The second of my ‘once a month half or above’ races yesterday at Liversedge.
It’s quite a tough course, given the location, so to achieve my goal was a bonus and I think I might have won a little prize too.
Retford half next up in March, then the Boston Mara in April.
The wife has now signed me up for the Dukeries 30 in May, plus the white peak half so it’s all getting mapped out for the year.
Well done to everyone who got out there this weekend.

Yesterday I did the excellent course at Longsleddale for 6th round of Kendal Winter League fell race series. I’m not in the best of shape at the mo. Various injuries etc but I’m determined to do the 7 races needed to count. For 4.8 mile route it certainly packed it in. Two bloody steep climbs, dodgy wet, slippy descents, a sapping flat run across a massive bog and then a big charge in to finish. I was pretty pleased to get 42nd out of 136 and 5th V50.
These are really excellent races in interesting places. And only £4 a pop!

http://www.helmhill.co.uk/index.php/races/80-races/114-kendal-winter-league

“I’m hoping it’s all the interval sessions that have paid off.”

Minute for minute the best use of your time when training. Everything else is just “padding” as a good mate of mine used to say

I agree with this, 6 weeks of intervals on a treadmill has seen my running form improve as well as my cardio.

Well done DD and Captain on your achievements. I’ve not run for two weeks due to a cold and am going out this evening, lets see how this goes…

+1 for the KWL for anyone reasonably local, I did a few last year including longsleddale but too many other commitments this year and I’m focussing on road which I’m miles better at – and enjoy much more to be honest, there’s something magical about floating along at a decent pace which I don’t get from trudging up and down fells…

Don’t trudge – run! ;0)

Sounds good fun in the fells, got to be hard work in the boggy bits 🤮

Me? Well a 10k coastal path run from Pollperro, mist and drizzle made the epic views “muted” at best.

Back home soon for another 3 days of QECP runs..

Well after last weeks gloop, today was hardpack and dry.. if you intend to ride QECP this weekend you are gonna sooooo enjoy it.

had three weeks off running as last race I ended up with a large blister/hole in foot. Finally heals, start running this week and I am getting a cold.

This year is not quite going to plan…yet

Anybody else in Northumbria tomorrow for the Endurance life races? Come and say hello if you are doing the half, I am the big lump in the blue compression socks with ducks on them and Vegan runner vest. Stuart.

Sounds ace, tell us how you get on..

Best of luck duckers!

well, full of head cold, but amazing what dry ground and daylight will do for your times!

Awesome QECP conditions, out early for a 15k rollout.. crystal clear and frosty, sunshine and hardpack.. just beautiful.

I didn’t know but there is an organised Parkrun there every Sat at 0900.. decent turnout and I’m sure the course was good..

I ran on my own, and blew up a couple of times… nice to see some early MTBers out enjoying the conditions..

The most excellent Dark Un for me last night, put on by Mr Sparkle of this parish. Headtorch race on the moors above Darwen. Pretty good run for me, ice, brilliantly marshalled, finish in the pub, free crisps. What’s not to like? Nice one matey!

Pretty happy with a Lloyd Parkrun PB this morning at 27:44.  It was blinking freezing though!

I’ve been a very infrequent runner of late so I was pleasantly surprised by a 25:48 parkrun time  this morning which is the quickest one for about three years (49 and almost 15st at the moment :-0 ) but still a minute shy of my p.b.

I’m currently full of good intentions to get more regular runs in (but we’ve been here before..)

I managed to get out for a run yesterday morning. Warmed up before leaving the house this time.

Run was basically 2 miles uphill then back again, 290ish feet. Pace of 7:45/mile, (including photo stop).

Felt good with no twinges, so happy with that. Just need to increase the distance and pace, steadily.

Great to hear everyone doing so well with their running.

Did a lovely 10miler on the Ridgeway this morning. About -2 degrees with a pretty biting wind but my favourite conditions for winter running, with clear blue skies and frozen ground.

As much as I want to train hard and keep pushing for faster times, there’s a lot to be set for just holding the pace back a bit and just enjoying a run.

As much as I want to train hard and keep pushing for faster times, there’s a lot to be set for just holding the pace back a bit and just enjoying a run.

That is soooo true.

Just enjoy being out…. and panting a bit.

Most of my running is steady pace. Too hard too often is a recipe for injury and burnout.

Stunning run this morning – well below freezing, bright sun, no-one else out. 😎

However, my foot hurts. Right across the top of one foot, and has done all week, hence one less run this week, since a run last week. I think it may be overly tight laces, I stopped and loosened a shoe twice this morning. Any thoughts?

Matt, as I often think, hardest thing about starting running is deciding what is a niggle and what is something that could worsen and needs a wee break or some physio.

First running event in 6 years yesterday (not really counting parkruns!) 10k trail race in lovely but hilly surroundings on a cracking cold, clear day – Hillbilly 10k around craigengillan estate in Ayrshire. Feared the worst when I turned up in the car park and saw all the ‘proper’ runners, ended up 68 of 231, happy with that.

Has really given me the bug to do more.

Sore throat and blazing headache.. I wondered why I blew up on Sat..

First week off work and I’m feeling grot.. I’ll see how I feel t’moz before heading over Cocking way for the 10k loop I do once a week..

Typical, ditched work.. catch some lurgy. 🤷‍♂️

Matt, I’ve done that with tight laces, earlier this year in fact. Took a little while to fully disappear but wasn’t serious while it lasted. If it’s more “in” the foot than on top then it might be something more serious I suppose.

Matt, if you’ve got “prawper” running shoes, and wondered what the two holes quite close together at the top do, then google it. On phone so struggling to post a link, but it might help. My shoes have always felt better since I’ve tied them like this. Or maybe consider replacing with the elasticated jobbies (sorry, used by, erm, triathletes) which might spread the load better across the whole instep.

Anyway, not quite looking forward to our 0515 interval session in the morning. For us Brizzillians in the Mild Mild West, this is baltique. 😀 It’s weeks like this I’m glad I have a partner for this stuff – someone to share the pain but also encourages you to get out there so as to “not let one another down.”

 If it’s more “in” the foot than on top then it might be something more serious I suppose.

It is very definitely on top – and from running in my older Salomons.

New shoes needed anyway…

I use the cheap elasticated ones off ebay, generally cost about 2 quid, happy days.

I’ve tried the elastic laces but I found them to not really hold the shoe on the foot well enough. As the laces are elastic they can give a bit which means the shoe can move around a little bit. It might not bother some people but I could tell the shoes weren’t secure enough for me.

I’ve also had the problem with over-tightening the laces so what I do now when I put the shoes on and begin to pull the laces tight, is to scrunch my toes up in the shoe whilst finishing tying them up. Then when you relax your toes the shoes shouldn’t be over tight. It takes a bit of guessing how tight to do them at first but you soon get used to it and then get a consistent tension in the laces.

I too use the top 2 lace holes to hold the shoe a little more firmly in place, the details are here:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/how-to/a15492/how-to-tie-running-shoes/

Works well for me, more secure and just “better”.

That’s the one lunge. Thanks for posting link.

For anyone trying it for the first time, it does feel a bit weird as you tighten the laces across the top of the tongue and think “Jaysus, that’s going to be a pain” but it just works and feels better. It locks the shoe in place very nicely. As the guy in the link says “File under things I learned years ago.”

Quite pleased – first chance to run for a while where i didn’t feel I was at risk of injury – had continuous niggles this last few months but have been pain free for a few weeks now over increasing distances, so i started out at ‘reasonably comfortable but not easy’ pace and gradually wound it on a bit for the Sweatshop 5.2k route.  And came in at 25.20

It’s not exactly my best ever which was in the 22’s (but that was 25 years ago) …… but it was by some way faster than I’ve run for a long time.  And pretty well up with my PB half marathon pace (1:42 also from 25 years ago). Life in the old dog yet.

Only downside – a lovely lady from Brooks was there this week with some shoes for people to try out. I have Brooks Ravenna 3’s (yes old) and she loaned me a pair of Transcend 5, so I don’t know if the result is me or whether I need £140 worth of new shoes 😉

Oh, and re lacing. That’s the proper way but I find it gives me pain across the tendons on the front of my heel, so instead I lace normally BUT instead of one overlap before tying the bow, I do two which seems to lock it down more without being quite so high up the foot.

QECP trails are haarrrrrrrd and dry today, 15k in my new ON Cloudventure Trails and as you can see there is no mud on them !! Yay for hard dry winters 👍

@bikebouy, how do you find these On shoes? I’m tempted by a pair but know no-one who has tried them so has tried them.

Cheeky wee 5k at lunch today, only 9k to go for my february 100 miles, think I’ll just nail it tonight, have a day off tomorrow.

@bikebouy – nice shoes! is that good for road running?

Disco Slippers they are, they’re certainly a bit bright (and i like that)

I have been using SalSx3’s for the last few years and I do like them, yes there are some that don’t and I would always advocate trying them on FIRST before you buy them for the simple reason they’re not to everyones foot fit. I have had no issues with mine and I still love them.

And here’s the however…

However..

I bought a couple of pair of ON Clouds (these are the road running version) for yomping around in, and nothing more. The fit was lovely and they’re so light so I then went to look for a replacement for my SalSx3’s and the second place I looked was ON.. There aren’t many retailers in the UK it’s mostly online, Runners Need sell them but only the Cloud.. So I checked the ON website out and then checked a Youtube Trail running site I use and there was a review on them and then a few weeks ago I noticed a running shop in Chichester that had an ON display… and so I walked in.

My mini review:

The Cloudventure Trail shoes i have are the light version trail running shoe, they do a slightly heavier version that has the uppers in a thicker material. I bought mine in anticipation of the hot dry trials of the South I’m expecting (insert smilie) I normally take a 43, the size I bought are a 42. So they come up a little smaller and fit longer (if that makes sense) They do not look nor feel anything like SalSx3’s in anyway shape or form. For a start the foot plate is wider and much more comfortable, the heal aperture is wider and yet fits my foot perfectly. I have a high instep thats plagued me throughout my life and I normally have to buy larger shoes to cope, but in this instance the right size for my foot in these is a quoted 42.

Right they’re On and I’m off running.. They are lovely. The foot sole is wider than SalSx3, which means my foot spreads out more and the toe box is wider too, so when speeding out my toes on the up or down means my toes just open up and grip the sole (in the SalSx3 my toes do open up but nowhere near the space as I have in these) I think this is an important point, the toes opening up. You need your toes to open up and spread the load of your ball and I found that these ON CVT’s are perfect for that. The sole has to be mentioned, ON call it their “cloud” (hence the name) and I was originally sceptical because of two reasons a) the “clouds” are open rubber type material and I expected them to squidge and squelch.. so far this hasn’t happened. What they do offer is comfort and grip a plenty. The “clouds” do deform but they spread out and almost form onto the trial.. sounds odd but you can feel them do that. How long this will last I’ve no idea and I’ve no idea how long the grip pattern will last either. b) that the “clouds” would suck in stones and the stones would get jammed, yes this did happen once today but the stone flew out within a couple of steps. I can’t comment on gloopy conditions where mud will no doubt find it’s way into the “clouds” but today even the loamy damp rooted sections the “clouds” didn’t fill up and get all boggy. The heal cup, it’s cut sooo much lower than the SalSx3’s, to the point that there is hardly any material around it. My heal fitted in perfectly and never slipped nor moved around.

Feel.. Much lighter, much lighter than the SalSx3’s. On the ups there is a certain “spring” to the lift off, and placing the ball down again there is a soft cushioning feel. My stride felt lighter (obviously I’m used to SalSx3) but there is a real feel of spring about them.

So, second time out in them and I’m finding they’re great. Again changing shoes for running can give many different sensations and possibility of injury, but I’m not feeling any of those sensations .. who knows if I will I will keep a close eye on it because I don’t want to ruin my running due to injury or sores.. I’ve a few decent mini comp’s coming up and if I get any sensation that the shoes at fault I’ll revert back to my SalSx3’s.. as is I think I will stick with my ON’s unless it gets gloopy where I’ll use my other shoes.

ON’s are about the same cost as top flight runners, so direct comparisons can be had with Salomon and the like. I only run trails, i don’t run roads unless it’s linking trials up. All my running is normally like QECP or SDW or the North Yorkshire Moors..

Hope that helps, here is the link to the running shop in Chichester and the guys in there all run and know their stuff and I run with one of them when we meet up in Cocking for the longer open downs runs..

https://www.theruncompany.co.uk

I have to add, the Name of the ON Shoes above is called ON Cloudventure Peak (trial) just to clarify. I had to clarify that because if you look on ON’s site they do similar looking, but different, shoes all with the name “cloud” in..

Does anyone know the difference between the Nike Lunarglides and the Strucutres?

I’ve used the Lunarglide 6 for the last 12-18months with no issues, I picked them up as I pronate and they are Nikes stability shoe. They are showing some signs of wear so I picked up some Structure 21’s as the Lunarglides weren’t available, they are also sold as a stability shoe. But after each run in the Structures I am getting knee pain which lasts for a day or so.

I cant see any blurb on the Nike website about one being more or less supportive then the other. Does anyone have any experience of these shoes which could guide me? Could it be I just need to persist and let them bed in maybe? (didn’t have to with the Lunarglides) Quite peeved as I think I know the answer is to go buy another new pair of diff shoes…

To go full tin foil hat, the knee which is having pain post runs, is the same leg which now has a Gamin footpod on it, extra weight on one foot wouldnt do this would it?

@oikeith, this doesn’t answer the question but my local Nike Outlet had Lunarglide 8’s in offensive yellow and pink for not much money last time I was in. So if you do need to buy some new ones then it may not be as expensive as you think. In fact, I did buy a pair and don’t like them as much as I hoped so if you want a pair in a size 12 in said offensive colour then I could be persuaded to part with them.