It all started at 03:30 Saturday morning, dragging myself and my wife out of bed. I'm not going to lie, it was hard rising that ridiculously early for whatever reason, but hopeful the weekend ahead would be worth the effort we got in the car to leave at 04:00 for the 250 mile journey to Keswick in the Lake District.
We arrived at George Fisher outdoor shop in Keswick just before 9am, the official start time of the 'Run with Ricky Lightfoot' Salomon demo trail run. This is where the fun began. Upon entering the store we were greeted and welcomed by the Salomon team and Ricky, and asked what shoes and kit we would like to trial on the run at 09:30. I, being a minimalist fan opted for the lower 4mm drop Salomon S-Lab Fellcross 2, the newer version of the Fellcross 1 I have been using in bad weather for the past few weeks at home. Picking up the shoes and a lightweight windproof I was ready for the run ahead.
CavemanClarke has had the opportunity to try the new waterproof Ascend Glove GTX (Goretex version) trail running shoes from outdoor brand Merrell. In the past, Merrell has produced some fantastic trail running products, leading the way with trail blazing shoes such as the Merrell Trail gloves; an innovation in the minimalist and barefoot community, allowing the runner to tackle technical terrain with confidence whilst still being able to run naturally and feel the ground beneath their feet. The most recent and exciting addition to Merrell's trail running arsenal is the release of the Ascend Gloves. Available in a Gore-Tex and non-Gore-Tex version, they cater for a variety of weather conditions and requirements.
After already being incredibly impressed with the standard model, I was really excited to see the difference and versatility of the Gore-Tex version. To see my extensive review of the standard non-Gore-Tex Ascend glove follow this link: http://caveman-clarke.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/merrell-ascend-glove-review.html
So, in true CavemanClarke fashion, let me start you off with a close look at the Merrell Ascend Glove GTX:
It is with great sadness that I write with such negativity. I enjoyed an amazing trail run through Thetford Forest in the east of England with my wife today. The forest is beautiful and the wildlife stunning. The Forestry Commission does a great job of maintaining the paths and tracks and makes it accessible to all who wish to enjoy the diversity of a lowland, predominantly pine forest in England. The run was fantastic and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone near the area.
