Running Gear

The gear listed on this page has been used extensively and is now recommended for others by me, Scott. I am a middle-aged dude runner who weighs about 165lbs and runs 8.5 minute miles at a normal 10K pace. I don't claim to have tried every different running product, so I'll never claim that product X is best in class. This is more about recognizing what has been great for me and what I'd recommend based solely on my experience.

After having some of the best runs of my life in Asics Novablast 5s in 2025, I decided to make the Superblast my first new shoe purchase of 2026. After reading some reviews it was on my short list, but after trying them on and going for a quick run on the sidewalk in front of my local running store, the decision was clear. These are some of the most comfortable and fun shoes I've ever experienced. The bounce is satisfying, but not too squishy. My feet feel comfortable, but there is still enough structure that I always feel stable. Have done up to 10 mile distances in these puppies, as well as shorter / faster runs (fast is relative 😂).

When I purchased my first pair of these shoes, I was in a bit of a slump. My weekly mileage was consistent, but I didn't feel like I was improving, runs often felt like chores, and I was feeling sore most of the time. In trying to find ways to break out of the cycle, I decided to start a shoe rotation instead of running in the same pair of shoes every day until they wore out and to get over the idea that I was too cool for shoes with heavy foam cushioning. These pups were highly reviewed and seemed to check a lot of the boxes I was looking for, so I gave them a go and fell completely in love on the first run.

These shoes are fun. They are comfortable. And, if we limit ourselves to dry pavement, they are probably the best shoes I've ever run in. Their major weakness, however, is that they offer very little support with the extremely thin mesh fabric. While this approach makes the shoes very comfortable and light, the trade-off is that your feet feel like they could slide around and I've had a few close calls when running over branches or loose gravel. The bottom of the shoes also has very little tread and I've even slipped a few times when running along sandy sidewalks by the beach. 

I've used several different "smart" watches to track my running over the years. All worked well enough for what I needed 90% of the time. However, that 10% of the time, whether not being able to pick up GPS signal or randomly dying in the middle of a run, resulted in a lot of frustration. I get a lot of value out of tracking my runs, but I don't want to deal with technology problems.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is the best watch I've ever used because it has worked 100% of the time. In 2025, I logged over 1,700 miles of running all tracked on my Ultra. No problems. No frustrations. No drama. Perfection. Get about 2 days of battery life day to day. When I've run half marathons with GPS tracking and Bluetooth music, I usually cross the finish line with about 60% battery life. GPS has been accurate.

It is also the first watch I've used with LTE service. Being able to run without my phone and still be able to listen to music, track my run, and stay connected has been a joy, particularly in the summer months when I run in shorts with pockets a little too tiny for my giant smartphone.