Cabin at 3 Days and Salomon Sends Shoes.

Here are just a few pictures of the cabin we stayed at during the 3 Days of Syllamo stage race. Shes a beauty. It was built by Steve Kirk the race director and it is his own personal cabin when he wants to get away from Little Rock for the weekend. When I first pulled up to the cabin after checking in I thought it was the most perfect cabin I have ever seen. It made it awful hard to get up each morning and head over to the race. I don't know what kinda shape I'll be in next year when this race comes around again but If I'm ready I sure would like to crash here again. I may just sign up for the 50 miler only so I can enjoy the wonderful views from the front porch.
Quick update on the leg. I've continued to receive Cross Friction Therapy to the muscle and it seems to be responding well to the treatment. I am still getting the occasional twinge here and there but nothing that would cause me to stop running again. It will still probably be some time before I can start speed work. Which is kind of discouraging with Freestate 40 mi/100km right around the corner. Like I said though it is what it is and I'm taking it one day at a time. My plan is to still enter the 100km and try to run it competitively but I'll keep my options open and if I have to scrub the 100km. I'd like to think that I will have enough to be very competitive in the 40 mile race. If that turns out to be the case then it will also affect my decision as to whether I should run the 100 mile distance at Kettle or the 100km. It's still too early to tell. Hopefully I can be ready to do the longer events at the two races.
The trails have finally started to dry off back here at home and I've been able to get out and enjoy them somewhat. Sine I can't really do any speed work or tempo stuff right now. I find myself running this sweet little hill repeat loop out at one of my favorite trails close to my house. It's pretty much just two hills. It takes me about a mile of running from the trail head to get to them. Once there I just run up and down each one for about an hour then jog back to the parking lot real easy for a nice cool down. So far I've been out there three times this week tying to break in all the new shoes that Salomon sent me. I have a couple more pair to try but I've pretty much got it narrowed down to my two favorite. This first pair I'm absolutely in love with and kick myself for not getting a pair when they first hit the street. It's the Salomon Speed Cross 2. Not that there was a Speed Cross 1. Its just what they decided to call it. Anyway these babies are sweet. There flexible. Extremely light weight and have surprisingly good foot protection. Too top it all off they come in Bad Azz Black. I'm very happy that Salomon sent two pair. The second shoe comes as a surprise as well. It Salomon's new flagship shoe the XT Wings. Now I've seen a couple of different color choices for this shoe and I just assumed that I'd get the standard red and black version. I was shocked at what I saw when I opened the box and stared straight down at a lime green and black pair of shoes. These dudes look like they fell off the back of a U.F.O. which is cool because I have a strange taste as far as wardrobes go on race day. It's almost like Salomon read my mind. A bit of a beefy shoe. With a lot of posting and pronation control but it has a soft ride to it and really protects your feet on the really rocky trails. I wish I had a pair down at 3 Days. Instead I took down the only pair that was sent to me at the time. The XA Pro 3D's. Its an O.K. shoe if you were doing something like Sunmart or a trail that had a lot of soft footing. Also for some reason be it me or something else. I didn't feel like the Pro 3D's soles had enough grip for my liking on the wet rocks and the lack of forefoot protection was disappointing. I still have the stone bruises to prove it. Though this is just one trail runners opinion as I'm sure others find the shoe to their pleasing. The two pair I have yet to try on are the Trail Runner SW's. Which is the yellllloww pair pictured above and the black pair to the right. Which are the XA Comp 3's. My first impression upon trying them out around the house is pretty positive. The XA Comps fit and feel like the XA Pro 3D's but with more forefoot cushioning and is more of a neutral shoe. The Trail Runner SW's Aren't like any of the others with its traditional style lacing system. It offers the trail runner with a larger volume foot to customize the fit better than the quick

draw lacing system of the others. Still a very flexible neutral shoe with good cushioning.
That's about it for shoes. We should be getting one more pair that isn't being sold in stores yet. I'm told it will be a modified version of the Speed Cross 2's. How modified though I'll have to wait a couple of more weeks to find out. As far as clothes go. We got in our jackets, three different type of trail shorts and four different trail shirts. The shirts I have yet to try because we sent them out to get the team logos screen printed on them but the shorts fit very well. Very light and breathable materials were used to make these garments. Running yesterday afternoon I felt as if I was wearing only a pair of moccasins and a loin cloth. Well that's about all the latest happenings from the Midwestern front. Spring is finally here. Get off those treadmills and find some dirt its a big world out there.