u/Robmazzanti

Excellent shape w/ 8 miles (easy and a few strides). Durability is better than early reviews suggest, some paint on the outside edge but otherwise no signs of wear. Very comfortable but softer than I prefer in a race shoe.

Price $175 w/ shipping included in the con US

Wore the Radical Airflow top for a 50K trail race last weekend (31 miles, upper 80s, finished in the dark). Love the look and works great. Kept me cool the whole way and got a ton of comments on the course. Will definitely be racing in again soon.

Background
I’ve spent most of my time on the roads since I started running in 2022, with a 2:25 marathon PR from winning Richmond in 2024. As much as I enjoy the roads, it’s hard to beat a good trail, and I’ve been spending more time on soft surfaces lately. I won the Seashore 50K back in 2022 and the Taskinas Creek trail half a few weeks ago, so I knew I could go the distance and handle some moderately technical terrain in the heat.

I struggled with injury last year. I tore my left adductor and had sports hernia. I started cycling to stay in shape, but my weekly mileage was limited and my legs gave out at the Bayshore marathon in May. My fitness was improving, so I decided to try something different and race a trail 50K with no pressure. My goal was to have fun and see what I could do. I had the course record of 3:40 in the back of my mind and figured that it might be in reach if I ran smart and my body held up.

The Course
Night Train is at High Bridge Trail State Park in Farmville, VA. It’s an old rail trail, ran as an out and back. The race is flat and fast, but it was hot and in the sun for the first hour or so. The 6PM start means you finish in the dark. Aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers were all really nice. Overall, great atmosphere.

The Race
I started conservatively, settling in between 6:20 to 6:30 pace. I didn’t want my quads to give out or cramp in the heat, which looking back, was the right decision. I cruised through 26 miles, then my calves started cramping around mile 27, and by mile 29 it got tough. I slowed down enough to prevent a full cramp and told myself I could get through the pain for a few more miles.

The last few miles stopped being about time. I wanted to hold onto the lead, but more importantly, I wanted to finish knowing I didn’t give up when it got hard. I finished in 3:29:27, held onto first place, and set a course record.

Gear & Fueling
Shoes were the ASICS Metafuji Trail. The stack and rocker made the pace feel smooth and worked great, though I wouldn’t take them on anything technical.

I wore the Nike ACG Radical Airflow, which got a decent amount of attention. I know it’s overhyped, but it worked great. I felt cool even in 80+ degrees and will definitely wear again.

Fueling was 90g carb mix with 1,000mg of sodium two hours before the race. I took a gel every 4 miles (30g carbs) and ran with a handheld flask for water and topped off at aid stations. That put me around 60g carbs and 400mg sodium per hour. I want to work on increasing to ~80-100g carbs per hour, but that’s a project for the summer, maybe in time for my next 50k in August.

Sharing a few pictures of my custom build SL8. Really enjoyed the ride at my first race a few weeks ago a the Gran Fondo in Helen, GA. Light and quick around the course, but still have a lot of work to do to get the most out of this weapon.

I am a competitive runner (2:25 marathon PR) but after a bad injury at Twin Cities last October (torn left adductor and sports hernia), it was going to be several months before I could start running again.

I started “cycling” to maintain fitness in December on a Peloton, but it wasn’t long before I wanted to get outdoors and test the roads. I quickly realized there were some clear fitness gains on the table, and my body was recovering better and adapting to my time on the bike far better than running alone.

I went all in and built my dream bike. Let me know if any questions about the build, my transition to cycling, or anything else.

Build Specs:
- S-Works Tarmac SL8 (52)
- SRAM Red AXS w/ 160mm cranks
- ENVE SES AR one piece cockpit (100/38)
- ENVE SES 4.5 AR wheels with GP5000 S TR 28 (tubeless)
- S-Works Power Evo w/ Mirror saddle
- Time Xpro 12 pedals