It's pretty much 3.5 miles? Weird distance (but good work)! The vagaries of why we just go faster some days are really beyond me...
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
I have had the same. Some days feel really good and running lightly and like the wind - then see I have a slow time. Other days I feel shit, and as though I am wading through treacle with aching legs, and find I have a superfast time!!Originally Posted by Dave E
The marathon training slog continues for me…
12 miles today, 6 easy and 6 at marathon pace (I have no idea what that is!) but we settled at 8 min pace and it wasn’t horrendous. 14 next week, but all at easy pace thankfully
AF3 arrived today. Definitely not for me!
Went to return them and popped into adidas and found a pair of these Pro 3 sitting there on sale at a healthy discount! Really liked them when I tried them on, felt surprisingly stable. Not a fan of the colour but maybe it will grow on me! Will give them a go and see how I get on. Not a bad price too compared to any other running shoes out there.
Just shows how personal this shoe thing is! I bought my first AF3 back in March but since then had only done one 10k run in them. Used them in my long run today and pleased to report no discomfort in the feet. The less intrusive arch support compared to the original AF helps. Did close to 33km in them this morning. Plan said intervals with no recoveries in the last 40 mins (ouch!) and they allowed me to pick up the pace so late in the workout. Keeping them out of sight until my marathon now.
Somewhat tempted to try a pair of carbon plated shoes. But I’ve read they’re only good for about 100 miles. And at £200-£300 a pop, that’s not cheap. I don’t know how much time they’d save over say a 5km run, but I suspect I could save more than that by dropping a few kg :). I know they’re also easier in the legs so recovery would be shorter.
I’ve used ASICS cumulus for the last 8-10 years and have been very happy with them.
Absolutely...and maybe I spoke too soon. I did notice some amount of heel slip during the first run, so yesterday I laced them up to the top hole and slightly tighter...ended up with a blister on the arch of my foot. I think next time I will revert to standard lacing.
Got hold of some Kayano 31 and went out in those today. Wow, so comfortable and felt like home...however I was 2.5 mins slower over the same 5.5k vs. the two previous days running in the Pro 3...I will stick to Kayano most days now as pace not really a consideration at the moment, but keep the Pro 3 for the odd run here and there. Also wore some Balega Blister Resist socks, which are very good for anyone interested.
I think I have proved to myself that these so called super shoes are defiitely quicker, I didn't realise they make so much difference.
I recommend giving them a go but as everyone has been telling me - they are not everday shoes and your trusty Asics will probably serve you best as an everyday runner. I got the Pro 3 for £107 which I thought was a reasonable amount to invest in the experiment. In fact, cheaper than the ASICS!
May be somewhere between 100 and 200 miles for racing, depending on the shoe but I don't throw away my race shoes after I retire them from racing. I find them still ok for training so put a lot of training mileage on them after that.
I wouldn't put a 2.5 min difference over 5.5 km purely down to shoes. Over a half marathon, may be. Probably some other factors involved too? Every day is different.
Yes I agree definitely will be other factors. It was raining today so that didn’t help. My Oura ring told me my readiness was better today than the last two days so if that’s anything to go by it could be the rain to some extent. Temperature was similar as was humidity. Wind was less today than yesterday. They’re definitely feeling faster. Will go again tomorrow in the Kayano and see how I get on. I think the stretch that was slightly elevated was where I really slowed down today and the shoes felt heavy which they are.
By the way my 5k time at the moment is just over 30 so a couple of mins either way happens quite easily. Whereas with yourself a 2 mins swing is probably a much bigger percentage! Then there is of course the good old placebo impact.
Thanks guys - I’ll have a look at them for race shoes and stick with the ASICS for everyday stuff. They’ve done a good job of everything over the years I think, rather than being specialised in one area. Also, I hadn’t thought of the carbon ones being used as training shoes once they have given up their best, but it makes sense :)
I use mine for speed work (intervals and tempo type stuff) after their best days are over. Also sometimes for those really long runs that include some faster blocks like marathon pace efforts.
The £100 shoes will be worth zero when you’re done with them. The £250 shoes will be worth £100 to someone on eBay when you’re done with them.
So the real price difference is less than you might imagine, if you can accept the hassle of selling on eBay
I dont do running but wear running shoes casually with shorts in the summer and find this site amazingly detailed when comparing shoes. I need a roomy, wide shoe and it’s great for finding shoes that fit my plates.
https://runrepeat.com/catalog/running-shoes
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Nearly there, 3 more runs to go including today. First week was really tough in August due to the heatwave at the time and me only being able to go out at lunchtime...came across someone who said to me why are you running in this weather - that is suicidal! Obviously they didn't know I had just made a deal with myself to run daily in August!
Generally, I have been going slow and steady and just focussing on getting out there. PR last Saturday and I pushed a bit and it was my best result in about four years, still not fast, but fast enough for me! Everyday runs, I have stayed mainly in HR zone 2-3. Really enjoyed it, except a few days when I was on holiday with the family, very difficult to get up and run!
Now I need to head over to the weight loss thread - combining the jogging with some dietary tweaks would be ideal.
^^ Good man, it's tough to not skip a day!
A mate of mine did the "10k a day in May" challenge last year and it was very tough
Well done! Hope you completed the last 3 days too.
Obviously listen to your own body w.r.t. conditions etc. but I would ignore anyone else questioning why you're running in heat or whatever. Especially non-runners - they won't understand. And it can be done, as long as you keep it sensible. I ran 10 of the 11 days (just took my regular rest day) when we were on holiday back in July, including a 21k and 25k runs at a relatively decent pace. Far hotter than it will ever be in London. I am obsessed with not skipping anything in the plan when marathon training. Although it would be a fair question "is it really a holiday if you're waking up at 4am and 5am to do your long runs?". My excuse was that we had activity-filled days ahead on both occasions so had to get those runs out of the way early.
That's pretty hardcore.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
So not content with deleting all the course records from their own page, parkrun HQ have now forced the independent 5K app to do the same. FFS.
Been wondering if I have one more half marathon in me for a while, decided the other day there's only one way to find out, so have entered the Reading half next year.
The challenge is not so much the fitness, but keeping injury free!
Done a bit of running this year, but it has tailed off recently, but have managed just about to keep it going enough, tonight did a 5k half road/trail run and all good.
I'll probably do some of the training on a treadmill, I know the purists hate it, but it has always worked for me in the past over the winter, and keeps the impact down too.
I'm mainly a cyclist, so hopefully a couple of runs a week will do.
Fingers crossed still running next March!
And then given them back? I'm not entirely sure what's going on.
Yes, weird, they seem to be back. Thanks for the heads up!
I’ve started running again after giving it up many years ago due to Achilles Tendonitis. I live half a minute away from the Union Canal and for the last fortnight or so I’ve been rolling out of bed at 6am or so and running a little more each day. I don’t even bother timing the runs. For the last week or so I’ve been running for 22 to 23 minutes at a time. I’m enjoying it. No discomfort from the Achilles Tendonitis, either.
As for footwear, during a trip to the US back in 2009 I bought a couple of pairs of New Balance stability running shoes. They’ve been unworn and in storage until I fancied giving running another try. They seem fit for purpose.
Just got re hit with the running bug again recently after many many years ... Was always into my cycling but recently started to interchange the cycling with some running ... just to switch things up a bit.
Really enjoy it but do find even with a fair bit of pre run stretching , muscles do still ache and occasionally cramp after a run.
Haven't ran for ages (cyclist here) and I'm meant to be doing a swim/cycle duathlon in the Lakesman next year but seeing if I can change to cycle/run. Reason is I have a knackered rotator cuff in my right shoulder, which is making swimming training really difficult. Going to start running a bit in preparation, if I can't swap over then I'll just have to put up with the shoulder😬
I took part in a Triathlon relay team last year .. i did the cycling bit ... This year (tomorrow in fact) i'm doing the relay again but this time i'm doing the cycle and the run ... should be funI refuse to do the swimming part as its too cold and there are better swimmers than me
I normally do the Lakesman Triathlon as part of a team and also do the cycling part. My sister, who normally does the swim, isn't doing it next year but you can also do duathlons so I've gone for that.I took part in a Triathlon relay team last year .. i did the cycling bit ... This year (tomorrow in fact) i'm doing the relay again but this time i'm doing the cycle and the run ... should be fun
Let me know how you get on, I'm going to find it strange going from nearly 3hrs on the bike straight into a half marathon!
My wife does the swim part thankfully .. she loves it ... the cycle to run transition is going to be tough but hey .. thats why we set ourselves goals :)
My part of the even tomorrow is just a 40km cycle followed by a 10km run so not too bad in the grand scheme of things
40km into 10km is still a great achievement👍
Northampton half marathon today, my second ever. I’m full of a cold so happy to get round in 1:57.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Been wanting to do more trail running but live in a city where there'd be ~10k round trip on roads to/from any trails... any good recommendations for shoes that can handle both terrains? Find it tough on the tarmac in my trail shoes! Ta
Started my training for the Lakesman duathlon I'm doing next year (90km cycle then half marathon run). Haven't ran in years as I'm a normally a cyclist.......forgot how hard it was🤣
Long way to go (baby steps for now) but race isn't until June 25 so just need to keep training.
I know what you mean, I've got an old pair of Nike trail shows, that feel like running in breezeblocks on roads. I bought a pair of these: https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/fujis...1B888-751.html
No cheap, but handle trails well, and decent enough on hard surfaces if you're doing a mixed run.
You need to look for an approach shoe, something that is designed for some road leading up to the trail. They are a bit of a compromise as the lugs aren’t as severe as a pure trail but way better than road shoes.
I got a pair of these which are very good.
https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/...xoC8McQAvD_BwE
First Park Run today with the wife, great to do something like this together as normally I'm a cyclist which she's not fan of.
Official time was 26:04 which I'm quite pleased with as I haven't done a massive amount of running of late, albeit I have started to get going again.
My pacing strategy got blown to bits as the last k was slightly up hill which was not what was required! Was hoping to push on a bit.
Great event, well organised and fab volunteers and nice to do something a bit different. Will definitely do more!
Anyway, a lot of work to do before I can do four and a little bit times this distance at the Reading half!
Well done to everyone out over the weekend!
My marathon block peaked yesterday with 22 miles, legs (remarkably) aren’t too bad today, a light jog later will help. Hopefully the work is mostly done for Dublin in a few weeks
Good luck for Dublin!
I ran Berlin today. Familiar story for me, battling calf cramps for the last 10k. Could only avoid popping them completely by “actively managing my pace” i.e. slowing down considerably every time the horrible signals came - and there were too many of them. Killed any chance of hitting my 3:25 target, or beating my PB, or even getting sub 3:30. Finished in 3:32:41 which is my second best. Disappointed after 5th consecutive PB attempt failed thanks to cramps in 4 and sickness in 1 marathon. Despite training with so much discipline, every time. It’s a cruel distance - too many variables have to align for success.
Still, one positive is managing to avoid the total disaster of full-on cramps that immobilise me or force walking for long distances.
3:32 is motoring! Well done!
I had a half notion of 3:30 as a goal but being honest with myself, 3:40 is more within reach.
Thanks but it’s 3 mins slower than my PB from 2 years ago (same course, similar weather). Given how much more I have trained and “feel” fitter than 2 years ago, it was disappointing not to hit my 3:25 target or even get a PB. Although I’m pleased I was able to continue running rather than resort to prolonged walk breaks due to cramps. Happened so many times to me that I think I am becoming an expert at judging the slower pace that is just below the tipping point :)
IIRC your shorter races were eye-watering fast, weren’t they?
Not sure if I’d say eye-watering, my 10k is 41.30 IIRC, 1.34 for HM, but this full distance is a different animal entirely. Managed my 22 miles at 8.10 pace so not miles of a 3.30, but (huge but) 22 miles is not 26.2 !!
Right so those are eye-watering fast times in my book. My marathon PB is 3:29:50 and I have 3 others in the 3:22-3:23 region and another one around 3:39. However, the fastest HM I’ve managed is 1:39:17 and 10k @ 45:13. Having said that, I have never trained for any distance other than marathon and all shorter races were always run while marathon training. So typically a lot more weekly mileage in the legs than would be if I wasn’t training for a marathon, I’d imagine. Still I wouldn’t expect a huge improvement in my shorter distance races.
Attempted my first 100k last month.
Not really sure what happened but I was fine for the first 30/35k then the wheels feel off.
Next 15 were very stop start to the 50...the next 20 year basically reducing me to walking/ snuffling.
Dnf at about 70k.
Disappointed, was in a lot of pain for the next week or so, not put the trainers on since.
Will drag myself out for a 5k this weekend, blow the cobwebs off
Fair play to you for even attempting it!
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Thank you.
To be honest I am struggling with the decision, whatever I did would be wrong...if I quit I could have been able to struggle on, if I carried on and I hurt myself I should have quit.
The long distances have had a pin firmly put in them for a while. The training for this took up so much of my life over the summer
I think it's always better to err on the side of not injuring yourself. Tough decision to make in the moment, but I'd think very much the right one.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
I would agree with the above. You stayed in it for 70k so you certainly don’t lack mental and physical strength. It must have been very tough hence the right call to DNF.
Been off grid on this thread for a bit struggling with my own mojo.
Great efforts up there and well done.
Interesting reading the shoe bits. I was a Nike fan boy but switched to adidas some years ago with Pro 2’s and then Pro3’ (x2 now) and Takumi Sen 9 and 10’s. They all work so well for me and quality is way above Nike.
Must confess I also use runners for crushing. I have NB Fuelcell V2 x Stone Island and my Takumi Sen 10 are Y-3’s. Yep I’m a tart.
Pitch
Huge respect for having the guts to sign up for it and get on the start line. I’ve never done a 100k, but DNFd a few times over the years. It hurts, but I’ve always learned from them and also avoided further injury on the occasion I’d pulled something.
Tomorrow is another day - and I have little doubt that in years to come you’ll try again. Once the bug has bitten, the challenge is hard to ignore :)
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