Flotrack's Saucony Kinvara 3 contest

So Flotrack is having a Kinvara 3 design contest. So if you like playing with Photoshop, get on that! And if you don't like playing with Photoshop, you should vote for my design! (Actually you should go look at all the entries and vote for the one you like rather than just voting for me without looking at the others, but if you do think mine is cool, I'd certainly appreciate you giving mine a Like or a Tweet!)

Guest Blog: Gear Review: Saucony Grid Type A4

I asked my friend and college teammate Julie to write up a guest review on the Saucony Grid Type A4 racing flat, which has become her trainer of choice. After college, Julie took her running in a completely different direction than I did, returning to the trail running she had done outside of NCAA running, getting involved with ultradistance races, and experimenting with minimalist shoes, including various flats, the Vibram Five Fingers, and running completely barefoot. While I did a review of the Nike Free a little while ago, my review still came from the perspective of a shod road runner. As far as minimalism goes, Julie is the real deal. So, for all you trail runners, ultrarunners, and minimalist fans, this review is for you.

Gear Review: Saucony AMP PRO2 Recovery Tight

Compression to promote circulation has been around for quite some time, since it's been used for a while in the medical industry to prevent blood clots in patients. It's a slightly newer phenomenon in athletics though, and the first athlete to popularize compression was Paula Radcliffe with her Oxysox that she wore during her world record marathon in London (among other races). Lately, compression wear's popularity has surged, and everyone from Chris Solinsky to that mid-pack triathlete who lives down the street from you is rocking compression gear.

There are two main types of compression gear: active gear and recovery gear. Both are intended to improve circulation and promote bloodflow, either to improve performance or speed recovery. There are also different types of compression. CW-X became known for targeted support, similar to kinesio taping techniques, in order to support muscles and decrease muscle oscillation. Other companies (Skins, for example) use a gradient where the distal end is more compressive than the proximal end, which is supposed to return blood back to the heart more quickly.