Mizuno's Newest Brand Ambassador: Clara Grandt

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on June 29, 2011

When Clara Grandt of Team Riadha/Mizuno steps to the starting line of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston in January, she will be one of the least experienced marathoners in the field. With only one marathon under her belt, Grandt will certainly be overlooked in the pre-race hoopla.But that one marathon—last spring’s Boston—demonstrated that Grandt has so much potential that she could be a factor in the Trials. In Boston, Grandt ran as a virtual unknown and yet her time of 2:29:54 was astonishing on several fronts.Although she &l...

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Mizuno Shoe Guy answers questions about minimalist shoes and more

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on June 8, 2011

Universe for minimalist fanQ: MSG—I’ve gone the minimalist route, but feel like I need a little bit more padding for half marathons and marathons. Would the Wave Universe be a good racing shoe for a light guy (135 pounds) like me? Matt, Portland, Oregon.A: Yes, it would. Believe it or not, the Wave Universe is the lightest shoe of all the minimalist shoes on the market. It’s even lighter at 3.8 ounces (size 9) than the so-called “barefoot” shoes. The Universe has proven to be a very popular shoe with th...

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Shoe Abuse: Common causes and cures

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on June 8, 2011

Take good care of your Mizuno running shoes and they’ll take good care of your feet. But if you abuse your shoes, chances are they will wear out quicker and prematurely lose the ability to cushion and protect your feet. Here are some common causes of shoe abuse and the corrective steps you can take:1.  After running, my shoes often stink. What can I do to avoid this obnoxious odor?Air them out. Remove the insoles and allow the shoes to dry in the fresh, open air.  Often, odor develops from the glue and other materials used to make...

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Heidi Westover: In It for the Long Run

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on June 8, 2011

For most national-class marathoners with Olympic aspirations, the Vermont City Marathon is not often on the must-do list. But for Heidi Westover it is not only on her must-do list; it’s on her schedule every year.  For Westover, the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, Vermont is her Boston Marathon. Westover has won it five of the last six years and even though she didn’t break her course record of 2:35:02 at this year’s race on Memorial Day weekend, she was still thrilled to win what is something of a hometown marathon for her. 

“I love Ver...

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Q&A with Mizuno Shoe Guy

by Bob "Wish" Wischnia on May 3, 2011

Do you have a shoe-related question? Or a running shoe question, specific to Mizuno for the Mizuno Shoe Guy? If you have a question you’d like him to answer, send it to Shoeguy@Mizunousa.com. He'll pick five questions a month to answer and if he picks your question, we'll send you a beautiful Mizuno tech T-shirt.Q:  When I first started running two years ago, the guy at the running store had me walk in bare feet and put me in neutral shoe...

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