The Annual Running thread – beginners/ultras/whatever

I’ve just signed up for a local road 10k in June and the Oxford Half in October.
The aim is a 45 minute 10k and a 1:45 Half. The 10k time is somewhat optimistic given my current PB is 51 something.
These are both on the road but I normally do nearly all my running on trails so I need some road shoes.

Looking ahead towards the races, are things like the Vapourfly or Alphafly worth the money? I figure that if they are I’ll keep an eye out and pick some up in the run up to the races and use for a few training sessions to get used to them.
I tend to run on my forefoot if that makes any difference.

Wonder if anyone can help. I’ve been suffering with some kind of knee problem since Christmas. Before this I was a regular 5/10k every few days without problem. I started to get some knee pain around the outside of my knee and what felt like deep in knee at the bottom front. Initially I didn’t pay it much attention as the pain was just an initial ache.

Then during one run the pain got so bad I couldn’t finish and had to hobble home. For several days I was struggling with stairs and weight bearing. Then eventually it eased. I gave it a couple of weeks. Tried to go out for a short 2-3k very slow pace run, and the pain came back after around 1k. Hobbled home again.

I’ve been having physio the past couple of weeks, but it doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere. The physio says it’s something to do with tight quads and weak glutes. Which is fine, but the pain came on quite quickly even after a couple of years of running.

I just managed a 1k walk/run – I could feel the pain starting to creep in, and resorted to walking. But as soon as I start to jog it starts to build back up. Oddly cycling has no impact – did 15 miles round trip to the physio on the bike yesterday and it was absolutely fine.

Anyone else experienced anything similar or has any additional advice?

@prezet, has your physio given you any exercises. I had a similar problem and found lots of slow knee drops on the stairs helped. So stand on your bad leg side-on on the stairs with the good leg hanging over the edge. Slowly drop down until the good leg touches the step below. Repeat. Start holding weight if it feels OK after 15 or so reps.

Turned into a bit of an occasional runner as done more riding over the winter than usual. Went for a plod this evening and shoes are feeling pretty worn – Saucony Endorphin speed 3. Can’t see any on sale in my size (46) and can’t stomach £180 for the 4’s. Any similar alternatives?

@dander, Endo Speed’s are a relatively light fast trainer, so similar would be:

Puma Deviate Nitro 2 – Lovely shoes but the fit is on the snug side. Very similar in use case to the Speed 3’s though.

adidas Boston 12 – Similar cushion to the Speed 3 and a much better outsole.

ASICS Novablast – I think version 3 is closer to the Endo Speed as it’s a bit more lively, you can find it on the ASICS outlet site. Version 4 is cracking shoe as well but lacks a bit of the excitement that V3 has.

Thanks lunge, will look them up. I like the snappier feel of a quick trainer, the Endorphins were a bit of a revelation to be honest, although I think I preferred the 2s to the 3s.

@dander, go for one of the top 2 in that case.

I love my Puma’s for that bit of speed and bounce, the only negative is they are a snug fit.

Your other option is to see if you can find a 2nd hand pair on Vinted or eBay.

Just wanted to throw a quick thank you to @lunge who very kindly sorted me a pair of his old trainers for a fiver last year when I started dabbling in parkruns and some running. Since then I’ve done numerous parkruns, a 10k, a half marathon, and as of yesterday my first marathon in Manchester. Managed it in 4:04, really wanted to go sub 4, but had a rotten cold all week and heart rate flew up to 175 right out the gate and I couldn’t hold my desired pace after mile 20.

Slept terribly and really struggling to walk, but already looking for another marathon to get sub 4!

Thanks again Lunge, you’ve caused no end of pain for me by sorting me those Nikes!

@chunkleton, that’s bloody brilliant, love how a spare pair of Nikes has lead you on that path. 4:04 on a debut marathon is a great efforts, you should be really pleased with that.

Just be careful of this marathon running nonsense, it gets slightly addictive…

On the very other end of the scale from Chunkleton (well done) – after 2 years out with an injury, I managed a 1.5 mile run on Saturday with no ill-effects (other than muscle pain). When the thighs have settled a bit I am back out again, with the plan to increase up to my pre-injury distances/times over the next few months.

My knee is still just very slightly niggly, nothing remotely serious in everyday life but when I go for a gentle run I can feel a slight ache at the side of the joint. Been going on for a full 3 months so far, hopefully it will ease over the summer, but I’m wondering about cutting out the serious stuff for a year or two. I know a few ex-marathon runners who piled on the miles and eventually wore themselves out in various ways. 11 marathons in the last 11 years is a lot more than I ever set out to do at the start!

I can feel a slight ache at the side of the joint

Inner or outer? if outer and it has been around for a while it could be ITBS. It effectively ended my running “career” in that I was competitive (early 40’s) then sidelined for 11 months and never really got back to fitness. That was just me though and I know lots of people who have it and it clears up quite quickly the point being it may be worth investigating and if so there are exercises and treatments that will hopefully help.

it gets slightly addictive

🙂 not for me. 1 was enough….

Saucony Endorphin speed 3. Can’t see any on sale in my size (46) and can’t stomach £180 for the 4’s. Any similar alternatives?

I really like these as well. The triumph are a good alternative but they are at full price at the moment from what I can see. The Endorphin trail are a good shout, so much so I bought a pair at the reduced price them immediately bought another. Similar in style but obvs a trail shoes as oppose to road. I do a lot of paths/fields/mud so love them but not really a full on road shoe.

Sub-3 done.
What an event London is, unbelievable.
I am now broken.

Well done lunge!

I watched the marathon, a bit of it while doing a gentle jog on the treadmill. Might have to give it a go some time, unless I get too old and knackered first. Maybe a 60th birthday present to myself?

Good job @lunge! My sister did a (very) GFA with 3:38. And I finished my ultra in 18:38, suffering big time. Hurting now!

Well done @lunge and @mogrim – great running.

I managed to drop on @turboferret at the finish line yesterday after another of his stunning runs, and still looked fresh!

London really is a pleasure to participate in, although like @lunge, I know about it today!

Great work all round.

Well done all. @lunge did you beat Giles Brandreth’s time – he has the record for the fastest sitting or retired MP, and it was a lot faster than one would have guessed! I don’t run anywhere, although Sister2 did the South Devon challenge from Brixham to Shaldon this weekend (she’s mad though, five marathon plus runs already this year on no training!).

Matthew Parris 2:32 ish?

You’d think seb coe would have had a good chance of beating that if he’d wanted.

You’d think seb coe would have had a good chance of beating that if he’d wanted.

Not a sitting MP I think the time needs to be done when you are sitting. 2:30 is pretty good and takes some serious training.

Well done everyone that did Manchester and London. Some impressive times being mentioned!

Back to what this thread is really about…. trainers.

I did a gait analysis years ago and got recommended Saucony Jazz. These have since been discontinued.

I bought Hoka Cliftons on the recommendation of them being highly rated for heavier runners (I’m 105kg). They’re a bit narrow in the mid foot (suffered blisters on inside of arch for first 100km or so). The shop I got them from don’t stock the wide version so I didn’t know they were an option at the time.

I’m happy to go to a shop and try some but knowing they’re only likely to recommend what they stock, it would be good to have an idea of some options to try and find somewhere I can compare.

Current goal is to beat some old PBs – aiminng for sub 21 min 5km and sub 44 min 10km, so ideally a fast everyday trainer rather than needing an out and out race shoe at this time.

Adidas do the Boston 12 in a wide fitting. Bostons used to be Adidas marathon race shoes but they are now classed as more of a ‘Tempo’ shoe, not an out and out race show, although people do race in them, They have energy rods (GRP not CF) and do give a responsive ride and have the lightstike pro foam which is soft without being too squishy and are probably one step away from the out and out race shoes. Great for fast paced training runs so you can use as an everyday shoe which is what I’ve been doing paired to an Adios Pro 3 for longer races. These are a massive step up from the Boston 10/11 but you’ll probably not have tried those, but don’t be tempted to get those iterations as they are not a patch on the 12 albeit they will be much cheaper.

@mark88, I’d echo the Boston 12, the normal fit is a touch narrow so make sure you buy the wide version.

Look at the Saucony Endorphin Speed too, that fits quite wide in the toe box and is a similar shoe in use case to the Boston 12.

Finally, I love my Puma Deviate Nitro 2’s, but they are really narrow. If you can find the wide version that’d do a great job. They’re nicely fast, very stable and have the best outsole in the business

After running a marathon at the end of 2022, I didn’t run at all last year (literally – think I did one, maybe two 4k runs). Tried a quick 5 miles in February to see if I could still do it without the knee pain thats plagued me on and off since the marathon and was ok so been wanting to get back into it but not really had a chance until last night – straight up to a 56 minute plodding 10k from basically zero but I feel good this morning. Hopefully get back to it regularly now…

I agree that 2:30 is a fairly serious time and it’s not a given that any random retired elite would beat it, hence my saying Coe would have had a decent chance. He was only 36 when first elected and had been winning medals into his early 30s. Checking wikipedia, Parris ran his 2:32 (nearly 2:33) aged 35 as an MP and he was only ever a keen enthusiast, never an elite athlete.

Anyone running at the Highland Fling this coming weekend..?

Feel free to come and say hello at the medical tent.  That is, if you’ve not already landed yourself there from some bout of particularly bad behaviour…

Thanks for the tips. I was in London yesterday so was popped into the Adidas and Puma stores to try them on. Had hoped to get to Hoka to try their wide fit and somewhere to try the Endorphins but didn’t have time.

Boston 12s felt good (couldn’t see a wide fit but regular were ok) so I’ve gone for them. Entered my first ever road race next week (Kendal 10km) so they best be fast!

Hello, running has dropped off a bit for me – had an accident last September and taken a bit of time to recover. Looking for a (probably road) 10k or half around Oxfordshire in the Autumn. Where’s the best place to look for a list? I’ve tried Google and some event websites, but there seems to be loads of, presumably, small commercial races like Jon’s Moustache Run (might have made that up). In the olden days it seemed to be clubs organising them in a town, does that just not happen now?

Gotrail.run seems to have a great selection of events listed, not just the big events, but small club runs too!

New experience for me at the weekend, pacing.

I was volunteered and was selected to pace the 10k at the Great Birmingham Run. I was originally down to pace 55 minutes which I was really looking forward to as that would have been a nice, easy run out. However, a last minute change meant I ended up with the 40 minute flag, and it did not go how I wanted.

Now 40 mins is well within my capacity, I’d ran a 38 minute 10k 4 days before relatively comfortably, but I was (in hindsight, unnecessarily) worried about how I’d run with the flag and if I’d be able to hit the goal. Turns out the flag isn’t to bad to run with at all and so I ran it far to hard coming in at just over 38 mins. I did help 3 people to PB’s, but I could definitely have helped more if I’d stuck to pace.

At least I wasn’t slow, but it’s definitely something I need to be better at if I do it again.

Nice one @lunge

Most of my events recently I have been pacing.  I like the challenge of trying to keep to a set pace.

I paced 40 mins at the Chorley 10k last Sunday.  The toughest one I’ve done so far.  The course is pretty lunpy and difficult to keep to an even pace.  It also gets very narrow in parts which made it difficult to pass people on a 2 lap course.  A lot warmer than I expected as well.

How come the last minute change to a 40 min pacer?

How come the last minute change to a 40 min pacer?

@ChunkMorris, they had a drop out and could find someone else to do 55 mins but not someone for 40. I got a call 2 days before the event saying they’d look at my stats on RunBritain and asked if I’d mind doing the faster time.

I think running at just below race pace, but still hard, it quite a lot harder than going at an easy pace. Much more difficult to judge the effort required.

Trainer advice pls! I’m not much of a runner and don’t want to race. Most of my running is on rubbish local roads and a few dirt footpaths when it’s dry. And in winter on a treadmill. Only run 10km max at the mo (and that’ll probably not change).

Years ago I had a shoe fitting/gait analysis at a Cheltenham running shop and ended up with some Brooks Ravenna which were the lightest/nicest shoes I’ve ever run in. They are now completely dead and it seems no longer made.

Wide feet, always half a size up in 5-10/addidas riding shoes. Budget, I dunno, £100ish? Probably run < 500km a year and about 1/3 of that is on our treadmill at home in winter…

@ Alex.
Brooks Ghost? That’s what I wear. They have a decent toe-box for wider feet and are well cushioned. Very comfy.
They are about £130 but you can normally get last years model much cheaper. I got some from startfitness for £65 with a free pair of socks.
Size-wise – I had to go up half a size compared to all my other trainers.

These ones: https://startfitness.co.uk/products/brooks-ghost-14-mens-running-shoes-grey-1

@alex, Saucony Triumph would be my first thought, last years model is quite cheap at the moment and you can always find a 10% off code at Start Fitness, the fit is on the wider side, go half a size big as they can run a little short. ASICS Nimbus 25 or 26, or Cumulus 25 or 26 and also well worth a look, I’ve done 400 miles in a pair of Nimbus 25’s and they look like new.

Brooks Ghost is boringly dependable, I hesitate to recommend them as I like my shoes to have some excitement in them, but they’re certainly not bad shoes at all.

thanks both- I’ve never thought of shoes as ‘exciting’ but I guess non cyclists feel the same way about bikes. I did enjoy running outside yesterday after a lot of winter treadmill. Made me think I might get back into it this year as there’s some great scenery from our front door. Sadly it’s all uphill 🙂

I feel qualified to post at the opposite end of the scale for this thread now.
I’ve never enjoyed running, it’s painful and tedious and I’ve always been at least a little bit overweight. PB for a 5k is about 25:30 but that was 5 years ago.
I did the Great North Run in 2019, ran a 2:18 which was a little slower than I planned but I forgot that most of that course seems to be a steady uphill. Then Covid hit and I changed to work from home after a period of furlough. Before that I worked away 2 nights a week and would run on an evening because nothing better to do. Back at home with 3 children and, myself and Mrs PP now working full time, there was always something more important to be doing. The pounds piled on and 2 stone crept on without me noticing!
So, it’s finally time to do something about it. I started couch to 5k back in Feb. With interruptions, general lack of motivation and colds etc it took me 10 weeks to complete 6 weeks of the program. But it was all improvement. Then last week I thought sod it, I’m just going to do 5k and see how long it takes even if I have to walk a few bits to get my breath back. Sunday went out and did it with a few moments of walking in 32:50. Did better than I thought I would, but it was surprisingly hot on Sunday afternoon!
Last night went out again. 8pm so a bit cooler. Managed to run the whole 5k without stopping in 31.40, steady pace of 6.19/km. Not fast, but I did it! For the first time in 4 years I ran 5k without stopping.
The only way from here is to get a bit faster and shed some more weight. What’s that saying? Running never gets any easier, you just get faster.

Agree with @lunge but if you are running on paths then i would recommend the Saucony Endorphin trail. I had the Endorphin and they were good, better the more expensive Triumph in my view but they are all expensive full price, however Sportssfitness have the trail version at about £70 which is a bargain. I have been running in them for a couple of months and actually bought a second pair which i have stashed away…

Thanks @surfer – how do they size up. I’m a 9.5 in most shoes but a in 5-10/addidas. I see Start Fitness have both sizes in stock….