Balega Enduro Review: 100 (s)miles

When you’re running “short”, you don’t need to worry much about your feet. But if you’re often on your feet and your favourite distance is “far”, foot care is paramount.

Like most runners I discovered this, because: blisters. Small. Big. Not too bad. Really bad; one time I had one blister… the size of my foot and ankle! I lie... 2 blisters that size, one on each foot/cankle. And then I discovered mohair socks, and I thought I had found Heaven.

Balega Enduro socks in Altra Running Lone Peak 4's on the Addo Elephant Trail Run 2019

My foot in Altra Lone Peak 4’s and Balega Enduro’s at Checkpoint 16 at Africa’s Wildest Ultra, the Addo Elephant Trail Run by Richard Pearce Photography

Mohair is a natural fibre. It breathes and protects your skin. It thermo regulates your feet in all temperatures. When wet from sweat or rivers or snow, mohair gets that water away from your skin, keeping you drier sooner and blister resistant.

Now add some cleva Balega tech and cool design: you have extra support where you need it most (your feet) and you become a fashionista.

That tech, over the long run (100 Addo miles in my case), might seem small and insignificant, but if you multiply that support of 5% per step x 100 miles you begin to realize how little distraction your feet give and just how much easier it is to keep your focus on the important things: food, water, and fun.

Balega Enduro, Bhuti! 10/10 for them socks.

WIN A PAIR OF TWO: Donate to #RazeABar and benefit some awesome charities. Businesses can request donations certificates, Section 18a, et al. Message me...
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/razeabar2019-upiufd

And you can buy your own here, too: https://shopbalega.co.za/

Comments

Mac Mac Ultra 100: Ear worms and elevators!

What are the effects you can expect from doing 100 miles on foot? Hunger. Tiredness. Hallucinations. Blisters. Bruises. Toenail funerals. Sleep monsters. And others... Nobody mentions EARWORMS... [definition: a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind. I might amend that...]

Legends are made from stories. Sometimes they are true. Sometimes they have music.
Make sure you pick a good tune if you choose an earworm as a pet. The Cranberries version of "Zombie" is a good tune. For the first 15 hours. Thereafter... you're the zombie! But, I'm ahead of myself. There were three sections to my Mac Mac adventure: the first part where I felt good: 11 miles. The second part where I wondered if I'd make it: 70 miles. The last part that I'll just call "Zombie": 19 miles.
Ideal race preparation goes "smoothly" and is "stress free". A few niggles that hampered recovery and training in the 2 weeks leading up to the r…

The Truth of the Trail: Karkloof 100

I said to Andrew & Deon, "On the long trail, either you are truthful, or you are dead. And perhaps this is why we are a close community of people who know and believe in each other. We root for each other's success because we relate so honestly."

Friday night at 8pm, the gun was worked into the theme tune to the Greatest Showman. We Karkloof 100 milers were off, not quite like prey in front of lion... but the atmosphere was just as charged! An amazing show to send us on our way. It had been hot all Friday. Dry heat. It was due to get as hot on Saturday.

AMUK update: I had aced Addo. UTD and me... let's call it a tie (although I might flatter myself here). And Mac Mac bit my bullet... I finished, but it took everything I had. 14 weeks later, I'd recovered mostly, but not been able to maintain 100 mile fitness. I was as ready as I could be...

Rene & Frikkie (official and unofficial AMUK wayfinders) were prepped and looking good. There was no hope for me to …

Addo 100 - Race Report #RunAMUK for #RazeABar

A week after completing the Washie 100 miler I started training for my 2nd miler... I couldn't walk, but in my head it started. It was a kind of running “I am because we are” (loose translation of an African philosophical idea labeled “uBuntu”). Truth be told, it probably started when I ran my first official 5km run or parkrun many moons before that!
uBuntu philosophy leads to other African proverbs like, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with friends”. Race medals need friends, too, right? From a road 100 miler I needed to add a bush 100… and of course there are many around the world as one of the faster growing sports. The more 100 milers the better, right…? And of course me going far at Washie meant a great team of unicorn support on that road, and many miles training with mates leading up to Addo! Go together…
There were a lot of lessons I needed to learn at Washie. Teamwork, nutrition, hydration, training the right amount (not too much is as damaging…

LancasterLegend

Search This Blog