Recovering from a Rogaine Race and New Balance Vazee Review

Well good morning!

The good news is that I am alive and well since I am writing this. I had a fantastic race at POCAR and I am planning on sharing the race report next Wednesday if all goes according to plan.

It’s been a crazy week trying to re-establish my rhythm, especially as I am still unpacking from my California trip! I’m getting there slowly but surely.

Last weekend, our team covered 120 KM over the race with thousands of feet of elevation gain, so I spent the first couple days of this week totally resting and replacing calories and hydration levels. I made sure to book a massage 4 days after the race to work out any muscle soreness and address any pending injuries. Sure enough, I have a small issue with my knee, but I always have something small after giving my body a load like that. I never freak out, I just let my body dictate how quickly I get back into it and even though it is crunch time for speed work, I have no time for injuries! Rest is vital to be a healthy athlete.

This week, I have kept the training minimal and low impact. I am doing a test run this morning but otherwise, I have been on the bike and XC skis. This weekend, I will forego running for some winter hikes and more XC skiing. I absolutely love the sport and am having a lot of fun improving my technique. It also helps to make winter more bearable…

I wanted to chat shoes for a quick second. As I have always said, I prefer to review shoes after they have at least 400 KM on them to see how they are wearing in. A couple weeks ago, I got a friendly reminder from Strava that it was time to replace my New Balance Vazees, which is my cue for a review! I also had a few people comment that they seemed to be the only thing I ever wore to run and they were basically correct.

I first started wearing the shoes, which are named after the French term for “Let’s Go!” in August and wore them on gravel and city roads. I immediately liked them more than the Zante’s because they are a little more rigid and because I was doing lots of miles, it was ideal. The stiffness is due to a different material in the shoe, the the Vazee has REVlite while the Zante has Fresh Foam, making it great for a fast, cushioned ride). One thing they kept in the shoe that I loved from the Zante was the bootie-like feel where it wraps around your foot and has a snappy arch in the toes, delivering a responsive and quick run. In short, I feel faster in these shoes.

The Vazee is a neutral cushion shoe with a heel to toe drop of 6 mm and weighing in at 184 grams (6.5 oz). I have low arches and found they had great support as well as fitting true to size. They also have a midsole REVlite foam midsole which helps with spring.

The upper had great breathability – I ran in them all summer and my feet never overheated. They wore in well, with no huge issues with wearing in one area faster than another (other than some disparities due to my foot strike). I found they absorbed the distance better than the Zante’s and am currently finishing them off with longer runs (I am anticipating putting on another 200 KM) and using a fresh pair of Zante’s for my 10 KM or less speed work.

They retail at $139.99 Canadian and come in awesome colours. The Vazee’s are my favourite New Balance road shoe I have tested so far. They have been awarded “Best Debut” by Runner’s World magazine and “Best in Class” Light Trainer/Racer by Triathlete Magazine.

See my review of the Zante here. 

AWESOME giveaway coming your way on Monday morning.

What are you running in these days?