Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Hoka trail shoes

Hoka trail shoes.
Rated 5/10: some good but overall bad.
Use them only suitable if you enjoy running in boots. These shoes are solid and inflexible. tough enough to be light hiking boots (with no ankle support.) But with good grippy tread.

I wanted two things in my new trail shoes: enough length to fit my toes, and plenty of grip. That much works.

But for my style of chi running -- these shoes do not work. In fact they are bad. Causing damage.

Wearing the hoka is like running in moon boots. the shoes provide a firm framework, your foot fits in... or not. The shoes are too solid to allow adjustment with the laces.
My running style is chi-square: I run to suit the natural structure and mechanics of my body, especially the skeleton.
The original, commercial, chi running is "mystic-chi". a lot of the explanation smacks of candles, crystals and chanting of ommmm.
chi-square is more logical... but both versions of chi result in much the same running style.
So I run on the front of my feet. Heels touch briefly, for balance.
Impact is absorbed by the arch of each foot, that's what the arch is for. There is very little impact transmitted through to the knees and hips.

The hoka shoes have a firm sole and thick, stiff sides. The feet are forced into position, there is little ability to flex.
The hoka shoes reduce the ability of the arch of the foot to absorb impact. They also reduce the ability of my leg to flex.
After a couple of hours' gentle running -- I have a sore knee.

The shoes were sold as trail shoes and as also good for road running.
Wrong.
The grippy soles are excellent for loose surfaces on trails.
On a hard surface, the very firm soles prevent the feet from flexing. So what, you say, the road is flat, no need to flex. Except... The grippy doles are a result of deep tread. the tread digs ín and grips a soft surface. On a hard surface -- the treads are not level. Where they touch the ground, they curve. This twists the foot to the side. Just a tiny amount, just enough to twist the leg to one side. Just enough to put sideways pressure  on the knees.
As I ran, I could feel the slight tension. After running -- the side of one knee is sore.
Running impact has been transmitted --at a slight angle -- to my knees. The hoka trail shoes -- running mostly on easy trails -- are already damaging my knees.

I'll try adjusting the lacing. i may be able to force the shoes to fit correctly, I doubt it. These are very firm shoes. Highly inflexible. Built to protect the foot, not to work with the foot. Not safe. Not for a running style which works *with* the body and bones.
But the grip is good.









Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


As Conan says: What does not kill you
does not kill you

Friday, January 19, 2024

Dreamhunter, Elizabeth Knox

Dreamhunter
one of two :-(
by Elizabeth Knox
fantasy
copyright 2005
read in January 2024

rated 6/10: read to pass the time (but may be better)

Quite an enjoyable book, with one major fault.
The magic background is interesting. Doubly interesting in fact, there are two unrelated systems of magic. the world is rather sweet, steampunk, perhaps? characters are pleasant.
Yet there are some characters and incidents that go nowhere. until... the book ends.
there is no indication that this is book one of two. until... it ends. with nothing resolved. this is the fault, i guess, of the publisher, not the author. but it causes my rating to be lower than if the cover clearly stated that this is not a standalone book.
If you already have both books then this could be seven/10, well worth reading. Pity :-(




Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


As Conan says: What does not kill you
does not kill you

Thursday, January 11, 2024

The Curator, Owen King

The Curator
by Owen King
horror.

copyright 2023
part read in January 2024

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

guess what? owen has mastered Daddy's ability to write many many words with very little interest.
I read a few chapters. Skimmed a few more.
So far, think Animal Farm, all animals are equal but some are more equal than others, but with more words, less clarity, very little interest.
The characters so far are a mix of unpleasant and uninteresting, noone that I want to read about.
So I jumped to the end... there seems to be an army of zombies. Someone who was not on the first chapters is killed by another unknown. I change the category from fantasy to horror (for the zombies).
Okay. I'm not interested in filling in the gaps. I've read less than a quarter.

It could be read. It's just not worth the effort.



Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


As Conan says: What does not kill you
does not kill you

Monday, January 8, 2024

Hellgate/Exodus, Mel Odom

Hellgate
(#1 of 3: Exodus
by Mel Odom
horror
copyright 2007
read in January 2023
rated 7/10: well worth reading

Seven out of ten, really? Not really... except that I did enjoy it.
Enjoyed it more than I expected -- for a book based on a video game.
The characters are fitted into the game categories: paladin, warrior,
cleric, mage, roguishly uncertain... Yet they are definitely
characters. With motivations, characteristics, some depth.

The book could be fantasy -- demons, magic -- and high-tech weapons.
Or science fiction.
I've labelled it as horror -- for the theme of battle against demons.
And also to warn that there is an awful lot of blood-spattered
violence. But it's not just nasty. The hero does save the mother and
her two little kids :-)

The plot is simple but not boring. And the action is... non-stop.
Mostly involving blood and gore. Video game style.
Right from the front cover it is made clear that this is book one of
three -- good, we are warned. The end of this book is conclusive --
with obvious problems left over for the next books.

An enjoyable book. Good fun... and not entirely mindless.



Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...


...Dying for you to Read my blog

... (notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com)