizing one side of your
body, and also slightly dangerous to your phone as one slip-up on hard
pavement can mean a hefty cracked screen.
If you’re like me though, you still want access to your phone on the
run. Sometimes you want to take a quick photo, or pick up a call you
need to answer. Enter the UltraAspire FItted Race belt. The belt stands
out for me because of its perfect top-open pouch in front. A tight mesh
helps keep the phone from bouncing while the top entry lets you easily
pull out your phone when you need it. Some side pockets, including one
zippered for keys, have just enough space for a small piece of hydration
while a back pocket helps you carry everything from bigger nutrition to
masks or wallets that you may need while out and about. The belt fits
nicely (it comes in many sizes to get the right fit) and once secure
stays out of the way so you can perform your best. It’s also a great
hiking belt in general. I've used mine for over a year and a half and it still fits holds things well and has not provided any issues. - Social Media Manager Bach Pham
10. Updates, Updates, Updates
A look at all the latest review updates at Doctors of Running from the past month! Even after we post a review, we like to go back and add more thoughts or new voices. These are some of the highlights this past month.
On Cloudace Review - Our social media wizard Bach Pham adds his thoughts to the stability trainer.
Newton Gravity+ Review - Contributor Andrea Myers discusses her thoughts on the Newton racing shoe
Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 8 - Senior Contributor David Salas provides his review of the supercharged Takumi Sen 8
Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 8 - Senior Contributor David Salas provides his review of the supercharged Takumi Sen 8
Asics Nimbus 24 Review - David Salas adds his thoughts to round out the full team review
Asics Metaspeed Edge - David checks in with a look at this 5-10k speedster that's all about "cadence."
Asics Metaspeed Edge - David checks in with a look at this 5-10k speedster that's all about "cadence."
Bonus. A Look at Water Running Rehab with Senior Contributor Nathan Brown
Despite all the wonderful things about running, there is
an unfortunately high incidence of injury in the sport, particularly
among new runners and those who have regularly high mileage (defined as
>40 miles per week). A tricky thing to do while injured can be to
maintain your cardiovascular fitness, especially in cases like stress
fractures where the decreased ability to bear weight and handle impact
limits your activity options.
One option that requires no impact or weight through the leg/foot that has been shown to be effective in maintaining cardiovascular fitness in runners is deep water running. It has been shown that in trained endurance athletes, deep water running can maintain cardiovascular fitness for 6 weeks. For more sedentary populations, there is even more potential benefit from maintaining or even gaining cardiovascular fitness.
There are a few consistent findings when aerobic demands are assessed in deep water running compared to treadmill running at submaximal efforts. First, heart rate is decreased (8-11 bpm) and maximal oxygen uptake is decreased in deep water running compared to overground running. However, perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate levels were higher in the submaximal deep water running conditions compared to treadmill running. Together, it was found that cardiovascular fitness can be maintained via deep water running.
This makes deep water running a potent tool for rehabilitation of running related injuries that prevent runners for continuing their normal routines. It provides an adequate cardiovascular stimulus while also stressing the muscular system in new ways due to water resistance. Therefore it can be used as a great cross training activity, as a way to prevent overuse injuries, and to maintain cardiovascular fitness levels that are achieved via overground running.
One option that requires no impact or weight through the leg/foot that has been shown to be effective in maintaining cardiovascular fitness in runners is deep water running. It has been shown that in trained endurance athletes, deep water running can maintain cardiovascular fitness for 6 weeks. For more sedentary populations, there is even more potential benefit from maintaining or even gaining cardiovascular fitness.
There are a few consistent findings when aerobic demands are assessed in deep water running compared to treadmill running at submaximal efforts. First, heart rate is decreased (8-11 bpm) and maximal oxygen uptake is decreased in deep water running compared to overground running. However, perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate levels were higher in the submaximal deep water running conditions compared to treadmill running. Together, it was found that cardiovascular fitness can be maintained via deep water running.
This makes deep water running a potent tool for rehabilitation of running related injuries that prevent runners for continuing their normal routines. It provides an adequate cardiovascular stimulus while also stressing the muscular system in new ways due to water resistance. Therefore it can be used as a great cross training activity, as a way to prevent overuse injuries, and to maintain cardiovascular fitness levels that are achieved via overground running.
Coming Soon at DOR
Have questions? Send us an email at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
Thanks for reading!
Puma is back with a big update to their daily training best seller in 2021. The Velocity 2 picks up a little extra stack to help provide some extra mileage. We also will be doing our first Craft footwear reviews, taking a look at the Swedish brand's big leap into serious competitive running on the road. Finally we have another guide in the works that we're excited to drop in February. All this and more podcasts ahead!
Have questions? Send us an email at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
Thanks for reading!
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