A DIY Maurten clone, plus a 1,011-mile Mach X
One r/running poster says they cloned Maurten Gel 100 at home: 25 grams of carbs per 50g pouch, same alginate gel trick, ten pouches a batch. Same day, Zach Bitter said most of the foam lifecycle marketing is myth and a Reddit poster retired a Hoka Mach X at 1,011 miles.
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Shoes and fuel
Reddit poster posts a Maurten Gel 100 clone, 25g carbs per pouch
One r/running poster says they reverse-engineered Maurten Gel 100 using the same internal-gelation trick: sodium alginate, calcium carbonate and GDL (glucono-delta-lactone, which slowly drops the pH so calcium cross-links the alginate into a cold-set gel). The recipe yields ten 50g pouches, each with 25g of carbs at a 0.8:1 fructose-to-glucose ratio. They say total water is fixed at 242ml to hit 50% carbohydrate by weight, and they warn that sodium citrate kills the gelation. A caffeine version adds 1000mg of caffeine powder to the batch, 100mg per serving.
Each 50g pouch delivers exactly 25g of carbohydrates at a 0.8:1 Fructose-to-Glucose ratio, with that identical slippery, jelly texture.
never add sodium citrate to this recipe. It strips the calcium ions and completely kills the gelation process.
Sonicblast 2 called near-super-shoe, Dynafish Xiaonian falls flat at $130
One r/RunningShoeGeeks poster ran a tempo progression in the Asics Sonicblast 2 and says 46mm of cushion plus the FF Turbo 2 forefoot gave energy return close to a race shoe, at paces they would hit in one. Another poster paid $130 for the Dynafish Xiaonian through the official US webstore and says it is light and comfortable but wobbly at recovery pace and oddly soft near threshold. A third put 100 miles on the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3, which rises over 60mm in the back half of the midfoot, and scored it 7.3/10 as the most protective long-run shoe they own, on sale for about $115, though the scratchy heel cup cut them up. Believe in the Run gave the Teva Trailpeak, 8.3 oz, 30.5mm heel and 24.5mm forefoot at $160, a C for performance, calling it excellent ground feel with limited protection.
Here, there is a bounding energy return that is nearly on par with super shoes, and my paces were similar to what I’d run in a bonafide super shoe today.
The Dynafish Xiaonian are extremely light, soft, very comfortable, relatively unsexy (in the all-black colorway), relatively inexpensive shoes that only truly excel at moderate paces for me.
The Pro 3 isn’t the bounciest race day shoe, but it is definitely the most protective.
Zach Bitter says shoe foam lifecycle marketing is mostly myth
Bitter says Joubert suggested much of the foam lifecycle marketing is myth, and that he tested a pair, Vaporfly as Bitter recalls it, that was still hitting the same efficiency at about 400 miles. Separately, a Reddit poster retired a Hoka Mach X after 1,011 miles, bought on sale for $75, with a PEBA plate and a 37/32mm stack. They ran a marathon in them at around 400 miles and only stopped using them when they started feeling twinges.
he suggested much of the foam life cycle marketing is myth. He tested a pair of (Vaporfly, iirc) and was still hitting the same efficiency at ~400 miles.
I don't think they look like they have 1000 miles on them. No tears, rips, issues of any kind.
Worth a glance
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Hiltz wants pacemakers gone from the Diamond League Final
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Road racing statistics database lost, Monti calls it tragic
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Runner's World puts a number on carb loading: half to full body weight in grams
Runner's World says carb loading means adding half your body weight to your full body weight in grams of carbs per day, on top of normal eating, for one to three days before a race. The video's own caveat is that individual response varies and you test it in training, never on race day.