The Hobby Jogger Podcast
Welcome to The Hobby Jogger Podcast, where elite athletes and ham-and-eggers lace up their stories. We explore the common ground that running creates from the world-class runner to the hobbyist hitting the pavement, trail or treadmill. Expect a blend of inspiration, laughter and the shared joy that makes every step count. Join us on this journey, where every run is a story worth sharing.
The Hobby Jogger Podcast
E61 | Shoes, Safety, And The Joy Of The Run With Mike Duffy
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Hobby Jogger. We are back after our Crispin New Christmas and New Year's break. Took a couple weeks off there to recharge the batteries, but a lot of great content coming out. Rob Myers is joining me today. Once again, Rob, how was your holidays?
SPEAKER_02:Pretty good. Pretty good. At the moment, I'm uh getting ready for the Arctic blast that is hitting the southeast. So I may get stuck on the mountain. We'll see.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I saw that. Uh foot of snow headed your way. Not good. Uh, I'll be in Florida. So thankfully I won't have those issues. Hopefully, I don't have those issues. God willing. But today, Rob, back with another episode. We have our friend, Mr. Mike Duffy on. He is a radio DJ. I guess that's still what you call them, right, Mike?
SPEAKER_03:Uh yeah, radio DJ personality. Uh, my official title would be program director since I run the radio station that I work at. Um, but yeah, whatever. Pick your pick whatever one you want.
SPEAKER_01:Wait. Also, husband, dad, runner, a coffee enthusiast. So hobby jogger, just like Rob and I. Mike, thanks for uh thanks for joining us. We we certainly appreciate your time. Man, I I appreciate you having me on. Thanks, guys. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, you you're a runner, so a lot of running stories we like to get into on those, but but first thing I'm gonna ask is is something I'm very jealous of that you are a uh program director, radio personality. Uh I grew up listening to the radio coast to coast AM. Uh I used to listen to it. Art Bell. Art Bell, you know, I think we've Rob, we've mentioned him a few times on the show, right? Yeah. Art Bell.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I I you know, it was bit Mike, it was between starting a conspiracy podcast and this. So okay.
SPEAKER_03:You probably got the better choice there with the running podcast. I'll be honest with you.
SPEAKER_02:We still have the tinfoil hats. We pull them out occasionally.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, why not, right? Yeah, we we we get into some alien talk every now and then, but for the most part, we try and keep it to running.
SPEAKER_03:I'm down with that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Rob Rob doesn't let me stray too far into the uh into the void, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_02:We know our audience, come on.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. So anyway, anyway, Mike, you're uh a radio personality, and that actually when I was in high school, that was my dream job. I don't know uh if you know the gentleman's uh but Mark Madden, a local radio host uh to Pittsburgh. Are you familiar with him at all?
SPEAKER_03:I know the name, I don't know him personally, but I I know of him. I I know he's been in the market a while.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. He legend in Pittsburgh. Uh I used to listen to him on on AM. That's how old I am, Mike. That I used to listen to radio on AM. I'm sure most younger people probably don't even know there's an AM dial, but probably not these days, no. Yeah. But anyway, you know, I had to talk a little radio shop, and music is a big part of running, I think, because people, you know, they like to put on the headphones, especially when I'm coming behind them and they don't want to move over. But again, Rob, we're not gonna go down that. We're we're keeping the show positive today, right? Super positive. Come on, let's go. So, Mike, you you're a hobby jogger like us, shoe aficionado, I hear. Yeah. So, how did you start out running?
SPEAKER_03:Wow. Well, I mean, the I guess the official start would have been when I was in high school. I I I ran um track in my freshman year of high school and my senior year of high school. Um, I I also play guitar and and much like you, I am uh very into music. So I played guitar in stage band, and that was primarily what I did. I was I was a terrible athlete in high school, guys. I mean, like literally terrible. Um I I literally um I got away from cross country after the first year because I really wasn't good at it. I came back to it in my senior year because quite frankly, I wanted to letter in something before I left high school. And I liked, you know, the big puffy letters they used to give back then. Um which will now, just like you, I'm dating myself saying that. But uh I I ran through the track season. I ended up uh getting stuck in the hurdles, the 100 and the uh it was 400 then. I think they're 300 now, maybe. Uh, and the occasional fill-in on the the four by one hundred, uh the four by four hundred. Um, and that was kind of it. I didn't really have I wasn't particularly great at it. I ran a little bit on my own when I through college. I came back to it as an adult, um, probably around 2012 when I got interested in maybe trying the uh it was a race here, uh a run bike run, the Wilkesbury Duathlon. It used to be on Father's Day, and I got interested in trying that. So I got back into running, um, got myself in shape, did the event a couple of years in a row. I eventually left cycling because I have a lower back injury that doesn't let me sit up, bend over on a bike much. But I've always enjoyed running more. Um so uh, you know, I've kept up that with that through the years. I now um I now am an assistant coach for a junior high team, uh like fourth through eighth grade. Um and it, you know, it keeps me busy and thankfully it helps keep me in shape.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's that's a primary thing I feel like for all of us, you know, middle of the packers, and you know, just gets me out the door every day. You know, when you have a job and you know, obviously your jobs you spend a lot of time at the desk, right, Mike?
SPEAKER_03:Um, you actually I don't. Um I you know, I move around between our on-air studio where I don't sit, I actually stand because I I don't like sitting in the studio. But uh and we're we're fairly busy, you know, we we get out a lot, we have a lot of um on-site stuff to do. Our station's pretty active. I'm I work at a rock station. Um, so you know, I'm not always in the building and I'm I'm I try not to sit at my desk very often because I I I'm not that kind of person that like that can sit still for that long.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's good. I mean, it it like for me, I you know sit at the desk a lot. So I just like to get out there and and move a little bit. Makes me feel good about the day, you know, instead of just sitting, standing. I do try and stand. I take laps around my uh desk quite a bit. That doesn't get much done, but at least I'm moving, I guess.
SPEAKER_03:When do you guys go out to get to get your runs in? Do you go after work, before work, in the middle of work?
SPEAKER_01:I myself am a morning person, so I'm up pretty early. I don't know about Rob. When do you get it in?
SPEAKER_02:Whenever I can. Morning, afternoon, evening. I try to get at least an hour a day.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm an early riser, Mike. So for me, you know, this morning I was up at 5 45. Just okay. Woke up and, you know, laying there. What do I do? Do I want to get up? It's kind of cold. Eh, I guess I'll get up and go.
SPEAKER_03:So I'm actually a morning riser with you too. I typically get up between 10 04 and 20 after, depending on what it is I have to do workout-wise that day. So uh, but to be fair, I've I also have done a lot of morning radio in my career. So I'm used to being up at those obnoxiously early hours. Um, and it doesn't bother me. And I like getting it done and out of the way. Um, and then, you know, I don't know about you guys, but I have kids. So trying to get my son off to school, I've got to make sure I'm done with my run or workout and back at the house before 6:30 so that I can get myself ready and get him off to school. So it's, you know, you're once the once you wake up, you're on that clock, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. You can develop any morning routine. So, Mike, we're here to talk about running, but I have to ask, I heard you mention guitar. So, do you fall on the Gibson side of the house? I mean, what do you play? You more fender, you play a strat.
SPEAKER_03:Uh, I'm actually neither. Um, although I man, I if I could tell you how many guitars I've owned and sold and regretted over the years since I started playing in high school. I currently have uh only two. Um, I have a 1960 Yamaha Acoustic and I have a uh Matt Black, um, Eddie Van Halen, uh his his guitar company, EVH guitars, uh, one of those. I've had several of his uh over the years and sold them like an idiot because they're now worth a lot of money. I do, however, I do, however, have one that's super cool. I have one that's signed by Van Halen um that's sitting under my bed in a case. And I have one that is also signed by his son Wolfgang sitting in a case. Um, so that's kind of cool. Those are those are two I would never get rid of. But man, over the years, I've seen I had a I had a 79 strat that I sold. I had an original Charvel Sandemas guitar. I could never get into Gibson, man. I just they never felt comfortable to me. So you're more of a fender guy, is what you're saying. I would, yeah, I super strat, but yeah, I'm Fender guy, sure.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, there's only two categories, even if you're not playing a fender, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_03:All right, that's fair. That's fair. Uh, but yeah, super strat was always my thing.
SPEAKER_00:Very cool.
SPEAKER_01:I am not a guitar player, so none of that made any sense to me. I just go to the rock and roll shows, you know, Mike.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. That's a great thing to get to do when you when you work in radio. You get to go to a lot of shows too, which uh which is fun. So it's definitely a good perk of the job. Do uh either of you guys listen to music while you run?
SPEAKER_00:Good question. Um depends.
SPEAKER_01:One if I'm running around like on the sidewalks and streets, absolutely not. Uh if I'm on the toe path, I do, just like a trail where not much can go wrong. And if I'm in the woods, I don't. So if it's the toe path, yes. Uh, but that's that's about it. How about you, Rob?
SPEAKER_02:I don't for training. For training, I typically listen to like a podcast or a book on tape, but 100% for the race. For the race, I need that music to pump me up. You know, that that second gear that is only reserved for running when you're in the race. Yep. And I honestly, every race that I've run, I listen to the exact same album and I have ever since I started running.
SPEAKER_01:Black by Metallica?
SPEAKER_02:No, no, it's actually a compilation. So it's one of those closet bands that you don't tell anyone about on a podcast.
SPEAKER_03:Now I'm intrigued. Now I kind of wish you did you should tell us that.
SPEAKER_01:Rob listens to Purple Rain by Prince. You got it. That's the one.
SPEAKER_03:Hey, listen, Prince is a great guitar player. I love it. You know what's funny? I I used to listen to music when I would train and when I would do races. And then legitimately, the reason I stopped is because the Bluetooth headphones I had at the time, they died. I'm like, eh, all right, whatever. I'll get around to getting a new pair. Never did. And then I thought, wow, this is great. I I go out much like you early in the morning. 90% of my run is dark. So I thought, yeah, it's probably safer for me not to do that. So I stopped for a long time. Um, and I stopped doing it during races too, because I thought, wow, this is great. I'm actually focused more on what I need to do for the race to try to hit whatever time goal or what distance goal or whatever. Um, I found it honestly, and this may seem weird to you guys, I don't know. Um, tell me if it does. I found it easier to focus without that distraction of having music in my headphones um and just running and listening to what's going on around me. And then um recently I moved my um my workout days. Like if I were gonna do um a treadmill or a uh a tempo run to a treadmill, because it's just it worked out since I changed gyms to be able to do those things together. Like, well, this is kind of boring. I need something to help me get through this workout on a treadmill. So on those days, if I'm indoors doing a workout, I'll wear music, but that's it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, treadmill, I I 100% of the time I have music and a TV.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:So as much as distraction as possible. I never I've never worn any for a race. Um, see, Rob, because what would happen is like Death Chant or Amin of Marth would be like the first song up, you know, and it's just full send, wouldn't end well for me. I like to go I I like to pace myself out of the start there, Mike.
SPEAKER_02:You gotta start with Enya first and then you build up. You can't go right into the death metal, Casey.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah, I don't yeah, so yeah, I don't know. I'm I'm I'm against it in in the race mode because there's plenty of people to talk to and you know, a lot going on, I guess. I don't know. But Mike, I'm with you on the treadmill, man. You gotta have it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I mean, it's so hard. I mean, there's TVs at the gym that I I I wear and I don't have a treadmill at home. In fact, I don't like to work out or run at home in my actual house because I feel like I need to get away from that and separate the two. So um I I use one at the gym that I go to. Yeah, they have TVs, but there's no volume connected, which is weird. Um, but it I I just don't think you can get through a workout on a treadmill without something to distract you from the monotony of them.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I yeah, I mean the reason I don't wear them is kind of important when I'm running around the streets, is I don't want to be distracted because here in Akron, you're crossing some streets, you got to keep your head on a swivel.
SPEAKER_00:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01:More than once a week when I have to just like the trails are covered in snow or whatever. I have a close call with someone.
SPEAKER_03:Uh oh, yeah, absolutely. People, people, uh, especially at that early, well, I should say anytime, but especially early in the morning, man. They don't care about stop signs. They don't care about looking up from their phone. Um, you know, I don't I don't have the benefit of running trails. I always run um streets. I try to take the most well-lit streets, uh, but at five o'clock in the morning, man, everybody's in a hurry if they're out and they're not paying attention at all.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, my my route, I I have like two two or three routes that I take, and mostly planned around not having to cross major streets is is the way the routes work. Like nothing to do with anything else. I don't particularly like the scenery, uh the terrain, none of it except for I don't have to cross it's usually all left turns, and I don't have to cross any major streets.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's definitely an advantage.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, I get I get what you mean though, but yeah, no, no headphones on the streets. And in the woods, for some reason, I feel like maybe I have a chance at hearing a tree fall. Uh should that happen? I I probably don't, but at least I feel like okay, maybe I can dodge something, but that's probably misplaced optimism, I feel.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, safety first, right? Yeah, yeah, safety first. So, Mike, what's the the story behind the uh Valley Running Company? When we were doing research for the show, it looks pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah. So um Valley Running Company is one of our local uh running shoe stores. It's there's two of them. It was the original is Scranton Running Company, uh in the city of Scranton, and then they opened one. Valley is about uh probably like 25 minutes south of that store. So we cover both the Scranton and the Wilkesbury areas. I uh I actually work part-time at Valley Running, um, which is great because I love it there. A friend of mine works there uh that I run with, um, and I've run with them for, I don't know, almost a decade now. Um, ended up getting in there. And it's it's a lot of fun because for someone like me who is a shoe nerd and just loves you know shoe technology and just getting a chance to check out new shoes, it's a great gig. And ironically, it's almost full circle because when I was in high school and college, I worked for a place called uh Sneaker King uh in the late 80s and early 90s. I worked uh for the it was a family-run business before the internet and all that kind of stuff. Um, when you know those local mom and pop kind of places were, you know, all over the place. And it was great. It was the best job to have in high school and college because I could get all the Air Jordans when they came out at a discount. I could get the uh AirTech Challenge because I was a huge Agassiz fan. I remember when the first Reebok pumps came out, they were like 110 bucks, and everybody's like going bonkers because wow, a pair of basketball shoes is over$100 and they're not Nikes. Um, so it's kind of like full circle for me to come back and work part-time at a running shoe store um and be able to help other runners, be able to help other people that are coming in because they need a shoe for like we see a lot of medical professionals that come in because hey, we need a shoe because we're standing on our feet all day. Well, sure, we can help you with that. And you know, it's fun getting to do the gate analysis, the proper fitting, the thing that you may not get um if you just buy online. Now, granted, some runners like like doing that, but maybe if you're new to the sport and you're not quite sure what to get, it's great to be able to come in and get a fitting um and not just kind of haphazardly guess. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it it's a huge benefit. I encourage everyone to support their local running store.
SPEAKER_03:Um and we do, we have a great running community here. Um, I actually work between both stores depending on wherever they need me, but um at Valley, where I predominantly work, we have a Wednesday night group run every week. Um, we have demo days, like just like all the running stores do. Um, and it's so much fun. We have group runs uh all the time. And it's really a lot of fun to be able to get out and run with other people that are uh like-minded, and it doesn't matter. The best thing about that is too when you um have a running group like that, it's all ages, it's all abilities. You know, one of the first things people will ask me when I said, Hey, we have a Wednesday night group run. You should come and run with us. Oh, I'm not sure I'm fast enough. It doesn't matter. There's people of all abilities, just come and run with us, and you know, we'll help you get your goals. We have um training uh blocks for people that might be training for local races because we have a couple of big ones here. We have the the Scranton Half Marathon in the spring, we have the Wyoming Valley run, which is hands down my favorite run, um, of which I've now jump uh jumped onto the board of. And then we have the Steam Town Marathon in October, I think it is late October, which is a qualifier for Boston. So we've got some pretty big races here. So it's great to be able to have those um training groups and get like-minded people together to get ready for those races.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's that's super important. And it's I think it's a really cool thing that started with running stores lately, is the running groups. I I think it's very important both socially and just for uh I guess people's, I don't want to say performance because I don't care about performance, but just for them to get better. I feel like as someone who almost always uh runs by themselves, it's really good when I can run with other people. Like I feel I can take uh and and I don't want to just like I don't know how to say this, but it I feel like I can push myself a little bit while still being within myself and still with other people. Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_03:It does make sense, and you know it's um along those lines. I'll give you an example for me. Like I was training for a race in the uh in November last year, and somebody in another running group that I belong to, because there's a whole bunch of running groups around here. Uh, he and I did weekly track workouts for months getting ready for this race. And it's great to be able to run with someone else to not only because listen, I am terrible, legit terrible at running a track workout by myself because I never get the pay. Pacing right, you know, it I'm not as motivated. But when you have somebody else to do it with you, to pace off of, to I don't want to say compete with, because that's not true. But you know, there's always a little bit of friendly back and forth and pushing each other kind of thing. Man, that's so much fun. And it makes the workout so much better, even if it's one of those days. And trust me, there are many of those days where they the workout kind of sucked, you know. I hate doing 800 repeats, but it's a lot better when you have someone else to do them with you and someone else to pace off of and you know, kind of you know, push you and help help you get better and reach those goals.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think that's the case regardless of sport. I mean, iron sharpens iron, right? Yeah, 100%. You need that motivation, right? Even if it's not a true competition, you'd rather with somebody else they push you. I mean, it's just just the way it is.
SPEAKER_03:I always I also think that it's always good to run. Speaking specifically for running, I always think it's good to run with somebody that's I don't maybe not better, but run with somebody that's faster than you. If your goal is to get faster, if your goal is to, you know, I don't know, hit a PR, get a better time, whatever, run with people that are better than you because it for it it makes it challenges you to do better. Um, I've always tried to do it that way. Uh and then by the same uh token, if you are that person that is quote unquote better, faster, whatever, help bring that person along with you that wants to run with you. You know what I mean? Does that does that in turn also make sense?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, for sure, Mike. And I so I was I was I had to look it up to see what it what it was because I I was running with a friend of mine, Will, and I if I would have went to do the workout, I would have done exactly at the pace I was supposed to. Yeah. Have him there with me, you know, he runs a bit faster. So, you know, first 400 we do considerably faster than we were supposed to go, but I did have to push myself and you know make my body do something that I would not have done on my own. Because there is, yeah, even though he's my very close friend, it's still a competition, you know, not competition, but you know what I mean? Like it's like, oh I see what I can do, you know.
SPEAKER_03:So yeah, for sure, for sure. And listen, I'm I'm like that with the kids that I coach too. My son was uh the the last couple of years was on the team also, and especially with him, like I'm not gonna let you beat me if we're doing uh you know any type of speed workout. Like, if you want to beat me, you're gonna have to work for it. Um, so you know, a couple of reasons, like and I don't know if that's healthy or not, at least for me, but um it is actually I think it is healthy because it's real, yeah. It's real, and I want I want you to want it. I want to teach you uh to want to to you know to get to that level of listen, I know I'm faster than you, but you, you know, if you can beat me, you're gonna have to work for it. Like, where's that engine? Try to find that desire to get past me. And plus it's you know a little bit of speed work in you know, um, in disguise. Um, but yeah, I mean it it's it's fun to do it that way.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it it really is, and I think it's it's better for you and better for your goals to do that. I don't want to say it's better for not injuring yourself because that's yeah, that's you gotta be careful, especially at my age.
SPEAKER_03:You gotta you gotta watch that you don't get hurt, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's generally my primary goal is to to not get hurt. Uh but I also know that if I when I don't run with him, which he he also works out, I'm up early, uh, but his group starts at like 5 30 in the morning on Wednesdays. So I can wake up early, Mike. I I can't run at 5 30 in the morning.
SPEAKER_03:Uh see, I love that. That's my favorite time to run. I struggle on the opposite side of the I don't know about you guys, but man, those late day runs, like if we do the group run at 6 p.m. in the evening, man, I'm I'm tired or like when we're when we're in season for um for cross country for us as a spring because it's a Catholic school league. It's it's a whole long story. But anyway, if it we practice at night, and it's like I struggle with that. I've had a long day. Some days I may have already run my workout in the morning. I feel heavier because I've eaten multiple times during the day, because I'm very much one of those people that eats every two and a half to three hours kind of thing, eight to ten or six to eight meals or whatever it is, uh, you know, across my day. So by the time I get by the time I get to that cross-country practice, I'm like, God, I am tired. I feel heavy, I don't want to run today. I struggle to run, uh, but in the morning, five o'clock, I I go, I I typically do not drink anything. I typically do not eat anything. I get up, I brush my teeth, I get out the door. That's it. Um, and I feel light, I feel quicker, it's more comfortable. I like to race that way. I typically don't eat anything on a uh the morning of a race. I and to be fair, I I have never done a marathon. I have zero interest in that distance. Zero. But I up to a half marathon, I'm comfortable not having to eat anything before a race.
SPEAKER_02:You're a unique man, Mike. That's that's pretty awesome that you can do that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, you know, it's funny. I had a coach for my very first half marathon that I did, and I was getting so much conflicting advice. Like everybody's like, Oh, you gotta fuel, you gotta fuel, you gotta use this, you gotta use that. And I'd I had used gels previously when I did the uh duathlon, and they did not agree with my system. I can't run with stuff in my stomach because I feel awful. The the two worst half marathons I've ever done were ones that I stopped to get water at a station and I had gels with me during the run, and I felt awful. And I had a coach who told me he's like, listen, if that doesn't work for you, don't do it. You know, the old adage, train the way you race or uh race the way you train. And I train without eating. So up to a half marathon, you're probably fine. Um, beyond that, when you get to the full marathon, you probably have to use some kind of nutrition. Um, I'm sure. I just I don't have to worry about that because I just don't see myself ever doing that distance. Um, so you know, might stick to what works, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's key. I mean, we've had a lot of medical professionals on the show, a lot of nutritionists, and all of them are just slightly different as far as what their advice is. So, I mean, you know your body, do you, you know, at the end of the day. There's plenty of advice out there, and it's all good advice in general. Yeah, everyone's pretty specialized in what they can what they can take on race day.
SPEAKER_03:And I think you have to figure that out, like you said for yourself. Do you figure out what works for you, figure out what doesn't work for you, and just stick with that. Don't, you know, obviously take advice if if if you think it can help you, don't be afraid to do that. Like I said, I've experimented with those things before. I just know it doesn't work for me. So why mess with that? You know, until something changes that it doesn't work for me, I'll just stick with that way. Hey, I am curious though, if I can ask you guys a question. What are you guys currently running in shoe-wise?
SPEAKER_01:Glad you asked. Um uh man. Uh, right now. So the trails are under about four inches of ice and snow. So not running any trails here anytime soon, probably not until oh man, maybe Mark at this rate. So uh the Adidas, I'm gonna get the name wrong. Jeremy Pope can uh correct me, but it's the Evo SL, I believe. Yeah, Adidas Evo SL is my just everyday go-to currently. That's a hot shoe right now. I like it. It's it's soft, it works well for me, it fits well, it doesn't completely slice my little toe, so there's only a small uh blood stain on the one shoe. So it's it's good. Nice. Rob, what about you? So we're rocking the hoca mafates.
SPEAKER_02:Because you can run trails down there. I don't have that luxury. Yeah, we don't get snow and ice. Well, up until tomorrow. The statement is no longer true tomorrow.
SPEAKER_03:Right. Then all then all bets are off after tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I've uh I actually have a shoe review due here, Mike, that's going to be considerably delayed just because of the weather this year of the the Sportiva Pro that I'm excited to try out. Okay. I'm like super excited to try this shoe. I've been I tried to get it when I was in Italy, it was sold out of my size. I finally finagled myself a pair of this shoe in uh an awesome color that I don't think is out yet. Um, but yeah, looking forward to this shoe uh tremendously. So I'll I'll have an update for you here in April at this rate of how that shoe is. But what what what are you running in currently, Mike?
SPEAKER_03:Uh, you know, I'm gonna be honest with you. Hands down, I absolutely love the Mizuno Neo Zen. It is everything I love in a shoe. It's soft, it's bouncy, it's um, it was described to me by someone as chaotic, and I would agree with that. It's also the the first version, because obviously I haven't had a chance to try the the Neo Zen 2 yet, but it's a slightly unstable. So if you're if you're a new runner, you probably want to be careful running it. But man, it is just every time I slip that shoe on, I'm like, it's so much fun to run in. Um, I said based on that, when I uh was doing some racing, I got the Wave Rebellion uh Pro 3. I just love that foam. That foam is really soft and bouncy. It's just such a fun experience. I am curious though to try the uh Evo SL because they've brought a I've read a lot of good things about it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I I actually asked uh the the Weave Views group. I was like, hey, I was this is back when I was training for Black Canyon 100k. I was like, hey, I'm gonna have to run a lot of roads. Like, what's the go-to? I because I don't run them that often. I was like, hey, what's the go-to run shoe? Like everyday shoe. And they're like six people said, just buy the Evo and thank us later. And I bought it and thank them later. So it worked out for me. Uh Mizuno. The only thing I know about Mizuno is back in the day they used to make my batting gloves as a kid.
SPEAKER_03:Man, they have that big reputation for um baseball spikes, batting gloves that they still do, they make great stuff. But man, I tell you what, I I I say this a lot. Don't sleep on them because their their running shoe line is awesome. I um I almost should probably be a rep for them, to be honest with you. I talk so much about how much I love the Zen, and I'm super pumped to try the Zen too, uh you know, and see what they've changed. I I think um that the the the speed assist is still there. I think the foam is still the same. They may have changed the upper a little bit. So that'll be a lot of fun. But yeah, I I I feel like sometimes you if if if you're not um if you're not trying the the the I don't want to say off off the beaten path, but you know, if you're not going after the big majors, you you might be missing a great shoe if you're not trying something different. I mean, everybody knows that you know Brooks and Hoka and you know to some degree Nike, whatever make great shoes, uh, but so does Mizuno and so do some of these other brands that you may you know not have uh have tried before, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I myself have never even tried a Nike shoe. Um, I'm anti-Nike. I've I've been boycotting Nike as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates going on 20 some years now. So uh no, uh it Mizuno looks like a cool, like I don't want to call it off-brand. That's not what it looks like.
SPEAKER_03:They're not an off-brand. I just think sometimes people sleep on them because maybe they think of their first thought as like baseball gloves, like you said, or baseball spikes or whatever. They may not necessarily uh think about the running shoe, but I remember when I was first getting back into um running, trying the Wave Enigma like years ago and thinking, wow, this is a great shoe, and kind of got away from them for a while. And then I forget why I tried it, but I just I read some good reviews about the Zen. I thought, wow, this sounds like a shoe I'd like to try. And the minute I slipped it on, I'm like, this is it. This is the one I I like. And I I have another pair I just got that in a box waiting to go. Unlike you, I don't really run a lot of trails. Um, I run mostly roads, so I'm looking for the most comfortable shoe for you know, all that pavement I'll be pounding out there. Um, and man, the Zen just does it. And each time it's a fun experience, it's just a fun shoe to run in. I'm sold. Nice, you should try it. By the same token, though, by the same token, I loved the uh the Sketchers Razor line. And I love watching people's eyes light up when you say the word sketchers because I think sometimes they get um they get unnecessarily shafted. Their performance line is nothing like the stuff that you buy in a department store. Like the the Razor 3 was a great shoe. The Razor XS was a great shoe, at least I thought it was. Um, I think I had the speed freak too, and I like that. Like that that foam, they've done a great job with the nitrogen-infused foam, but with the hyperburst, uh, the hyperburst ice, I forget what they called it in the original. Um, in the Razor 3, but man, they they get such a hard time, and I think they make a pretty decent shoe.
SPEAKER_01:And not that I'm a marketing genius or anything, but why wouldn't you have your like quality running shoes under another brand name?
unknown:Huh.
SPEAKER_01:You think, right? Like Adidas has what they call it, I think it's Audi Zero, and they have the Terex line for trade. Like, you know, why don't they have something to differentiate? So, yeah, like I'm not wearing my penny loafers to Sunday school, like because that's what I think about with Skechers. Like, I would never I know I would just never buy a pair of sketchers to run in because I think it's like you know, the the dollar store brands of penny loafers, kind of, I guess, right?
SPEAKER_03:I I I think you're probably right, and that is uh a perception that is really tough for that brand to get around. But if you follow any of the big um review sites or you know, any of that, there's a lot of people out there that say good things about their brand or about their, not their brand, let me rephrase that, about their performance line. Um, you know, especially some of the new stuff, the arrow, um, the arrow line that's coming out. I I'm really interested in seeing how the arrow razor is different. Um, the arrow spark looks kind of interesting to me, you know, but there's only so many shoes you can buy, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. That's yeah, that's the key there. I I think a lot of runners just are creatures of habit because you know, let's face it, running shoes are not cheap. And you find a pair, you know, you find a pair that works. It's not even that you're brand loyal, that just you know it works for you. And you and you don't want to deviate, right? Because as soon as you do, you you ended up spending 150 bucks on something, 200, 250, and then it doesn't work out. You're like, oh, I should have gone with the old trusty shoes that I've been wearing for the past two years, you know.
SPEAKER_03:You know, I'm glad you said that because and I apologize, I know you're boycotting Nike, but when Nike came out with the Epic React at that time, uh, was that 2017? I think that was my favorite shoe. I'm like, this is the perfect shoe. It's squishy, it's kind of bouncy, it's got a nice light fit to it. And then they discontinued it, which like that. How dumb is that? So I went and snapped up as many of them I could on sale until I finally just went through them, you know. And I'll probably end up doing that with the Neo Zen 1 when I see them on sale. I'll grab them even if I don't need them just to bank them because I know I like the shoe, you know.
SPEAKER_01:I've done that before.
unknown:Five.
SPEAKER_01:I think we all have. Yeah, it's it's I I wish I would have done it with the Zenal 2, uh, before they ended production of it abruptly. I thought it was it was their best trail shoe, Hoka. Uh yeah too. And they yeah, they just all of a sudden can't buy it anymore. It's like, well, I mean, you could have like warned people that really like the shoe so we can go out and buy three or four pairs, you would sell more, uh, for sure, because the people that really like the shoe would certainly go out and buy them. Yeah, I'm I'm not again, I'm not a marketing genius, you know.
SPEAKER_03:You and me both. Are there any brands out there that like new brands that you're interested in trying that you haven't yet? Like, I am dying to get my hands on a pair of those rad UFOs. Aside from the fact that they look wickedly cool, um, they also look like a shoe that uh, based on what I've read and some of the reviews, that I would actually really like.
SPEAKER_01:Let me look that up because I have a thing for aliens.
SPEAKER_03:Well, right, which is why I mentioned it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so it would not be. I mean, I've I I've driven four hours to get a beer because it was named after a song. So it certainly wouldn't be beyond my buying habits to purchase a shoe because it says UFO in it.
SPEAKER_03:Well, I don't know. When it when you've got a 199 price tag, maybe that might uh rethink it. It's a it's uh it's a uh a super trainer, technically. Uh two layers of peabacks foam, no plate. Um I like that locker.
SPEAKER_01:I don't like the plate, so I like that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. I don't I'm I don't think you necessarily need a plate uh every day. Race, okay, but people that run on plates every day, sometimes I don't understand that. Um, because aren't you aren't you? I mean, theoretically, aren't you giving up the value of the plate on race day if you train in it every day? I mean, that's what I think. I don't know if I'm right or not, but probably not.
SPEAKER_01:I I'm I'm with you, and I don't know. I'm I just assume I'm wrong. I'm sure some some plate dork can tell me why I'm wrong.
SPEAKER_03:Right, or some doctor can tell you. I I get it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but I to me it's it's and I think I've made this analogy before, right, Rob, where it's like the baseball player that warms up with the weighted bat, you know. If you do all, you know, you just you take it off, so you're essentially putting the plate on for race day, lowering the weight of the bat to go up to bat. Like, I don't know. Like, I think you would just want that advantage on race day, but train off of it. So when you like I like I said, we need a plate dork on here to to tell me why I'm wrong. I'm sure we'll find one. But no, this this okay, so uh I long time ago used to race BMX. Rad is one of the greatest movies of all time.
SPEAKER_03:So this combines 100% agree with you there.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so this combines, Rob, two things that I'm extremely passionate about. Rad the movie, great movie, and UFOs. I need to buy a pair of these.
SPEAKER_03:You gotta get the hot pink. That's the color I'm gonna get.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I have a pair of hot pink Mafatsis.
SPEAKER_03:There you go.
SPEAKER_01:So there you go. Yeah. Well, so I'm I'm looking at their website. You seem to know a little bit about them, Mike. Why is there four different shoes, but they're all the same, it looks like.
SPEAKER_03:I, you know, I haven't been on their site recently. I think there's just four colors of the shoe. I don't know that they have anything other than the UFO. It's just one shoe. Again, I have not been on their site recently, so I don't know if they've introduced any other models. I think that company, their thing is like CrossFit shoes. They're kind of like that. That's where they got their start, kind of like that no bill, no bull company. This is their first real four-way foray into running, and they started with a super trainer. They start with a$200 shoe. But man, the like I said, the reviews have been great that I've read. And based on what I've read, based on some of the reviews I've seen, it seems like it would be that soft, bouncy, fun to run in type of shoe that I would really like. I just haven't been willing to cut that$200 check yet.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. That's uh maybe we'll see if we can do a shoe review for him. Um yeah, because the the branding is on point to me. Are you looking at this, Rob? I am that looks pretty cool. Yeah, like I I like it. It I've been dying for a shoe just to be like a color. I don't need you know, racing stripes and flames down the side of my shoe. I just need like a color. Like I'm not driving an 80s van, you know. I just just give me a color, and I like that. There's a time and a place for flames. There is not on my feet, however. I like just one color, but no, Mike, thanks for this. This is yeah, let me see what I can do. Uh, maybe we'll do a shoe review with these guys because like I said, yeah, for sure. That'd be fun. Combining rad and UFO is I'd like to meet the owner because I bet he is a very cool dude. Uh, he did not come up with that by accident, certainly. So, yeah. So, what what else do you got, Mike? I I've got a new shoe to buy here. Let me bookmark this real quick.
SPEAKER_03:I you know, I it's as far as shoe suggestions, I wouldn't be able to say anything about trails. Like I said, I I don't I I don't really do trails. I I never owned a pair of trail shoes. In fact, I'll be honest with you, one of the worst mistakes I ever made, I ran a um a half marathon on a uh a ski resort here, and I'm like, I don't have trail shoes. I'm just gonna I I saw a video on YouTube about how to DYI your own. Um, don't ever do that. Please don't ever do that. Uh, the video said took uh hex head screws and they said, Yeah, take these and screw them into the bottom of your soles of a pair of old running shoes, of road shoes. I'm like, hey, that's brilliant. Except Yeah, what can go wrong? What could go wrong? Well, I used a pair of uh Hoka Cliftons, I think they were the Clifton 2 I had at the time, and that, as you well know, that shoe is marshmallowy soft. Well, when you screw in 29 hex head screws in a pattern on the bottom of your sole, they tend to push through that foam to the point where they reach your foot. And that hurt a lot. So, about six miles into this half marathon, I literally stopped at an aid station. There happened to be a paramedic there who had a leatherman, and I pulled out all of those hex head screws that were hurting. I think I left a couple around the outside that I couldn't feel, and then I finished the race and immediately threw them out. Like that is the worst mistake ever. So, advice don't ever DIY your own pair of trail shoes, just spend the money.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, Mike. I I I think sticking thing in in people's feet is like against some Geneva convention.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it has to be. It has to be. It has to be.
SPEAKER_02:No, that's a great technique if you're lost on a glacier and you need to get out. But outside of that, no, no, I don't recommend it.
SPEAKER_03:I I don't know why I ever thought that that was gonna be a good idea, or even worse, why did somebody think it was gonna be a good idea to have that video on YouTube to encourage it?
SPEAKER_01:Good question. Not good. Don't do that, just don't. I mean, you would have been better off just in the Cliftons, I think, than probably, yeah, probably would have been fine in just those.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, what are you gonna do?
SPEAKER_01:Terrible, terrible grip.
SPEAKER_03:I I think beyond that, um, I I am kind of curious about the new Glycerin flex. Um, just because it seems kind of interesting, because it's a different, it seems like a different concept. You know, that obviously uh I like I said, I want to try the Mizuno Neo Zen 2, but and for me, the old I still want to try an SL because I haven't done that. I haven't, I don't think I've ever worn Adidas running shoes that I can remember.
SPEAKER_01:Um I've I've always been an Adidas guy. I'd like you. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. They've they just there was a couple teams I played for when I was a kid that they treated us very well.
SPEAKER_03:So I just kind of oh, and doesn't uh you know what would be interesting. I just saw that doesn't Adidas have that new super shoe that's like incredibly illegal because it's the because of the stack tight.
SPEAKER_01:Probably sounds like something, you know. That's I know they have I know Hoka has one, the Skyward X. That's uh it's like a road shoe-ish that's illegal that someone set a world record in like a hundred mile race but wore that, so it it didn't count. Yeah, it didn't count.
SPEAKER_03:Are you guys like super brand loyal?
SPEAKER_01:No, just cheap. Unfortunately cheap. Yeah, I yeah, so whatever's discounted is is usually what I go for.
SPEAKER_02:Um Casey, what was that brand that came out of the running event? Um, it's called new shoe company. Kiprun. Kiprun, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Oh yeah, yeah. I I saw the name. I don't really know what their thing is, though. What is their thing?
SPEAKER_01:I yeah, I see. This is this is why we need to have more shoe nerds on, Rob, because I do not know much about shoes.
SPEAKER_02:Well, we know they're out of France and they have a carbon racer and they're trying to break into the U.S. market. I think that's about it.
SPEAKER_01:And Mike, I was not calling you a nerd, by the way.
SPEAKER_03:You know, no, I listen, I fully embrace that term. You're more than welcome to. I'm all right with that. I I totally I totally nerd out about you know foams and whatever. It's all good.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I I embrace the term when I refer to myself as it. So it's it's only meant as an endearing term. I don't need hate mail that I insulted a guest, you know, calling him a nerd or something.
SPEAKER_03:So I am not insulted in the least. Uh I'm I totally embrace that term. I I wear it like a badge of honor.
SPEAKER_01:Nice, but yeah, it's it's good to to to just broaden my horizons of things. Uh we got the UFO rad. Is there any other brands, new brands that popped up?
SPEAKER_03:I know Mount to Coast was like I was just gonna say that they have a hybrid shoe that's kind of like uh because oh, I and I should have mentioned this one too, Solomon. Uh, but anyway, Mount to Coast has kind of like a hybrid shoe, like a a road but with a light gravel-ish type sole that you could kind of use on both road and light trails. I have the Solomon version of that. Um, I can't remember what it's called, the arrow. Uh, and I really like it. Uh, I didn't quite at first, but the more I've run in it, um, the more I've kind of gravitated towards liking it. I actually ran in it the other day um after a snowstorm and it was uh here and it was really solid. Um, but Mount De Coast looks interesting because they have that high stack that looks like it's gonna be, you know, kind of I don't know, I don't know if spongy is the right word, but squishy. I I'm a big fan of squishy cushioning. Uh, I don't like a firm feeling shoe. So I feel like that Mount Decoast might be something interesting. And I just want to, you know, hopefully we'll get one um in our store, and if not, you know, somewhere locally that we can get a chance to to try it out because that looks like it would be interesting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, looking at it now, they've they've definitely opened up a few more models than they had before. I did have one, I had a bad experience with their shipping customer service.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:This is I think a couple years ago, over a year ago now. Um, and it that kind of turned me off of the brand. But the shoe wides, I thought they were pretty good. Have you tried them, Rob? No, I haven't. They're still on my list. Yeah, they they kind of have this dual lacing thing where the bottom lace is up separate from the top. It was interesting. Um, but I liked it, and and the shoe was pretty good. But yeah, I see what you're talking about now, Mike. They do they have added to the lineup since I last looked, like the H1.
SPEAKER_03:Um, I know I she might be from Mount Your way, I think it's gotta be hard though to be a new brand and compete with the big dogs, right? Like, how does somebody like Mount the Coast or just pick whatever name, you know, brand, or even I don't know. Are you guys familiar? Do you remember that brand, uh Atreyu that was out for a while? Um, like how do you start a new shoe company and compete with all the big dogs? Like, how do you get attention from runners? It's gotta be tough.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, that's a good question. I wouldn't want to have to do it because I I guess you just social media pay for a lot of ads on, you know. That's how I saw them, Instagram. Every other thing was a Mount to Coast ad for them, not this summer, but the summer before. And that's why I was like, Oh, let me try them. And yeah, they were once I got them, they were they were fine. You liked them? Yeah, once I it it took me a while to get them. I think they were probably overwhelmed with orders and just didn't want to say that, and I would have been okay. But they like just kept giving me the runaround for weeks, and I was like, can't, you know, finally I just wanted to cancel the order. And oh, they're they're on their way. It's like I could see them sitting at the warehouse. Like, if you guys are backed up, just say, Hey, we're a new company, we're backed up. I'm fine, but yeah, so it became a whole thing. But yeah, I liked them.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and I think that's for me, I like trying new, I'm not super brand loyal, honestly. I might find a shoe I really like. Um, so right now I'm on a Mizuno kick and I have been because I really like that shoe, but I'll love I I won't exclusively stick with one brand. I like trying other shoes just to be able to get a feel for what else is out there because you I mean, if if you you won't know, right? If you don't try something different.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, I I like I said, I'm gonna do what I can here to get these rad UFOs. Um, and I I do want to try the Mizuno shoes, not just batting gloves, but also running shoes. I I've I've heard good things from people uh about them. Sketchers, I'm a little bit more skeptical on.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, they're a little sketchy to you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I don't know if I can get over the you know the penny loafer thing. Like in someone certainly in marketing, Rob, can take a look at this and say, hey, we're making a good product. What's wrong? Like, right? Don't let's name it. Isn't it? Isn't that it?
SPEAKER_02:There's a YouTube channel out there. I'm trying to remember who it is, but he specializes in like reviewing it's not just shoes, but uh different items that are kind of deemed as cheap, right? Like Walmart brand. So he has one video that's 100% just Walmart running shoes and then rating them, and it's it's pretty interesting when you really dig into it, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, like I wouldn't buy running shoes from Timu, right? You could, why not? The Timu vaporflies.
SPEAKER_03:I can't imagine that they would last long or feel very good.
SPEAKER_02:No, no, but yeah, but they're like$19, so why not try them?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, why not? Right? You know, get two runs out of them, about as long as the real ones, I guess.
SPEAKER_03:You know, I actually think that there is a a video on YouTube, somebody did that, ran a marathon in them, and it didn't like the first half of it was fun, and then the second half it was like really bad. Um, which doesn't surprise me at all.
SPEAKER_01:Um no, it doesn't shock me a bit. But yeah, Sketchers, let's let's come up with another like brand name just for our running shoes. I don't know. I'm sure if you give me 30 seconds, I can come up with something decent, better than Skechers. But if you're gonna make quality running shoe, put a quality name behind it, or at least not the Sunday school, you know, penny loafer name, I think would be a start. But yeah, no, I uh I'm I'm happy we had you on, Mike, because I know uh our our mutual friend there, David, said you were kind of a shoe aficionado. That's what we'll use for now on route. Shoe aficionado. It sounds very French. Just go running, nerd. We all know what that means.
SPEAKER_03:Well, guys, it was awesome. Thanks for having me on. I really enjoyed chatting with you both. Thank you for the time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, dude, it was it was awesome. I uh got to pick up, you know, I I am gonna do what I can to get those uh the the UFO, the rad UFOs, because that looks really cool. So thanks for for telling us about that and just you know talking a little bit about your yourself, Mike, and and some rock and roll in there. I know that made Rob happy to get to geek out about uh Stratocasters and Gibbsons for three and a half minutes.
SPEAKER_03:So well, what we'll have to do is I happen to have a podcast of my own. We'll have to have you guys on mine, and we'll continue that conversation uh and focus more on music then next time. How about that?
SPEAKER_01:Sweet, yeah. I mean, I I'm I'm down for to to to always talk about music. That's one of my passions, is all right, it's it's rock and roll. Um I go to the shows, I don't make it, I just like to go to the shows, make memories, and see great rock and roll. So Mike, before you drop, uh, where can our listeners find you?
SPEAKER_03:Oh, uh 979X uh is the radio station where in Wilkes Breaks Crant. You can listen at 979x.com. We have a free app. You can uh get us on, you know, wherever you you know stream music from. Um and I'm personally on from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Um, or depending on where you live, I'm also on one of our stations in Michigan, Z93. I'm on uh another station of ours in Allentown, 99.9 the Hawk, and I'm on uh uh 96.9 the Eagle in Boise, Idaho, all cumulus media stations.