All opinions are my own, I would never support a brand I did not actually like!
An amazing run in my backyard with more than 22k of pure pleasure with my new #altraolympus4!
My feet loved these shoes! Simply fantastic! 😍
I did a few speedy sections as well and it was really nice to feel the speed back once again. Well, I had to run fast a few sections due to the mountain bikers that are crazy fast on those trails! Crazy skills! 😱
I had many days where both my mind and body are really low on energy. During those days I rest, do alternative training or simply do things that need to be done.
I already own a pair of Altra Olympus 3 and I was a bit skeptic about all the amazing reviews about these shoes. "Are all sponsored reviews!??" - I asked myself....
Well, as much as I love the comfort of the Altra Shoes I felt that the Olympus 3 were a bit "too much shoe" on my feet. As much as I loved them after I already ran 100k and continue running in that comfy toe box, I hated when I started the run in those. Just too much room om those technical trails here around Gothenburg. I had to be extra careful not to roll my ankle somewhere on a rock, root or something else. Don't get me wrong. The Olympus 3 are amazing shoes indeed, but I love them the most as extra pair of shoes during those long races or longer runs when my feet get a bit swollen they do an amazing job! I love them the most on non-technical terrain or on flat-er surfaces.
I must say that I appreciate the Olympus3 during my last race - the Bunketorp Backyard Ultra. I changed to the Olympus 3 after 100k with my Brooks Glycerin16 and I had a WOW-feeling! Soooo relieving! Amazing! I was able to run almost 70k more with no issues despite the blisters that I got around km 60-70! A-m-a-z-i-n-g!!! 😍
Still, I was a bit curious about these new Altra Olympus4 and all my fellow runners who were very happy with the model. So I decided to give it a go and purchase a pair. The first order went "bananas" due to a fain in the order process. I paid the order that was not available anymore on Runnerinn.com. Well, I must say that the support was very professional and that I got my money back. Still, as an IT professional I could not understand such a failure! I was a bit discouraged and I just wanted to forget about the whole "drama"!.... The whole thing went "on ice" for a few weeks. Than another fellow runner that I follow on Instagram purchased a pair - re ones! I felt in love! ❤ I went online once again, and BAAAMMMM.... once again the best price was on Runnerinn.com (even lower that the first time!). So I tried my luck once again and I got a pair of my "red runners" a few days later from Spain! Great!!! 😁
I waited days and days for the massive rain to stop. I wanted to do my first run with my new shoes on a dry surface....
My first impressions:
- The grip is way better that all my Altra shoes! The Vibram more aggressive outsole is really amazing on wet surfaces and the Olympus4 is much better/grippy on those tricky muddy sections as well.
- I felt better stability and the overall feeling while running was amazing! The fit is just perfect for me!
- The shoes feel light on my feet even if wet which is great! The mesh quality seems to be better as well!
- The shoes feel amazing on long runs. The cushioning feels just perfect! You just forget that you have shoes on your feet! You just run.....
- You get enough protection where needed but the shoe feels "light".
- The Olympus4 look really good. Not that this is the main reason but this is the first time where I actually had difficulties choosing the color! All the variations are amazing. Still, the red color will maybe give me more motivation when things get messy on long races (I hope so).😁
- The ankle fit is improved as well. Still, I felt that I needed to tight my laces as shown in the video below with a “heel lock” or “lace lock” technique:
The best thing about the Olympus4 is perhaps the fact that Altra managed somehow to maintain all those amazing qualities that I needed in the 3.0 and added a better overall fit, durability and benefit in the Olympus 4.
I'm really looking after many miles in these and hopefully the Covid pandemic will come to its end and we will be able to run our favorite races. The races that I'm registered to for the 2021 are:
- 100 miles of Istria
- The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail
- Kullamannen Ultra 100 Miles
I really hope use my new Altra Olympus4 on those races! Still, there is a lot of preparation to be done, many hours of training and exercise in order to get ready to race properly! After all, I have a full time job and a family that I love and that understands this passion of mine and love for the sport!
I enormously grateful for their support and understanding! ❤😍
Feel free to contact me if you have questions, business proposals, interesting and motivating ideas, etc...
Kind Regards,
Aramis
