The Running Thread --2025

[avondale]

So after getting back from SS these were available locally in my chosen color way and I pulled the trigger

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When I first got them I went for a quick run and loved them. They seemed to perform about the same as my Pro 4s but were softer and bouncier. Hard to describe just how soft, that’s the same every video review says. The upper is an odd almost 3D printed looking material but is extremely comfortable, like a favorite slipper for me. I will say without a doubt these are the most fun shoes I’ve ever run in, they just make me smile with the bouncy feel. Fast forward to this morning when I decided it’s been a bit since I’ve tried for a new magic mile, same as always I go a slow 2 then all out, then recover on the same loop I usually run. A few years ago my best was 6:38 in near perfect conditions, earlier this year I was able to hit 6:28.
This morning with a T&D of 140 - a new PR!!

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Took me a minute to recover on this one but that was for my HR instead of my legs or feet, they were quite happy the entire run. Hoping to run a local marathon in them this month, just waiting until it’s close enough to see the weather and hoping it doesn’t sell out, usually doesn’t. I’m fairly sure I’ll be happy in them for 26.2 but it will be nice to know before any ‘A’ races.

Great mile split!

I am really out of what is "in" for current running shoes, because those almost look like platform shoes to me!

 

[Dopey 2020]

Great mile split!

I am really out of what is "in" for current running shoes, because those almost look like platform shoes to me!

Ha, they are indeed a high stack height, 39.5mm/31.5mm just under max 40 - whatever rule from some higher up power when it comes to organized running events.

 

[Naomeri]

It still counts as winning when there's no one else competing, right? I won best "dress as your favorite flower" costume at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's Bud Break 5K, but no one else really tried. I got a pretty chrysanthemum bouquet. I failed, once again, to beat my time on this course (and in fact got my worst time ever) but it's a particularly nasty course as far as elevation goes, with a bunch of steep hills, including one right at the end of mile 3.

I was right on pace at 12:08 for the first mile, despite some technical glitches with my intervals (the app decided that it doesn't like 30/30 r/w, but 30/35 is fine ) but then the wheels fell off and I was at 13:17 for the other 2 miles because of all the uphills.

 

[Disney at Heart]

Great mile split!

I am really out of what is "in" for current running shoes, because those almost look like platform shoes to me!

I’m suddenly seeing of Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss running the marathon, in full costume/ makeup, of course.

 

[SheHulk]

Whew Broad Street was humid and I went for the go for broke/go up in flames strategy... It did not end well for me. Still it's always a fun time! Given the rainy forecast (which did not come to pass), I opted out of the all-white Leia outfit. Lots of May the 4th signs and a few Star Wars shirts out on the course though. Now to try to get more serious about strength training this summer.

 

[marty3d]

Whew Broad Street was humid and I went for the go for broke/go up in flames strategy... It did not end well for me. Still it's always a fun time! Given the rainy forecast (which did not come to pass), I opted out of the all-white Leia outfit. Lots of May the 4th signs and a few Star Wars shirts out on the course though. Now to try to get more serious about strength training this summer.

Oh no! I hope you still had a good time! The humidity was unexpected.

My primary goal for this race was to get a B POT for Marathon Weekend - I ended up with 1:34:31- so just made it with about 30 seconds to spare. I had trained to break 1:30 and while I hit 5 miles at the right pace - with the humidity I just didn't have another gear - by 7.5 miles I decided to focus solely on getting my POT so I'm really happy with the end result. This also means I can run my local half marathon in 3 weeks for fun rather than trying for a POT (after failing 3 years in a row for my B POT). This last part isn't that impressive as this is only my second 10 Miler after the 2012 TOT 10-miler (which was 80 degrees and 90% humidity) but I set a new 10 miler PR by over 30 minutes

For anyone looking for a POT for the Marathon, I highly recommend Broad Street. I've never run a race that was downhill for the majority of the distance. Thanks @Novatrix for suggesting this race! I plan to be back in 2027 to get a new POT - and maybe try for A corral?

 

[jmasgat]

Does it qualify as a race dream if it solely involves being late to a Hurricane Hannah's meetup? Somehow I was riding around on random not-real Disney transportation and ended up at some weird version of POR and it was 3pm and I realized I was never going to get to HH.

And I am not racing anything in the near future, so what gives?

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: This may have been recently discussed but here we go again if so. Summer time is just around the corner! As we all know, staying hydrated is important during these warmer months. I want to know, what kind of set up do you have for a hydration set up?

ATTQOTD: I currently have a fuel belt that I can attach 2-4 little water bottles to and it has small pouch to put my key or GU in. The problem is it does not stay as tight as I would like. I was very surprised by the lack of belts on the market now and how vest seem to be the new thing. Being the old fast I am becoming I do not like change and now will have to search the interwebs to find my old school running gear I seek.

 

[Herding_Cats]

attqotd:
I have:
-2 nathan belts (different pocket styles because I was having trouble with my phone fitting in the one, and I needed to spend $10 more dollars to get free shipping from sierra)
-a nathan vest (that I haven't used in 2 years but will be hauling back out this summer)
-the "put a water bottle against a sign post that I'll run past multiple times" method.

The last one is the one I use the most because I hate carrying things in my hands, I don't like the tops on the nathan bottles, and wearing a vest for a 1hr run seems like overkill. Plus then I don't have to deal with the weird plastic-y taste of water in the hydration belt bottles/bladder.

 

[nancipants]

ATTQOTD: I have a Nathan handheld water bottle that I use for all of my runs. It's to the point now where I feel weird if I'm running and NOT carrying it. Plus, I drink a lot of water.

I also recently got a Flipbelt at the Springtime Surprise expo purposely to carry all my "stuff" and extra fuel for the marathon. I will probably get one of the Flipbelt bottles to carry some extra hydration on long runs, so I can go longer without having to stop to refill.

 

[camaker]

QOTD: This may have been recently discussed but here we go again if so. Summer time is just around the corner! As we all know, staying hydrated is important during these warmer months. I want to know, what kind of set up do you have for a hydration set up?

ATTQOTD: I've shifted almost exclusively to Ultraspire for my hydration solutions these days. For shorter runs, I use an Ultraspire Synaptic waist belt with a single 500 mL bottle. For mid-distance to not too long runs (most), I use an Ultraspire Speedgoat waist belt with two 500 mL bottles. The belts are very comfortable and don't shift or spin on me at all. As an added bonus, Ultraspire has a separate front panel that you can get that will hold one of their waist lights for nighttime running. If I need a lot of extra hydration, I've got one of their race vests (can't remember the model) that has two soft flasks in the chest pockets and can accommodate a 2-3 L bladder in the back.

 

[Naomeri]

ATTQOTD: I have a magnetic pouch that holds a 7oz water bottle, and I like it a lot better than my Nathan handheld. I liked the pouch so well that I got 2 more kinds from the same brand to hold other random things I might need during longer runs or races. I wear them at the small of my back and I pretty much don't even notice them.

 

[The Expert]

ATTQOTD: I can't stand carrying anything or bottles sloshing around, so if I'm doing an outside run and MUST have hydration, I'll plan a loop so I can leave something at my house or my car. I have never tried a hydration vest as I overheat easily, but might pick one up this summer to try out on the trails.

 

[RuntheMouse]

ATTQOTD: I have a Nathan handheld that I carry on runs over 5 miles. I always have Liquid IV mixed at 50% in it, I sweat a lot. There is also a park I run by about 1.75 miles in that I can hit the water fountain coming and going on my longer runs.

 

[SheHulk]

ATTQOTD: I can't stand carrying anything or bottles sloshing around, so if I'm doing an outside run and MUST have hydration, I'll plan a loop so I can leave something at my house or my car. I have never tried a hydration vest as I overheat easily, but might pick one up this summer to try out on the trails.

100% the same. If I'm running anything longer than 45 minutes, I drive to a park that has options of about a 2-mile, 3-mile, or 4-mile loop and I leave my drink at my car. I bought a handheld last year, and I use it when I can't get to my loop, but I really don't like it and avoid using it whenever possible.

 

[sandam1]

Being the old fast I am becoming I do not like change and now will have to search the interwebs to find my old school running gear I seek.

This sounds like me! I have an older Nathan belt that I love. When I broke one of the bottle holders, I wound up buying another belt off of eBay to scavenge the piece from. I've since found out that the bottle holder has a design flaw that makes it prone to breaking so I periodically look to see if I can find another one cheap.

Side note: The belt that I have has a strap to hold the bottles in which the new Nathan belts don't have and which is why I'm loath to just get a new belt.

I don't like the tops on the nathan bottles,

Have you tried the race caps? They were a game changer for me.

https://www.nathansports.com/collections/hydration/products/race-caps-3-pack?variant=20448651608152

I will probably get one of the Flipbelt bottles to carry some extra hydration on long runs, so I can go longer without having to stop to refill.

I love my Flipbelt bottle! And I don't even own a belt. I got talked into in at one of the runDisney Expos and it is perfect to be able to slide into the pocket in my running shorts. I use it as either extra hydration or on the short runs when I don't want to mess with my belt.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Attqotd I don’t carry much, I’ll have some water before a run and quite a bit after but rarely carry any for less than 10 miles. On longer, hotter runs I have an Ultraspire belt with a single 500ml bottle at the recommendation of @camaker. It is extremely comfortable with little to no sloshing

 

[Zutroy]

ATQOD: I used a Nathan hydration vest for years, but mainly for my longer long runs. I don’t like wearing a vest, it can get hot, and it’s overkill for a lot of my runs.

Last December I bought a Naked running belt and it’s been a game changer. I have a 500ml soft flask that I can tuck into the belt, and it does not move or bounce at all. The belt has three sections for storage (two in front, one in the back) and a bib holder. The belt itself if very breathable, and provided you get the right size, very comfortable. The key is to follow the ordering instructions “DO NOT USE YOUR PANT SIZE.” You have to actually measure your waist to get a correct fit, because your clothes lie to you. I wore it for this year’s marathon carrying two 500ml flasks and a bunch of gels, and it worked flawlessly.

The only downside is that there are yellow tabs you pull to open up the pockets, and they are close to the bib holder strings. During the marathon I accidentally pulled off the sliding squeeze bracket that secures the bib to the belt, and my hands were too cold to get it back on. This was around mile 11, so I had to run the rest of the marathon tucking a corner of the bib into my belt. I found the key is to knot the cord after you attach the bib.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Have you tried the race caps? They were a game changer for me.

https://www.nathansports.com/collections/hydration/products/race-caps-3-pack?variant=20448651608152

I have not! I only have the push tops and while I appreciate that they don't leak, I hate how hard I have to squeeze the bottle to get water to come out.

 

[sandam1]

I have not! I only have the push tops and while I appreciate that they don't leak, I hate how hard I have to squeeze the bottle to get water to come out.

Definitely try them! I can sip from the bottle just by tipping it, but they also don't leak (at least not for me).