Running ERA |OT| Off the couch into a new ERA

[Deleted member 25094]

Depends on what "halfway through marathon schedule" is, how you usually recover and what's your usual mileage.

A 20y old that has been running >80km/weeks for 2y can race a half marathon one Sunday and a full marathon two weeks later no problem
A 45y old preparing for his first marathon, only reaching 50k/w recently for the past few weeks ? Well he better have 6-8 weeks between the two if he wants to race both.

Tune-up races are great, but anything too close would be bad (1-2 maybe even 3 weeks) unless you've got crazy good recoveries skill

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I'll be following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan:

https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/marathon-training/novice-2-marathon/

It'll be my first marathon at 39 years old, current mileage is around 20 miles per week while I work on 5K and speed but when I start this marathon plan in December, come February and week 9 I'll be on 30 miles the week before the half marathon race.

I wouldn't say my recovery is particularly great, I'm not getting any younger and it's part of the reason I went for this plan with it being a 4-day running week.

So I could race the half, and that'll give me a good (or at least better) estimate of my fitness at that time and and what my marathon pace should be. Or I could just use the half as a tougher training run where instead of running easy with segments of marathon pace thrown in, I use the 13 miles to actually run at marathon pace throughout and see how I get on.

 

[Fisico]

I'll be following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan:

https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/marathon-training/novice-2-marathon/

It'll be my first marathon at 39 years old, current mileage is around 20 miles per week while I work on 5K and speed but when I start this marathon plan in December, come February and week 9 I'll be on 30 miles the week before the half marathon race.

I wouldn't say my recovery is particularly great, I'm not getting any younger and it's part of the reason I went for this plan with it being a 4-day running week.

So I could race the half, and that'll give me a good (or at least better) estimate of my fitness at that time and and what my marathon pace should be. Or I could just use the half as a tougher training run where instead of running easy with segments of marathon pace thrown in, I use the 13 miles to actually run at marathon pace throughout and see how I get on.

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Ok so week 9 you'll be 9 weeks away from the marathon, will that be your first half marathon as well?
You're a low mileage runner and not "young" anymore (but not old either, no offense there!), so how you want to use the half marathon is up to you, if training is going well and you have no early hints of injury then by all means go all out and see what you can do, it will help you as well to know what you could aim for the full marathon.
If your main target remains the marathon and a set time, let's say 4h15, you feel a bit tired after weeks of training with increased mileage, then aim for 2h07 instead.

I've had it both ways before, I run a half all out 4 weeks before my first marathon three years ago and it went reasonably well (1h34/3h39)
And earlier this year I had a half 3 weeks before my 3rd marathon, I tried to "race" it the first 5k but felt pretty bad and tired and switched to marathon pace instead, my marathon then went on almost perfectly (1h26/2h54)

9 weeks is more than enough time anyway, but considering the training has you running your longest ever run 6 days later you really need to make sure you're not overtrained or injury prone at that point, imo you should have a "lowered mileage" week after that half, because the most important thing during training is ... to be able to train and not get any injury, in that program the race is inserted in the middle of it like you just had a normal long run which a half race clearly is not.

In any case listen to your body, everyone is different, you will improve tremendously if you keep the consistency but don't do anything that might make you think "Am I really not thinking of doing something stupid there" just before beginning.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

I'll be following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan:

https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/marathon-training/novice-2-marathon/

It'll be my first marathon at 39 years old, current mileage is around 20 miles per week while I work on 5K and speed but when I start this marathon plan in December, come February and week 9 I'll be on 30 miles the week before the half marathon race.

I wouldn't say my recovery is particularly great, I'm not getting any younger and it's part of the reason I went for this plan with it being a 4-day running week.

So I could race the half, and that'll give me a good (or at least better) estimate of my fitness at that time and and what my marathon pace should be. Or I could just use the half as a tougher training run where instead of running easy with segments of marathon pace thrown in, I use the 13 miles to actually run at marathon pace throughout and see how I get on.

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Which marathon are you doing pal?

 

[Duebrithil]

I think Fisico has pretty much covered all the bases. Some degree of race simulation is always good, but don't let a training plan override common sense.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Which marathon are you doing pal?

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Manchester.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Ok so week 9 you'll be 9 weeks away from the marathon, will that be your first half marathon as well?
You're a low mileage runner and not "young" anymore (but not old either, no offense there!), so how you want to use the half marathon is up to you, if training is going well and you have no early hints of injury then by all means go all out and see what you can do, it will help you as well to know what you could aim for the full marathon.
If your main target remains the marathon and a set time, let's say 4h15, you feel a bit tired after weeks of training with increased mileage, then aim for 2h07 instead.

I've had it both ways before, I run a half all out 4 weeks before my first marathon three years ago and it went reasonably well (1h34/3h39)
And earlier this year I had a half 3 weeks before my 3rd marathon, I tried to "race" it the first 5k but felt pretty bad and tired and switched to marathon pace instead, my marathon then went on almost perfectly (1h26/2h54)

9 weeks is more than enough time anyway, but considering the training has you running your longest ever run 6 days later you really need to make sure you're not overtrained or injury prone at that point, imo you should have a "lowered mileage" week after that half, because the most important thing during training is ... to be able to train and not get any injury, in that program the race is inserted in the middle of it like you just had a normal long run which a half race clearly is not.

In any case listen to your body, everyone is different, you will improve tremendously if you keep the consistency but don't do anything that might make you think "Am I really not thinking of doing something stupid there" just before beginning.

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It'll be my .... 13th half I think? 13 or 14 anyway so I'm well used to half marathon distances. But that's brilliant advice, thank you!

 

[ruxtpin]

My MCM experience was a disaster. I finished (4:24 - a personal worst for me). It rained almost the entire race. I held with the 3:30 pace group for about 15 miles, took on water when I thought I needed it - but my right calf started cramping and turned my run into a painful walk shuffle the remaining 10 - 11 miles.

I crossed the finish, sat down for a few minutes and upon standing back up I started vomiting over a barrier - just clear fluid (plus some orange pulp from an orange slice I took on the course). I made my way down to the platform at the metro and the nausea came back so I tilted a trashcan top over so I wouldn't hurl on the floor. Someone called security over, which then ended up with me stretchered to an aid tent and hanging out for an hour while they monitored my blood sugar. Glad to have crossed the line and "earned" my race shirt, but supremely disappointed in my results.

 

[Fliesen]

My MCM experience was a disaster. I finished (4:24 - a personal worst for me). It rained almost the entire race. I held with the 3:30 pace group for about 15 miles, took on water when I thought I needed it - but my right calf started cramping and turned my run into a painful walk shuffle the remaining 10 - 11 miles.

I crossed the finish, sat down for a few minutes and upon standing back up I started vomiting over a barrier - just clear fluid (plus some orange pulp from an orange slice I took on the course). I made my way down to the platform at the metro and the nausea came back so I tilted a trashcan top over so I wouldn't hurl on the floor. Someone called security over, which then ended up with me stretchered to an aid tent and hanging out for an hour while they monitored my blood sugar. Glad to have crossed the line and "earned" my race shirt, but supremely disappointed in my results.

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Oh Boy.

what did you consume during the run, beyond water And that one orange? Any energy gels?

 

[ruxtpin]

Oh Boy.

what did you consume during the run, beyond water And that one orange? Any energy gels?

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I took 2 energy gels while I was actually running and feeing good. Same brand/flavor I used during my long trainings runs. During the last 10 miles I had a handout packet of energy jelly bellies and water at a couple of stops, but at that point I wasn't even running. I walked the entirety of mile 23 and chatted with someone else who had to walk due to cramping. And I ate a bagel and banana about 2.5 hours before race start.

I don't think my results would have been much better even if I had avoided eating/drinking. I was going into the race knowing I had a calf strain/overuse injury - but since it didn't bother me in the shorter runs in the week leading up I thought it would be healed enough that I could run the entire distance. Now though I'll probably have to avoid running entirely for several weeks and bike/cross train instead.

 

[Fisico]

I'm no doctor but the looming injury and vomiting everywhere once stopped do sound like two separate problems.

Forgot to mention but I did ran the Frankfurt marathon last Sunday, it went almost absolutely perfectly once again, I was aiming for 2h45 and finished in 2h44mn11s, 1h21m53/1h22m18s split so no negative split this time unlike Tokyo but it was counterbalanced by the fact I was straight on into the right pace for the first km, while in Tokyo I had to log a 4:30 at the start.
Unlike Tokyo I also felt rather well up until the end, last 10k in Tokyo was a blur probably due to a lack of nutrition, in the end it changed nothing because I held on the pace in Tokyo and didn't speed up in Frankfurt though.

So far I've been on a non stop roll for all my races, things I improved since March though
- More mileage (820k vs 550k the 3 months before)
- More long runs and longer long runs
- A bit more MP during long runs mainly but not that much overall (really not fan of that, I'd rather do intervals instead)
- Better nutrition (4 gels during the race + 1 before vs 3 during the race)
- No idea if a plus or not but I changed to beetroot juice instead of orange juice one week before the race
- Slightly better conditions (Tokyo it was raining non stop and rather hard at times, Frankfurt was cloudy with a bit of rain in the latest part)
- Well Vaporfly Next% instead of Kayano 25, almost half the weight for shoes certainly helped

What's fascinating is that I still see room for improvements easily, especially on the increased mileage and long runs (only did one 30k, two 27k two 25k) and just from experience overall as I still consider myself a fairly "new" runner in the gran scheme of things.

Clearly loving running marathon more and more as well, >2h long sustainable effort is my jam I guess, 10k is something I still need to do but struggle with, half... jury still on the table as the last one was 1 year ago, I'll run the same one in two weeks shooting for a "soft" PR (1h19) with a friend, was hesitant to register at first but my recovery post marathon is also incredibly better than before.

 

[Duebrithil]

My MCM experience was a disaster. I finished (4:24 - a personal worst for me). It rained almost the entire race. I held with the 3:30 pace group for about 15 miles, took on water when I thought I needed it - but my right calf started cramping and turned my run into a painful walk shuffle the remaining 10 - 11 miles.

I crossed the finish, sat down for a few minutes and upon standing back up I started vomiting over a barrier - just clear fluid (plus some orange pulp from an orange slice I took on the course). I made my way down to the platform at the metro and the nausea came back so I tilted a trashcan top over so I wouldn't hurl on the floor. Someone called security over, which then ended up with me stretchered to an aid tent and hanging out for an hour while they monitored my blood sugar. Glad to have crossed the line and "earned" my race shirt, but supremely disappointed in my results.

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I'm sorry to hear that. Since you ate what you practiced in your long runs it's possible that it might have been either the weather or some factor completely outside your control. Time to rest now and get your calf looked at.

Forgot to mention but I did ran the Frankfurt marathon last Sunday, it went almost absolutely perfectly once again, I was aiming for 2h45 and finished in 2h44mn11s, 1h21m53/1h22m18s split so no negative split this time unlike Tokyo but it was counterbalanced by the fact I was straight on into the right pace for the first km, while in Tokyo I had to log a 4:30 at the start.
Unlike Tokyo I also felt rather well up until the end, last 10k in Tokyo was a blur probably due to a lack of nutrition, in the end it changed nothing because I held on the pace in Tokyo and didn't speed up in Frankfurt though.

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Nice time, congratulations!

So far I've been on a non stop roll for all my races, things I improved since March though
- More mileage (820k vs 550k the 3 months before)
- More long runs and longer long runs
- A bit more MP during long runs mainly but not that much overall (really not fan of that, I'd rather do intervals instead)
- Better nutrition (4 gels during the race + 1 before vs 3 during the race)
- No idea if a plus or not but I changed to beetroot juice instead of orange juice one week before the race
- Slightly better conditions (Tokyo it was raining non stop and rather hard at times, Frankfurt was cloudy with a bit of rain in the latest part)
- Well Vaporfly Next% instead of Kayano 25, almost half the weight for shoes certainly helped

What's fascinating is that I still see room for improvements easily, especially on the increased mileage and long runs (only did one 30k, two 27k two 25k) and just from experience overall as I still consider myself a fairly "new" runner in the gran scheme of things.

Clearly loving running marathon more and more as well, >2h long sustainable effort is my jam I guess, 10k is something I still need to do but struggle with, half... jury still on the table as the last one was 1 year ago, I'll run the same one in two weeks shooting for a "soft" PR (1h19) with a friend, was hesitant to register at first but my recovery post marathon is also incredibly better than before.

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Long distance running is really wonderful. There's so much to learn about yourself, about managing the race, nutrition... Things that aren't really apparent in shorter distance races.

Will also vouch for beetroot, though I just put in salads.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

Well it's 2 weeks till my half. Looking forward it. Feb was my nightmare run when my knee went and now I'm ready to smash it.

 

[Curufinwe]

I met my goal of going under 23 minutes in a 5K last month (22:45), and my next goal is to break 50 minutes for a 10K. Hopefully the weather is nice on Thanksgiving Day.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

I think I've been wearing the wrong size running shoes for years. I always buy 8.5 but a while ago I found a cheap pair of Pegasus 35's on eBay but a size 8. Decided I'd take a punt and get them only to find they felt really nice and comfortable on, especially compared to other shoes.

Since then I've also bought an 8.5 in the 35's and more recently the Hoka Clifton 6's but I've never felt that they ever felt ... right. I've put over 100 miles into the Hoka's so my feet should have adjusted but I noticed that I'm still getting rubbing and blisters on my instep.

So I've measured my foot, ran it up against Nike's measurement guide and they recommend I should be wearing size 8's, which matches what I felt was comfortable when I my Peg's in an 8.

So now I'll need to buy more shoes because those 8.5's are too big. What a shame 😁

I'm debating a pair of custom Pegasus 36's where I'll design the colours myself and also add some text to celebrate my upcoming Manchester Marathon, or going for a pair of Pegasus Turbo's.

I'm a bit of a heavier runner so the cushioning or the Turbo's sounds appealing.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

I think I've been wearing the wrong size running shoes for years. I always buy 8.5 but a while ago I found a cheap pair of Pegasus 35's on eBay but a size 8. Decided I'd take a punt and get them only to find they felt really nice and comfortable on, especially compared to other shoes.

Since then I've also bought an 8.5 in the 35's and more recently the Hoka Clifton 6's but I've never felt that they ever felt ... right. I've put over 100 miles into the Hoka's so my feet should have adjusted but I noticed that I'm still getting rubbing and blisters on my instep.

So I've measured my foot, ran it up against Nike's measurement guide and they recommend I should be wearing size 8's, which matches what I felt was comfortable when I my Peg's in an 8.

So now I'll need to buy more shoes because those 8.5's are too big. What a shame 😁

I'm debating a pair of custom Pegasus 36's where I'll design the colours myself and also add some text to celebrate my upcoming Manchester Marathon, or going for a pair of Pegasus Turbo's.

I'm a bit of a heavier runner so the cushioning or the Turbo's sounds appealing.

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Try the Nike ones for a little while first. Mine are again wearing quickly.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Try the Nike ones for a little while first. Mine are again wearing quickly.

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Yep I've still got my size 8 Peg's which I'll start to wear more often now I think. I'm not planning on buying new shoes for a few more months yet.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

Yep I've still got my size 8 Peg's which I'll start to wear more often now I think. I'm not planning on buying new shoes for a few more months yet.

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Just decided to get a refund on them. There isn't enough tread to prevent the outers from wearing. Gonna get my old 1080s out and my solar drive for the next couple of months and then get a pair of hoka trainers from vitality in the new year.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Just decided to get a refund on them. There isn't enough tread to prevent the outers from wearing. Gonna get my old 1080s out and my solar drive for the next couple of months and then get a pair of hoka trainers from vitality in the new year.

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The Clifton 6's are really nice. I'd like to try the Rincon's too.

 

[RedNalgene]

After taking a few years off from semi-competitive racing, I watched the NYC Marathon yesterday and got super inspired, so I think I'm going to get back in the game and try to start training harder again. In the past I've used a regular Timex Ironman to just track time and splits, but I also had access to a track and good uninterrupted measured stretches of pavement to measure out distance. Where I live now means I don't have either, so I'm going to treat myself to a GPS watch. Has anyone had a good experience with one of the less expensive watches, like the Forerunner 35 or the Polar 430 (or something else)? I'm really just looking for a watch that can give me proper distance, speed, and has some sort of interval function so I can run track-style workouts on the roads. I don't need all that crazy V02 max and cadence stuff that comes in the expensive Garmins, and I haven't really used heart rate for training so that isn't important to me either.

 

[funky]

Did a marathon week ago.

At first I though it was normal post race pain I think I have a stress fracture?

Cool.

 

[Fliesen]

After taking a few years off from semi-competitive racing, I watched the NYC Marathon yesterday and got super inspired, so I think I'm going to get back in the game and try to start training harder again. In the past I've used a regular Timex Ironman to just track time and splits, but I also had access to a track and good uninterrupted measured stretches of pavement to measure out distance. Where I live now means I don't have either, so I'm going to treat myself to a GPS watch. Has anyone had a good experience with one of the less expensive watches, like the Forerunner 35 or the Polar 430 (or something else)? I'm really just looking for a watch that can give me proper distance, speed, and has some sort of interval function so I can run track-style workouts on the roads. I don't need all that crazy V02 max and cadence stuff that comes in the expensive Garmins, and I haven't really used heart rate for training so that isn't important to me either.

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Those 2 watches should be fine. Honestly, i think that nowadays, any wearable >$100 should track distance and speed perfectly fine.
Similarly, nowadays, most manufacturers have perfectly serviceable apps for synching their watches, too.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/06/polar-m430-in-depth-review.html

Super in depth review of the M430 by the DC Rainmaker.

 

[Duebrithil]

After taking a few years off from semi-competitive racing, I watched the NYC Marathon yesterday and got super inspired, so I think I'm going to get back in the game and try to start training harder again. In the past I've used a regular Timex Ironman to just track time and splits, but I also had access to a track and good uninterrupted measured stretches of pavement to measure out distance. Where I live now means I don't have either, so I'm going to treat myself to a GPS watch. Has anyone had a good experience with one of the less expensive watches, like the Forerunner 35 or the Polar 430 (or something else)? I'm really just looking for a watch that can give me proper distance, speed, and has some sort of interval function so I can run track-style workouts on the roads. I don't need all that crazy V02 max and cadence stuff that comes in the expensive Garmins, and I haven't really used heart rate for training so that isn't important to me either.

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Any on those two will serve you well. Maybe go for the Forerunner 45 if you want to create more elaborate workouts than the ones that can be created on-device.

Also check out the device comparison tool in Fliesen's link, super useful.

 

[RedNalgene]

Those 2 watches should be fine. Honestly, i think that nowadays, any wearable >$100 should track distance and speed perfectly fine.
Similarly, nowadays, most manufacturers have perfectly serviceable apps for synching their watches, too.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/06/polar-m430-in-depth-review.html

Super in depth review of the M430 by the DC Rainmaker.

Click to shrink...

Any on those two will serve you well. Maybe go for the Forerunner 45 if you want to create more elaborate workouts than the ones that can be created on-device.

Also check out the device comparison tool in Fliesen's link, super useful.

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Thank you both for the advice, and thank you Fliesen for the review link - it's incredibly detailed.

 

[Abicus]

Very new to the running game. When do you know to give longer distances a try?

I've been doing my local Parkrun the past month and gone from 30min to 22min. There is a Fun Run this weekend that's 10km im thinking about? Goal is for a Ha;lf Marathon in April next year. I've been trying to run 5km three times a week.

Just keep increasing distance?

 

[Fliesen]

Very new to the running game. When do you know to give longer distances a try?

I've been doing my local Parkrun the past month and gone from 30min to 22min. There is a Fun Run this weekend that's 10km im thinking about? Goal is for a Ha;lf Marathon in April next year. I've been trying to run 5km three times a week.

Just keep increasing distance?

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pretty much. yeah.

The 10K is going to be reasonably challenging if you've never ran that distance - but if you're thinking about going for a Half Marathon in less than 6 months, you're going to have to increase your mileage anyways.

The closer you get to the HM, the more 'normal' running 10k or beyond should be for you, really.

 

[Fisico]

Very new to the running game. When do you know to give longer distances a try?

I've been doing my local Parkrun the past month and gone from 30min to 22min. There is a Fun Run this weekend that's 10km im thinking about? Goal is for a Ha;lf Marathon in April next year. I've been trying to run 5km three times a week.

Just keep increasing distance?

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That's the gist of it, but be very gradual about it, ideally if you want to go for half (or even longer later on) try to have one run be longer than the others
If you're on 5k 3 times a weeks your progression could look like something like that
5 - 5 - 7
5 - 5 - 8
5 - 5 - 10
5 - 5 - 8
5 - 5 - 11
5 - 6 - 11
6 - 6 - 11

That's a cautious approach though and you can increase quicker than that with your mileage if you're feeling well, it also depends of the intensity of each of your run, if you give everything and feels wasted every time at the end then you'd better be careful, on the other hand if you mostly jog and still feel fresh by the end then you have plenty more room to increase distance safely.

 

[El_TigroX]

Last year at this point in my training schedule it was my patellas giving out... this year, exact same point, getting some shin splint pain... cool, cool, cool. Still have about 9 weeks until my half marathon at Disney... so I have time to hit the pool and keep up with it. Underwater running class on Tuesday to keep some of the pressure off my leg.

I need to just dramatically rethink how I'm training and start to do less running and more cross training for a bit. So frustrating, because I was feeling great until my mileage jumped up a bit... now.... blah.

 

[Duebrithil]

Last year at this point in my training schedule it was my patellas giving out... this year, exact same point, getting some shin splint pain... cool, cool, cool. Still have about 9 weeks until my half marathon at Disney... so I have time to hit the pool and keep up with it. Underwater running class on Tuesday to keep some of the pressure off my leg.

I need to just dramatically rethink how I'm training and start to do less running and more cross training for a bit. So frustrating, because I was feeling great until my mileage jumped up a bit... now.... blah.

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Look at it this way: you managed to catch the problem before it escalated into something that may need more extensive recovery. That said, a little of cross training does wonders for one's running.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Still can't shake the hotspot on my Hoka's, I think I've maybe gone half a size too big, and after over 100 miles they're still not right.

So new shoes arrived today. After a bit of browsing around, I saw a lot of people and sites recommending the Reebok Floatride Energy's. I didn't think Reebok were still relevant these days but reviews say they were bought by Adidas and these shoes feature the same (or similar) midsole to the Adidas Boost series but for a fraction of the price. They're constantly mentioned as being one of the best shoes of 2019 so I figured I'd take a look.

Handily Reebok had a sale on over the weekend so I managed to pick up a pair for 30% off and reduced to under £60. Just been delivered and first impressions from a quick try on are excellent. Super comfortable. Hopefully I've got the right size this time!

 

[Fisico]

Still can't shake the hotspot on my Hoka's, I think I've maybe gone half a size too big, and after over 100 miles they're still not right.

So new shoes arrived today. After a bit of browsing around, I saw a lot of people and sites recommending the Reebok Floatride Energy's. I didn't think Reebok were still relevant these days but reviews say they were bought by Adidas and these shoes feature the same (or similar) midsole to the Adidas Boost series but for a fraction of the price. They're constantly mentioned as being one of the best shoes of 2019 so I figured I'd take a look.

Handily Reebok had a sale on over the weekend so I managed to pick up a pair for 30% off and reduced to under £60. Just been delivered and first impressions from a quick try on are excellent. Super comfortable. Hopefully I've got the right size this time!

Click to shrink...

I got mine à few months ago after seeing the same things as you, they were even at 50% so only 55€, super happy with them as they can be used for pretty much anything, if you only use 1 pair of running shoes they're clearly a perfect solution.
As for durability I put 250km in them and they're still as good as new.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

Still can't shake the hotspot on my Hoka's, I think I've maybe gone half a size too big, and after over 100 miles they're still not right.

So new shoes arrived today. After a bit of browsing around, I saw a lot of people and sites recommending the Reebok Floatride Energy's. I didn't think Reebok were still relevant these days but reviews say they were bought by Adidas and these shoes feature the same (or similar) midsole to the Adidas Boost series but for a fraction of the price. They're constantly mentioned as being one of the best shoes of 2019 so I figured I'd take a look.

Handily Reebok had a sale on over the weekend so I managed to pick up a pair for 30% off and reduced to under £60. Just been delivered and first impressions from a quick try on are excellent. Super comfortable. Hopefully I've got the right size this time!

Click to shrink...

Have to have a look at them! Really want some Hokas for long slow runs

 

[Bestlaidplans]

Still can't shake the hotspot on my Hoka's, I think I've maybe gone half a size too big, and after over 100 miles they're still not right.

So new shoes arrived today. After a bit of browsing around, I saw a lot of people and sites recommending the Reebok Floatride Energy's. I didn't think Reebok were still relevant these days but reviews say they were bought by Adidas and these shoes feature the same (or similar) midsole to the Adidas Boost series but for a fraction of the price. They're constantly mentioned as being one of the best shoes of 2019 so I figured I'd take a look.

Handily Reebok had a sale on over the weekend so I managed to pick up a pair for 30% off and reduced to under £60. Just been delivered and first impressions from a quick try on are excellent. Super comfortable. Hopefully I've got the right size this time!

Click to shrink...

Just bought a pair - found them for £41 so couldn't say no! Will let you know how I find them too. From runrepeat seems the laces are pretty short, but I normally put my own laces in there with bungie cord for slip on off.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Just bought a pair - found them for £41 so couldn't say no! Will let you know how I find them too. From runrepeat seems the laces are pretty short, but I normally put my own laces in there with bungie cord for slip on off.

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£41?! Where was that?

I was going to take them for a debut run today but it's absolutely miserable out there today. Reebok's return policy seems a bit fluffy where it seems to say items can be returned within 30 days for any reason, but also seems to say items should be in unused condition from what I've seen. I'm dubious about running around in puddles only to find I need a different size etc.

Edit: Yep, just checked their actual return policy and it says "if the item is worn ... Reebok cannot accept the returned items and cannot give a refund". Bit odd that it says on another page that you can return for any reason then.

 

[Greigor the FellHand]

Hey, so what bramd stiff should I get for winter running?

Shoe grips or cleats pants and stuff?

 

[Bestlaidplans]

£41?! Where was that?

I was going to take them for a debut run today but it's absolutely miserable out there today. Reebok's return policy seems a bit fluffy where it seems to say items can be returned within 30 days for any reason, but also seems to say items should be in unused condition from what I've seen. I'm dubious about running around in puddles only to find I need a different size etc.

Edit: Yep, just checked their actual return policy and it says "if the item is worn ... Reebok cannot accept the returned items and cannot give a refund". Bit odd that it says on another page that you can return for any reason then.

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From Reebok, HUKD have a discount code you can generate for money off!

That's a bollocks return policy. If the shoe is shit you should be able to get money back. Fair enough a pair of regular trainers or formal shoes but running shoes are specific and often you don't find an issue for a while. Oh well I'll see how I find them

 

[HotHamWater]

RE: The Reebok code is EXTRA25 for 25% at the Reebok store. Stock is limited though (size wise). I would bite but I'd be worried about going a half size higher than normal and then having to return because of their policy.

 

[Duebrithil]

Hey, so what bramd stiff should I get for winter running?

Shoe grips or cleats pants and stuff?

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If we are talking cold weather running I'd get something that can be worn over conventional running clothes: hooded windstopper, long tights, etc. A good pair of gloves are also invaluable.

Ice/snow running: Can't help you there I'm afraid (winters here are colder but not really cold), but I guess some water-proof, trail shoes would be useful as well as some kind of traction device.

From Reebok, HUKD have a discount code you can generate for money off!

That's a bollocks return policy. If the shoe is shit you should be able to get money back. Fair enough a pair of regular trainers or formal shoes but running shoes are specific and often you don't find an issue for a while. Oh well I'll see how I find them

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For sure. I understand not accepting the return of well-worn shoes, but you should be able to put at least 20km in them to see if any problems show up.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

I went for a 5K run in mine earlier and I think they are a size too big. Regardless of them saying they won't take worn shoes, I'm going to clean the sole up (which won't take long) and I've already filled in to have them exchanged. It says Reebok will send me my replacement pair when Parcelforce have scanned in the pair I'm sending back. So I can't see Reebok saying too much too me given I'll already have a new pair.

Really nice though. Felt firmer on the midsole than I expected to start but started to feel better as the run went on. Upper felt really nice too.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

I went for a 5K run in mine earlier and I think they are a size too big. Regardless of them saying they won't take worn shoes, I'm going to clean the sole up (which won't take long) and I've already filled in to have them exchanged. It says Reebok will send me my replacement pair when Parcelforce have scanned in the pair I'm sending back. So I can't see Reebok saying too much too me given I'll already have a new pair.

Really nice though. Felt firmer on the midsole than I expected to start but started to feel better as the run went on. Upper felt really nice too.

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What size are you usually? I'm a 9 so ordered as such.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

What size are you usually? I'm a 9 so ordered as such.

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Well that's a good question. I wear size 8 in normal trainers so I've always gone by the idea of getting running shoes half a size up (so nearly always get 8.5). However I do have Nike Pegasus 35 and Epic React in 8's and they felt really nice.

I'd read about Reebok being a bit too long and to order a size down, I consulted their size guide and it did say to order a 7.5. For whatever reason I thought I'd better play it safe and order an 8. Turns our I should've gone with the 7.5.

Might be a good idea to order yourself an 8.5 as well and try both sizes on, then send the one back that's not right. It's free to return so if you have the money to buy another pair then I think it's worth it.

Really annoyed I didn't think to check HUKD and see if there's a code. That wouldn't been quite a bit of a saving. I thought £59 was a good price for £41 is crazy.

I was looking at ordering the Harmony Road 3 for my long runs but they don't have the 7.5 size in stock. Maybe it'll come into stock for their Black Friday sale.

 

[Duebrithil]

If only Amazon hadn't killed Shoefitr... That was a useful tool

 

[Bestlaidplans]

Well that's a good question. I wear size 8 in normal trainers so I've always gone by the idea of getting running shoes half a size up (so nearly always get 8.5). However I do have Nike Pegasus 35 and Epic React in 8's and they felt really nice.

I'd read about Reebok being a bit too long and to order a size down, I consulted their size guide and it did say to order a 7.5. For whatever reason I thought I'd better play it safe and order an 8. Turns our I should've gone with the 7.5.

Might be a good idea to order yourself an 8.5 as well and try both sizes on, then send the one back that's not right. It's free to return so if you have the money to buy another pair then I think it's worth it.

Really annoyed I didn't think to check HUKD and see if there's a code. That wouldn't been quite a bit of a saving. I thought £59 was a good price for £41 is crazy.

I was looking at ordering the Harmony Road 3 for my long runs but they don't have the 7.5 size in stock. Maybe it'll come into stock for their Black Friday sale.

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Yeah not a bad idea actually. Might do that.
And it's a heck of a saving! Always Google codes before buying anything! I even try Quidco just on the off chance :)

Once the new year comes around in gonna get some hoka trainers through vitality for half price. Want to see how cushioned they really are!

 

[Duebrithil]

Good luck on your race tomorrow Fisico!

 

[Fisico]

Good luck on your race tomorrow Fisico!

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Ah thanks, just a half with friends, not at my best but should be more than enough to crash that year old outdated PR (1h21m50s when I just did a 2h44 marathon 3 weeks ago)

No rain no wind & fresh weather, just need to be careful about covering myself once it ends.

EDIT : Ended up with a 1h18mn10s, I started on pace for a 1h19 and then slowly went faster as race went on, my 5k split are, in order of speed 20-15k > 15-10k > 10-5k > 5-0K, glad with that and probably couldn't have done much more so early after a marathon.
Had I not run a marathon a low 1:17 was possible probably, but I don't really mind as marathon are what I like the most and run for in the first place.

Though with that my endurance almost fully catched up with my speed in terms of PR (10k at 35:38, half at 1:18:10, marathon at 2h44:11), so I will have to refocus on 10k/half anyway, too bad :p

 

[Deleted member 25094]

So the Reebok Floatride's in size 8 felt just a bit too big. So I went for the size 7.5's instead and took them out on a 5K easy run. My left heel rubbed pretty badly so I've left it a few days.

Just been out on another 5K easy run and my heel has been rubbed to shit, it's pretty red raw now. The top of the heel counter of the shoe appears to have rubbed a square of skin off basically.

So what do I do? Go back to the larger shoes which felt a bit too big? Keep running and see if my heel toughens up? Give up on them and return them?

Apologies for the grim photo.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ir4gPpUwqcvVZVSX9

 

[Duebrithil]

So the Reebok Floatride's in size 8 felt just a bit too big. So I went for the size 7.5's instead and took them out on a 5K easy run. My left heel rubbed pretty badly so I've left it a few days.

Just been out on another 5K easy run and my heel has been rubbed to shit, it's pretty red raw now. The top of the heel counter of the shoe appears to have rubbed a square of skin off basically.

So what do I do? Go back to the larger shoes which felt a bit too big? Keep running and see if my heel toughens up? Give up on them and return them?

Apologies for the grim photo.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ir4gPpUwqcvVZVSX9

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Oof, that looks painful.

The way I see it you have three options:
1) Keep the 7.5s and see if running with a bandaid (Compeed or homemade) prevents the aggressive rubbing of the heel.
2) Go with the 8s and use some thicker socks or explore some alternative lacing options.
3) Return them and look for other shoes with similar characteristics but with different sizing.

I think option 2 warrants a chance, with option 3 as a backup.

 

[Bestlaidplans]

So the Reebok Floatride's in size 8 felt just a bit too big. So I went for the size 7.5's instead and took them out on a 5K easy run. My left heel rubbed pretty badly so I've left it a few days.

Just been out on another 5K easy run and my heel has been rubbed to shit, it's pretty red raw now. The top of the heel counter of the shoe appears to have rubbed a square of skin off basically.

So what do I do? Go back to the larger shoes which felt a bit too big? Keep running and see if my heel toughens up? Give up on them and return them?

Apologies for the grim photo.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ir4gPpUwqcvVZVSX9

Click to shrink...

I bought a pair and quite like them. The backs are a bit stiff but not rubbed me yet. I want some elastic laces for them though.

 

[Deleted member 25094]

Oof, that looks painful.

The way I see it you have three options:
1) Keep the 7.5s and see if running with a bandaid (Compeed or homemade) prevents the aggressive rubbing of the heel.
2) Go with the 8s and use some thicker socks or explore some alternative lacing options.
3) Return them and look for other shoes with similar characteristics but with different sizing.

I think option 2 warrants a chance, with option 3 as a backup.

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I'm debating option 3 to be honest. As much as they're nice, these aren't the first shoes I've had issues with. I've previously had New Balance which rubbed on my instep, Hoka's rubbing on the outside of my foot and now these Reebok's rubbing on the heel. Might just be a case of sticking to what I know works and keep with Nike or Brooks.

 

[NoirSuede]

On my 5km uni track (that has a lot of hills including a Eau Rouge knock-off) I've managed to hit sub-20 for the first time 😄

 

[Deleted member 25094]

On my 5km uni track (that has a lot of hills including a Eau Rouge knock-off) I've managed to hit sub-20 for the first time 😄

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Nice!