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Now that I’ve had a few weeks to tryout the new Saucony Hattori LC I wanted to share some of my initial impressions. The LC is a 4.4 oz, zero-drop shoe, and is the successor to the original Hattori that came out in mid-2011. I was a huge fan of the original, and initially started running in the Hattori as a means to improve my bio-mechanics and strengthen my feet.
It has been said on my blog many times that since adding these Hattori runs to my schedule one or two days a week, I have been able to get rid of all my orthotics and also make the lightweight Saucony Kinvara my full-time training and racing shoe. I really only had two criticisms of the original…
(1) The heaviest wear on the outsole seemed to be just inse the small ovals of rubber under the big-toe. It seems like a slight modification to the positioning of the rubber sections could greatly improve the durability without adding weight to the shoe. However, even with this I was able to get approximately 250-miles out of my initial pair, which is WAY more than I expected.
(2) The material in the upper is so thin that my big toe in each shoe eventually wore a hole through the top. This was partially exacerbated by the fact that the size I selected was very snug on me. I’m actually right in between a 10 and a 10.5, and decided to go with the 10 in the original. This put a little more pressure on the material over the toe than was intended.
The new Hattori LC made two significant changes to the original, though the outsole remains unchanged…
(1) The upper now contains laces to provide a more secure fit, rather than the velcro strap on the original. I know this was a frequent complaint on the original, though the velcro strop seemed sufficient for me.
(2) The material over the toe has been reinforced to provide extra durablity.
I was initially skeptical about the laces, since the fit of the upper worked really well for me in the original. However, I ultimately decided to give them a shot instead of simply re-ordering another pair of the original. For the new LC, I went with the size 10.5 to see if that would also help with the “big toe” problem in the upper.
While this has nothing to do with performance, the LC is a much better looking shoe than the original. I loved the original Hattori, but it does look a bit more like a water shoe than a running shoe. The new LC definitely looks more like a running shoe. With that being said, it is a bit disappointing that Saucony only offers this shoe in one color for men and one color for women. The original Hattori was available in a plethora of color options.
Like the original, the upper is made of a very thin, stretchy material with flexifilm overlays to provide a little more strength and structure. This material hugs the foot like a glove, and is very comfortable while running. This shoe can be worn sockless, though I generally prefer running with socks. The new re-enforced material over the toe is a bit disappointing, because it is really more in front of the toes than over the toes. However, moving up to a size 10.5 has taken a lot of the pressure off the upper material in the toe box, so this may end up being a moot point anyway.
As for the new laces, during my first run in the LC one of the shoes came untied about 2-miles into the run. This was a bit frustrating since I had not dealt with this in the original. However, now that I’ve completed several runs in the LC, I really appreciate the laces. The fit is a lot more customized to my preference, and it is actually a lot more comfortable than the original.
The outsole is made of EVA+ foam with strategically place rubber under the heel and big toe for added durability. As I mentioned early, it is unchanged from the original. This is good and bad. It is good because it retains exactly the same feel. It is bad because it does not attempt to improve the durability of the outsole based on overall wear patterns from the original.
All-in-all, the Hattori LC is a solid update, and a great option for those wanting to slowly introduce more minimalist or barefoot type running into their training. As with the original, this is a shoe that forces a forefoot or mid-foot strike, and should be incorporated gradually to prevent injury. The laces in the LC are a great addition to what was already a well designed, zero-drop shoe.
Great weather + Over 3,200 ft of cumulative elevation gain + Just over 18-miles completed + 8:11 average pace per mile = one of the best tough long training runs of my running life.
Today the group planned to run the 16.5-mile loop in Percy and Edwin Warner Parks, which is one of the toughest road routes in this area. My scheduled called for 16 to 18-miles at easy pace, so Nathan and I added a little bit here and there to end up with just over 18-miles completed for the day. I ran the entire way with Nathan, but after starting off with the entire group we ran at different times with either Marc, Aine, or Paul.
We had great weather with starting temps around 63º, and the humidity began to burn off about 45-minutes into the run. The 16.5 starts off with an almost 250 ft climb during the first mile, so our pace was very, very chill starting out. This included our first two miles which were just under 10:00 min pace, and our second two miles which were just under 9:00 min pace. After the fourth mile, 10 of the next 14 miles were completed under 8:00 min pace, and 5 of those were under 7:45 pace (our final two miles were 7:25 and 7:06).
Nathan and I both felt fantastic, and for me the run felt really comfortable, even going up the big climbs throughout the route. I’m still fighting a little twinge / strain in my right quadriceps muscle, but this was litte more than an annoyance today. Overall my legs felt great, and I was in one of those rhythms where I felt like I could run all day.
We also had a lot a great conversation today which ranged from Victorian Poetry to computer programming to great guitar players. After the run we headed out to our normal breakfast spot, Bread & Company, and a great morning was topped off because they were serving my favorite coffee, Bongo Java’s Immaculate Percolation.
Beast Mode…ON!
inthewright replied to your post: Tag, you’re it! State 10 random facts about yourself, then go to your 10 favorite blogs and tell them that they are it! 🙂
How in the world did you flip your car on the interstate? How many times end-over-end? Did you make it to your high school graduation?
My mom and I were driving back on I-40 from Carthage on what appeared to be a beautiful day. I came around a curve and saw a huge wall of rain just in front of me. By the time I hit the deluge I had slowed down to under 50 MPH, but my car immediately hydroplaned. The back of the car hit a guard rail and the car flipped end-over-end backwards into a valley to the right of the interstate. I’m pretty sure it only flipped once, and we landed on the wheels. Basically the front of the car was destroyed and the back was smashed, but the cab was intact. My mom and I were essentially unhurt.
I remember looking out of the front windshield when the car was flying through the air upside down….creepy. I also remember climbing back up the embankment and a guy in a Nissan 300Z had stopped to check on us. His first words were “Dude! You flipped it!” He then proceeded to pull out his brick of a mobile phone and asked if I wanted to use it. I believe it was the first time I ever used a cell phone.
Yes, I did make it to my high school graduation, and was even able to deliver my speech.
Thursday is normally track night with the JSRC, but tonight is also “Meet the Teacher” night at Kate’s school. Because of this, John sent me a substitute workout that I could run this morning.
I was expecting it to be similar to one of our Jim Spivey track workouts, but was a bit surprised when I got the following from John…
- 10-minute warmup
- 8 x 5-minutes at no faster than 6:30 pace with 30-second recoveries
- 10-minute cool down
This is a bit more intense than a normal track workout, but I’m guessing this is more in line with what John would draw up for marathon training if I didn’t normally go to JSRC workouts. Would love to know your thoughts on this John.
Anyway, to be honest I had a bit of trepidation about this morning after my so-so tempo workout on Tuesday, and experiencing hip and quad tightness yesterday. We got a bit of a break in the temps today, and this provided a very welcome boost. It was still fairly humid, but 64º felt nice.
Nathan and I met at the Bellevue United Methodist Church parking lot, and ran our 10-minute warmup out to the new section of the Harpeth River Greenway. Up to this point we had only done easy runs on this greenway, so it was nice this morning to break it in a little. For the workout we went 5-minutes out, did our 30-second recovery, and then did 5-minutes back.
The bizarre thing is that I felt MUCH better on the way back than I did on the way out, EVERY TIME! Nathan said he felt exactly the same way. You can see this in our average pace for the segments:
On the Way Out:
- Segment 1 – 6:48 (was still trying to get loose)
- Segment 3 – 6:42
- Segment 5 – 6:42
- Segment 7 – 6:41
On the Way Back:
- Segment 2 – 6:36
- Segment 4 – 6:36
- Segment 6 – 6:38
- Segment 8 – 6:37
The reason for this is a mystery to me. There does not appear to be a significant difference in elevation change between the two directions, and there was almost no wind to speak of. I’m guessing it was either a mental thing, or both of our Garmin watches just liked coming back better and showed a faster average. No idea.
Regardless, I felt much, much better today that I feared I would. It was a hard workout, but my legs felt strong, and the pace was not overwhelming. Also, unlike Tuesday, Nathan and I ran together the whole way, which was nice. Even though the intervals were 5-minutes each, it turned out to be almost exactly an 8 x 1200m workout. All of our segments were between .74 and .76 miles completed.
Once we finished the repeats, we ran our 10-minute cool down back to the cars at a very chill pace. In total we finished just over 8.5-miles with warmup and cool down at an average pace of 7:32 per mile.
Beast Mode…ON!
seechrisrun replied to your photo: Do you think this coffee will make me faster?…
It will make you extra bold at the start of your race by thinking you’re a Kenyan, but that will end quickly and all you can say is “AAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
That’s funny….I’ve actually used that tactic several times, even without the coffee 🙂
inthewright replied to your photo: Do you think this coffee will make me faster?…
Why is it AA? Seems to me that straight KENYA would be faster.
You would think. In case you really want to know…AA is a grade which references the size of the bean. Beans with a screen size of 17 or 18 (17/64 or 18/64 of an inch) are assigned the grade AA, generally the largest bean.
Today’s scheduled called for 50-minutes easy with 6 x 100m stride outs. Between Nathan and Josh, they suggested that we try something new in the neighborhoods around the old, vacant Bellevue Center Mall. I mapped out a 5.5-mile run on MapMyRun last night that started at Bellevue Church of Christ parking lot, included a loop around the mall, and then went into the surrounding neighborhood.
Well, we stayed on the planned route for the first 3-miles before I missed a street, and it all fell apart. We ended up crossing back by the church parking lot and running an additional small loop back in familiar territory to close out the 50-minutes.
We kept the pace very chill throughout, and overall I felt pretty good. However, I did struggle a bit with some tightness in my right hip and quad, which was annoying. It didn’t seem to affect my gate, but I’m definitely gonna keep an eye on it over the next few days. I’ve spent quite a bit of time tonight working on some exercises to try and get it loosened up.
At the end we did our stride outs in the church parking lot. Because of the hip and quad tightness I took these fairly conservative while Josh and Nathan blew past me each time. In total we finished just over 6-miles with an average pace of 8:40 per mile.
Beast Mode…ON!
Today’s scheduled called for 50-minutes easy with 6 x 100m stride outs. Between Nathan and Josh, they suggested that we try something new in the neighborhoods around the old, vacant Bellevue Center Mall. I mapped out a 5.5-mile run on MapMyRun last night that started at Bellevue Church of Christ parking lot, included a loop around the mall, and then went into the surrounding neighborhood.
Well, we stayed on the planned route for the first 3-miles before I missed a street, and it all fell apart. We ended up crossing back by the church parking lot and running an additional small loop back in familiar territory to close out the 50-minutes.
We kept the pace very chill throughout, and overall I felt pretty good. However, I did struggle a bit with some tightness in my right hip and quad, which was annoying. It didn’t seem to affect my gate, but I’m definitely gonna keep an eye on it over the next few days. I’ve spent quite a bit of time tonight working on some exercises to try and get it loosened up.
At the end we did our stride outs in the church parking lot. Because of the hip and quad tightness I took these fairly conservative while Josh and Nathan blew past me each time. In total we finished just over 6-miles with an average pace of 8:40 per mile.
Beast Mode…ON!
Thanks so much! Never received one of these before, but here goes…
(1) My wife and I will have been married for 15-years on September 6. We met at Lipscomb University in Nashville when she was a Freshman and I was a Sophomore.
(2) I attended Michael Jordan basketball camp in Chicago between my 7th and 8th grade year. Had fun, but came away despising MJ – long story. Best part was being coached by Sean Elliot when he still played for Arizona (before entering the NBA).
(3) I used to be OBSESSED with all things Star Wars, but this was tempered drastically by the prequels which began in 1999. They were awful!
(4) My first car was a Silver 1988 Chevrolet Beretta. I got it for Christmas in 1990, 4 months after my 16th birthday. I loved that car. Flipped it end-over-end on the interstate in 1992, the day before my high school graduation.
(5) My nickname in high school was “Thyge,” which is a mashup of the last three letters of my first name (Timothy) and the middle two letters of my last name (Agee). Do not remember how it started, but even had teachers who called me by this name.
(6) I’ve been to see a LOT of concerts through the years, and by far my favorites have been…
- Billy Joel – I’ve seen him four times (three with Olivia) in three different cities…twice with Elton John. The last time we saw him, Olivia went into false labor after the show. Ended up spending most of the night in the hospital before being released.
- Queensryche – My favorite band through high school and college. Have seen them four times, but the best was in 1991 when they performed Operation Mindcrime in its entirety.
- The Eagles – Got to see them on their first reunion tour with Olivia while I was in college and didn’t have to pay for the tickets (a gift from my boss). Amazing show.
- Simon and Garfunkel – Olivia and I saw them on their most recent reunion tour (6 or 7 years ago). Still sounded fantastic.
(7) My favorite book (other than the Bible) is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. Also loved the mini-series. My favorite author was Michael Crichton. Especially loved Congo, Sphere, Jurrasic Park, and Timeline.
(8) I have lived in Middle Tennessee my entire life. Have no desire to live anywhere else. Incidentally my wife is from Michigan.
(9) I have not had a soda in almost five years. Still drink LOTS of coffee.
(10) I currently own 5 Mac computers that are actively used by our family. Make my living working with Windows-based systems, but would much rather have a Mac for personal use.
Well…there it is.
Just got the following email from the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon…
Well…now I’m officially registered for 3 full marathons and 1 half marathon in a 6-week period this fall, and the last of those races just happens to be one the hardest road marathons in the country. WHAT WAS I THINKING???
I’m really hoping that Nathan also got in, but I probably won’t find out until tomorrow morning. We had an agreement that if one of us got in, and the other didn’t, that the one who didn’t get in would have to pace the one who did through the second half of the race.
Bring It Baby…Beast Mode…ON!
runslikeapenguin replied to your post: RunningAhead.com @arestlessmind @running-uphills
RunningAhead can import from Nike+?? Hmm… maybe I’ll look into the Nike GPS Sportwatches then… was strictly considering Garmins just so I could upload the data to RA 🙂
I honestly thought that was the case, but now I can’t find any information on importing from Nike+ … Maybe I was dreaming.
arestlessmind replied to your post: 1500 Miles and Counting for 2012…
Where are your graphs from? So pretty! And great job on the miles!
running-uphills replied to your post: 1500 Miles and Counting for 2012…
Congratulations! What program are you using in the screen shots?
I track all of my run data on RunningAhead.com – It will integrate with most GPS devices, and is WAY better than Garmin Connect (and anything else I’ve tried out there for that matter). I was introduced to it about 2 years ago by John from our group (now my coach). It is a free site, and I highly recommend checking it out if you’ve never seen it. Here are some of the things I really like about the site:
- Customizable dashboard (mine is pretty intense)
- Customizable categories
- Robust custom reporting and graphs
- Ability to track equipment usage (such as shoe mileage)
- Automatically track race PRs
- Can record LOTS of data for each workout
- Can track non-running workouts
- Ability to setup groups with private message boards, leader boards, etc.
- Ability to export all data
- Import data from Garmin devices, Nike+, text files, etc.
- Etc, Etc
We have about 10 members of our running group that use the site, and it is pretty cool that we can all keep up with each other.
I just realized that with my 10.3-mile run this morning I have now completed over 1,500-miles for 2012…
On the same date last year, I had only completed 995-miles…
This is a difference of almost 514 total miles, and I’m creeping up on my overall totals for 2010 and 2011!
Beast Mode…ON!
Megan Shifrin’s Day: Save Life, Finish Half Marathon
This is a short but awesome story about a runner (Megan Shifrin…pictured above) who stopped in the middle of the 2010 Country Music Half Marathon to save someone’s life. A worthwhile read for every runner.
We actually live fairly close to Megan and her husband David, but did not know them until a happenstance meeting on a train headed to the airport after the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Very cool.
inthewright replied to your post: Quest for Boston – The Humidity Strikes Back
I hit 188 on the ol’ heart-o-meter towards the end of that last interval. I felt okay but was about to enter no man’s land. 🙂
I like the phrase “heart-o-meter” – If I had tried to push into 6:35 pace on the last interval like you did I might have just collapsed. Good work my friend!