The Official Thread for Runners

[OhioBlue]

But now I'm just thinking crazy, like.

Nah, I gotcha. At least as far as the idea of having heart rate be your variable of interest. Makes sense to me, because I'm the guy on my easy runs going not for pace per se, but for that aerobic range or conversational pace, and having to completely guess as to what my heart rate actually is. In fact lately I've been stopping and taking my pulse for 10 second intervals just to see, and I think my 'easy' runs are a little easier than they could be.

All the stuff you mention about the Garmin is precisely why I'm interested. And I keep checking the 305 price on Amazon and hinting to my wife. But my ambivalence is about growing too dependent on the technology and numbers and losing that sort of organic quality of the whole thing.

Truth is, when it comes right down to it, I'll most likely have a Garmin on my wrist within the next year.

[Eddie]

Nah, I gotcha. At least as far as the idea of having heart rate be your variable of interest. Makes sense to me, because I'm the guy on my easy runs going not for pace per se, but for that aerobic range or conversational pace, and having to completely guess as to what my heart rate actually is. In fact lately I've been stopping and taking my pulse for 10 second intervals just to see, and I think my 'easy' runs are a little easier than they could be.

All the stuff you mention about the Garmin is precisely why I'm interested. And I keep checking the 305 price on Amazon and hinting to my wife. But my ambivalence is about growing too dependent on the technology and numbers and losing that sort of organic quality of the whole thing.

Truth is, when it comes right down to it, I'll most likely have a Garmin on my wrist within the next year.

I didn't replace mine right away because I wanted to go for the organic quality a little more. I have a neighbor who decided he was going to run a marathon without ever looking at his watch or pace - and just "go at whatever speed my body feels like going". The idea interested me.

I thought it might be fun just to run for the sake of running. And I could see myself generally running the same kind of workouts (speed, hills or pace, and long and slow) but without actually tracking what the pace is for each - particularly if I don't have a certain race I am preparing for.

But I have a triathlon at the end of the month. And I really like that pace information during a race...I'll be surprised (and impressed, actually) if I don't have a new 305 by then.

[Pheidippides]

I had a gait analysis done today. Highly recommend it (I had a lactate threshold blood test done at the same time). The biomechanicist was able to tell me (1) that all my work on form had done a lot of good, because I was doing a lot of things very right (hips, shoulders, leg position, posture, arm movement, turnover) but (2) that I had some work to do (I plantarflex too much when I strike, I cross over midpoint a bit, still a bit of collapsing in my hips).

Most importantly, though, she was able to really spot some areas that have been causing me injury. The plantarflexion of the foot just before striking is the likely cause of my calf strain. Also, apparently my bone structure is such that my lower leg bows out a bit, so stability shoes are a surefire way to get my IT inflamed (some of you will remember this is precisely what happened when I was training for my first marathon). I apparently pronate a bit, but nothing excessive, and her view is that I want to have some pronation given my slightly bowed leg shape.

Her knowledge was impressive. In addition to correctly predicting my IT/stability shoe issue, she correctly guessed that I've spent a lot of time trying to correct my form lately and even what bits I've worked on.

FTR, she's definitely a fan of the Saucony Kinvaras, although a bit more wary of the VFFs because of the gastroc stress they can provide. And she heartily recommends cycling as crosstraining - in her view, nothing but good things come from cycling when you are a runner.

[BigPiney]

I ran a 1:32:56 for my midnight 1/2 marathon. I died the last 2 miles, but 8th out of 462 and first in my agegroup isn't too bad. Of course my wife beat me to win the women's race in 1:31:13. She also won one 6 days earlier and got her choice of shoes at a running store. Ugh. She is going to beat me in the marathon, how emasculating. Oh well.

9 miles of speed work this morning actually felt pretty good only 2 days later, well at least I was able to maintain the 6:35 pace for the 2 miles in both sets.

[SteelBlue]

I ran a 1:32:56 for my midnight 1/2 marathon. I died the last 2 miles, but 8th out of 462 and first in my agegroup isn't too bad. Of course my wife beat me to win the women's race in 1:31:13. She also won one 6 days earlier and got her choice of shoes at a running store. Ugh. She is going to beat me in the marathon, how emasculating. Oh well.

9 miles of speed work this morning actually felt pretty good only 2 days later, well at least I was able to maintain the 6:35 pace for the 2 miles in both sets.

Nice work! Doesn't McMillan predict something like a 3:11 marathon for you now? With 11 weeks to go I'd say you're going to BQ in your first marathon. Uh, it doesn't sound like there's much shame in losing to your wife. Is the half the distance where she starts beating you? I think you said you beat her in your recent 10k.

[BigPiney]

Nice work! Doesn't McMillan predict something like a 3:11 marathon for you now? With 11 weeks to go I'd say you're going to BQ in your first marathon. Uh, it doesn't sound like there's much shame in losing to your wife. Is the half the distance where she starts beating you? I think you said you beat her in your recent 10k.

Based on this it is around a 3:16, but I am going to keep on training like I can run under 3:10 and hopefully I can trick myself into doing it.

[OhioBlue]

I died the last 2 miles, but 8th out of 462 and first in my agegroup isn't too bad.

Nice work BP. If that's your criteria for "isn't too bad" remind me never to have you evaluate my race results.

[SteelBlue]

Based on this it is around a 3:16, but I am going to keep on training like I can run under 3:10 and hopefully I can trick myself into doing it.

Oops, I sometimes forget that I'm old. I was thinking you had to get the 3:15 required of my age group.

[Moliere]

I ran a 1:32:56 for my midnight 1/2 marathon. I died the last 2 miles, but 8th out of 462 and first in my agegroup isn't too bad. Of course my wife beat me to win the women's race in 1:31:13. She also won one 6 days earlier and got her choice of shoes at a running store. Ugh. She is going to beat me in the marathon, how emasculating. Oh well.

9 miles of speed work this morning actually felt pretty good only 2 days later, well at least I was able to maintain the 6:35 pace for the 2 miles in both sets.

Wow, that's great. I once held a 6:35 pace for 1/2 a mile

[Pheidippides]

Incredible sale at Runningwarehouse.com on Kinvara 2s. You can get them for $71.95 per, free second day shipping. Use code rwjuly11 to get an extra 10% off for a total price of $63 and change. I haven't seen them for less than $89 anywhere else. Just got a second pair for me and a first pair for the missus.

[BigPiney]

Incredible sale at Runningwarehouse.com on Kinvara 2s. You can get them for $71.95 per, free second day shipping. Use code rwjuly11 to get an extra 10% off for a total price of $63 and change. I haven't seen them for less than $89 anywhere else. Just got a second pair for me and a first pair for the missus.

Tell me about these shoes. Do you use them for all your running? How wide is the toe box? I like Brooks because of the narrow heel, any idea how these compare? I am a neutral runner, so these sound good to me, I just am not sure if these will give very good protection when I am running trails.

[Pheidippides]

Tell me about these shoes. Do you use them for all your running? How wide is the toe box? I like Brooks because of the narrow heel, any idea how these compare? I am a neutral runner, so these sound good to me, I just am not sure if these will give very good protection when I am running trails.

If you do a lot of trail running I'd suggest the Peregrine, which is the trail version. That's on sale too.

I use these shoes for everything these days. Speedwork. Distance work. Junk miles. Races. I can't say enough good about them (and it helps that the biomechanics expert that looked at my gait likes them too). They are exceptionally lightweight - my size 12s are around 8 oz. - and they have almost no structure to the upper, so the toe box is very flexible. I think they have a narrow heel, but YMMV. For me they are the perfect middle ground between barefoot running and clunky shoes. I set my 10k PR in these shoes and they are now my marathon shoe of choice.

[BigPiney]

If you do a lot of trail running I'd suggest the Peregrine, which is the trail version. That's on sale too.

I use these shoes for everything these days. Speedwork. Distance work. Junk miles. Races. I can't say enough good about them (and it helps that the biomechanics expert that looked at my gait likes them too). They are exceptionally lightweight - my size 12s are around 8 oz. - and they have almost no structure to the upper, so the toe box is very flexible. I think they have a narrow heel, but YMMV. For me they are the perfect middle ground between barefoot running and clunky shoes. I set my 10k PR in these shoes and they are now my marathon shoe of choice.

Thanks - I will give them a try.

[Pheidippides]

Thanks - I will give them a try.

I would try them on at a running store first. The fit is different than a traditional shoe.

[Joe Public]

I would try them on at a running store first. The fit is different than a traditional shoe.

Do this if you can. I did, and I went up half a size to have more width in the toe box.

Niku, that is a great price. Thanks for posting the information. I might pick up a second pair.