And the Winner of the Saucony Peregrine Trail Shoes Is...

A big congratulations goes to Brian Weitz the winner of the Saucony Peregrine trail shoes! The contest had a huge response and I thank each and every participant for their support of the blog and their support of Saucony. Speaking of Saucony....a big shout out to them for their support and their providing such an awesome prize. If you haven't done so yet, be sure to check out and like their Facebook page.

Stay tuned for more exciting prize giveaways on RunnerDude's Blog in the near future!

National Trail Running Day! It's Not That Far Away!

Last year friend of mine, Chris Barber, at SeriousRunning.com started the inaugural National Trail Running Day (August 22, 2009) in order to bring awareness to the sport of Trail Running. This year August 21, 2010, will mark the 2nd annual National Trail Running Day.
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There is a National Running Day, but before last year there was no day specifically made for running trails. Trail Running is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States with runners taking to the trails of varying difficulties and distances to connect with nature and the environment, while also building strength and more technical running skills. One reason the industry is healthy is that there has been a parallel increase in the running population. The National Sporting Goods Association estimates that the total running population in 2008 was 35,904,000 – an increase of 18.2% over 2007! The Outdoor Industry’s estimate for number of U.S. trail runners in 2008 was 4,857,000, an increase of 15.2%. That's a lot of people in the woods! Lions, Tigers, and Runners, Oh My!

Chris' goal is to help build some momentum to get even more runners hitting the trails. Be sure to check out the National Trail Running Day website for a wealth of information from info on trail running shoes, to finding National Trail Running Day events, to finding running trails near you. You can also find information on National Trail Running Day on Facebook and Twitter. Hear are just a few of the events taking place around the country:
» Shatter the Silence
» ON THE ROCKS TRAIL RUN
» XTERRA North Carolina Colonel Francis Beatty Park
» Pikes Peak Marathon
» Moose On The Loose 10 Mile
» Indianapolis Amazing Adventure
» GORE-TEX Transrockies-Run 2010
» Glenwood Springs Hlaf Marathon
» Dam Good Trail Race
» Continental Divide Trail Run

Chris gives 8 great reasons to go trailing:

• Strengthens your leg muscles that road running does not.
• Improves balance and agility from running on uneven surfaces.
• Increases your mental toughness.
• Biophillia – humans want to be close to nature. Trail Running increases your time in nature.
• The primal thrill of using your body for what it was made to do, be a long distance, all-terrain vehicle.
• Reduces injury because running on soft surfaces is better for you joints. Also, the differing steps do not put as much stress on certain parts of your body.
• Less traffic and cleaner air.
• Running in the shade is cooler, allowing you to run longer distances and get a better overall work out.

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So, check with your running club or your local running store and see if they have anything planned for National Trail Running Day (August 21). It's a little more than a month away, so if they don't have anything planned, encourage them to use that day to promote, celebrate, and experience the sport of Trail Running. Suggest a trail race, some group trail runs, or some trail clean-ups.

RunnerDude Reviews the New SyncroFuel XC

If you haven’t heard of Pearl Izumi, they're a relatively new running footwear brand. They introduced their first line of running shoes six years ago. Today, Pearl Izumi sports a line of 13 different models for men and women in their running shoe line.

Pearl Izumi began over 50 years ago in Tokyo, when a dad (eager to help his son who was a promising bicycle racer) created Japan's first line of cycling racing apparel. Zoom 50 years to the present and Pearl Izumi, USA, Inc. is one of the leading makers of technical- performing sports apparel. Pearl Izumi became available in the US in 1981 and during the 80s it sponsored the US National Team (that won nine gold medals during the '84 Olympic Games) as well as several major trade teams during that era. Today, Pearl Izumi USA, Inc. is one of the most respected brands in the United States. The company is most known for its cycling apparel and gear, but recently the company has begun to expand into other sport categories—cross-country skiing, triathlon, duathlon, running and other outdoor sport activities.

Pearl Izumi contacted me to see if I'd be interested in testing their newest trail shoe, the SyncroFuel XC. Of course I said, "Yes!" I knew Pearl Izumi for their cycling history and was intrigued to find out more about their running shoes. Plus it gave me a great excuse to go trail running!

Greensboro, NC, where I live is blessed with a wonderful network of greenways and trails. So, once the SyncroFuel XC's arrived, I spent a couple of hours one afternoon giving them a good test drive. Here are the results of my run...

Note: Pearl Izumi requested the product review and provided the shoes for testing. I received no payment for completing the review; nor was I encouraged to write a positive review. The review results are strictly based on my experience running in the shoes. On a side note, I'd like to state that I don't endorse Pearl Izumi's stance on "Jogging" in their recent ad campaign. My stance is that running is an inclusive sport open to all athletes of all ability levels.