After four consecutive weekends of racing and running around like a headless chicken, trying to sort things for the big move to Subic Bay (yes, will be living full time there by 2015!!!), I've finally had some time for the site! Racing Tri Noah, Laguna Phuket Triathlon, Challenge Laguna Phuket, and Ilocos Triathlon 113 back to back to back to back has left me in big need of some easy days. And today was one such lovely, easy Sunday morning in the University of the Philippines campus with some friends. (Will get around to CLP and 113 reports soon...ish).

I've been running in Brooks shoes for almost a year now, and have used only the Pure Connect for all my training sessions. I have a neutral foot strike and I'm not too heavy, so I prefer using lightweight neutral shoes with minimal cushioning, with a heel-to-toe drop that is not too steep. Pure Connect delivers on all these requirements. It is the lightest in the Brooks PureProject series, but still has some good cushioning for my longer runs, and has a midsole drop of 4mm. My feet remained blister free on the times I used them without socks, thanks to the smooth fabric upper and nicely rounded heel. And unlike other lightweight shoes with low heel-to-toe drop that I've tried before, the Pure Connect also has substantial arch support. 

I even used the Pure Connect 3 (below left) for Challenge Philippines early in the year, having first tried it just a couple of weeks before the race. And I used the Pure Connect 4 (below right) for the recent Ilocos Tri 113, with absolutely no break-in beforehand. Overall, it is an ideal training shoe for those who have a neutral strike and can get away with not much cushioning or support, like myself. But they can also be a great option as a racing shoe for those who prefer a little more cushioning than racing flats, and for those racing marathon distances or longer.

But for almost all of my races this 2014, I've used the Brooks T7 Racer. It's a minimal road racing shoe, coming in at 6.4 oz and in my favorite color - neon! :p I wear them with bungee laces for racing, but the original does come with this awesome orange set with silver stitching. I use them sockless everytime, and have had some issues with blisters on top of my foot, due to the stitching inside, especially when they're soaking wet from dousing myself at aid stations. But nothing that a few swipes of petroleum jelly inside the shoe couldn't handle. 

You can't really call yourself a triathlete if you haven't heard of Australian legend, Belinda Granger. So cool to have had a few minutes today to chat about her plans for (gasp!) retirement, with last Sunday's Challenge Phuket being her last race as a full-time professional. And she also generously shares a few of her tricks to surviving and succeeding in a career that has spanned over 25 years and 50 iron distance races! 50! Fifty! F-i-f-t-y. Can't even imagine doing one yet.