This episode covers how the local running community can protect the Kentucky trails they love. First, Meredith McKinney from ASICS breaks down the latest tech in the Cumulus 28 and the highly anticipated Superblast 3, while explaining how ASICS is integrating recycled materials and carbon-tracking into their manufacturing.

Then, Chrissie Balding from Lexington’s Sustainability Section introduces Common Threads Lex and their upcoming free screening of Microplastic Madness. She discusses the reality of plastic pollution in Kentucky’s waterways and offers practical ideas for runners looking to reduce their environmental footprint.

Kentucky Running is produced by John's Run/Walk Shop in Lexington, Kentucky, and sponsored by Currex insoles.

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0:00) You're listening to Kentucky Running presented by John's Run Walkshop in Lexington. Help others (0:06) find this show by rating, reviewing, and subscribing your podcast app. This episode (0:11) is sponsored by Keurex Insoles.

Hey runners, thanks for tuning in to another episode of (0:17) Kentucky Running. My name is Matt Reno and we've got another environmentally focused episode for (0:23) you today in our Reforest Frenzy 5k, 10k, 1 mile dash. That's happening on March 21st.

Sign up at (0:30) the link in the show notes. It is once again sponsored by Asics. They have been an amazing (0:35) sponsor for this race and we're happy to have them back and we're happy to have Meredith McKinney, (0:41) our Asics tech rep, back on the show to talk about some updates to popular shoes.

We've got the (0:48) Cumulus 28 and the Super Blast 3. So we're going to learn all about those right now. Meredith, (0:54) great to have you back on the show. Thanks Matt, thanks for having me.

I'm excited to talk about (0:57) the new updates. Okay, so let's start with the Cumulus 28. Cumulus 28, big update, is the midsole (1:04) foam.

So it's moving to that Flite Foam Blast Max. That is a soft, more responsive foam. It's found in (1:12) a fan favorite, the Nova Blast.

We have a couple Asics demos coming up this coming week, (1:35) March 18th, we'll be at our Hamburg location at 6pm. And then on March 19th, we'll be at the Chevy (1:42) Chase store demoing the Cumulus 28. So you can try that out yourself as well as the GT 2000.

(1:49) We'll even have raffles, you may win a pair of Asics. So check our events calendar for more. Now (1:54) Meredith, let's talk about the Super Blast 3. What is going on with this shoe? Super Blast 3, (1:59) really exciting shoe, exciting update here.

Another big update to the midsole foam. So (2:05) Super Blast 3 has a dual foam. And with the update, we have moved to our Flite Foam Leap.

(2:10) So our Flite Foam Leap is in our carbon plated racing shoes. This is our lightest, softest, (2:15) bounciest foam. And then there also is a layer of our Flite Foam Blast Plus, which is in our, (2:22) some of our core models like Nimbus.

So the dual foam helps for durability. This is a shoe oriented (2:28) for long distance running, you know, long run specific, or if you want a racing shoe without (2:34) a plate, Super Blast 3 is a great half marathon or full marathon shoe. The two other updates are (2:40) a weight reduction.

So even with a little increase in stack height, the shoe has decreased in weight (2:46) around 10 grams. And then the trampoline pod, which sits in the forefoot of the shoe has an even (2:52) bouncier toe off experience. So Super Blast 3 all around really great updates, versatile shoe (2:58) for those looking for daily trainer hybrid with some racing feel to it.

(3:03) And the Super Blast is not the only Blast from ASICs we have on our walls. So can you kind of (3:09) break down some of the differences between the Super Blast and the Mega Blast, Sonic Blast, (3:14) Nova Blast? Yes, yes, we have a whole Blast family now, four shoes in the category. So (3:19) Nova Blast, you can think of your cushioned comfort, bouncy daily trainer.

So great to log (3:26) maybe some of your easier miles or maybe throw it in some of your shorter, speedier workouts. (3:32) Versatile in its use for the price point. And then moving up the line, we move to Sonic Blast.

(3:37) So that is our PBX plated daily training shoe. Very speedy, very snappy, tad bit firmer than (3:45) Nova Blast. So if you're kind of looking for a level up or you're trying to introduce a plated (3:51) shoe, the Sonic Blast is a great option.

That PBX plate is much more flexible than a carbon. (3:56) So a good intro to the plated world. Then we move into Super Blast, which I've kind of went (4:02) through the specs a little bit, but Super Blast is your long run shoe, long distance training, (4:07) oriented, very lightweight, very bouncy, still supportive with that dual foam and kind of a nice (4:14) wide base.

It's going to be a more supportive super trainer falling in that category. To round (4:19) us out is our Mega Blast that follows suit with Super Blast. It's lightweight, bouncy, (4:24) but it's much softer.

So kind of depending on your preference of feel between a super and a mega, (4:30) that'd be kind of a key differentiator. And Mega Blast, you can think of as your recovery shoe, (4:35) something that maybe you want to throw in some shorter racing days. It's still very performance (4:39) oriented, but again, a bit softer, not quite as supportive as the Super Blast.

(4:44) All right, great. Thank you for all those updates. And one more thing before we go, (4:49) Asics is again sponsoring the Reforest Frenzy, which is raising money for reforest the bluegrass, (4:55) just trying to make the bluegrass a little more green.

Can you tell us about some of (4:59) Asics sustainability efforts? Coming up soon here in April, (5:03) we put on our own run for reforestation where you can sign up to run or walk a 5k. And for every (5:13) person that signs up for that, we will help plant some trees. So that's something that we do every (5:16) year.

That's exciting and something that everyone can participate in at home. And then in terms of (5:22) other sustainability initiatives, in terms of our carbon emissions, that's something that we measure (5:27) now in production of our shoes. Carbon emissions kind of starts from the beginning of the life (5:32) cycle of shoe to the end.

So we are doing things like utilizing recycled materials in our processes, (5:38) utilizing some processes that help reduce water, like our dope dyed sock liners, (5:43) and then our midsoles containing some recycled bio-based materials as well. Also just providing (5:49) education. So customers get the most out of their shoes with kind of like wear and then how to (5:55) dispose of or recycle their shoes appropriately at the end of the life cycle.

Reforest Frenzy (6:01) happening March 21st at Heisel Farm Park. We'll put a link in the show notes where you can sign (6:06) up for that. Meredith, thank you very much.

Yep, thanks for having me. Today on Kentucky Running, (6:11) we're talking about how we can protect the places where we run and walk. Joining us once again (6:16) is Chrissy Balding, environmental initiative specialist for Lexington's sustainability section.

(6:21) Chrissy, welcome back to Kentucky Running. Hey, nice to see you. Yeah, good to see you.

So on (6:26) March 24th, that's a Tuesday, Kentucky Theater, there's going to be a free screening of a movie (6:32) called Microplastic Madness. And this is the inaugural event for the new Common Threads Lex (6:38) partnership. And it's all about how we can turn plastic madness into community action.

Can you (6:45) tell us a little bit more about this event and what Common Threads Lex is all about? Yeah, we're (6:50) super excited. Common Threads Lex is a group consisting of our sustainability office, Fayette (6:57) County Public Schools, sustainability, and the University of Kentucky. You know, we all have the (7:03) same goals is to have not only a healthier and greener Lexington, but just a world going forward, (7:11) and making sure that not just us, but future generations have that as well.

So we've been (7:16) brainstorming what kind of events that we could do that would incorporate all of our different (7:21) audiences. So this is the kickoff. As you said, it's Tuesday, March 24.

The film is totally free, (7:28) it starts at 7pm. It's a short documentary, just a little bit more than an hour. And we're going to (7:33) have a panel discussion afterwards with a UK researcher, someone from the Sierra Club, who's (7:39) on their Zero Waste team, as well as a Paul Laurence Dunbar sophomore.

Why this film out of (7:47) all the environmental documentaries out there? Why did you choose microplastic madness to kick (7:53) off the Common Threads Lex partnership? We looked at a few different documentaries and topics. (8:00) And microplastics, it's, I'm sure it's something that all your listeners have heard about. If you (8:05) think about a plastic water bottle, in a perfect world, somebody would recycle that.

But if they (8:11) don't, if it ends up on the ground, slowly over time, that just breaks into smaller and smaller (8:16) pieces of plastic. We call it a microplastic when it's about five millimeters or less. So it's almost (8:22) like plastic dust, you can't even really see it.

But it is a problem that affects all of us. And (8:27) we're really starting to learn how. So that can end up in our waterways, this event is going to (8:34) fall during Water Week, it can end up in our food, they've been found in human bodies, including in (8:40) our brains.

Kind of terrifying, actually. I guess microplastics is something we all need to pay (8:45) a little bit more attention to. You said this event is part of Water Week.

So why should the (8:51) health of Lexington's waterways be a top priority for everybody, including the local running (8:56) community? Well, we all engage with our local waterways. Some, for some people, it's more (9:01) recreationally. Whether you go out canoeing or kayaking or fishing, our waterways affect our (9:08) health.

And we want to make sure that we have clean water and that our waterways are nice and litter (9:17) free. So if your kids want to go run around in the creek, they can. So back to the film, Microplastic (9:23) Madness, the film follows fifth graders who became citizen scientists.

Do you think seeing the crisis (9:30) through a child's eyes is going to make the solution feel maybe a little bit more achievable (9:35) for adults? I think so. It is as optimistic a take as you can have on microplastics. And (9:43) it was really interesting to watch the way that these students, you know, learned about the (9:48) problem and it was happening right outside their school and got involved, then worked with (9:54) different adults to try to make a difference.

I think it can be kind of overwhelming if you're thinking about like, (10:30) oh, how, how can I make a difference? Right. But there are little things that everyone can do. And (10:36) you really see that through the journey that these scholars take.

I think that's going to hammer home the message for people that (11:01) we can't do everything, but we can all do something. Absolutely. There is a famous quote, (11:07) I believe by Lily Tomlin that I referenced quite often.

Kentucky theater doors will open at six o'clock. And that first hour, we know, (11:29) you know, some people like to get there early to pick out their seat and make sure they get (11:33) their popcorn and everything. During that time, there will be some time to chat and network with (11:39) different local environmental groups about what they're doing and how you can get involved.

Anything that you can bring to help somebody along their plastic free journey, (12:09) or even if you don't bring something, you're welcome to take something (12:12) to kind of make that easy change. That sounds great. And getting back to a more specific (12:18) runner focused message, what message do you want to convey to runners regarding (12:23) their hydration products or other ways that they can reduce their plastic usage? (12:28) An easy way is just to focus on maybe switching things one at a time, or like when you run out (12:34) of something.

I know you (12:52) guys have the shoe recycling program, which is awesome. I actually have a pair in my car right (12:56) now that I need to bring by. Think about where things end up.

But think about whether there's a (13:19) no shirt option or some other like no prize option and you just want to run the race for fun. You (13:25) don't have to get more stuff. Just think about that.

So think about do I really (13:40) need that? That's good. And what are the other two? Rethink and repair. And even with reduce, (13:46) reuse, recycle, that's the order it should be in.

And getting back to, I know you guys have (13:56) the race coming up on the 21st. It's, oh, it, Heysel is an amazing place in Lexington. I think (14:02) we're so lucky to have it.

We've got multiple distances. It's a beautiful race at a beautiful (14:27) location. And one of the cool things is that you get to take a tree.

(14:44) So you know that they're going to do well in our environment. Primarily this year, (14:48) we're going to have shade and understory trees. Some of the varietals will include (14:53) swamp white oak, sycamore, and serviceberry.

And that raises (15:12) money to help plant trees the following month at Reforest the Bluegrass. Back to Common Threads (15:18) Lex. We're kicking it off with this event, this screening of Microplastic Madness.

But we're just gonna get through this one and see what ideas people have, how it (15:57) goes. This is really, we want to bring everyone into the conversation. Sounds really exciting.

And Chrissy, what's the vibe that you're hoping for when those doors open? (16:18) Just people excited to learn a little bit more and find out how they can get involved and they (16:26) can make a difference. A lot of times when we talk about environmental things, it can be (16:32) a little doom and gloom. But that's not what we're going for.

So what is it that gives you hope and optimism to (16:53) keep pushing forward? Just seeing the small wins. We're really excited to bring this here. It's (16:58) something that we've been meeting internally and planning for about 18 months.

They're just tuned out of all (17:14) that. But seeing them take the initiative to kind of step up and lead. Great.

Okay. And where can (17:31) people go to get their tickets? LexingtonKY.gov slash sustainability. One more question before we (17:38) go.

Love it. It's (17:57) nice because it's so accessible. It's only a 15 minute drive.

I ran down there last weekend at Cave Run. It's just (18:13) breathtaking. Nice.

Yeah. It has a little bit of everything. Chrissy, we will see (18:23) you on March 24th at the Kentucky Theater for Microplastic Madness.