The Expedition Journals

Earlier this year, I travelled to one of my favourite spots – the Dolomites. These Italian mountains are one of the best locations in the world for road cycling, mountain biking, hiking and trail running. I was there for hiking this time, but I saw dozens of super fit individuals training for mountain ultra-marathons, such as the UTMB, and every one of them was using poles. That got me thinking, and researching...  Lightweight carbon fibre poles have been popular with hikers for a decade or more, but it is only in recent years that they have really taken hold in the trail running world. In the mountains, running with poles, particularly uphill, can have several advantages: it can help to increase your speed, decrease the strain on your joints, and help support you on unstable terrain. Are there any disadvantages to running with poles? There is a small weight penalty, and a possible increased trip hazard, but on the whole poles can be a great benefit. The video below shows you...

The new Spire 5 from 361 degrees pushes the boundaries of comfort and performance for endurance running shoes. I have become a complete convert to the 361 brand: for trail running ( Review – Yushan 2 Trail Shoes ) and for everyday road running ( Review – Strata 5 Road Shoes ). The new 361° Spire 5 is a marathon worthy road shoe that excels in delivering the perfect blend of comfort, rebound and durability. Superior cushioning is the primary focus of the Spire 5—with the aim of producing a shoe that will let you run for miles and miles, without complaint. The new cushioning technology comes in the form of QU!KFLAME. The upper layer of the shoe platform is the proven 361° QUICKSPRING+ foam, but then the Spire 5 benefits from the introduction of a newly developed PEBA nylon elastomer — QU!KFLAME offers superior cushioning and performance: it is extremely springy and 45% lighter than traditional EVA foam, yet it is durable enough to maintain responsiveness. The result is excellent flexibil...

When it comes to shoes—for running or cycling, fit is 90 percent of the battle in getting a comfortable and injury-free choice. The adidas TERREX Agravic Boa Trail Running Shoes use the unique Boa Fit System most seen on cycling shoes—to give these trail running trainers a precision-level fit. They are fast, featherweight, and offer a comfortable platform for off-road running in dry trail conditions. I recently reviewed the new Suplest Cross-Country Edge+ Pro Mountain Biking Shoes on lifeinthesaddle.cc . The comfort and performance of those shoes was exceptional—thanks to the clever carbon arch wrap support that the Boa Fit System delivered. With Boa now becoming more widely available on trail running shoes, and after a pleasing experience with adidas TERREX shoes in the past, I decided a pair of the new SS20 adidas TERREX Agravic Boa shoes were worth a shot… The TERREX Agravic Boa shoes are sold as " light, fast, and stable trail running shoes—with the Boa Fit System for ...

The Taroko 2 Trail Running Shoes from Chinese brand 361 Degrees are the latest innovative all-terrain running shoes to come out of their highly acclaimed research lab. I had a positive experience with the 361 Yushan trail shoes, so I was keen to test out this new release… Last year, I ran my first off-road marathon in a pair of 361 Degrees Yushan Trail Shoes—they did well… I took line honours, without a single blister or injury, despite having never run further than 25 kilometres before. Since then those shoes have done many runs and races, including last year's Original Mountain Marathon . The OMM was what finally killed the Yushans. Scotland's bogs give shoes a real beating. Since then, I have been lusting after another pair. Then, earlier this year 361 Degrees released the new Taroko 2 trail shoes. I could not resist… 361° was founded in 2003 and has quickly grown to become one of the biggest sports brands in China. Their philosophy is to deliver high-quality runni...

The Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) is a two day ultra-running orienteering event, hosted every October in a remote and hostile landscape. Self-sufficient teams of two must navigate between hidden markers, and camp out overnight in the wilderness. This is a challenge of endurance; pushing both physical and mental limits. Here is what I am packing... I first ran the Original Mountain Marathon in 2016, on the moors and mountains of Galloway. The weather was bleak, but both my running partner and I relished the challenge. You can read more about that first edition here . This year, we are making a return. When you sign up for The OMM you can pick either the Line Course or the Points Course. This year we have chosen the 'A' Line Course; a set order of checkpoints that you have to visit, totalling a route distance of 65 kilometres, with 3000 metres of height gain over the two days. In 2016, we completed the Medium Points Course; where you visit as many points as possib...