The Running Thread - 2016

[michigandergirl]

ATTQOTD: I sort of track shoe mileage on a piece of paper stuffed in my desk drawer. I admit I need to do better at this and I lost track a bit after the Disney marathon, but I do know they seem to last somewhere between 350 & 400 miles. In fact, in the last couple of weeks it dawned on me that the soreness I was experiencing in my left calf was most likely because I needed new shoes. Thanks to good 'ole Amazon prime I had my new ones 2 days later, took them for a 5 mile run and the legs felt great!

 

[camaker]

A related question...Does how much I weigh matter in how quickly my shoes need replacing? I'm not big or small (5'9"+ and 153 lbs currently...I must like you all enough that I'm telling you this.) But I was up closer to 170 when I started my current pair of shoes that are nearing turnover. If I keep getting lighter will that prolong my shoe wear or does that not even matter? It feels like maybe it would matter????? Like would a 6'3" 250 lbs guy need shoe replacement sooner (this is just an odd wondering on my part.)

I can give you an overwhelming "yes, it matters"! I can't tell you what the weight threshold for it kicking in is and I suspect that the 17 pound difference you referenced is probably not enough to make a significant difference. I can tell you that at 5'10", 325lbs I was burning through shoes like there was no tomorrow just walking to start getting fit. I would actually wear the soles off of the shoes in spots. Now, at 190lbs or so, the wear has been so much reduced that I replace based on feel. I can feel the shoes not giving me enough running cushion versus wearing the soles out and they last much longer. It's an extreme example, but I hope it answers the original question.

 

[Anisum]

QOTD: How do you handle shoes for training. How do you know when your shoes are wearing out. Do you track your milage in a pair of shoes or do you do it by the way they feel?

I haven't been running that long but I just started my rotation a few months back to start working in my second pair of shoes. I track one pair on runkeeper and subtract those miles to determine the other pair. since I'm getting a garmin. I'll switch to garmin connect for the next pair. Not sure how to know when they're worn out. I still don't have problems but I'm probably closing in on retiring shoes. How will I know? Is there a specific place I should be looking for pain?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I'm 6'2 and just shy of 200 so I'm close to what you are talking about and I don't notice myself burning through shoes particularly fast. That being said my guess it's that it's probably tied to pounds per square inch of pressure that's being applied to shoe when you strike. The runners weight would have an impact on that but so would their foot strike. If the foot strike changes the area of the shoes that's coming in contact with the ground when you are running you could also increase or decrease the force per square inch being applied to the sole of the shoe.

Your mileage may vary.

The surfaces that you run on also matter. I find that my shoes wear totally differently if I run on trails vs. roads. I probably get about 100 miles less out of my shoes in the winter because all of that running is in the street (trails impassable). This is probably because of 2 things - the streets are harder, and the streets are hotter. Both would create more heat with every stride, increasing the rate at which the mid-soles break down.

At some point, speed also matters. Run fast enough and you really create friction.

 

[roxymama]

Thanks for all the responses to my odd musings. I think I am going to go home and stare at the bottoms of my shoes, etc. To see how they have worn down. I was told I have "neutral" feet when I bought them...but it will be interesting to see if they have worn down in any particular spot or not. They just feel less cushy to me but I haven't really stared at them. I don't really know what kind of striker I am...I feel like I'm a mid-foot, but maybe I need someone to video me running past so I can figure it out. I run a lot on the roads and I wouldn't call myself fast. I think I may buy a new pair sooner than later and then I can just rotate them until I feel the old pair is 100% done.
My husband wears out his regular shoes like crazy but he has flat feet and tends to always wear out the area near the big toe first. He also walks a ton more than I do during the day since he's a city commuter. I'm interested to see if his running shoes wear out differently than his walking shoes...just because it's different mechanics.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Thanks for all the responses to my odd musings. I think I am going to go home and stare at the bottoms of my shoes, etc. To see how they have worn down. I was told I have "neutral" feet when I bought them...but it will be interesting to see if they have worn down in any particular spot or not. They just feel less cushy to me but I haven't really stared at them. I don't really know what kind of striker I am...I feel like I'm a mid-foot, but maybe I need someone to video me running past so I can figure it out. I run a lot on the roads and I wouldn't call myself fast. I think I may buy a new pair sooner than later and then I can just rotate them until I feel the old pair is 100% done.
My husband wears out his regular shoes like crazy but he has flat feet and tends to always wear out the area near the big toe first. He also walks a ton more than I do during the day since he's a city commuter. I'm interested to see if his running shoes wear out differently than his walking shoes...just because it's different mechanics.

Keep in mind that the mid-sole is the layer above the outer-sole and breaks down much faster than the outer-sole. I have shoes where the outer-sole (tread) looks almost new after 300+ miles on trails, but the mid-sole is very broken down. You can see the breakdown from the side and back of the shoe, but not the bottom. Without the mid-sole support, you are running in what amounts to shoes with no support.

 

[Baloo in MI]

A related question...Does how much I weigh matter in how quickly my shoes need replacing? I'm not big or small (5'9"+ and 153 lbs currently...I must like you all enough that I'm telling you this.) But I was up closer to 170 when I started my current pair of shoes that are nearing turnover. If I keep getting lighter will that prolong my shoe wear or does that not even matter? It feels like maybe it would matter????? Like would a 6'3" 250 lbs guy need shoe replacement sooner (this is just an odd wondering on my part.)

Based on my own experience I think weight does make a difference. But I think shoe type and a good fitting helps to reduce the impact. In full disclosure I am a pretty big guy. I now weigh about 220-230. When I started getting serious about running I was topping the scales at 270. I can say that my shoes wore down faster, not in time but in miles run. I was running less than I am now (even with what I have decided to call my mid-winter slackfest) but my shoes did not last as long as they do now. I am lighter and running more.

Does that make sense? I do think shoe type is critical though and makes a difference.

 

[Diskidatheart]

ATTQOTD - I use Garmin Connect to track my shoes. I typically have two pairs of shoes in my rotation at all times and Garmin allows me to keep track of both so that I don't put too many miles on one pair. As one pair peaks out at about 350 miles, I usually have about 150 - 175 miles on the 2nd pair.

 

[PrincessV]

How will I know? Is there a specific place I should be looking for pain?

For me, I know it's probably time when pain shows up out of nowhere. I always have a couple pairs in rotation, so it's very clear when an older pair is causing pain, but the newer pair isn't. Then I know it's time to add in a new pair and ditch the oldest.

Keep in mind that the mid-sole is the layer above the outer-sole and breaks down much faster than the outer-sole. I have shoes where the outer-sole (tread) looks almost new after 300+ miles on trails, but the mid-sole is very broken down. You can see the breakdown from the side and back of the shoe, but not the bottom. Without the mid-sole support, you are running in what amounts to shoes with no support.

^THIS!!! I'm pretty light on my feet: parts of my outsoles show NO wear at all when it's time to retire because the midsole is tapped out. I can't go by how they look at all, only by feel.

 

[Miranda]

I look at the outsole wear on the part that I am hardest. I supinate, so quite often the inside to middle of my outsole looks pristine, so I look at the mid-outer part.

 

[Chaitali]

QOTD: Lets discuss safety while out for a run. If you run before sunrise or after sunset do you wear reflective clothing, lights, or anything else to make yourself noticeable? Do you have routes you avoid for your safety? If you are listening to music while running, how do you stay aware of your surroundings? If a sidewalk or running path is not available, do you run with the flow of traffic or against it? Any other concerns about safety while out running?

I don't run much in the dark either. In the Winter, I do 1 weekday evening run on the treadmill and the other on a local high school track that is lit up.

QOTD: How do you handle shoes for training. How do you know when your shoes are wearing out. Do you track your milage in a pair of shoes or do you do it by the way they feel?

ATTQOTD: I should be better at tracking my shoe milage. I usually just do it by a combination of feeling and a rough estimate based on the miles I've run over the past couple months.

I've been bad about tracking in the past but I've been using Garmin Connect to track with my current pair of shoes. I think I'll probably change them around 300 miles but we'll see what they feel like at that point.

 

[bumbershoot]

I run in all black a lot - in the winter, and during the day.

The daytime part is important there.

I have also looked into a RoadID, but have not got one of those yet either.

Get it. Fabulous not-expensive expense.

It is interesting to see everyone's perspective on how to stay visible. Interesting that no one commented about carrying mace or weapons (that I noticed). I know some women in our running club say they carry mace or a small pistol in their running belt.

If I felt that scared with my town I'd be strictly a treadmill runner.

A related question...Does how much I weigh matter in how quickly my shoes need replacing? I'm not big or small (5'9"+ and 153 lbs currently...I must like you all enough that I'm telling you this.) But I was up closer to 170 when I started my current pair of shoes that are nearing turnover. If I keep getting lighter will that prolong my shoe wear or does that not even matter? It feels like maybe it would matter????? Like would a 6'3" 250 lbs guy need shoe replacement sooner (this is just an odd wondering on my part.)

It matters when you're truly heavy. DH is over 350 and goes through shoes quickly; he has two that he rotates, and he has orthotic insoles.

At 150, or even 170, I don't think it would be noticeable.

What WAS noticed as I dropped from 220 to my low of 135 (now 150) is how my gait changed. And how much I *hate* stability shoes now. They feel like prisons for my feet now. Anything that's "more shoe" than my Nike Free 4s feels like a jail cell.

No joke, I've witnessed multiple cars redirect to come RIGHT AT ME when I'm all lit up. Now, I happen to live and run in an area heavy in retirees

They are trying to figure out what on earth you are.

The only times I've been freaked out on runs were during coyote encounters - logically I know they rarely attack humans, and they were clearly scared by me, but still... unsettling.

My brother (long-time runner) lived in an area with coyotes. They scared him far less than those domesticated "he won't bite!" off-leash dogs he ran around. Had a horrible fall once because of one of them coming right at him. Owner yelling "he's friendly!" the whole time. And then took his dog and ran away when my brother fell while trying to avoid the dog.

Brother and I grew up with Alaskan Malamutes. They are lovely, friendly, BIG dogs. And our last one? Went nutty and started biting. Friendliest dog ever, until he wasn't. We trust NO dog. (and with malamutes, the concept of off leash is the equivalent to "I don't love my dog anymore and want it to go away or be killed"...malamutes and off leash do NOT go together, and we wish all owners would treat their dogs like potential malamutes)

Coyotes, however, are pretty much just scared of us.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I look at the outsole wear on the part that I am hardest. I supinate, so quite often the inside to middle of my outsole looks pristine, so I look at the mid-outer part.

I don't have this problem, but I have a friend that does. He said that he invested in orthotic inserts and it has really extended the running life of his shoes. He no longer has irregular outer-sole wear patterns, and the inserts can be used in more than one pair of shoes.

 

[cavepig]

I'm trying to track my shoes this go round in Excel (I alternate 2 pairs right now) just to get an idea of how many miles I get . Seems I know I'm ready for a new pair when new pain starts or basically it's been 6 months and I finally look at the bottoms and they are worn out. I have a 3rd pair I'm just getting a little walking in to break them in just to have ready to go as I'll be switching from Nimbus 16s to 17s and they are a little different. I know some people say you shouldn't have to break in shoes, but I have to. They need to get stretched out for my ogre feet. I have arch supports in though that seem to not wear out as fast...I don't always put new ones of those in with a new pair of shoe. I guess I just go by feel and how the shoe looks versus actual miles. The inside heel starts to get holes too as they are really worn out.

 

[cavepig]

and the inserts can be used in more than one pair of shoes.

I reuse my inserts in shoes too, glad to hear others do too.

 

[Dis5150]

@LSUlakes I just got all caught up reading this thread and realized I never submitted my races.

3/6/16 Little Rock Half Marathon 2:55(hoping!)
4/2/16 Capital City Classic 10k
4/9/16 Thin Mint Sprint 5k
4/30/16 Crawfish Crawl 10k
5/15/16 Diva Half Marathon (Branson)
6/5/16 The Navy 10 Nautical Miler (11.8061 miles)

There are more but that's all I can think of right now. Thanks!

 

[gjramsey]

The daytime part is important there.

If I felt that scared with my town I'd be strictly a treadmill runner.

I agree with that! I have never had any concerns on the trails we run where they are carrying. Mace I can somewhat understand, if you are trying to scare wildlife. There are enough skunks on some of the neighborhood trails we have in our area, but most of the time, they just stare at you and make some Perry the Platypus chittering sounds at you as you run by.

 

[roxymama]

There are enough skunks on some of the neighborhood trails we have in our area, but most of the time, they just stare at you and make some Perry the Platypus chittering sounds at you as you run by.

I love this description. I have nothing of value to add, I just wanted to let you know.

 

[LSUlakes]

Since the search for a new house has been killing my running time, thought Id update. Went into the weekend with 3 houses we wanted to look at and possibly make offers on this week, once we put ours for sale officially. 2 of the 3 are now off the market. The process has been very frustrating thus far and has only just begun. Going for my makeup long run tonight on the TM 10-12 miles. Sounds about as much fun as only having one option left...

@LSUlakes I just got all caught up reading this thread and realized I never submitted my races.

3/6/16 Little Rock Half Marathon 2:55(hoping!)
4/2/16 Capital City Classic 10k
4/9/16 Thin Mint Sprint 5k
4/30/16 Crawfish Crawl 10k
5/15/16 Diva Half Marathon (Branson)
6/5/16 The Navy 10 Nautical Miler (11.8061 miles)

There are more but that's all I can think of right now. Thanks!

Ill add them to the list soon. Just wanted to point out I will be at the Navy 10 miler and how are the crawfish in your part of the world?

 

[preciouspups]

I'm joining this thread. Now that Princess is over, I'm feeling a little lost. The only race I have scheduled is the Color Run which should really be called the Color Stroll. I've decided to start the Galloway 10k training all over again. Just hoping to improve on my speed and endurance.