Stories by Cory

RUN | Powered by Outside •

Do Plates Really Matter In Trail Running Shoes?

If you’ve been following the evolution of road running shoes over the past eight years, you’ve heard of super shoes. These highly cushioned racing shoes combine advanced foam with a carbon-fiber plate embedded in the midsole. The genre was born in 2017 with the launch of Nike’s Vaporfly 4%, a shoe that disrupted the sport with bold claims of improved running economy. A 2018 study proved the claim true, showing that 18 highly trained runners all experienced an average 4% reduction in the energy c...
GearJunkie •

New Strava Features Coming Soon: AI Coaching, Safer Night Heat Maps, and More

Strava unveiled its latest innovations and future direction at Camp Strava 2024, including exciting features like Dark Mode, Athlete Intelligence, and more. The popular cycling app claims these changes are revolutionary. GearJunkie sent a Strava-savvy reporter to ferret out the details. Last week, Los Angeles hosted Camp Strava 2024, a pivotal gathering of Strava executives and industry leaders. The event was devoted to unveiling Strava’s future direction, highlighting its most anticipated new
Runner's World •

What to Know About Zero Drop Shoes and How to Determine If They’re Right for You

When it comes to buying running shoes, there’s no shortage of options. One category that has gained increased popularity over the past decade is zero drop shoes. Often misunderstood, zero drop shoes bring out strong opinions from runners when it comes to categories of running shoes. Speak with most proponents of the zero drop and odds are, you’ll hear how great they are and that they won’t run in anything else. It’s true: Zero drop shoes can offer an excellent option for some runners and, in a
Runner's World •

How to Lubricate a Treadmill Belt to Prevent Premature Motor Issues

Nothing beats the safety and convenience of a personal treadmill. Sure, it may not be the most engaging way to workout, but there’s peace of mind knowing that you have a warm, dry, safe place to run at any point during the day or night. Of course, that’s assuming it’s working correctly. There’s nothing worse than hopping on your treadmill only to find it’s not running smoothly, or worse, not working at all. A treadmill needs regular maintenance to ensure it’s running properly and maximize its
Runner's World •

A Track 5K Race Could Provide Your Ticket to a PR

Imagine a 5K where every second is filled with enthusiastic spectators cheering on your every step. A race so spectator-friendly that your friends and family can easily watch your entire run from a single spot. A race that’s completely flat, accurately measured to the inch, and without any abrupt or sharp turns. If this sounds appealing to you, then it’s time you take on a track 5K. And good news: Tracksmith has a new series of summer twilight events that checks all these boxes, complete with m
GearJunkie •

Nike ZoomX Streakfly: Fast, Furious, Futuristic Running Shoe

The Nike ZoomX Streakfly steps away from the carbon fiber fad to create a purpose-built, comfortable speed shoe for short-distance races. After numerous leaks on Instagram and, more recently, a YouTube video from New Generation Track & Field, the wait is over and Nike has finally released full details on the ZoomX Streakfly. Nike is marketing the ZoomX Streakfly as a mile-to-10K road racing and training shoe. Bearing the namesake of the Streak lineage of racing shoes, the Nike Streak has long
GearJunkie •

Kyle Richardson Sets an FKT in the Flatirons, Tells All

GearJunkie caught up with Kyle Richardson to talk about his deep relationship with the Flatirons, the Quinfecta FKT, his training, and more. Some of the best mountain athletes I’ve ever met are rather unassuming. They never willingly talk about their accomplishments and only discuss them when asked. Even then, they don’t brag or boast. Competitions don’t really motivate them, but, if need be, they can throw down with the best of them. The desire to work hard and improve comes from a deep love
GearJunkie •

'Modular' Trail Shoe: Meet the Customizable Speedland SL:PDX

Running shoes have always been rather formulaic — all very similar in nature and mass-produced for pennies on the dollar. Until now. Historically, aside from a few concept ideas such as today’s carbon fiber super shoes, the big brands start with a consumer price in mind and assure the sourced materials and manufacturing costs stay within their desired profit margins. The problem with this approach, according to Dave Dombrow, co-founder of Speedland and former Under Armour and Puma design execu
Muscle & Fitness •

The Evolution of Modern Running Shoes

Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” So, in 2009 when Christopher McDougall published his New York Times best-selling book, Born to Run, in which he told the story of an ancient running tribe called the Tarahumara and suggested that running shoes were the root cause of many running-related injuries, it was impossible to foresee the ripple effect he would have on redefining modern footwear. In the book, McDougall referenc
Outside Online •

Inov-8 Thinks These Running Shoes Are Indestructible

Last week, the UK-based running shoe company Inov-8 unveiled the world’s first graphene-infused shoe line, dubbed the G-Series. The brand worked directly with scientists at the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute for 18 months to develop a shoe that it claims offers athletes exceptional grip with an added shot of durability, turning to graphene for its unique combination of strength, light weight, and flexibility. While I haven’t gotten my feet in the shoes just yet, I’m intr
Philadelphia Magazine •

The Best Trails for Speed Training Runs Around Philadelphia

Most of the time when one thinks of speed training for Broad Street, tempo runs and intervals will come to mind. Runners will focus on the details of pace, distance, and recovery while overlooking one important detail: location. With today’s GPS watch technology, you can really do speed training anywhere. All you need to do is program in the details of the workout into the watch, then start down any road, path, or track — taking cues from the watch on when to stop, speed up, or slow down. While
Gear Institute •

The Gear Rickey Gates Couldn’t Do Without on His Transamericana Run

When Rickey Gates set out on March 1 to embark on a 3,700-mile Transamerica trip he set a few parameters for the trip. First and foremost he wanted it to be self-supported, just him and a pack covering as many miles on trails as he could while limiting himself to a $1,000 monthly budget. Gates, a Salomon sponsored athlete, successfully completed the Transamericana, arriving in San Francisco 152 days after leaving Folly Beach, SC. Along the way he averaged 27 miles per day only taking 11 full da
Gear Institute •

Devon Yanko’s Training Setbacks Lead Her to a Leadville 100 Win

Ten weeks ago, if you had asked Devon Yanko’s coach, Ian Torrence, about her upcoming race schedule, the Leadville 100 mile trail run would not have been on it. Yanko was just coming off an impressive tenth place women’s finish at the Comrades Marathon, the world’s largest and oldest ultramarathon in South Africa and had planned a training vacation in Mammoth Lakes, CA before deciding her next move. Yanko, who stands 6 feet tall and was heavily recruited by many NCAA Division 1 colleges for bas
Gear Institute •

New App Calculates Race-Day Fueling & Hydration

For most runners, finding the optimal fueling strategy during a marathon or ultra involves sifting through random articles on the Internet followed by a process of trial and error typically ending in either GI issues or hitting the wall. A new web-based application, Fuel The Core, eliminates the guesswork from dialing in your optimal race-day and mid-run nutritional needs. Designed by famed sports nutritionist and Ironman athlete Asker Jeukendrup and runner Bill Braun, Fuel The Core provides ath
Gear Institute •

Prepping for the 400 km Ultra Gobi

We recently had the opportunity to speak with professional ultra runner Michael Wardian on training, gear, and fitting it all in with a full time job and family as he prepares for his longest race yet. The Ultra Gobi is a grueling non-stop, self-supported 400km race held in the Gobi Desert in Western China in late September. Wardian, who carries over 20 sponsors including Buff and Hoka One One, holds the world record for running the fastest 50 km on a treadmill (3:06:24) and has recently set th
Gear Institute •

Superfeet Scans Your Foot For Custom Insoles

Monday Superfeet, the leader in providing innovative over-the-counter insoles and footwear announced that getting custom-made insoles can now be as simple as a trip to your local running store. In a partnership with Hewlett-Packard, using HP’s 3D foot-scanning solution and 3D printing technology, Superfeet will now produce fully custom insoles that will be individualized for a runners foot in-motion, delivering unparalleled and truly unique comfort and next-level fit. The new insoles, called ME