The Running Thread - 2016

[roxymama]

Wait a minute. Are you saying 35 isn't still young? There are those of us with larger digits in the tens place that would like to still believe they are young.

I was a dancer and a college athlete...so I think of my age like dog years. I just times my age by 7 and that's about right. Haha
Also - 35 is still young...just not young enough to stay up until 2am and run the next morning...sigh.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Yesterday's ATTQOTD: I haven't run a marathon yet so I will answer with my half times, the first/slowest was 3:17:48 and the second/fastest was 2:57:17. The goal, as of now, for my first marathon is to just finish.

Today's ATTQOTD: I alternate between 2 pairs of shoes and on race day I usually just stay with the rotation and wear the pair that was up next.

 

[camaker]

QOTD: Today we will discuss shoes. Do you have a pair of trainers and a racing shoe? Do you train with your racing shoes, if so what type of workouts do you do? Do you have a pair of shoes you only use for short distance races versus longer races or training runs? If you have a pair of racing flats, what kind and what do you think about them?

I try to keep it pretty simple. I have two pairs of Brooks Glycerins at a time that I use for both training and racing. I'm not as good as I should be with the rotation during training, but when I'm running challenges at Disney, I rotate the pairs so that one is "resting up" while I'm racing in the other.

 

[roxymama]

I look forward to reading the answers to today's QOTD! I only have 1 pair of running shoes at a time. I run in Saucony Guides and they seem to work really well for me. I change them out for another pair of Guides at the 6 month mark. But I've read that it's better for your body to rotate between shoes. It works your muscles differently, etc. So I might look into getting a different type of shoe to rotate. Anyone have experience with this?

Instead of answering the QOTD I will just say point up to @Chaitali 's response. My one pair have been Brooks Ghosts (7's & then 9's)...in hunt for a second pair of something different & maybe lighter. Like the Nike Air zoom elite whatever-they're-called.

 

[cburnett11]

QOTD: Today we will discuss shoes. Do you have a pair of trainers and a racing shoe? Do you train with your racing shoes, if so what type of workouts do you do? Do you have a pair of shoes you only use for short distance races versus longer races or training runs? If you have a pair of racing flats, what kind and what do you think about them?

I train exclusively in Brooks Launch 2 now. I rotate 2 pair. I have an extra pair ready to be rotated in, but after that I'll probably have to go to the Launch 3 unless I buy more of the 2's on clearance. I also liked the original Launch and had 2 pair of those. I bought 1 pair of Saucony Kinvaras and REALLY wanted to like them. I tried running in them twice and got a heel blister and decided they weren't for me. I may give them another go someday, because they seem like the perfect shoe... but the Brooks Launch series might be the perfect shoe FOR ME.

I actually own 2 pair of racing flats. Ironically they are Saucony brand and fit perfectly (unlike the Kinvaras did). One pair is the Saucony Grid Type A5. They have a 4mm drop and weigh very little. They are extremely comfortable. I bought them a few years back to wear for a 5k... then I tried them in a 10k... then a 10-miler... then for a couple of my half marathons. I never had issues with them. Now when a longer race is over, you probably feel more beat up than if you were wearing something more substantial.

Well the A5 flats felt good enough in the past that I actually decided to wear them in my first and only marathon (January 2016 WDW). I actually had no perceivable issue with them the whole race. However, as soon as I crossed the finish line I felt like garbage, and my feet/legs were the biggest part of that. I'm sure that is all part of the marathon, but I gotta think that essentially wearing "ballet slippers" didn't help my cause. LOL. Looking back, wearing racing flats in a marathon (for me) was probably a pretty silly mistake. I won't be doing that again. No blisters or anything like that, but I'm not really someone that should be wearing flats in a marathon. I also have a pair of Saucony Fastwitch 7s that I've worn in a couple road races. They are nice too.

For my Chicago Marathon I'll most likely be wearing a low mileage pair of my Brooks Launch 2 trainers. I don't need any extra fatigue building up on my lower half just because I feel faster/cooler in the flats.

 

[FFigawi]

Ah, the shoe question. I train most of the time in Asics Kayanos, but do have a pair of NB Minimus and Vibrams for shorter runs too. If I'm racing a half or shorter, I use a pair of Brooks racing flats. If I'm racing anything longer than a half or running for fun, any distance, I wear my Kayanos. The racing flats haven't seen much use recently though because all of my recents races have been fulls or ultras, and I'm thinking it might be time to retire and donate them.

 

[opusone]

I know there was some talk about watches a while back but I was looking at the Prime deals today on Amazon and saw the Forerunner 225 is $175, does anyone have that watch?

I have the 225 and love it. The only tricky part is that you do need for the watch strap to be a little snug for the optical HR monitor to work at all times. If I have it even slightly loose, it sometimes picks up cadence instead of HR.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

ATTQOTD: I've got 4 in rotation at the moment: Adidas Adios 3, Asics LyteRacer RS 4, NB 1400v4, Adidas Boston 5

I know what you're thinking... these are all flats. What are you doing. Well, after all my research, I am convinced 'support' shoes are physically incapable of doing what they say given the enormous forces being applied. I've also focused heavily in getting my running dominated by my hips, glutes, and hamstrings, and off of my quads. So far, it's worked as advertised for me. My ankles aren't stiff anymore in the morning and my calves have stayed nice and loose. So until I test these out at 15+ miles, I'm pretty happy with them.

Now for the shoes themselves. The Adios and LyteRacer's are my favorites right now. I ran a great half at Dark Side in the Adios, and I am thoroughly impressed with the Boost midsole, even in a shoe like this that has less of it. If I need to go up to a more robust shoe for longer distances, this is where I will start. The Adios also has the best forefoot room of any non-Altra shoe I have put on. The Asics LyteRacer's are also terrific for me, and are a very close second. Good shape for me, and a solid, quick feel. I can see myself knocking out a half in these easy. (Only at runningwarehouse.com. Japanese shoe.)

The NB 1400s are good, but a bit of a disappointment. The soles are great, but there's something wrong with the upper for me. It hasn't caused blisters, but my right pinky toe feels completely jammed. (This is an old problem I've had since I was a kid with tennis shoes.) I can handle it, as I don't notice it much after warming up, but it is a limiting factor. The Boston's are close to the Adios, with a little more material in the shoe, but just too narrow. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be running in these at all.

I've been through a lot of shoes since I started 19 months ago: Asics Gel-Nimubs (super comfy, toooo soft for running!), Brooks PureFlow (ok) and Saucony Kinvara (eh) when I was transitioning to Altras, then a few of those... But then switched to the list above after an Achilles problem that is almost gone now.

Main thing for me? Room in the forefoot (No idea why this is so hard. I have somewhat narrow feet, too.), and a sole with the right balance of cushion and response. I do wish most brands weren't so darned ugly, though.

 

[PrincessV]

ATTQOTD: You have no idea what I can do with this topic, lololol! My ongoing search for the Holy Grail of shoes is the stuff of legends. I can truly wear almost anything for up to 10 miles, but the wheels come off at double digits; my struggle has been trying to find the perfect marathon shoe. I won't go through the whole ridiculous saga, though - I'll stick to the questions posed

Do you have a pair of trainers and a racing shoe? Not really - I do generally have shoes I prefer for short runs vs. long runs, though. And I always prefer new, low-mileage shoes for racing; I like them to feel snappy!

Do you have a pair of shoes you only use for short distance races versus longer races or training runs? Yep - so far, my Newton Gravitys start bothering me past about 10-12 miles, so I've been reserving them for half-marathon or shorter distances, and Newton is my go-to for speedwork. But I'm really loving the feel and extra cushion of my Newton Kismets, so I may try taking them on longer runs. I could not find a shoe that wasn't torture past 15 miles while marathon training last year, so I wound up falling back on an old (but low-mileage) pair of Brooks Ghost 7s that I'd been using for theme park walking. They got me through my first full, so I bought a 2nd pair... and the 2nd pair has been nothing but disappointment. Tried the Asics GT-2000 4 and thought I'd found My Shoe... only to wind up with debilitating Achilles pain from them after a half. Planning for next January, the search has begun in earnest... again. ~sigh~

Current line-up: Newton Kismet (yay!), Asics DS Trainer 20 (not bad up to 6 miles), Asics GT-2000 4 (ouch!), Brooks Launch 2 (yay! for short distance, not sure I can go long in it), Newton Gravity III (yay! but needs to be retired), Brooks Ghost 7 (retired with grace.)

I train exclusively in Brooks Launch 2 now. I rotate 2 pair. I have an extra pair ready to be rotated in, but after that I'll probably have to go to the Launch 3 unless I buy more of the 2's on clearance. I also liked the original Launch and had 2 pair of those. I bought 1 pair of Saucony Kinvaras and REALLY wanted to like them. I tried running in them twice and got a heel blister and decided they weren't for me. I may give them another go someday, because they seem like the perfect shoe... but the Brooks Launch series might be the perfect shoe FOR ME.

Ooo, interesting stuff here! I, too, tried the Kinvara and wanted so much for it to work, but the shape of Saucony's shoes just don't seem to match the shape of my feet. I have the Launch 2 and mostly loved it at first, but it got a little spongy and seemed to lose its pep... but in a fit of shoe frustration I pulled them back out the other night and had a great run in them. So maybe? IDK...

Well, after all my research, I am convinced 'support' shoes are physically incapable of doing what they say given the enormous forces being applied. I've also focused heavily in getting my running dominated by my hips, glutes, and hamstrings, and off of my quads. So far, it's worked as advertised for me. My ankles aren't stiff anymore in the morning and my calves have stayed nice and loose. So until I test these out at 15+ miles, I'm pretty happy with them.

This is exactly where I fall, too. The more stability features in a shoe, the more muscle soreness I get. I've tried some stability shoes (on running store expert recommendation) that actually caused me to overpronate to the point of causing pain, but I was totally fine in a low-stability shoe. BUT going past about 13 miles in my less support-y shoes just kills my feet, and where I do need a little extra support is in the ankle collar, thanks to an old injury.

 

[huggybuff]

ATTQOTD: I'm in a pair of Karhu Stable Fulcrums. I happened upon them during an Active.com sale. I'm liking them much better than my previous shoe, the Newton Kismet, which consistently gave me a heel blister. But the Newtons were much prettier.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Well the A5 flats felt good enough in the past that I actually decided to wear them in my first and only marathon (January 2016 WDW). I actually had no perceivable issue with them the whole race. However, as soon as I crossed the finish line I felt like garbage, and my feet/legs were the biggest part of that. I'm sure that is all part of the marathon, but I gotta think that essentially wearing "ballet slippers" didn't help my cause. LOL. Looking back, wearing racing flats in a marathon (for me) was probably a pretty silly mistake. I won't be doing that again. No blisters or anything like that, but I'm not really someone that should be wearing flats in a marathon.

I have considered flats for the marathon but opted to stick with my Kinvaras. From what I was able to gather it seems like the cut off time for flats/no flats is right around 3 hours. Everyone is different I'm sure.

 

[michigandergirl]

ATTQOTD: I have 2 or 3 pairs in rotation for training/racing. It's the same shoe, Asics Cumulus 16 or 17. I've been wearing this shoe for almost two years without any injury, so I don't dare switch things up now!

 

[baxter24]

ATTQOTD: I only have one pair of running shoes that I use at a time. I have had very good luck with Brooks the past two years. When I first got into running, I based the shoes that I ran with on what was the cheapest price. It took me awhile to learn that I needed a support shoe but things have been so much better since I wised up!

Thanks for the info about the Forerunner @MommaoffherRocker! You made my day seeing that price as I was hoping to get this watch.

 

[croach]

ATTQOTD: I run in Asics Nimbus for all my running. Would like to try some lighter shoes like OnCloud but not sure about the drop stuff so sticking with what I know.

Article that popped up on Twitter seemed timely:

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-sho...Advanced_TWITTER_Runner’s World__RunningShoes

 

[surfde22]

QOTD: Today we will discuss shoes. Do you have a pair of trainers and a racing shoe? Do you train with your racing shoes, if so what type of workouts do you do? Do you have a pair of shoes you only use for short distance races versus longer races or training runs? If you have a pair of racing flats, what kind and what do you think about them?

I currently have 5 pairs of shoes, though not all are in rotation at this time. I am alternating between 2 pairs of Adidas SuperNova Glide 7s at the moment. They should last me to early-mid fall and as they start getting close to end of life I will be bringing in my Saucony Triumph ISO 2s. I would transition to them know as they fit a little better, but I'm having no serious issues with my Adidas and I'm hellbent on getting my full use out of them. I will pick up another pair or two of the Sauconys and maybe a pair of Brooks Glycerine 13 as I was fitted for them as well. I have purchased race specific or flats yet because I'm still new and want to make sure I am going to stick with running long term, as well as figure out what distance I prefer, before committing any more money than I already have.

ETA: There's a pair of Nike something or other's in there as well. I use them mostly during the winter for wetter/more treacherous conditions.

 

[dmross]

(@roxymama )

I always listen to this when I run... I like to think if I run hard and long enough... I'll either run into the Doctor or travel in time

(not all 10 hours though I just found this one and posted it because it had the cool "time travel vortex" hahahaha)

Ahh, but WHICH doctor would you most like to run into?

QOTD: Today we will discuss shoes. Do you have a pair of trainers and a racing shoe? Do you train with your racing shoes, if so what type of workouts do you do? Do you have a pair of shoes you only use for short distance races versus longer races or training runs? If you have a pair of racing flats, what kind and what do you think about them?

ATTQOTD: I currently have two pairs of shoes. My primary shoe is the Saucony Kinvara 7. I really like this shoe. Out of the shoes I have ran with, I find its decently priced and I can get a lot of mile out of it (+375 Which is a lot for me). I use this shoe for nearly all my training runs. It weighs in at 7.7oz. My other pair is Asics Gel Lyte 33 3, I use this shoe as my "race" shoe. I ran WDW marathon in them I am can say that the shoe was not meant to be on for nearly 4 hours. It weighs in at 7.1oz, which doesn't seem like much, but maybe mentally it makes a difference. I will use these shoes for some of my speed work, but my feet/legs feel beat up after running hard with them when compared to my other pair. I find I do get better runs in with them, but again this may all be mental... I have found the Asics aren't holding up very well, but still offer some support. Both pairs are over 300 miles, so they are nearing the end of being used as a running shoe. I do not have a pair of racing flats, but I am doing some research on them at this time.

ATTQOTD: I wear one pair, then get another one; about every 6 months. I race and train in the same shoe. I'm in the Guide or the Ride (both pretty similar.) I tried the Kinvara and loved it, but had to add 4 mm wedges to offset the drop since it was lower than I was used to in the others. I may try a 4 mm shoe again since my form is slowly changing over time.

I guess my running shoe theory is equal to my golf club theory: there are only certain levels of athletes where the club is going to make a significant difference in performance, so as long as it fits and I can swing well I'm using the right club. Interested to hear if anyone has had a big change in performance by switching shoes at my level of experience.

 

[Dis5150]

ATTQOTD: I only have one pair of shoes that I run in, both for training and races. They are Brooks Transcend 3. Started out my running life in Nike Free 5.0's and ended up with Achilles tendonitis so now they are just my everyday shoes. The Transcend 3's just came out in January so I'm hoping for some sale prices later this year. I'm up to around 230 miles on them so I need to think about getting replacements soon, before I get serious about my marathon training.

 

[cburnett11]

I have considered flats for the marathon but opted to stick with my Kinvaras. From what I was able to gather it seems like the cut off time for flats/no flats is right around 3 hours. Everyone is different I'm sure.

I had seen similar information. I ended up going with the flats because they were the only shoes I had ever raced in (except I did one winter 5k in some training shoes that had more traction because there was some ice/snow on the course) during my 3 years of road races. I was pretty confident I wouldn't get blisters, so I could rule that out. But I underestimated what 26+ miles would feel like on my feet/legs after the race.

 

[Miranda]

ATTQOTD: Like @PrincessV my shoe search history is long and complicated. But to answer the original question, I only have one model of shoe that I do all my running in, races and training. I do currently have 2 pairs of that model (Altra Olympus) in rotation depending on what color I feel like wearing. I have one unboxed pair to add to the lineup at some point. I bought 4 pairs of them on super sale about a year ago.

I don't believe that I would really see any benefit to having different types of shoes for races/speed work vs other runs... I feel like that's the kind of thing people much faster than me need to worry about? I don't know though.

I have been thinking of getting another different brand pair, but I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of vain and I want my shoes to look cute, and I have a women's wide foot which limits options because most manufacturers offer limited offerings in a D width. If I wanted to wear men's shoes, I'd be fine, since D is a men's regular width, but I don't. I have tried Brooks Glycerin and New Balance 1080. I feel like maybe I could give the Brooks a chance again, those were at least 5-6 year ago Glycerins. The NB 1080 were not cushioned enough, which is too bad, because NB has more width options than anyone else. I tried Asics Gel Nimbus because I wanted more cushion, but then I found them to be way too squishy for running, but I love them for walking. That's when I ended up in the Altra Olympus. I had wanted a pair of the Paradigms (the road version), but the new models were out and full price while the Olympus (technically the trail version, but I read a lot of reviews that said they were good on the road too) were due for a model update and the previous ones were on super sale. I ended up really liking the cushion on them. They have a big stack height, almost like a Hoka, but the cushion is very firm. Oh right! I also tried a pair of Hoka Bondis in between the NB and the Asics, but those never made it outside the house before being returned. They were way too narrow and I felt like I was going to twist my ankle every time I took a step between the narrowness and the stack height.

Some shoes I'm looking at possibly trying are the Saucony Triumph and Hoka Claytons. The Hokas still don't come in a D width, but I've seen some mention that they are wider than the other models, so it might work. I don't know if I'd like Hokas though if the cushioning is really soft.

 

[Miranda]

I got an alert today that the price on the Scosche Rhythm+ armband HRM dropped from $79.95 to $69.95, so I was like, ok screw it, time to get a HRM. I know I can just get a chest strap, but I think I'd be uncomfortable wearing the chest strap.