Their Ironman style chest light has a red rear one on the battery pack.
Might work well with what you’ve already bought.

A slow trail half marathon today – 22km of this!

Do those chest lights work? Whenever I see someone with one, they look like they are swinging all over the place.

Do those chest lights work? Whenever I see someone with one, they look like they are swinging all over the place.

They’re pretty good on the road but not ideal off road. The beam is wide enough to see on quiet roads where you have got a good surface and no sharp corners. I tend to wear a head torch and a chest light running off road, thinking of it like a bar and a helmet light on the bike.

I like them as another way of being seen by cars, nothing beats a good head torch in my opinion.

Having used the Alpkit Gamma 3 a few times now, I think my previous post was a bit unfair, I was thinking solely of the brightness of the rear light on its own but coupled with the wide beam pattern on the front, you are quite noticeable running on the roads. For £20 I am impressed.

Headtorches are always best to be seen by cars, a quick look in the direction of the driver grabs their attention.

I never ran with a headlight and my old evening run home(12 miles) took me along a road with no pavement for several miles. I must have been mad….

I do think they are only useful if they are powerful enough to light the ground in front of you otherwise I dont see the point. I have had enough incidents over the years to just assume nobody can see me and I act accordingly.

If a session calls for 800m to be run in 3:26, what pace (in min/km) would these be run at?

Thought I had worked it out but Garmin is making me doubt my (admittedly ropey) maths after completing the workout…

6:54 mins/mile, 4:18 mins/km I reckon.

Can anyone recommend any shorts which limit chafing, especially for longer ultra style efforts? I’ve done vaseline etc but would appreciate any recommended shorts.

Thanks

i found any shorts with lycra inner shorts do the trick

did a trail half marathon yesterday. first time running that sort of distance in zero drop shoes, seemed fine, no problems today. have spent a good couple of years transitioning from regular shoes though.
was nice to run on frozen mud, so much nicer than the slop.

Can anyone recommend any shorts which limit chafing, especially for longer ultra style efforts? I’ve done vaseline etc but would appreciate any recommended shorts.

Mrs Lunge swears by the shorts with Lycra shorts built in.
I prefer just to buy as shorter shorts as possible, shave my legs and use Glide for long runs.
Never had any issus that way.

Thanks all.
Are the lycra ‘inners’ visible as if I were wearing compression shorts under normal shorts or are they more of a y-front length?
Typed in all seriousness! ☺️

Are the lycra ‘inners’ visible as if I were wearing compression shorts under normal shorts or are they more of a y-front length?

Most are visible to some degree.
Make sure you’ve got good undies on too, the Decathlon running boxers are long enough to help too.

Most are visible to some degree.
Make sure you’ve got good undies on too, the Decathlon running boxers are long enough to help too.

You don’t always need undies on if it’s got a lycra liner, I’ve got some shorts (from Decathlon) that I’ve used for ultras and no problems. And then I’ve got others where they’re essential. Still, the running boxers you mentioned are cheap enough that you can try both ways.

as Mogrim says no need for undies with a decent pair of ‘built in lycra’ shorts. in the winter i use running tights (full length) with shorts over the top, again no need for undies.

I run in Runderwear’s long boxers (under 3/4 length Aplkit tights, normally) after getting horribly chafed by Decathlon running boxers.

Bugger. I know it is only early in the year but I had a bit of a streak going but now I’ve got a deep pain in the front of my right hip where sitting down is painful. The hip is also clicking a lot.

Is this an impingement? I’ve tried googling and youtube but there is so much crap to wade through and my regular stretches don’t seem to be helping.

Would appreciated any advice, as I really don’t want to be without running whilst locked down.

Cheers.

X-Bionic shorts great for ultras – good for wearing under tights in winter too.

One of the things I liked to do in winter (if you live in the countryside) is run without lights – a bit scary at first but your eyes adjust and you can make out shapes and things. Used to run along the canal towpath – the water reflects the sky so easy to see the edge.

I run in Runderwear’s long boxers (under 3/4 length Aplkit tights,

Are the Alpkit tights good? Am guessing they are the Koulin ones?

@kennyp – Yeah, I like them! Cracking value, they’re similar in style, fit and pockets to the Raidlight ones I ran in previously, but less than half the price. Bought a couple of pairs back in October and they seem very good so far.

Ta. Will go and order a pair. They do seem pretty good value. But then most Alpkit stuff is.

Lunge is bang on, best boxers ever, canny beat the decathlon strides

fairweather cyclist here, so going to try and dip my toes into running for a bit until spring comes around. previously done the odd 4 mile plod or whatever in unsuitable trainers, so want to try and get some half decent kit thatll make it easier for me to leave the house.

ordered some bluetooth earphones with the ‘behind the neck’ lanyard for starters.

looking for a belt to put phone and keys in.

main thing tho is shoes. my bro has linked me to some suggestions, brooks adrenaline gts (pricey for a gamble), cheaper options he found are adidas galaxy, nike downshifter, nike revolution but he then found me some decent shoes at a good price on amazon, some brooks revel 4 at £75.
thought id take a punt on them but the price shot up to over £80 and added £15 postage as soon as i tried to order them grrrr.
hes found the revel 3 a bit cheaper on a site called startfitness.co.uk. anyone had any dealings with them? or any other suggestions for either shoes or a belt?
shoes im usually a 9.5, but can be a 10 in some shoes, 9 in others, so a physical shop would be better for trying on, but you know….covid and all that…..
dont mind taking a punt online if the shop is easy enough to deal with returns.

thanks

Start fitness is decent, have a look at sports shoes.com too, usually get a good deal on there.

No idea about belts, I just put my phone in my pocket, ditto key.

You’ll notice a massive difference on proper running shoes, I use asics as they fit me well, others use nike, brooks etc, it’s up to you.

I personally think you’ll really struggle to get a bad pair these days, unless youve really narrow or hobbit like feet.

@sadexpunk, Best cheap runners I’ve found are Nike React Milers, generally £60 ish. They’re heavy and ugly but run really well and are well cushioned. I think they’re in the Nike sale at the moment and they’re cheap at Sports Direct too. They size pretty true, maybe a touch small.

Re money belt, I tend to take very little on a run but have got a Decathlon running belt which is fine and cheap.

I recently got one of the Salomon Agile belts cheap in Wiggle’s sale recently, takes a phone, card, keys and a snack bar if I need it. I’ve got a couple of other bum bags (both Montane) if I want to carry a windproof and gloves and a soft bottle at this time of year as well.

I’ve got the Agile belt and its great for carrying little bits and bobs when you don’t require a proper bun bag, but I’ve found that the zip has stuck and then torn the teeth out after about a month or 2 of not being used. I’ve also had this with one of their race vests which TBH is a major let down on an otherwise good product.

Right, I give up. Asking for advice on treadmills.

Due to work having me fly home from South America, Isolation at home with family is unavoidable.

Mrs Seadog, although not big runner herself, has said lets a treadmill, as this isolation routine may carry on for an unknown time.

So, my dear STW runner-things, where should my money go for £1000 to £1500. (preferably somewhere with stock!).

I bought one from Argos for 200 quid that saw us through the proper lockdown, as we used our one allotted period of exercise to get my daughter out. It was actually a lot better than I thought it would be, not capable of sprints (tops out at 7.45 min/mile) but perfect for what I used it for, knocking out a sweaty 10k while watching Ozark.

It hasn’t been used since, I’m glad I never spent much on it.

Mrs Seadog, although not big runner herself

This would sway me even more in this direction tbh.

Right then you wonderful bunch, please help me spend my money!
I achieved a personal (non-running) goal this week and I promised myself that if I did I’d buy myself another pair of “posh” running shoes. It’s a pure indeugence, particually with no races in the pipeline, but I spend 10 or 12 hours per week running, it’s my only real hobby, I can aford it, so why the hell not?

My first thought was another pair of Vaporfly’s which I know I love already.
But then I thought for the sake of an extra £20 should I try a pair of Alphafly’s even though my instinct is that I’d prefer the lighter Vapor’s.Anyone run in a pair of Alphafly’s and can give me a view on them?
Or shall I take the sensible (ish) option and buy some Saucony Endorphin Speeds (£90 cheaper) which seem to be viewed as a fast shoe that’s a little more durable and better for everyday use.

So what do we reckon?
Comments telling me to buy another pair of Peg’s in the sale will be ignored!

Slow start to the year for me so far. Bilateral hernia repair in Dec knocked me off my feet longer than expected – I massively underestimated it and thought I’d be up and about in a couple of days! Ooops. Anyway, move from Manchester to Sheffield over Christmas and I’m in a very happy place. My “little” 5km run out of the door takes me up to Lady Cannings and Ringinglow via the Mayfield valley (for those who know the area). And includes 250m of climbing! I could bang out 12k along the river in manchester and not clock up 25m of climbing so all wonderfully different. And 10 mins drive gets me to Blackamoor or Burbage valley. Can’t bloody wait to get amongst it!

@seadog101 – unless you run on treadmills a bit already and know you can tolerate them then I’d go as cheap as possible. I hate the bloody things with a passion and would rather sit on the sofa and get fat for 2 weeks than use one in the house 😉 But I know other who do get on ok with them!

I’ve not used vaporflys or alphaflys for that matter, but a friend who has both loves the vaporflys and hates the alphaflys.
He’s a sub 3 hour marathoner if that makes a difference.

On what to get? Ooof, good question. I’ll be having some Adidas Adizero Adios Pro when I can get some, but I’m an Adidas wearer so makes sense, probably not so much for you.

@sadexpunk I can recommend one of these belts to carry phone, keys, energy bars ..

https://flipbelt.co.uk/products/flipbelt-classic/

Use mine of pretty much every run I do from short runs up to a marathon.
Never had an issue with it. There’s a clip for a key. Doesn’t bounce around.. nothing falls out.
A bit spendy for a piece of elastic with cut-outs in it but I wouldn’t be without mine.

I bought one from Argos for 200 quid that saw us through the proper lockdown,

The Argos Reebok ones generally get good reviews, for the money you spend. Sadly, nothing available to deliver.

This proving tricky as all but the chaepest and vastly expensive are out of stock.

So, my dear STW runner-things, where should my money go for £1000 to £1500. (preferably somewhere with stock!).

I think stock is the problem. I have the same budget but cant find anything that is foldable, min of 3HP motor and is robust looking. I am pretty much OK on a treadmill and will happily run on one.

https://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/V/Patagonia_Slope_Running_Vest_4L_XS_Cave_Grey-(251622)

bargain running vest here for someone of the right build. 50% off plus another 20%.

comes with two 0.5l hydrapak soft bottles as well.

@nostrils, Streaks are in the sale at Sportsshoes.com, may be of interest.