FUJILITE 2 were my introduction to trail runners and they got a lot of mileage in over multiple terrains that including hiking, trail running and mountain running. Now its time to take the jump to the 4th edition.

First impressions

Right out of the box my eyes lit up. The striking colour of the bright orange and neon lime had me wanting to go straight for a run. Unfortunately I had to wait a couple of days but when I did they felt great on my feet. You can definitely feel the FF blast foam as you set off on your run. In one of my first runs the ground was hard, even with all the rain recently the ground didn’t seem to hold much water so the cushioning really saved the soles of my feet as I pounded the ground which had plenty of stone as well. The grip going up and downhill felt solid and I didn’t lose traction taking sharp turns at speed. The ASICSGrip outsole rubber grip looks to provide high grip and should help with durability.

I definitely can see these being used as a fast lighter shoe for the mountains and trails without compromising comfort. Next stop will be the mountains. These are a big jump from the 2^nd edition to the 4^th and I am confident they will do the job.

They were easy to put on and take off and the laces felt secure with the newly developed lace loop. .

What changes can you expect

If you were a fan of the FUJILITE 3 and thinking of upgrading to 4 then this is what you need to know

• The 4 come in slightly heavier at M <270g / M <232g compared to M 257g / W <225g for version 3
• The midsole height is now greater on the 4 M 24-19mm / W23-18mm this changed from M 18-24m / W 16-12m on the 3
• The midsole material is now FF Blast rather than FF Nano
• Increased sustainability, new lace holder, tongue wing and the modified outsole design for better traction are other areas where vast improvement has been made.

Pros

• They were comfortable out of the box and was easily to get a run in without any discomfort.
• Good grip as I took corners and went down and uphill on the trails
• The recycled jacquard mesh provides excellent comfort and durability
• Then felt light even though the weight went up
• Cushioning really helped with any impact
• Have to say I love the colour.

Cons

• The grip could come in to question over very muddy terrain
• Over longer distance a shoe with more cushioning maybe needed

Final thoughts

These will definitely be my go to trail shoe for the level of running I do. After such a good experience with the 2^nd version over mountains in a 20 mile race as well as similar distance hikes I cannot wait to bring the 4^th edition for longer runs and hikes. The cushioning will allow for comfortable day even when out there for long distance but also when you want to go fast.

I look back at 2022 with both delight and disappointment. I’m strictly talking from a sports view, I have an extremly supportive family around me and 2022 would have been a lot rougher without them by my side.

I can split the year into four segments

• January to May – The improvements
• June to November – The injury
• Late Nov / Early Dec – The return
• December – The new injury

I will split this into those segments but also overall review of goals, mileage and what 2023 might bring.

January to May

I set myself a few running goals for this year as well as some tri related goals.

• PBs at 5 km, 4 mile, 5 mile, 10 km, 10 mile, Half Marathon, Full Marathon
• PB over Lost Sheep course and Sub 20 min 5km run in sprint tri.

Training started well in January and early target was Dungarvan 10 mile in Feb. On the day I wasn’t feeling it and almost decided not to do the race but Martha kicked me out the door. The goal was a PB and that was acheievd. It was a tough day out with the wind and found myself caught in a tough section on my own but struggled through when a group helped pull me along to finish in a time of 65:35. It was a huge improvement on my previous PB so delighted with that.

I found myself taking on more trail running and I feel this had helped my progress. I decided at start or March to take on the Knockmealdowns course of 24km/1100m elevation. It was an eye opener but great experience.

Next race was the Cork Road Championships over 4 mile. Race is usually hosted close to home which is good as its usually held around St Patricks Day so I don’t have to travel far. A time of 24:22 meant a 25 second PB.

Only a few weeks later it was Brighton 10km with the ASICS team and again goal was sub 39 mins. And a consistent run cheered on by the team meant it was a successful run and managed 38:29. The weekend with the team was time well spent and missed those oppurtunities with not being able to travel for 2 years.

2 weeks later it was on to the 5 mile East Cork Road Championships. A course that you definitely wouldn’t be looking for a PB on but I did do my fastest time on the course as our team secured bronze.

May came and another PB this time over 5km and I finally broke 18 mins. After orginally setting my PB at 18:20 I found it hard to break even 19 for some time but things clicked on the day and an offical time of 17:56 meant training was going well.

Just a few days later I took on my hardest challenge to date, The Galtee Challenge race — 32km with 1500m elevation. Now this was an experience like no other and with the help of Blackwater team mate Adrian I got it finished and was definitely proud to tick that off the list. But that is where things came to a halt. A fall during that race which only flared up about a week later after my body loosened out meant it was a rough few months to follow.

June to November

I’m not going to go into every part of this injury but after I thought this could be a minor issue I was still doing a small bit but the discomfort became too much. My shoulder was in bits. It was months of rest, scans, and exercise. I still haven’t found a root cause for it and it still at me now but I can run a lot more comfortably. 

During this time I did a bit of hiking with family to keep active. 

Late Nov / Early Dec

With so many races I decided I’d take on the short Cloyne 4km race to ease my way back in late November. My plan was to run consistently which I managed to do, I felt great after and delighted to be out running a race again. I was getting the miles in and also putting a lot of work into our club hosting the National Novice Cross Country. The week before while we were all setting up the course I ran it to get a video and after doing this I got the mad idea to want to run it the following week. So I signed up and away we go. So my next race was a National XC, I’d never get a chance to really do one so I had to it when its so close to home. On our feet all day and with our race being the last it did mean we were on tired legs but damn I loved that race. It was a challenge, as tough of XC course that you are going to get but that is what is to love about it.

And mid December 

The simple things seem to cause the most pain. Getting out of the car and my back felt a twinge. Didn’t think too much of it until I went in shopping and within 10 mins I could barely walk. Was almost crawling back to the car. I went home and lay down and next thing I know its end of December and I’m still only a fraction better. Doing my best to try keep positivie but the truth be told its been a bad year for injuries. 6 months wiped out as I was starting to make real progress. As I start a new road to recovery the only goal I have for 2023 is to get through it in one piece.

So with no triathlons this year my PBs acheived were

• 5 km, 4 mile, 10 km, 10 mile

Longer hikes and trail/mountain running were new things that were tried.

Below you can see how my stats looked for the year and the big drop off from May. It is really disappointing to see but hopefully with hard work things will go better in 2023. Happy New Year all.