The Running Thread -- 2022

[xjillianpaige]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

 

[jmasgat]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

I am mostly "shoe-insensitive", by which I mean that other than running in a neutral cushion shoe (I have no pronation issues or support issues to deal with thankfully), I can't tell/don't notice differences in shoes. I also am in a pair of Ghost 14's. I started wearing them when I got pissed at Nike for how it treated their female athletes, and decided to give up my long time Pegasus. I am currently alternating them with a Mizuno Wave Rider 25. I only alternate shoes beccause at some point I thought I'd give it a try and see if I noticed a difference.....I have never noticed anything.

I wear the same shoes regardless of distance and pacing. I have run everything from 5k to marathon in my same shoes. Maybe I could get some marginal benefit from doing things differently--but, for me, I really doubt it. For me shoes are sort of like wine--I can tell a really vile wine from a decent wine, but beyond that the quality/nuance/terroir/etc are lost on me.

 

[GreatLakes]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

I have to identical pairs of my main training and longer (>10K) racing shoe. The only difference is the color. I use the primary for most runs and the secondary if my primary are still wet from a previous day or every few weeks just to keep them broken in. For me these are Saucony Kinvara 11s.

I then have a racing flat for 10Ks and shorter but I never train in them.

I have some trail shoes that I don't rotate but use for different purposes. I have Saucony Peregrines for this and one is the regular model and one the ST for muddy trails.

Lastly because the Kinvara's have basically no treat I have On Couldflows that I use in the winter when there is a lot of snow on the ground so I have some grip.

In your case I'd find a replacement for the Ghost 14s while you still have one working shoe and once you determine that is the right shoe for you buy up a few pairs. The exact number will depend on how quickly you go through them.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

I think this was a QOTD a couple of months ago and the general consensus was to find a shoe that works well for you and use that. Racing flats or stuff like alphaflys or next% were not training shoes, so not really applicable for your situation.

I would keep an eye on the variance in drop on your shoes if you end up in something different, or if you try using a few different shoes for different things since that's something that can cause injury because it changes how your calves load (or something like that.)

 

[Naomeri]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

I’m currently rotating between 2 pairs of ASICS Gel-Venture 8s, a pair of Gel-Venture 7s (which are my favorite, and sadly close to the end of their running life) and a pair of ASICS Trail Scout 2 (least favorite and only used on short runs) I’m trying to find some different brands to add in so I have a wider selection to choose from when shopping. I found a pair of Saucony that I think are going to work out, and I’m testing a pair of Brooks after work today.

Other than avoiding the least favorite pair for long runs, I don’t have a philosophy on which shoes are used for what, I just try to use each pair once a week so they get semi-equal wear.

 

[Kerry1957]

I rotate two pairs of road shoes and two pairs of trail shoes. I use the newer for races and the older for training. When one hits 300 miles I buy a new pair; rinse and repeat. I'm currently using Hoka Challenger ATRs for the trail and Hoka Cliftons for the road. Since I do almost all my training on the trails, the Cliftons last a long time.

 

[azrivest]

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe

I like to rotate different shoes. Helps me to avoid injury by working different muscles and not always running with the same exact footstrike.

I have a few higher cushioned shoes for long-run, different pairs of daily trainers, two pairs of tempo/race shoes and two pairs of speed shoes.

 

[Bree]

I rotate between Launch and Ghost. Sometimes I just want a lighter weight shoe, but I personally don’t like Launch for more than 10ish miles. The bottoms of my feet start to hurt. I’m in the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” camp.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

Previous answer

Short of it - I rotate between Next%, Ride, and Endrophin Pro depending on the type of run. The Next%, while expensive, is getting me nearly 1000 miles before they completely die on me (race ready for about the first 50-100 miles or so). The Rides tend to get me about 250-350 miles. Don't know yet on my first pair of Endorphin Pros.

 

[camaker]

Hey! I have a relatively urgent shoe question.

I’ve been running on/alternating between two pairs of brooks ghost 14s. I mostly like them but feel like they can lose cushion faster than I want them to.

One of these pairs is done (hit mileage and my coach said they’re caput). The other one is probably not long for this world but will do fine on my shorter runs for a little bit.

I’d like to get 2 new pairs of shoes (and then get a 3rd when my currently-fine shoe dies). I’m going to get fitted. But I’m curious to hear what people rotate for shoes/what purpose your shoes play.

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

Thoughts?

ETA: slight urgency because I have time today or tomorrow to get fitted before this weekend where I have 4 miles on Saturday and 14 on Sunday.

I have what I charitably call "Princess Feet". They're very finicky and I have a very hard time finding a shoe model that feels comfortable and works well with them. That pretty much rules me out of the "rotate different shoe types" club. My compromise is to rotate between two pairs of the shoe I'm currently comfortable in (Brooks Ghost right now). I will throw a wrinkle into the rotation when a new version comes out, though. I'll typically get a pair of the new version and put it into rotation to "audition" the changes made in the new version. Right now I'm rotating between a pair of Ghost 13s and Ghost 14s.

 

[Naomeri]

"Princess Feet"

I like that phrase! Finding new shoes is the absolute worst.

 

[striker1064]

I was thinking I want a good long run shoe that gets once a week usage, a good maintenance run shoe for shorter runs (3-6 miles) to be used 2-3 times a week, and then maybe a track shoe/race shoe/speed shoe.

If Brooks fit for you, I'd probably stick with that. The Ghost can cover both long run and maintenance runs; alternatively, the Glycerin (non-GTS) has more cushion than the Ghost and is a good option for maintenance runs. The Launch is Brooks' tempo/speed shoe, but it does run small/narrow.

If you wanted to branch out to other brands, the Saucony Ride is closest to the Ghost; the Saucony Kinvara is a lighter shoe. And, the Saucony Endorphin Speed is a well-liked speed and race shoe (but also runs narrow).

The Ghost is such a staple shoe that you have a lot of options, but also its Brooks' flagship shoe so it likely won't change much year-to-year. If it works for you, sticking with it for everything isn't the worst idea.

 

[avondale]

I am mostly "shoe-insensitive", by which I mean that other than running in a neutral cushion shoe (I have no pronation issues or support issues to deal with thankfully), I can't tell/don't notice differences in shoes. I also am in a pair of Ghost 14's. I started wearing them when I got pissed at Nike for how it treated their female athletes, and decided to give up my long time Pegasus. I am currently alternating them with a Mizuno Wave Rider 25. I only alternate shoes beccause at some point I thought I'd give it a try and see if I noticed a difference.....I have never noticed anything.

I wear the same shoes regardless of distance and pacing. I have run everything from 5k to marathon in my same shoes. Maybe I could get some marginal benefit from doing things differently--but, for me, I really doubt it. For me shoes are sort of like wine--I can tell a really vile wine from a decent wine, but beyond that the quality/nuance/terroir/etc are lost on me.

I like this wine analogy and feel that I'm very similar.

I have wide feet, so that's really my biggest consideration for shoes - if they squeeze my feet, it's an issue. But otherwise, I'm similarly "shoe insensitive".

I have found that the wide sizes in Brooks are good for me, so I have one pair of road shoes (Adrenalines) and one pair of trail shoes (Cascadias).

I wear them until they hit 400 miles. Why 400 miles? Well, my Garmin suggested that, and I went with it. I do usually find that the shoes are starting to get "tired" by then, especially the trail shoes. When I'm getting close to 400 miles, I get a new pair to be waiting and just change over when I retire the old ones. I've never felt like I had to break in a pair of shoes.

I've gone through a number of model numbers of these two kinds of shoes, and even when people exclaim "it's such a big difference between X and X+1", I usually can't tell except in appearance.

Speaking of appearance...so annoying that shoe companies, including Brooks, seem to think that women who wear wide width shoes don't like colorful shoes. We get many fewer color choices and they are almost always black, white, gray, and maybe one other color. Blah.

 

[jrsharp21]

If you are an Asics shoe fan, check ebay. The Asics store on ebay is having a pretty good blow out on last years models. I picked up a pair of Gel Excite 9 this week for $60. The Excite 9, in my opinion, is the best fitting pair since the Excite 6. Pretty good deals on other models. Since I already have two pair of Nova Blast stashed away for MW, trying to refrain from buying anymore. It is very tempting though.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Do you have any running mantras?

I run after work since that's better for me. I'm usually mentally ready for longer runs after work as needed, but can get lazy on the shorter ones. When that happens, I like to tell myself that I'm actually on mile 22 or 23 of the marathon and can't stop now. When the real mile 22 actually came, I then told myself that I had practiced for this moment every time I went for the run when I didn't want to.

In race, I like to quote Rhino the Hamster from Bolt frequently or modify his statements to fit running. His manic energy and insanity always makes me laugh and that proves extremely beneficial.

Let it begin! Let it begin! Let it begin!
I eat the wall for breakfast.
Each mile I run is now the single greatest mile of my life.

And perhaps his best one:

100% that fat cat’s fault. I have 2. They get blamed for everything around our house!

My sister always used to get mad at me when I pointed out that the dog had hidden something I was looking for from me. Strangely enough, she never realized that I also always noted that the dog told me where he hid item in question.

 

[dis_or_dat]

@xjillianpaige I've noticed I can't get as much mileage out of my Brooks as other brands, but unfortunately it's the one I use as my daily shoe (Glycerin, I like the cushioning!). If I have tempo/speed, I'll wear a more responsive shoe like the Pegasus. Race day I use the fancy carbon plated ones like Next%. Let the salesperson know the shoe you're using and why (eg wide toe box, cushioning) and hopefully they'll steer you in the right direction. Good luck on your run today!

Running mantra: Come on girl, you can do it!

 

[camaker]

Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record of 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon this morning. His 5k split was 14:14 and he was at 59:50 at the midpoint. Wow!

 

[HangWithMerida]

I watched a stream of the race this morning as I had coffee and breakfast. He looks so smooth as he runs a 4:37 mile for 2 hours! So crazy!! Then he jogs around with the flag at the finish line like it was NBD. The women’s winner was a surprise and I love seeing someone turn in such a great performance.

 

[flav]

Another watch question, TIA

A year ago, DD decided that she wanted to get herself (with her hard work money) a watch to help with her pacing and so she would not have to run with her phone in her hands to do so. She bought an Apple Watch SE NRC and that worked well until a few weeks ago. Apple recommended to reset to factory settings and it was ok.

With that watch, she did improve tremendously her 5k time in the last year. But, at her last race, her watch completely misled her. During the race it was giving her erroneous paces and after the finish line she was crying looking at her time until I told her her real time which was 33 seconds faster than what her watch was telling her.

As a mom, I don’t want indulge a kid by buying a new watch and as a kid she doesn’t want a new watch.

As a coach, I insist that she gets the proper tool for her level. When we debriefed the race later that day, I asked her to look at me in the eye and tell me that it was not the watch, with the wrong feedback it gave and the distraction it provoked, that robbed her of her A-goal. She just stayed silent.

I will be rereading this thread for watch suggestions but to focus on DD specific needs would appreciate your ideas keeping the following in mind.

Requirements:

• Fits on small delicate girl wrist
• Fast GPS locking.
• Extremely precise reading. That is probably multiple GPS locks with excellent data correction if building or trees around.
• Something an Elite runner would trust to get reliable feedback on a 5000m.

Nice to have:

• Must look good on a teenager girl
• Can give pace intervals
• Can warn if outside of pace zone
• Can track triathlon
• Could be used for trail running
• Has good battery life
• Can be loaded into NRC and/or Strava

Right now I am thinking Garmin Forunner 255 or Coros Apex 42mm but I am not sure if those will be good enough in the mid to long term. I know that the Coros doesn’t work with NRC.

 

[jpeterson]

Another watch question, TIA

A year ago, DD decided that she wanted to get herself (with her hard work money) a watch to help with her pacing and so she would not have to run with her phone in her hands to do so. She bought an Apple Watch SE NRC and that worked well until a few weeks ago. Apple recommended to reset to factory settings and it was ok.

With that watch, she did improve tremendously her 5k time in the last year. But, at her last race, her watch completely misled her. During the race it was giving her erroneous paces and after the finish line she was crying looking at her time until I told her her real time which was 33 seconds faster than what her watch was telling her.

As a mom, I don’t want indulge a kid by buying a new watch and as a kid she doesn’t want a new watch.

As a coach, I insist that she gets the proper tool for her level. When we debriefed the race later that day, I asked her to look at me in the eye and tell me that it was not the watch, with the wrong feedback it gave and the distraction it provoked, that robbed her of her A-goal. She just stayed silent.

I will be rereading this thread for watch suggestions but to focus on DD specific needs would appreciate your ideas keeping the following in mind.

Requirements:

• Fits on small delicate girl wrist
• Fast GPS locking.
• Extremely precise reading. That is probably multiple GPS locks with excellent data correction if building or trees around.
• Something an Elite runner would trust to get reliable feedback on a 5000m.

Nice to have:

• Must look good on a teenager girl
• Can give pace intervals
• Can warn if outside of pace zone
• Can track triathlon
• Could be used for trail running
• Has good battery life
• Can be loaded into NRC and/or Strava

Right now I am thinking Garmin Forunner 255 or Coros Apex 42mm but I am not sure if those will be good enough in the mid to long term. I know that the Coros doesn’t work with NRC.

I'm surprised the Apple Watch misled her by so much. The newer iterations have pretty rock solid GPS, but I'm not sure where the SE fits into that line up.

Personally I would either go with the Garmin or a newer Apple watch (non-SE). Coros is probably a good watch, but I know that Garmin and Apple will have a ton of integrations with every fitness platform out there.

I have a Garmin and an Apple Watch and I love them both for different reasons. If you just want a fitness watch, I think Garmin is still the market leader, but Apple has recently started catching up.