The Official OGBoards Running (and Cycling) Thread: (Insert Season Here)

[RollTheQuad06]

wow, really sad about Wanjiru.

This Runner's World article has a few more mentions of his past problems:

"But just two months later, Wanjiru was arrested and charged with threatening Njeri and a security guard with an AK-47 assault rifle. In January, Wanjiru was involved in a traffic accident that prevented him from returning to April's London Marathon."

 

[DeacHoops]

i don't want to be the jackass that switches the conversation away from a tragedy. but i am going to be that jackass right now...

i currently have a pair of running shoes that i call my racing shoes. but they're really just normal trainers, they just happen to be lighter than the ones that i normally train in. they were originally purchased for training, then they caused some pains, so i went back to my heavier/more supportive shoes, and switched them to racing shoes.

well, now i want real racing flats. but i know nothing about them. can somebody tell me if i need to be looking for the same sort of thing that i look for in trainers? like since i have knee pain, do i need to worry about the support in flats? or do you just go as minimalist as possible and not worry about it since they're not used on a daily basis?

 

[RollTheQuad06]

I trained for and ran my last 4 marathons in the exact same pair of shoes. Yes, I wore them far too long and obviously didn't train enough for the marathons since the total on the shoes when I got rid of them on Sunday was about 614 miles.

When does one make the switch to a specific racing shoe? I don't think I'd be comfortable racing in a shoe different than the one I'd trained in all along.

Sorry I'm no help, Hoops, I am just curious why people decide to have different racing shoes.

 

[DeacHoops]

well the "why" of it is that racing flats are a lot lighter than trainers, so it's easier to move fast. supposedly there's also something about better forward propulsion because you can feel the road better, or something like that. i haven't done a ton of research on it. but my trainers are heavy as anything. i'd definitely prefer a lightweight shoe for races.

 

[West End Deac]

Here's an older thread about Wanjiru from Let's Run that talks about his inner circle. Wanjiru was an interesting dude/borderline thug according to the story. But you'll read about him being a class act according to others. Just a strange man with an odd story. My guess is he had some bipolar issues but that's purely a guess. That said, Wanjiru's run in Beijing was ridiculous. The best ever? Perhaps based on what he had done to date. Likely wouldn't have been up for debate had he run for a few more years.

wow, really sad about Wanjiru.

This Runner's World article has a few more mentions of his past problems:

"But just two months later, Wanjiru was arrested and charged with threatening Njeri and a security guard with an AK-47 assault rifle. In January, Wanjiru was involved in a traffic accident that prevented him from returning to April's London Marathon."

 

[TWDeac]

i don't want to be the jackass that switches the conversation away from a tragedy. but i am going to be that jackass right now...

i currently have a pair of running shoes that i call my racing shoes. but they're really just normal trainers, they just happen to be lighter than the ones that i normally train in. they were originally purchased for training, then they caused some pains, so i went back to my heavier/more supportive shoes, and switched them to racing shoes.

well, now i want real racing flats. but i know nothing about them. can somebody tell me if i need to be looking for the same sort of thing that i look for in trainers? like since i have knee pain, do i need to worry about the support in flats? or do you just go as minimalist as possible and not worry about it since they're not used on a daily basis?

I have a pair of racing flats that I haven't used since sophomore year. I'm of the opinion that if you aren't at least breaking 18 minutes in the 5k or 40 in the 10k etc... you probably don't need to be wearing them.

They provide next to no support and they aren't as conducive to leg health as other specifically designed minimalist shoes.

I don't see a problem if you want to wear them though. This is just my personal opinion.

 

[DeacHoops]

I have a pair of racing flats that I haven't used since sophomore year. I'm of the opinion that if you aren't at least breaking 18 minutes in the 5k or 40 in the 10k etc... you probably don't need to be wearing them.

They provide next to no support and they aren't as conducive to leg health as other specifically designed minimalist shoes.

I don't see a problem if you want to wear them though. This is just my personal opinion.

thanks for the opinion, actually. if it's not going to help, i'm not going to drop 80+ on them. i just have a bunch of friends who are around my speed, maybe a little faster, who wear them. i started to think maybe i should too. i'll do more research before dropping that money though if people think it's not worth it.

 

[TWDeac]

thanks for the opinion, actually. if it's not going to help, i'm not going to drop 80+ on them. i just have a bunch of friends who are around my speed, maybe a little faster, who wear them. i started to think maybe i should too. i'll do more research before dropping that money though if people think it's not worth it.

Definitely do some more research as this aspect of footware is a gray area.

 

[West End Deac]

I'd consider a pair of Kinvara's if I were you. For under $80 you'll get a shoe you can run your track workouts and road intervals/tempos in as well as race in over 5-10k. I'd stick with your boats for anything much further than 8-10 miles (if you do these sorts of races).

A quick Google search shows some decent prices out there.

 

[iodeac]

Hey Hoops, how did Twilight go? I decided not to run it but did see lots of Twilight runners at Connolly's later that night. I feel like I'm going to go broke soon wanting to run 5Ks that seem to be popping up every weekend. My friends are trying to get me to run one in Boiling Springs where you're supposed to dress up like some superhero.

 

[DeacHoops]

Hey Hoops, how did Twilight go? I decided not to run it but did see lots of Twilight runners at Connolly's later that night. I feel like I'm going to go broke soon wanting to run 5Ks that seem to be popping up every weekend. My friends are trying to get me to run one in Boiling Springs where you're supposed to dress up like some superhero.

twilight was awful pretty much across the board. my time was almost 30 seconds slower than skyline (and skyline was already an awful race for me). lots of people were 1:00+ slower than their normal paces. that 100% humidity just zapped everybody's energy. around 3/4 of a mile in, i was just over it and ready to be done.

 

[DeacHawk]

I'd consider a pair of Kinvara's if I were you. For under $80 you'll get a shoe you can run your track workouts and road intervals/tempos in as well as race in over 5-10k. I'd stick with your boats for anything much further than 8-10 miles (if you do these sorts of races).

A quick Google search shows some decent prices out there.

i wear Kinvaras for tempo/fartlek/interval workouts. i also ran my last half in them and will run the full in July in them. I alternate them with another pair of Brooks. In about a week or two i'll start wearing them for long runs to get my feet ready for longer miles in them

 

[West End Deac]

I mean, if it works work it! I too know a guy who runs his 18+ milers in Kinvaras. He probably weighs 145 lbs and has a stride that lifts his feet a whole 5 inches off the ground (I may be generous) -- we're talking ridiculously efficient.

The negative if you aren't that efficient is that you'll blow through them quickly. I speak from experience -- I have around 160 miles in mine and they are around a year old. I realized early on that I was destroying the soft outsole of the shoe with my forefoot/supinate stride (Saucony reps at a race I ran in September were amazed at the wear of my shoes some 70-80 miles in). I raced in them last Saturday and still take them to the track but my days of doing road/trail miles in them are over. I'll probably pony up for a new pair this summer tough -- such a comfortable shoe. But the sole is so soft -- they can get chewed up easily.

i wear Kinvaras for tempo/fartlek/interval workouts. i also ran my last half in them and will run the full in July in them. I alternate them with another pair of Brooks. In about a week or two i'll start wearing them for long runs to get my feet ready for longer miles in them

 

[DeacHawk]

i got 225 on my first pair, am nearing 200 on the current pair and will probably work in a new set for the marathon

i have a friend who has near 500 miles on a pair (but he rotates like 3-5 shoes i think)

 

[West End Deac]

500? Shoe rotation is a good idea but that's not why he's getting 500 miles out of a single pair of Kinvara's. That's just ridiculous efficiency (or he just can run in crushed shoes better than the rest of us!).

200-ish miles and I'll be happy. I just realized early that I couldn't wear them on the roads for my easy miles if I wanted them to be in shape for workouts. I wore them in a 5k this weekend though -- still feel great!

i got 225 on my first pair, am nearing 200 on the current pair and will probably work in a new set for the marathon

i have a friend who has near 500 miles on a pair (but he rotates like 3-5 shoes i think)

 

[DeacHawk]

i'm glad this came up cause it's reminded me I need to order a new pair although considering waiting until the Kinvara 2 is out

 

[JerseyDeac]

I'm not remotely efficient but I love racing in flats. I have the Saucony Fastwitch 3 and I'm currently crushing on the Mizuno Musha. After racing a half in the Fastwitch's I decided I wanted something a bit sturdier for the half-full marathon. I've never had any problem with injuries or foot pain when racing in flats.

I've never raced the marathon in flats, but my husband ran Boston in the Mizunon Ronins and loved them. He is very efficient but not the lightest runner. For shorter races he loves the Saucony A3's.

I think lighter runners have less problems running in flats and you're pretty light Hoops. I wouldn't put a time cut off on the usefulness of running in flats. But that is not based on any scientific fact, it's just my preference.

 

[DeacHoops]

I'm not remotely efficient but I love racing in flats. I have the Saucony Fastwitch 3 and I'm currently crushing on the Mizuno Musha. After racing a half in the Fastwitch's I decided I wanted something a bit sturdier for the half-full marathon. I've never had any problem with injuries or foot pain when racing in flats.

I've never raced the marathon in flats, but my husband ran Boston in the Mizunon Ronins and loved them. He is very efficient but not the lightest runner. For shorter races he loves the Saucony A3's.

I think lighter runners have less problems running in flats and you're pretty light Hoops. I wouldn't put a time cut off on the usefulness of running in flats. But that is not based on any scientific fact, it's just my preference.

is there any brand in particular that you would recommend? the only other recommendation on here came from a guy. not sure if the recommended brands would change for girls.

 

[JerseyDeac]

is there any brand in particular that you would recommend? the only other recommendation on here came from a guy. not sure if the recommended brands would change for girls.

No particular brand suggestions. I like to use runningwarehouse.com to narrow down the flats I want to try on, because they tell you the distance range and shoe type for each flat. It sounds counterintuitive, but they do make flats for people who overpronate. I have to have a flat with some stability, thus the musha's and and the fastwitch. Although I think the new fastwitch is neutral. Booo.

I love Brooks, Mizuno, and Saucony in general. The shoes just fit me well.

 

[DeacHoops]

No particular brand suggestions. I like to use runningwarehouse.com to narrow down the flats I want to try on, because they tell you the distance range and shoe type for each flat. It sounds counterintuitive, but they do make flats for people who overpronate. I have to have a flat with some stability, thus the musha's and and the fastwitch. Although I think the new fastwitch is neutral. Booo.

I love Brooks, Mizuno, and Saucony in general. The shoes just fit me well.

yeah, i was looking on runningwarehouse, and realized i could get flats for like $70 with the CRC discount. that's what prompted wanting to get some.

and i used to train in sauconys. granted, that was before the trail, so before the knee problems. i don't know if they'd work for me now. but maybe it'd be best to go with a brand that i already know has worked for me at one point...