My running journey started back in the middle of May 2024. At this point I had recently just finished my diet, losing around 10-11 stone in 16 months. One of the driving factors behind that was my love of hiking. So at the start of 2024 I decided I wanted to start mountaineering and as part of that I decided to take up running as a way to improve my cardiovascular fitness.
I started by running a 5km loop around where I live, going as fast as I could, wearing a basic pair of gym shoes. My first 5km took me around 38 minutes and that was putting in all my effort. Then after a couple months of constant running and actually enjoying it, I decided to get my first pair of proper running shoes. A pair of Asics Gel-Kayano 31. Which definitely had an impact on my running. Whether from the better shoes or just the mental boost, I quickly improved my time.
After running in these exclusivly for the next few months, I decided I would get a second pair of shoes, originally the Asics Novablast 4. However by the time I would go and order them, Asics had announced the release of the Novablast 5. So I decided to wait and pick them up.
Initial Reaction
Once I got my shoes at the start of December, I was eager to try them out. So for my first run of that week I decided to go and test them on my local 10km route. As soon as I put them on, I noticed how comfortable, light and bouncy they felt. Even after running around 600km in my Gel-Kayano's, I could instantly feel the comfort and cushion of the Novablast 5s. Then walking to my start point, the bounce and responsiveness of the FF Blast Max foam really stood out. This was my first time experiencing a shoe like this and I was instantly impressed and hadn't even ran yet.
Shoe Responsiveness
As mentioned above this was my first time running in a shoe that could pick up the pace. And this FF Blast Max foam sure was responsive. As soon as I had put my foot down, it felt like the shoe was instantly snapping my foot back up, ready to take another step. To which I accepted and pushed myself to just keep running, not forcing myself to run my fastest, but also not holding back. Just listening to my body and taking each step as it came.
The Results
Little did I know, this little 10km just to test out the shoes would lead to me getting a bunch of personal bests. The feeling of the shoes mixed with the mental boost of having better and new gear, resulted in me getting a PR for the 2 mile, 5km and 10km. It also led me to falling in love with the Novablast 5s. I'm definitely glad I waited and picked them up.
If your looking for a new pair of running shoes, I would highly recommend the Novablast 5. They are a great shoe for anyone looking for that pair of shoes they can use as their everyday run, but also want a shoe where they can pick up the pace.
