Salomon Sense Mantra 3 W Review

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Salomon Sense Mantra 3

These shoes were made for running


Having lost one half of my (admittedly battered and holey) trail running shoes on a trip to Skye earlier this year, I was in desperate need of a new pair. In particular, I was after a pair of lightweight shoes that could cope with a variety of surfaces, including compacted trails and road running.

My previous experience with Salomon trail shoes has been good – I still have a pair of XA Pros that I bought ten years ago – so when I noticed the Women’s version of the Salomon Sense Mantra 3 on sale, I figured I’d found a perfect replacement. Salomon categorise it as a ‘light trail shoe’, suitable for a mix of trails and urban environment.

Over the past month I’ve tried the Sense Mantras out on runs from five to seventeen miles on a variety of terrain. Here’s my verdict on Salomon’s hybrid trail/road offering.

What the manufacturer says

“Carefully combining protection and feel, the Sense Mantra 3W is a natural motion choice for running on light trails or urban environments.”

What we say

A stylish shoe you won’t want to get muddy.

Quick stats

Weight: 250g
Midsole height: 15mm/9mm
Lacing system: QuicklaceTM one-pull lacing
Sole: High Abrasion Contagrip

Sizing and fit

I ordered a size 5 – the same as my ten-year old XA Pros. I have a fairly narrow foot, so was pleased to find they weren’t too wide. They did feel a touch on the small side and my toes were a little too close to the end for comfort.

Instead of a traditional tongue, Salomon have built in a ‘sleeve’, which is supposed to better ‘hug’ the foot. I had no problems with this, but I also didn’t feel like it added much for me. However, my foot is quite low-volume, so perhaps those with larger feet will feel the shoe’s embrace a bit more.

The one-pull lacing system was effective in tightening the laces evenly and snugly around even my thin foot.

Technical features

salomon-sense-mantras

Laces in or laces out?

The Sense Mantras are one of Salomon’s lighter shoes, but compared to my super-light fell shoes, they felt a bit weighty. However, the difference was noticeable in the cushioning and heel lift. The drop and thickness of the midsole is much less than more rugged trail shoes, such as the XA Pro 3D, but felt adequate for both short and longer runs.

Like many of the Salmon shoes, the Sense Mantras have a small ‘pocket’ at the top of the laces, ostensibly to tuck the laces up in. And yes, they do look nice and neat tucked away, but boy is it a faff. For the majority of you, who aren’t grumpy traditionalists like me, you’ll probably love it.

What were they like to run in?

The one concern when I tried the Salomon Sense Mantras on before hitting the road was the stiffness of the shoes. All our runs from home have an uphill start, and I felt this immediately on starting out. The forefront flexibility was definitely less than I’m used to which encouraged a flat-footed running style. After a few runs they are starting to break in, so I think this is something that will improve with time.

Apart from that, the shoes were pretty comfortable. The lacing system was snug, but not too tight and generally held my foot in place coming down steep hills. When I tried them out on a longer run (3 hours+) I did find that the laces loosened slightly, but this may just be my preference for traditional lacing systems! I also found that my toes were pretty sore towards the end – if I’m getting another pair of Salomons in the near future I’ll definitely look at getting a half size bigger.

The tread coped well with the variety of surfaces, including road, rough tracks, wet grass and rock. There wasn’t mnuch grip in mud, due to the small lugs, but that’s only be be expected given the shoe is designed for roads and hard trails. If you’re out on the muddy fells, you should probably pick a different bit of kit!.

Overall

If you run mainly on hard trails, or a mix of trail and roads, the Salomon Sense Mantras are the shoe for you. Just be aware of the slightly small sizing – it may be worth trying before you buy.

Testing Solomon Sense Mantras
Disclaimer: This is an honest, unbiased review based on my personal experience. I bought these shoes using my own pennies, and have not been asked by Salomon to review or otherwise promote their product. Though if you’re an outdoor retailer looking for an unbiased test and review of your kit, get in touch.

Get Outdoors in the City: Leeds

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Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds

Kirkstall Abbey is just one of the parkland areas to explore in Leeds


For the second in our series that seeks out the best secret spots and ways to enjoy an alternative side of city life, we’re in Leeds. Yorkshire’s largest city, Leeds is home to the original Tetley brewery, the Kaiser Chiefs and a large collection of owl statues. One of Leeds’ main attractions to outdoor-loving folk is the proximity of the Yorkshire moors and Dales.

Whilst Leeds offers easy access to countless opportunities for hiking, cycling, climbing and many other sports in the surrounding countryside, there’s plenty of opportunities to get outdoors in the city itself. The sun may not always shine in Leeds, but when it does, here’s how to make the most of it.

Run the waterways

The Leeds and Liverpool canal provides a thread of green and blue that winds right to the heart of the city. Conveniently, there are several train lines that run parallel to the canal, offering a great opportunity for a flat, one-way run. Kirstall Forge train station is 4 miles from the city centre (detour to visit the impressive Kirkstall Abbey) or take a 9 mile trip out to Apperley Bridge.

If you prefer two wheels to two legs, there’s an excellent cycle path alongside the canal that runs for 17 miles out to Bingley. Make sure you leave time to stop off at the World Heritage Site of Saltaire enroute. From Bingley you can either get the train back into Leeds or turn around and cycle home.

Wander through Roundhay Park

Situated three miles north of Leeds city centre, Roundhay Park boasts 700 acres of parks, lakes and woodland along with a variety of sporting activities. Jump on buses 2 or 12 from the city centre and ask to get off at Roundhay Park Gates. The Park also hosts Tropical World, home to a vast collection of tropical plants, birds, butterflies and meerkats that will keep kids (and adults) entranced for hours.

Many of the park’s trails are tarmac paths designed with accessibility in mind, so it’s a great place for wheelchair users (and parents with buggies) to explore nature. You can even book a free motability powered scooter or wheelchair for use in the park and Tropical World.

Rodley Nature Reserve

If you’re looking for a spot of wildlife, take a trip out to Rodley Nature Reserve. This wetland reserve is situated four miles from the city centre and is a haven for migrating birds. It’s handily located next to the canal so why not combine a visit with a short cycle trip. The wetland and woodland habitats support a wide variety of bird-life, along with dragonflies, damselflies and 361 species of moth.

The Reserve is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays – check the website for details of opening hours.

Goor’s Guided Tours

Fancy exploring a different side to the city? Kenneth Goor has been running guided tours in Leeds for over thirty years, and has 21 guided walks in the city centre alone. From pubs and markets, to body snatching and witchcraft, everyone will learn something new about the history of Leeds and its people. If you’ve visiting around Halloween don’t miss one of his ghostly specials!

For upcoming tours, check out his calendar of events.

Get lost in the Chevin Forest Park

The Chevin sits on a steep escarpement above the market town of Otley, offering sweeping views across the Wharfe valley. As well as having a variety of themed walking trails, there are also two permanent orienteering courses; a starter course suitable for children, and a more technical course. A free beginners guide to orienteering and copies of both maps can be downloaded from the Airienteers website.

The Chevin is also home to one of Yorkshire’s most famous climbing areas: Caley crag and boulders. If you’re an experienced climber, bring along your bouldering mat and beanie for a taste of Yorkshire gritstone. If you’ve not climbed before but fancy giving it a go then it’s best to learn the basics indoors at one of Leeds’s climbing centres (The Leeds Wall, The Depot, City Bloc and The Climbing Lab all offer instruction).

Everything you need to know about visiting Leeds

When to visit: Clear, crisp autumn days are my favourite time of year in Yorkshire, but this is Britain, so good weather is never guaranteed. Summer will give you the best chance of being able to get out to the park with a picnic.

How to get there: Leeds is easily accessible via train with direct connections to major cities (2 hrs 30mins from London). Leeds-Bradford airport has a range of flights, mainly to European destinations – if you’re traveling from further afield, fly into Manchester airport and take a scenic train rise across the Pennine moors.

Where to stay: There’s accommodation to suit most tastes and budgets, though the majority of city centre accommodation is large chain hotels.. If you’re looking for luxury and convenience, then you’d be hard pushed to beat Quebec’s Luxury Apartments located in the Old Post Office building on City Square – just opposite the train station. For a more budget option, check out the Art Hostel, centrally located with quirky rooms designed by local and international artists.

What to eat: Or rather what to drink! Yorkshire is the home of a traditional pint a British ale, though with craft breweries springing up all over Leeds there’s options for even the fussiest beer drinker. Bundobust is a small restaurant close to the train station that serves both craft beers (and cocktails) and fantastic vegetarian Indian street food – I can personally recommend it.

Sleeping Wild: a 5-to-9 Microadventure

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Walking down across fields in early morning light

Early morning – the most beautiful time of day


Ever find you get so bogged down in the day job that you limp through the week focused only on the shining beacon of light that is the weekend? Somehow the ‘9-to-5’ has turned into an ‘8-to-7’, but it’s just not humanly possible to get through the work in eight hours a day. Or perhaps you start the week full of good intentions and exciting plans which, come Tuesday, you’ve fully given up on.

I will hold up my hand and answer yes to each of these questions. When I escaped London to move to Yorkshire, I was determined to leave the late-working nights behind and make the most of having beautiful countryside on my doorstep. Every night I’d be out climbing, running and cycling. Then life – and work – got in the way and I settled back into monotony, resigning myself to occasional bouts of freedom at the weekend.

But there is another way. A way you can deal with the realities of having to work late (sometimes) and still have a life of adventure. Let me introduce you to the concept of microadventures.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of categorising ‘adventures’. I mean adventure is adventure right? And it will mean different things to different people. If you’re never been out of a city, then your first visit to the countryside, or up a mountain will be an adventure. It doesn’t all have to be about cycling across continents, or exploring polar wastelands.

But I do quite like the concept of microadventures, and in particular 5-to-9ers. These are really quite simple. Rather than focusing on the hours of work (9-to-5) focus on the adventures you can have outside of this time – between 5pm and 9am the next day. However much you have on at work, you just need to leave early one day a week to have adventures and experiences you will never forget.

Inspired by reading Alastair Humphreys’ excellent book, Microadventures and panicked by the realisation that summer was pretty much over, we decided enough was enough. It was time to say ‘sod it’ to everyday life for a night. It was time for an adventure.

The Plan

Our plan was simple. Leave home, jump on the train north for a couple of stops, walk up to the conveniently marked pub on the map for dinner and then head up onto the top of the moor to sleep out for the night. No tents, just sleeping bags, mats and bivvy bags. Next morning we’d get one of the first trains back home, shower and go into work. The great thing about simple plans? They rarely go wrong.

The first step

We left the house just before six. It was pretty strange heading out in walking boots with a pack on at this time in the evening. Even the first steps along a familiar road felt somehow different. Adventurous. The excitement of not quite knowing what was to come put a spring in my step.

On the train we checked over the map and glimpsed at the other passengers. People heading for a night out, or home from work. I felt almost sorry for them, going back to their normal, everyday lives. But each to their own – sleeping under the stars at the end of September isn’t for everyone!

Walking up to the pub in the evening

Is that the sound of the pub calling?

The light was starting to fade as we hiked up the hill and across fields to the pub. A chill in the air reminded us that winter was just around the corner. In the pub I overheard a man asking his wife how far she thought we’d walked. “Ooo, they must have done ten or twelve miles,” she replied. More like one. You don’t have to walk far to have an adventure.

Into the wild

Feeling rather stuffed, we dragged ourselves away from the warmth and light of the pub and headed out into the night. It was almost dark, but a bright moon helped light the way, so we left our headtorches in our bags. Which was great – until the springy grass field unexpectedly turned into a bog.

We headed onwards and upwards, until we were high above the valley, looking out over a sprinkling of orange lights. It felt a world away from home, the office and real life. After a bit of exploring we found a flat spot that was sheltered from the bitter wind, and laid out our mats, sleeping bags and bivvy bags.

Sleeping under the stars

Snuggled down inside my sleeping bag, cocooned by layers of down, I stared up at the clouds sweeping across the sky. The only noise was the occasional plane taking off from the nearby airport; the only light that of the moon and the soft orange glow of the city in the distance.

One thing about sleeping out at this time of year – you go to bed early. We were tucked up and ready to snooze by quarter-past eight in the evening. If we’d have stayed at home, we’d have probably still been eating dinner.

At some point in the night I was wakened by the wind blowing across my face. Though we’d picked a sheltered spot, the wind had changed direction in the night, and was now blowing straight across us. I buried myself deeper into my sleeping bag, pulling the bivvy over my head to shelter me from the cold. And slept.

Awakening

The alarm on my phone woke me – an unexpected jarring sound in this wild place. Alarms are associated with home and with getting up early for work. Not with adventure. But we had a train to catch, and that meant getting up before sunrise.

Walking downhill across a field

Walking home as the world awakens

It was cold in the pre-dawn darkness, so we lost no time in packing up our kit and making our way back down to the train station. As we walked the sky began to lighten. The world was waking to a new day. We passed houses whose occupants had not yet stirred, sheep still lying in the fields and a few early morning joggers.

It is these moments – at the very beginning of the day – when I feel closest to nature and most at peace. I love my sleep and normally struggle to get out of bed early, but when I do make it out first thing in the morning, I never regret it.

At the station we joined commuters on the platform, dressed in suits and smart shoes. I wondered what they thought of us in our hiking clothes and muddy boots. It was hard to believe that today was just another ‘normal’ work day and that soon we’d be joining them for our morning commute.

Waiting at train station

Back at the train station – refreshed after a night of sleeping out under the stars

Back to reality

Back home we quickly unpacked bags, showered and headed out the door to work. I got to my desk before nine, and sat down with a coffee and breakfast to deal with the morning’s emails. Just like any other day. Except that bubbling inside of me was the excitement of our secret. And thoughts and plans for the next adventure. Because when it comes to microadventures, the next one could be just around the corner.

How to have your own microadventure

All you really need to have your own microadventure is, well, a sense of adventure! Add a sprinkling of imagination and you’ll quickly come up with a dozen potential plans.

To wild camp you need a basic sleeping mat, a warm sleeping bag and a bivvy bag (you can pick up a basic survival bag for a couple of pounds). Technically it is illegal to wild camp in England and Wales (though legal in many parts of Scotland) – you can either seek permission from the landowner, or find a remote place and go by the ‘leave no trace’ principle*. Everything you take in, you take out and leave no scars on the landscape.

For more microadventure ideas, check out Alastair Humphreys’ website. Be warned, you may get lost for hours dreaming of adventure!

*disclaimer – we would always suggest you get permission from the landowner. For more info on the safety and legalities of wild camping, check out this useful blog post.

How to Train for Your First Ultramarathon

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Men running in a ultramarathon

Are you ready to tackle the trails on your first ultramarathon?

Ever signed up a challenge on a whim only to wake up the next day and regret it? That’s me in a nutshell. I’m a sucker for getting carried away with hatching crazy plans, whilst blithely ignoring the preparation required to see them through.

Take last weekend. I went to a friend’s daughter’s christening and got chatting to a few people. At some point between the dousing of the baby’s head and the cutting of the cake, I found myself nodding in agreement when a friend casually asked if I fancied keeping her company on a training run in November. “Great,” she said, “it’s only 45-miles, though we’ll need to set off early to make the most of the daylight.”

One thing I forgot to mention. This particular friend is one of the increasing band of people who put themselves through hours, if not days, of torturous running. For fun, apparently. I had always considered that some day I may want to try an ultramarathon, in that vague non-commital sense of wanting to have done one without having to go through the actual doing part. It appears she’s called my bluff.

For context, though I have done a fair bit of off-road running, I have never run a marathon and at the time of agreeing to this challenge, the furthest I had run for a good many months was about six miles. So I’m pretty much starting from scratch.

Having signed up for a challenge I am utterly unprepared for and have no idea whether I can actually do, my first step should have been to develop a training plan and get out running. However as a compulsive procrastinator researcher, my actual first step was to spend hours on Google searching for articles titled, ‘How to go From Couch to Ultramarathon in Ten Weeks!’ (Clue – they don’t exist.)

So to help all you new wannabe ultramarathoners avoid falling into the same trap, here’s what I have learnt from my many hours of research.

Leave yourself enough time to train

Ok, so I’ve already failed on this one, but this is a definite example of “do as I say not as I do”. Presuming you’re a bit more sensible than me when it comes to planning your challenges, pick an event that’s far enough out to support a gradual increase in your training volume.

How long this will be depends on your current level of fitness, experience in running longer events and how long the ultramarathon is you’ve signed up for. Runner’s World have a sixteen week training plan to get you prepared for a 50-mile ultramarathon. Sixteen weeks that is, if you’ve already run a few marathons. Perhaps better suited for those of us who don’t pop out a marathon every other weekend is this sixteen week plan, which builds the ‘long’ runs up gradually from ten miles.

Mix up your training

One piece of advice I’m definitely taking on board is to cross-train. This is partly an injury-prevention strategy and partly to keep my motivation up (I have a very low boredom threshold – possibly not the best trait for a long-distance runner).

The most popular forms of cross-training seem to be cycling and swimming. Both sports exercise your muscles and improve cardio without the impact associated with running. I’m also a big fan of walking, plus it’s a bit easier to persuade friends / family to go on a hike with you rather than a run. (You definitely want to take any opportunity to sneak training into your social life, unless you want to become a hermit for a few months.)

I’m also trying to keep my climbing up, as I figure the upper body and core workout will help balance all that lower body exercise. Yoga could be a good alternative for those who aren’t a fan of hauling themselves up vertical walls. The RunUltra website has a great article detailing different cross training sessions which is well worth a read.

Strengthen your body

I am a stereotypical lazy runner. My hip flexors are inflexible, my glutes are withered and over the years I have developed a running style that I strongly suspect fails to engage any of the key muscle groups involved in good running posture.

But I know deep down, that I will not have a chance of getting up to ultramarathon distance without getting injured, unless I tackle these fundamental issues. So I’m working on all those horribly painful strength exercises I have always avoided – mainly those that involve the word ‘squat’.

To help your hips keep working as they should, check out this set of four exercises, requiring nothing more than a theraband. If you have a bit more time (and equipment) then try this comprehensive set of ten strength and conditioning exercises.

Train off road

Most ultramarathons are off-road affairs. I like to think this is because if they ran them on roads, people would collapse from a combination of boredom and repetitive strain injury miles from the finish line.

You may not be breaking any PBs by switching from the road to the trail, but ultramarathons are not about speed (unless you’re a super elite runner). As well as getting to enjoy communing with nature and avoiding inhalation of car fumes, trail running is harder work, so you get more bang for your buck. And as the surfaces are typically uneven, you’ll be concentrating so hard on where to place your feet that you won’t have a chance to get bored.

Listen to your body

Yes, training is hard. And a lot of the time, you have to push through those moments where you feel tired, achy and want to give up, otherwise you won’t make any progress. But not always. Sometimes when your body is screaming at you to stop, it’s for a good reason – a warning sign that if you carry on you’re risking injury or illness.

Ultramarathon training is (quite literally) a marathon, not a sprint. So if your body is telling you to take it easy then relax, take a few days off and catch up on your Game of Thrones box set. Your legs will thank you for it.

Figure out what you can eat

“But surely I can eat whatever I want if I’m doing this much training?” I hear you all cry. But not whilst you’re running. One of the hardest things about transitioning from half marathons or marathons to longer distances is getting your eating strategy right. It’s not so much a case of what you like to eat, but what you can eat and (as far as possible) keep down.

Obviously this is not something you want to test out on the day of your race. And if you’re not used to eating whilst you exercise, then it may take you a while to figure out what your body does and doesn’t like. This isn’t just about stuffing your face; there is a science behind it. Although you typically burn around 400-600 calories an hour whilst running, your body can only actually absorb 240 to 280 calories. So if you scoff too much, your stomach may literally reject it.

Equally whilst gels and bars may get you through a marathon, you’re going to need some ‘real’ food to keep you going for eight hours on the trails. Find out what is going to be on offer at the feed stations on your ultramarathon event and test it out during your training sessions. See what your body likes and what it doesn’t. And as a last resort carry some ginger to chew on if you’re feeling nauseous. I haven’t tested it myself (yet), but ginger is well known for helping to steady a dodgy tum.

Three tips for ultramarathon success

If all else fails, remember these three things and you should have a pretty good chance of getting to the start line of an ultramarathon, and completing it:

  • Get a lot of hours under your feet
  • Don’t get injured
  • Work out what you can eat without puking (too much).

Whoever said this ultramarathon lark was hard?

If you have any tips for training and racing ultramarathons, please share them in the comments below. Honestly, I need all the help I can get!

Why We Should All Support Paralympic Sport

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Runners at the Paralympic Games, London

Runners at the Paralympic Games, London

Living in London during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was an incredible experience. I bought and begged tickets to as many events as I was able to attend. And I will hold my hands up and admit that, until that point, I hadn’t realised how incredible and fascinating Paralympic sport is.

London 2012 was a great moment for sport – perhaps the first time that the Paralympic Games received as much support and consideration as the Olympic Games. The achievements of Olympic and Paralympic athletes were celebrated equally.

It could have been a turning point in disabled sport, but sadly this equality hasn’t been reflected in the Rio 2016 Games. The last minute cuts to support the deliver of the Olympic Games and disappointingly low ticket sales made it seem doubtful at one point that the Paralympic Games would even go ahead. Fortunately, at the last minute the funding came through and many Paralympic athletes breathed a sigh of relief.

They may have saved the Games, but the very fact that the Paralympics was almost sacrificed for the Olympics, shows that we still have some way to go in putting our disabled and non-disabled athletes on an equal platform.

Why equality in sport matters

According to Sport England, a disabled person is half as likely to play sport as a non-disabled person. There are undoubtedly many reasons for this, but psychological barriers play a huge part. Not every disabled person wants to compete in the Paralympic Games, but when it comes to equality in sport, this should be led from the top.

Consider this. A non-disabled child watches the Olympics. They dream of one day running as fast as Usain Bolt, or are inspired to build the strength and tenacity to follow in Laura Trott’s golden footsteps.

A disabled child tries to watch their favourite Paralympic event. They’re told it’s not on TV, or they only get to see a short clip of the action. A clip where they see rows and rows of empty seats. They come away thinking that however hard they train and however good they are at their sport, the world is not interested in seeing them win. And if they feel they will always be second-rate, what kind of motivation is that to get into sport?

Provide opportunities, not just lessons

So how can we encourage more disabled people to get into sport and enjoy the outdoors? Perhaps the first thing we need to do is rethink our assumptions about what a disabled person can and can’t do.

In my experience, disabled people are incredibly adaptive. Take climbing as an example: a sport which most people would assume requires four functioning limbs. In the UK alone we have Jamie Andrew, a quadruptle amputee who is an active climber and mountaineer, Kev Shields, an epileptic with a partially deformed hand who is arguably one of Scotland’s best climbers (who needs fingers to climb E7?) and a two-time World Para Climbing Champion in Fran Brown. These are just a few of the disabled people who enjoy this sport.

Sometimes people don’t need to be shown how to do something, they just need to be given the opportunity to experience it and they’ll figure it out for themselves. This is especially true for children. Part of being a child is experiencing new things and learning new skills and techniques. Encouraging all children, regardless of disability to play outdoors and try out different sports will help them grow, develop and work out where their future path lies.

So in this Paralympic year, let’s cheer on our sporting stars, demand more equality in sport and show our children that they all have the potential to become champions. And more importantly, let’s give our disabled children all the opportunities their non-disabled counterparts get. Take them outdoors. Let them try different sports and work out for themselves how they can achieve their goals.