Skechers GoRun Ultra Road review

#GoFastGoPlush

The mighty cushioned shoe from Skechers Performance (Malaysia) has just gotten better in the form of GoRun Ultra Road (GRUR). An iteration of the proven GoRun Ultra, which is very much a shoe made for the trail and occasional road; I called it hybrid and indeed it has served me very well until today (my 3rd pair of GRU now).

The cat approved it too

Those of you that has been using GRU would know that this shoe range (the Ultra) is bulky by Skechers' standard. However, despite the outlook, it's light and super flexible. Those of you using them would also know that the sole doesn't hold up too well "on the road".

Throughout the 3-years I've been on Skechers, I have also learnt that while the wear could look excessive, it doesn't effect the performance of the shoe (grip and cushioning). My 3rd Pair of GRU has clocked no less than 400km and still clocking in the mileage. The new GRUR now come with a completely new outsole said to help it last the road pounding.

The Fitting
Now to the usual way of me doing a shoe review. First off is the fitting of the shoe. GRUR carry on the fitment of the GRU. Wide toebox and i took US11 as my feet seemed to had grown over the past two years (hopefully not because I gained weight and the feet spreading out more to hold my weight). I have intention to use this shoe without socks (as usual) and the liner that comes with it should provide sufficient space if I choose to use socks. Over the years I've collected different liner from different Skechers shoes as well.

Same wide toe box between GRUR (left) and GRU (right)

The GRUR is a 4mm drop shoe. Stack height of 30mm on the heel (tall!) and 26mm on the front. Removing the liner doesn't make the show decreases in drop. In comparison, one of the more famous cushioned shoe has a stack height of 33mm-29mm (Heel-Front) and still has a 4mm drop. (if you guessed Hoka One One, you are a shoe-aware person).

Similar persona between GRUR and GRU when it comes to Cushioning. 

Being a bulk of a shoe meant the GRUR too will be heavier than it's other cousins. Coming in at 10.4oz (295grams) for US9, my US11 clocked in at close to 330grams (approx 11.5oz). As heavy as it may appear, the cushioning and the ride more than make up for it.

330grams approx

If you are a heavier person (I would say more than 85kg), you will find this shoe very forgivingly light with the cushioning. (Shoe-aware runner - do you know which make and model comes in at approx 390grams to suit heavier runners? It's named "The Beast" by Brooks).

Does the weight bother my average weight (73kg)? Hardly. In fact, for the bulk (read:size) and weight, the shoe felt snappy and and doesn't seems to give you the sinking feeling. On some occasions, the cushioning gives the perception that it feel sloppy...but you aren't once you realised you are still running at your normal training pace. Deceiving.

Rocker-like stance. Midsole dominates to encourage mid-foot and forefoot landing

Completely New Outsole

The newly designed sole of the GRUR is made up of Resalyte material. The midsole material is plush and provides a nice soft landing . The Outsole layer is a much firmer and resilient material. The design of the outsole works around the existing GOrun series and is much firmer (when I compare to the GoRun4 and GoBionic2, but not as firm when compared to GoMeb). The more resilient GOimpulse sensors were placed strategically around the outsole for added durability. Testing it, the Pods provide good traction and feel as well.

Significantly different outsole from layout to material. GRUR (right) promises better resilient to wear and tear when compared to GRU

The GRUR is a complete revamp of the original GOrun Ultra. The upper of the Skechers GOrun Ultra Road is designed with the Skechers Performance FITKNIT® technology providing a breathable and comfortable fit. It is completely knitted upper without any overlays and seams, save for the bonded logo on the side. It's completely runnable sock-less, which is what I usually do.

Drainage hole

Apart from the different material upper, there are two drain holes noticeable on both the sides. I supposed it is to help with draining of water should you get your feet into puddle of water or if you happen to take a shower at the water station. My thoughts on this is that it may help dispersing water out of the shoe. However, it will also encourage water from going in... so you may want to avoid running into puddles of water if you don't like your shoe (or socks) wet.

The drainage hole looked crude from this photo due to the glue that was used to stick the mesh.

Completely New Upper

The GRUR comes with FITKNIT® upper. You may had read about it in my review of GRR Bolt where I even ran a water-holding (or lack off, which was a good proof that the knit doesn't hold water) experiment.

Significant differences in density of FitKnit upper lend superb breathability

Interestingly, the GRUR has two knit "density" as opposed to GRR Bolt. The knit was a lot more "closer" in the support area to provide structure and it is "spaced out" in areas where breath-ability is required like top and side. The dual-knitted density itself lend the GRUR a very distinctive look.

So breathable that even the liner has holes to promote water drainage while allowing hot air to be pushed out
The tongue was thick and is not sewn down. There was initial worry it may bunch up but that was an unproven concern after using it for a few runs. Maybe there is opportunity to reduce the thickness of the tongue to shave off some grams and lend even better (as if not airy enough) breath-ability?



Safety wise, the GRUR comes with reflective marking on the front and back of the shoe, and on the tongue where it allow shoelaces to tread through. Sufficient enough, but I would encourage you to run with lights front and back if you are the nite-runner or early morning type. Better be safe than sorry.

Blings

Verdict
The GRUR is a familiar stranger. Familiar in the sense of the plush cushioning and a stranger with the new material and two different approach to the FITKNIT®. In many ways the cushioning is expected and despite the size and bulk, doesn't hamper your movement or how fast you can run. If you are looking for a pair of cushioned shoe, this may be one of your three choices that I know in the market. By the way, if you have experience with the GRU being flexible...

Roll it all up

The GRUR doesn't dissapoint either... convincing enough despite the new material upper and sole!

Cushioned and flexible

Note: This pair of Skechers GoRun Ultra Road is sponsored by Skechers Malaysia via collaboration with 2ndSkin Asia Athletes program. Thank you Skechers Malaysia and 2ndSkin! This pair is launched this week (today!). Retailing at RM499 for men and RM469 for women (Semenanjung). RM10-20 more for East Malaysia.
Opinion in this write up is my own and not influenced by Skechers Malaysia or 2ndSkin program.

Skechers GoRun Ultra R review

The Skechers GoRun Ultra R is the newer version in the Ultra variants. The design focuses on road running, it has a lot of features reflecting the previous variant Ultra2. The key differences mainly lies on the upper fitknit material and also the improvised outsole which looks more durable. I use Ultras mainly for my LSD and my recovery runs, for speed works and intervals I run in Skechers GoMeb 3 or Skechers GoRun 4. I have about 300km with the Skechers GoRun Ultra2, the outsole has shown significant wear especially around the forefoot area. Most likely I will retire them in a few months' time. Thanks to the collaboration between Skechers Malaysia and Team2ndSkin, I was given a pair of Skechers GoRun Ultra R for my training. 

Unboxing the Skechers GoRun Ultra R, extra laces given. The male version has a few colour choices and I opted for this green and blue one because I do not have this colour in my Skechers shoes collection. My first short run was done inside Suria KLCC like I always do before deciding which shoes to pick. First impression, this is a heavily cushioned shoes! 

Before writing this review, I ran 33km in total under all kind of Malaysian weather. Here are my findings =)

The upper is more structured due to the strategically knitted upper, the knit gets denser for areas require more support. The GoRun Ultra2 has a stretchier upper and also feels more roomy with the spandex like material, doesn't mean the GoRun Ultra R is not roomy. The GoRun Ultra R is just fine for me because my feet is not that wide. The spacious toebox allows me to spread my toes freely while enjoying the breathability of the knitting, perfect for long and hot run. I did my run in socks because the knit is a bit too rough for me to run sockless.

Closer view of the upper. Denser knit for areas that demand for more support. 

The midfoot area is also as breathable as the forefoot upper with the big S glued to the surface. M Strike rockered bottom ease the transition between foot strike and toe off. 

The kind of breathability that second to barefoot. Picture taken in the morning, sun light went through the knit. For weather like Malaysia, this feature is perfect to keep the feet cool and dry. Sweaty feet is the cause of 50 cent sized blisters. 

Fat tongue, similar to GoRun Ultra 2. If the tongue was made thinner with softer material, surely can shave off some weight. At the end of my run, the tongue did not bunch up to the side. No issues. 

Heel cup cushion is generous, love the snug fit. The reflectives are awesome features for night/morning run. While standing still, the heel area feels "empty" under the outsole and I feel the rockered sensation. It's time to get going and stop standing still!

Instead of exposing the EVA material, the newly structured rubber pods are placed at higher wear areas for better durability. 26 pods in total for abusive runs! Being a forefoot runner, the outsole is softer at the forefoot than midfoot because the orange pods are harder than the green ones. I have confidence that this shoes will last longer than the Ultra 2. 

What makes the Skechers GoRun Ultra R so maximally cushioned is because of the dual density Resalyte material. The outsole has a heel drop of 4mm due to the 30mm heel and 26mm forefoot outsole. The blue material is softer and the green is more bouncy. Although it looks almost the same as its variants, I find the responsiveness is much better than the Ultra 2. At the end of my run, I noticed that my Ground Contact Time is slightly higher in this big bouncy cushion shoes compared to the other performance range Skechers shoes.

Another contributing factor to the marshmallow cushion is the cushioned sock liner! The holes on it helps to flush out drenching water quickly. The removable sockliner gives runners more option to run with or without it for the desired cushion. 

Here is the most interesting part of this shoes, the holes at the side of outsole. The soaking water will escape from this super smart drainage system. How could the water be channeled out? Let's check it out. 

Hidden water tunnel like the Smart Tunnel under the sockliner =p To confirm the hypothesis, I did another test.

I let the tap run for a minute and captured this photo. Water flushed out through the smart tunnel. The heel cup and the tongue was slightly wet, the rest of the knit area did not retain water at all. 

Overall, I love the GoRun Ultra R for the cushion and breathability. It feels big and heavily cushioned, just like most of the cushion shoes in the market. To get this amount of cushion, it has to compensate on the speed and weight. Cushion shoes are just too sluggish for speed, but I need the cushion for my joints! Every shoes are designed with different purpose. The design looks catchy and I love the moderate responsiveness, it'll be my top choice of gear in weekend LSD. If I were to race any distance below a full marathon, I will definitely go for something more responsive and light such as the GoMeb Speed 3 or GoRun 4. In my opinion, GoRun Ultra R is meant for less technical courses because it was built with neutral cushioning resulting in lesser lateral stability. 

Get a pair of Skechers GoRun Ultra R if you think it is the right choice of gear for you. It is available in Skechers outlet retailing at RM 499 for Men and RM 469 for Women models. Sign up for the membership card upon any purchase more than RM350 to get more discounts in future. 

SCKLM 20914 Race Report : Tristupe

You have read about Deo's fast 42km, here is the slower version of the 42km by Tri Stupe. On recovery mode for his ITBS, but managed to let it loose for the 42km. In his typical fashion, he took photos too along the way. This is his race report for Standard Chartered KL Marathon. Enjoy.
-----
Tri Stupe Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2014 : Race Report 
Two weeks after my Ironman 2014 and with a tight ITB wasn't my idea of a run for this instalment of Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2014, or SCKLM2014 for short. I more or less decided that if I have to walk the whole 42km, I will. 
So I was excited to go collect my race kit from the expo as I know I was the first to register (as I was helping the organiser to test the registration system a day before). I was obviously hoping for A-00001 and for my wife, C-00001. At least will what we local call "Menang Gaya" (Win In Style). 
Imagine my disappointment when I saw what was on my bib. 
Luckily, in the race pack were a set of AA battery from GP. I take that as a consolation as that could be used to power the remote control at home for the TV and DVD for entertainment. 
The REPC this year was done at Underground Carpark at Dataran Merdeka. It was definitely better represented with more stalls selling relevant running items. Brooks were huge this year with sections selling shoes and running gears. Not to forget the folks from Quicksports and Powerbar as well. I was hoping to catch MarathonShop there, but they did not open their store. 

Good stuff still, we the main reason for me opting to collect the race kit was to bump into friends. With that done, we headed home and prepared for the next day race. As I seldom take nutrition for 42km run itself, I decided to arm myself with the very basic. 

The Hammer Bar will be breakfast for me and wifey. Perpetuem Solid will be spare in case we get hungry while waiting. Core fuel will be the Hammer Gel and the "must have" would be the Endurolytes+Anti-Fatigue (2+1 every 10km for this race). I know the organiser will provide banana and gels at KM 30 or so, and that would be insurance if I were to need it. 
Part of race logistic was to decide on what to wear, gear wise. It was an easy decision as I will be decked out in the Team 2ndSkin vaporlite top, with Kraftfit thighs, Skechers GoRunUltra Nite Owl will be the shoe and I have the spanking new Spyder Corsair as sunnies. Tracking will be on my Garmin Fenix while my wife will be using my 910XT. Additional to this would be the Lifeline-ID that to me is important for races like these as it carries all important information, and doubling up to the emergency info behind my bib. 

With LengLui

On top of that, I will carry the reggae whistle given to me by Mohan and will be using the Samsung S5 with Gear Fit as additional tracking and camera.

We slept early that night - by our standard would be 11pm and woke up at 2am that morning to get ready. We were out by 2.30am and reached Dataran Merdeka by 3am. Found ourselves a nice parking and slept in the car for a while until 3.30am before consuming the fuel and pre-race Endurolytes and Anti-Fatigue. We then made our way to the starting line and It was already buzzing with activities. I then try to locate the media tent to sign in but security was too tight for me to get past. I guess the security doesn't think I am also a "media owner" (aka this blog lah, sound glam or not?). Else, I would had gotten some freebies, like an umbrella or...uhhmmm...socks? Anyway....

The organiser made a few changes to the setup of the race area compared to last year. The baggage collection was at the underground carpark, which meant if it rain, nothing get wet (the bags) and it also lend a level of security. Nicely done. Then there is the "entry" gantry for runners, so everyone should technically know where to go to start their run. Unlike previous year were people are coming in from all directions.

The biggest change, if of course the running route. A major part of the run will be on two distinct highway in Kuala Lumpur; AKLEH and DUKE. Gone are the traditional run through inner KL like every year. 

10minutes to race start there were warm up session with a few fitness instructors and the crowd starts to get moving a little. There were 5000 plus signed up for the Marathon and the number that morning certainly looked like there are that many people, at least from where I stood. Myself and wifey stayed in the middle of the pack as that would be the best place to be. 

About 3 minutes to race start, the VIPs took stage and were introduced to the professional runners standing at the front. At least they were on time. Negaraku was played but what was dissapointing was that it was not the full song that was played. Maybe someone missed the memo to play it fully. Most of us sang to the National Anthem - it was a good way to warm the body up! Better than stretching!

Sharp at 4:30am, with the Clock Tower chiming, the marathoner started their run! My mission was to keep moving. I am hoping the ITB will hold up and not cause more problem than it did during Ironman Malaysia. The run started and we headed towards Jalan Raja Laut before turning off towards Jalan Sultan Ismail and turning at Renaissance Hotel along Jalan Ampang. 

There were a few bands that were playing along this stretch of road up till KLCC. 

The funny thing during the run was that we passed a few nightspots and the people partying (still) at 5am were in amusement that there are more than just them not sleeping yet. Some of these people looked dodgy and a few looked wasted, so it is not worth the risk taking their photos as we ran past. 

After that, it was silence as we headed towards Wisma Cosway/Genting and towards Jalan Tun Razak, passing by Tabung Haji and Ampang Park. In fact, it started to become a bit too quiet and a tad boring as we entered AKLEH. It was so boring that I yawned so many times and looked at the road buffer as if they are bed! I told my wife a few times that I was sleepy.  

Sort of confirmed my thoughts that all phone cameras won't perform in low light moving condition

The organiser setup a tent for the Muslim runners to perform subuh prayer. Many runners stopped and performed the obligation. It was a nice touch compared to years before where many Muslim friends prayer by the road side. Good job organiser. We U-turned at the end of AKLEH near Jalan Sultan Ismail (KLCC entrance) and ran back up towards Ulu Kelang. We passed two LRT stations Damai and Dato' Keramat; and that was the highlight of the run on AKLEH, as there were human presences other than just us runners. Of course the KL Skyline were there for photo opp, A few were seen slowing down for a selfie or two with KLCC at the background. Not many, but some did. From AKLEH, we exit at Ulu Kelang and ran along Jalan Ulu Kelang for a bit (aka MRR2) passing by Kampung Kuala Ampang and heading to DUKE Highway. By then, it was brightly lit already.

Took over from Mohan. Blew the whistle a lil, but no one seems to follow...

Usually every year we will have a photo outside of Pavilion but there were no shopping complexes along this route. But there are always Traffic Police on duty which wifey will stop to take a photo with. This year, this Abang Polis became our poster boy.

We headed up towards DUKE and It was about KM 20 by then. About half way through and from the map, I know there is a good 10km to run on DUKE. For many that do not know, DUKE actually runs through many major part of KL. The Ulu Kelang, Keramat, Wangsa Maju, MINDEF, Gombak, Setapak, Sentul, Segambut, Jalan Ipoh and finally towards the PJ side. 

The organiser's idea could had been good because they wanted the runner to "run through" these area. Unless you are from this area, there is absolutely no indication what and where you just passed. I know these area well because I grew up around here. 

Ribena Factory below

Running past the MINDEF housing clusters

 Near Setiawangsa interchange, I saw from far a familiar face, it was Kam. You see, Kam was supposed to run both the PNM the night before and then the SCKLM. But a day before the race, while crossing a road after Friday prayer, he was clipped by a motorbike and ended up in the A&E with bleeding to the head and a bruised left calf.

Left calf obviously bigger 

 We stopped for some photos and part way. 

Wefie on DUKE

The water stations were set up really well this time around. Water at every stops and Isotonic every alternate. Medical help were present with sponging stations as well. Many bins were placed for runners to dispose the paper cup and all. But mentality of runners are still not matured enough to understand that the bins are for them to dispose their rubbish. I saw two runners carrying their own cups, and myself and wifey ran with our own bottles where we refill when we can at these stations. 

What were missing were a food buffet

About KM28, i bumped into Azrul, fellow RMC boy. He is nursing a torn ACL but still strong enough to run. He went on to finish the race ahead of me despite the injury, which is a testament on how strong his mental capacity is. 

Hello Azrul!

Hello Amar!

The low-cost housing near Sentul

Slum in Kuala Lumpur. Yeap. What you do not see doesn't meant it did not exist.

Food at KM29, before exiting DUKE towards Jalan Ipoh

Yeap! Good service!

We headed towards Jalan Kuching near Jinjang soon after and back to "familiar" route of SCKLM. This was at approximately KM32 where the Gaited Community (GC) set up their station to feed runners. Thank you. Sorry I did not manage a pic with you all. 

Andrew walloping the Ice lemon Tea by GC. Pic from Ejah Shah

We ran along Jalan Kuching and exited at the Segambut roundabout. For many of us familiar with all the previous year's route, it marks the last "7km" to finish, but not this year. With the route change, we have a good 10 km to cover from there onwards. 

Exiting Jalan Kuching and into Jalan Segambut/Duta

The organiser setup a shower station in front fo the National Tennis centre at Bukit Tunku. Wifey made the compulsory dip.

Hmm...

The first person to greet me and wifey as we went into Jalan Bukit Tunku were fellow Ironman Nik (Fahusnaza). He was there to capture photos of us at KM33-35. Then the 5:30 pacer lead by Kelvin "Cheerful" Ng caught up with me and wifey and the Malaysia Top Female Ironman Lini "Pretty" Kazim were there to take photos of all of us. 

Thanks Lini!

 For as long as I ran my 42km, there wasn't any "wall". I believe that was because I've taken every 42km run at leisure pace and never had the chance to see the wall. The ITB was behaving well that while there were tugging feeling and the occasional sharp pain n the upper knee (left side, upper), all were good and it did not bother until then.

With Izwah

Wifey still strong

Right after the downhill portion towards Sasana Kijang, past the Arab school, the ITB started to act up and that was when I asked wifey to go ahead and run without me. That was the last I saw her ;-).

And off she went...

The run then brought us past Dataran Merdeka towards Padang Merbuk. Up onto Mahameru Highway and turning left to head towards KL Sentral. 

Bumping into your cousin doing 21km

We ran past Muzium Negara and then past Majestic Hotel past KTM. THen taking a 3-o clock and run up past Dayabumi.

Almost there!

The final 500m were filled with friends cheering. It was festive and I managed to take pics of a few I know.

Andrew

Half of Kam ;-)

Mun Seng

Hadi

Khairi

Deo, friend and Ameeyn

Mohan (and yes, wifey completed the run already)

All the above were taken within the last 200m of the run before I ran to the finish. Wifey met me at the finish and it was definitely one I gotten "chicked" again. I crossed the line recording a 5:34:57 on my Garmin Fenix (which has the strap snapped about 500m to finish, hence I hold it in my hand)

Race Tracking Via Garmin 910XT and Fenix

Some funny things happened. My Fenix did not register the run for a good 3 hours or until I was at DUKE. The total distance, however, were accurate. Just that the GPS tracking were not shown. It seems (consistently) a few of us using Fenix has irregularity that morning. It could be the signal locked were lost or missing a few satellites in the sky. The above tracking were from my 910XT used by my wife. Below is my Fenix tracking. See the differences?

Also, the mapping were consistent with the Samsung S5 i was using together with the Gear Fit. Never mind that the accuracy of the device combo were way off (recorded a full 10km more), the mapping were consistently missing per Fenix. I will write a short review of the S5 and Gear Fit separately. By the way, all the photos above were taken with the S5.

Race Pros

- Best organisation so far under the same race team. Everything was almost perfect from race kit collection, to race venue setup, race start, finish and medal/finisher collection. 

- Support station that has it all. Ice were available at some stations but most did not have. Not an issue anyway, it wasn't hot on race day

- better traffic control with two highway closed. Minimal impact on traffic on race day

- More than one (actually two) food stations. Gel and banana given out twice. The banana was actually ripe and yummeh!

- Mobile toilets at every support stations, superb

- Free LRT to race venue in the morning. 

Race Cons

- The route was boring. Lack of band or supporters' support. Felt "quiet" when compared to years before. For a race in KL, more so a premier race, a scenic route passing by major attraction in town would be superb. Imagine a race that run through Petaling Street or the now turned into tourist Palace ;-). Running on highway was pretty...dry.

- The finishing area were too busy with too many people crossing.