The Running Thread

[Dynamo Kev]

inspired by the Running Shoe thread in World which has since gone tits up..

Just started running about a year ago. I started off with some cheapy 'running' shoes which would cause sore ankles and calf muscles if I ran too often. The wife bought me a pair Nike Free for Christmas - but I've only been able to run about twice per week due to the weather. Since the weather has been getting better I've been running more but now I'm experiencing pain in my shins which I chalked up to the new shoes. Researched and discovered I'm a supinator (high arch)- so researched some more and ordered a pair of Adidas Boston Classics.
But after reading the Running Shoe thread- specifically Bruno's comments- it appears most of my issues are probably due to technique. So how much do these Neutral or Motion Control shoes help under/overpronators- is it all a sales gimmick - do the shoes just make a poor technique worse???

[Reed John]

The Running Thread

As a big lad with relatively flat feet, the choices recommended to me by the guy at the running shoe store as well as that shoe finder gizmo at roadrunnersports.com are pretty limited. It used to be the only shoe that seemed to be appropriate for me was these bulky grey things called The Beast, made by Brooks. The newer versions look better, but don't fit quite right.

Now I've got something better. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8. Mine are all black, which I think is dead cool, but if you don't, then you can get them white with blue and silver trim or white with orange trim.

They're lighter, more breathable and more cushiony than the Beast but with plenty of stability.

So far, so good. I mostly walk with a bit of running thrown in. No shin splints or ankle pain.

I've had other running shoes of various descriptions, but I find I do best with those rated for stability and durability.

It seems that most running shoes (and certainly running clothes) are made for very skinny lightweight people. There's a real market opportunity for somebody who can market cool running gear to people who are heavy and want to slim down or are heavy because they are tall and/or muscular and that's their healthy weight.

In all the running shoe guides I've seen, the definition of heavy is over 180 lbs. All of their clothes top out at a mere size L (maybe XL in some cases) or 36-38 inch waist, I haven't been 180 pounds since the 10th grade. When I was 190 ten years ago and wore size 36 pants, some people thought I looked malnourished.

A guy I knew in school who ran cross-country for Penn State and worked a bit in the industry said that guys over 200 lbs should avoid shoes that promise a lot of lightweight cushioning because we'll just crush the hell out of that foam after a few runs.

[Bruno]

The Running Thread

The Brooks Beast is basically a heavier duty version of the Addiction with more lateral (outside) support. I think both are excellent walking shoes for flat/wide feet which tend to correspond to heavier builds but not always. Both are motion control shoes designed for heel strikers (which includes all walking, of course) to keep your feet tracking straight. If you land on your forefoot when you run, however, over-pronation and supination are pretty much non-issues and this makes the choice of shoe more about how comfortable it is on your foot, how lightweight and breathable it is, and the quality of the forefoot cushioning.

I don't think ~180lbs is a particularly meaningful cut-off; I've been between 180-190 most of my adult life and have burned through plenty of soft & cushy shoes (I have a fairly pronounced arch & normal pronation). The old Nike Air Pegasus was notoriously short-lived and sock-like. Over 200 and yes, you'll want to strike a compromise with some more durable cushioning. But a heavier person with a normal arch and normal pronation should steer clear of a control shoe like the Beast in my opinion.

[Bruno]

The Running Thread

In my experience almost any type of running shoe will max out between 400-600 miles. The ones with fancy extra cushioning have a little bit greater longevity, but it's pretty normal to go through 2-4 pairs a year depending on how much you run.

[Dynamo Kev]

The Running Thread

Fuckiety fuck. My Adidias Boston Classics arrived today. As always I ignored the- We recommend 1/2 shoe size lager than your street shoe
because I see that warning every time I buy a shoe online.. and what do you know- they are a bit small. It's far too much trouble to send them back- besides I have the patience of a child on Christmas morning- so we'll see.
Otherwise they feel great- I can actually feel my foot roll/pronate..

[Dynamo Kev]

The Running Thread

Reed, on the other thread you mentioned you wanted to improve your 5k time. From one novice to another- the thing which helped me the most (other than quitting smoking)was HIIT (High-intensity interval training).
Start off by going to a local track-
sprint 100m- walk/slow jog 100m- sprint 100m etc. try to do that about 8 times- 3 days a week for a couple weeks. you'll be amazed by your next 5k time.

[Reed John]

The Running Thread

Start off by going to a local track-
sprint 100m- walk/slow jog 100m- sprint 100m etc. try to do that about 8 times- 3 days a week for a couple weeks. you'll be amazed by your next 5k time.

Can I do that on a treadmill? I've got easy access to those, but no track near me that I know of.

But a heavier person with a normal arch and normal pronation should steer clear of a control shoe like the Beast in my opinion.

I don't have a normal arch or, as far as I can tell, normal pronation. My feet turn inward, is that pronation or supination?

I mostly walked in them anyway.

I try to run on my forefoot but it's hard for me somehow. I seem to land pretty flat with a bit more pressure toward the heel.

[Bruno]

The Running Thread

Can I do that on a treadmill? I've got easy access to those, but no track near me that I know of.

Sure you can, although I wouldn't want to train for a 5K primarily on a treadmill, which gives a bit of a false sense of the actual effort of running on the road. If you do, just take into account that you can handle a faster pace more easily on the treadmill than you can on the road.

My feet turn inward, is that pronation or supination?

Inward is pronation, outward supination. Pronation is 'normal' but one can also over-pronate, where the ankle bone sort of inclines inward, in which case a shoe that corrects for that is called for. If you're not sure how much you pronate check the wear on the soles of your used walking shoes: lots of wear on the instep before you get to the big toe is a good sign of over-pronation.

I try to run on my forefoot but it's hard for me somehow. I seem to land pretty flat with a bit more pressure toward the heel.

Landing flat is fine. You don't have to be up on your tippy toes or anything. It's still less impact than a hard heel strike and it should encourage the right upper body posture.

[Dynamo Kev]

The Running Thread

Has anyone read/followed the Daniels Running Formula? I would really like to run a 20min 5k within the next two years- and I keep seeing references to this book during my research.

[rick derris]

The Running Thread

a 20 min 5k is pretty fast.

my PB is just over 21min

[Outside Agent]

The Running Thread

My own PB for 5k is 18:40. That's on the track though, where consistent split times of 1:30 per lap are manageable. Out on the road my best time is 19:25.

I've only ever worn Asics running shoes, by the way, and thankfully I've never had issues with my feet as a consequence.

[VTTBoscombe]

The Running Thread

Shit , and I was so proud of my first 1 hour exact 10kms this morning!

[Dynamo Kev]

The Running Thread

Rick- I'm not close now (23:30) so I have much work to do- any words of wisdom would be most welcome.

Is anyone else on the NikeRunning website thing? The sensor isn't the best for accuracy but the site is a fantastic way to log runs etc..

[S. aureus]

The Running Thread

My PB for a 10K is 40.17, which I achieved about a year after my time was over 50 minutes.
I attribute most of my time improvement to running 1 mile segments at slightly faster than my 10K pace, with, initially, a 5 minute rest in between. I then dropped the length of resting down every time I ran it, until I was running the whole 10K faster with no rest, and repeated the process. My recollection is that my 1 mile goal time was about 30 seconds faster than my then 10K time at the start of the process.
However, at the time (6 or 7 years ago in my mid-thirties) I was also recovering from the end of a 10-year relationship, so I spent a lot of time exercising - I played basketball or soccer three times a week, ran two or three times (the above regimen interspersed with hill running and more leisurely runs over a similar, or slightly longer, distance) and lifted weights two or three times a week, which I'm sure all also contributed to my 10K improvement. I certainly don't have the time anymore to exercise this often.

[VTTBoscombe]

The Running Thread

OK runners - I have an annoying problem when I run - I have the famous jogger's nipple syndrom.

It gets so bad, that sometimes I look like I've been shot with the blood showing through a light coloured top.

I have tried vaseline - doesn't seem to do anything, plasters fall off after 5 mins.

If I rest the poor things for a few days it seems Ok, until my next run when it happens again;
I have tried repositioning the Polar strap so not to er push up my man boobs.

And by gum it doesn't half sting when I shower afterwards.

Any suggestions will be thankfully received.

[Dynamo Kev]

The Running Thread

Bodyglide is the answer. Though I usually forget to put it on and start cursing myself at the first sting.

[VTTBoscombe]

The Running Thread

Thanks for the suggestion Kev - no Bodyglide dealers in France so I had to order from Wiggle.

Should be here in about 3 days they claim.

Of course I didn't want to pay postage, so I had to add other things to my basket, for "free" postage to France - I hope this Bodyglide stuff works....

My fault I know; but give me an internet page with kit on and my credit card starts sweating.

[Dynamo Kev]

The Running Thread

Does anyone here subscribe to the Pose method or do any barefoot running? I've suffered injury after injury last year and I'm looking to change things up a bit this spring. I've noticed when I'm doing sprints, my form and gait just feel better, I know I'm landing on my forefoot rather than heel. But when I slow down to jog it's mostly heel first- and I've been using these big cushion/heavy shoes.

I really like the idea of this.