The Running Thread - 2020

[LSUlakes]

ATTQOTD: "Eliminating a variable" seems a smart thing to do. When it comes to running and injuries, better not to take the chance. That said, I have Hokas that are a few years old without much mileage on them and I use them occasionally. They don't appear to have deteriorated, but that's an entirely subjective impression.

I had a pair of Hokas once as well. They felt like running on clouds! It was awesome. The downside is why I did not purchase another pair. Since they were so different then my previous shoes I had to ease into running in them, which was ok since I was using them to keep training for a marathon that I otherwise would not have been running at all. Second problem is I could only get half the miles on them before I could tell the support was going out on me. So that and for the price at the time, I went back to my old shoes after the marathon and some recovery time. Overall I have a positive opinion on those shoes and the brand though.

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: I always say I am going to keep better track of the mileage on my shoes and then I get lazy and don't do it, so I mostly go by feel and a general idea of how many times/distances I've ran in them. The ones I wore for my half this past weekend are definitely at the end of their life based on how my legs felt Sunday. I really should do a better job of keeping track, maybe I will add that as a goal for 2020.

 

[ANIM8R]

...I've done two runs this week or .75 miles and 2 miles and my shins are acting crazy.

That's my primary indicator (along with calves, hips, or back). My first course of action is to change the inserts (I use inserts with a strongly re-inforced heel...like Pinnacle). If my shins still hurt or even if it doesn't meet the more subjective "things just don't feel right", then it's new shoes.

I do track my mileage on my shoes. I used to run in New Balance 860s. My weight is usually 185-195 and I would get around 250 miles on a pair of NB 860 shoes. I didn't think that was very good (mileage-wise) but I overpronate and the shoes/insert combo cured my shin splints like no other combination I tried. However, I recently started in the NB Vongo and have over 370 miles on that first pair and still no problems. I bought a second pair that I now alternate with the first pair and the second pair has almost 200 miles. I also throw in Hoka1 Arahi's for my (cough-cough) "speed" work and those have almost 250 miles and still no problems (those are two years old now - with no discernible "time" effects"...and probably older than that since I bought them as clearance items / they could be three years since manufacture!).

I've had to change inserts several times in each of those shoes due to oncoming soreness but so far that has solved the problem without getting new shoes.

tl;dr At the first sign of leg or back pain (that I think is related to running), I change the inserts. If the pain is still there, I change shoes. This is regardless of mileage.

 

[KevM]

ATTQOTD: Haha. This is a good question for me because I was just trying to decide what I will be doing with a pair of shoes. I have a pair of Nike Air Zoom Pegasus. It’s part of Nike’s partnership with the NFL so it has the Eagles on it. I’m thinking of only wearing them during football season and so am trying to decide if I should only wear them again for next season and go the season beyond.

 

[FawnJD]

ATTQOD: I tend to run in a single pair until they have no running life left, based on both recorded mileage and when my shins start to get sore. Once they're shot for running, I use them as "around town" shoes just for every day. After about 4 or 5 years, they seems to be too worn out even for that, and that's when I get rid of them.

My Nike Run Club app keeps track of the miles I have on each shoe. I just retired a pair of Brooks Pure Connect2's with 401 miles on them, and I honestly feel like I could put another hundred miles on them. I've never trained in a more "minimalist" shoe before (usually only using them for racing), but I really liked this shoe. Just switched over to the Ghost 11's this past weekend to have something with a bit more cushion, and I may be paranoid, but I feel like they're messing with my knees? I'm giving them another go for a quick 2 miles tomorrow, but if I'm still uncomfortable in them, I may try to squeeze 26.2 more miles out of the Pure Connect2's...

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Guidman]

ATTQUOTD: I've two pair of Adidas's that I bought back in 2017 (I think, could've been 2016) which I finally broke a pair out this past September. I couldn't tell if they broke down at all not being used for two years but I put over 520 miles on them before retiring them.

 

[gjramsey]

Yay, glad to see the 2020 thread is up and running. Been Down Under for several weeks and not much on-line:

ATTQOTDS:

1. 2020 goals, stay health, keep on enjoying running, start training for marathon PR goal for next January
2. Usually start my runs between 4 and 4:30 am to get them complete and cleaned up and ready for heading to work by 6am. I find this works out really well for me.
3. Missing again and have the FOMO.
4. My shoes usually don't last long enough for time, except maybe my speedwork/race shoes, but those may get to be 1 year old. My trainers usually last 4-6 months (2 in rotation)

 

[LSUlakes]

Speaking of FOMO, LSU is playing for the championship game on Monday. Ticket prices for the nosebleed section are in the $850+ range currently and I've been really wanting to pull the trigger on it. My wife told me to go, but I do not want to go alone and none of my friends are dumb enough to spend that kinda $$ as well
Well today on facebook, one of my memories showed up of the last time LSU played, but it was the night before on Bourbon St. I was having such a awesome time and now I really wanna go. I can get a hotel for less than $250 or stay with the inlaws...
Anyone have tickets they need to get rid of or want to come watch LSU play Monday LOLOLOL?

 

[FawnJD]

Speaking of FOMO, LSU is playing for the championship game on Monday. Ticket prices for the nosebleed section are in the $850+ range currently and I've been really wanting to pull the trigger on it. My wife told me to go, but I do not want to go alone and none of my friends are dumb enough to spend that kinda $$ as well
Well today on facebook, one of my memories showed up of the last time LSU played, but it was the night before on Bourbon St. I was having such a awesome time and now I really wanna go. I can get a hotel for less than $250 or stay with the inlaws...
Anyone have tickets they need to get rid of or want to come watch LSU play Monday LOLOLOL?

I mean..the last time I watched LSU play in a bowl game was the Citrus Bowl in 2018, so maybe you don't want me there...( ;-) )
That said, we're rooting for you guys!

 

[FFigawi]

Speaking of FOMO, LSU is playing for the championship game on Monday. Ticket prices for the nosebleed section are in the $850+ range currently and I've been really wanting to pull the trigger on it. My wife told me to go, but I do not want to go alone and none of my friends are dumb enough to spend that kinda $$ as well
Well today on facebook, one of my memories showed up of the last time LSU played, but it was the night before on Bourbon St. I was having such a awesome time and now I really wanna go. I can get a hotel for less than $250 or stay with the inlaws...
Anyone have tickets they need to get rid of or want to come watch LSU play Monday LOLOLOL?

For that kind of money, you're better off flying to Orlando, joining us for DATW, and watching the game afterward.

 

[LSUlakes]

For that kind of money, you're better off flying to Orlando, joining us for DATW, and watching the game afterward.

I looked into that option and without a AP the math doesnt work for me on short notice. But yea, I compared to the cost to attend the game or go to WDW with my wife and Disney was a good bit more. I want to do both now lol

 

[LdyStormy76]

QOTD: So most folks go with some sort of rule on how many miles on a pair of shoes before they get a new pair. The numbers range depending on the individual. Today I wanted to ask another shoe life question. Regardless of miles on the shoes, how old would you let a pair of shoes get before you get new ones? Would you answer change if you had a certain % of miles on them plus age?

How did you know this topic has been on my mind? I have a pair of Brooks Ghost 10s that have been on duty for 17 months, but have much less mileage on them than the last 2 pair I retired after shorter time periods. They seem to be holding up okay, and since my speed and daily miles are way down I am hanging onto them for now.

Casual run around town shoes/retired running shoes tend to be tossed when my heels start hurting after being in them all day. Or when my right toe is ready to poke a hole in the mesh of the toe box.

 

[garneska]

ATTQOD: In general I wear my shoes too long. I don't do a great job of tracking mileage. When my back really starts hurting then i think about changing my shoes. Right now I am trying to remember when i started wearing these shoes. I normally start a new pair for MW and yet I am taking my current pair. Maybe i should bring back up.

I am no help.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Attqotd: last year I tried out 3 different trail shoes, a minimal(altra), trad(saucony), and a maximal(hoka, duh). I retired the altras early due to excessive bleeding from my right shoulder, right elbow, both hands and knees. My running mechanics didn’t jive with them. They are relegated to my strength training shoes.
The hokas were awesome at first. There are a lot of jagged rocks on our trails that they drive right through instead of very carefully having to pick a line, lest I attempt to take a nap on it. They collapsed in about a 150 miles under my ~250# frame. Didn’t accept it until after my trail marathon where ankles and calves were killing me.
I wanted to love a non-traditional shoe, but in the end the Saucony’s won. I’m still in them now for non-wet or snow trail runs. For the wet and snow I have the GTX version of the same shoe now.

side note-I think some of my problems with my feet and battleship calves might be a need to wear compression socks for runs over 13.1. They really seem to feel like hell. But with none planned this year, I’m not gonna but any. My ultra running farmer friend thinks it may help me too.

 

[TheHamm]

QOTD: So most folks go with some sort of rule on how many miles on a pair of shoes before they get a new pair. The numbers range depending on the individual. Today I wanted to ask another shoe life question. Regardless of miles on the shoes, how old would you let a pair of shoes get before you get new ones? Would you answer change if you had a certain % of miles on them plus age?

I have an estimate of how long I have before I need new shoes- about 300 miles with the Adrenalins, slightly more when I had NB. This is mostly for my budgeting purpose as I tend to be a hoarder/ packrat/ wearclothesfromgradschoolbecausetheyarenotwornoutyetdespitethemnotfittingandhavingmoneytobuynewones kind of girl. If I end up with uncharacteristic aches, I'm rotating in a new pair. If the pain lasts after a week with the new shoes, I will go back to the old ones, but I usually find it is the shoe. If it feels better, old ones are out. I have only had one pair just sit around unused to question the static degradation of the foam inserts etc.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

ATTQOTD: I let Garmin Connect track mileage (easy because I only have one pair in play at a time). I retire them around 325 miles so they still have a little bit of life left as knock-around shoes. 325 miles is usually around 2-3 months so I don't worry about age.

In my younger days, I just ran in them until I started to notice aches and pains and then got a new pair. That seems not healthy for my older self.

 

[Baloo in MI]

ATTQOTD(yesterday): I am sitting in the cafe at Pop waiting for my room. Back for another Dopey after taking last year off due to the injury.

ATTQOTD(today): I am a big guy so burn through shoes pretty quickly. Generally I am done with shoes between 150-250. I mostly run in Brooks Ghost, Hoka Cliftons and Hoka Speedgoats for trail running. They are all good for my frame but get beat up faster than I would like.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

ATTQOTD: I'm pretty good at tracking the miles through the Garmin. They make it easy. So I will set them to 300 miles and evaluate them for feel and wear at that point. They typically get retired in the 300-400 range, although many pairs have been retired from running after about 100 because they simply didn't feel good once they got worked in. Right now I'm trying to strengthen my feet so I'll perform better regardless of the shoe.

 

[JulieODC]

QOTD: my left hip starts acting up when I need to switch shoes - somewhere around 230-240 miles. So I go by feel, but it always sneaks up on me.

my hip has been bugging me for weeks, and I just had a realization that I was approaching 240 miles - and had a new pair emergency overnighted this week for the marathon!

 

[dis_or_dat]

ATTQOTD: I used to get 500+ miles on my old Nimbuses and only gave them up when my toes got stuck in the holes in the uppers, but I find the newer versions unbearable. Unfortunately, I haven't found good replacements. I'm lucky to get 150-250 on glycerins before I start joint pains. I really like the Pegasus, but not sure how they'd do on long runs. Strava and garmin will track miles. But I go more on feel. A trail race ate up my 4%'s and not sure if I should still use them on my next race - but they're so expensive!