The Annual Running thread - beginners/ultras/whatever

I looked at the training plans on Garmin connect, but IIRC you couldn't specify a pace any quicker than about 7.30 minute miles! I'll have a lok at the strava ones.

there's a 5k training plan in this months runners world* which has just dropped through the letterbox, if you want I'll send some pics sayno?

*wife bought me a subscription, it's pretty pish!

I looked at the training plans on Garmin connect, but IIRC you couldn’t specify a pace any quicker than about 7.30 minute miles! I’ll have a lok at the strava ones.

This isnt exactly correct, the only way you'll get no pace choice is if you select "I dont run" in the distance options, even if you select 1-8 miles per week you'll get a pace starting at 3:45 p/km.

Just completed my first RED Jan, managed to get a PB for my 10k and clock up over 100k, not huge numbers but getting my yearly fitness challenge off to a good start. It taught me not only can I run on no sleep (teething 6 month old) and run in the rain wind and snow but I can indeed run everyday, even if its just to the shop and back.

Ah, maybe I missed that jolmes!

Edit - nope 'this plan is for runners who intend to complete at 7.00 minutes per mile or slower.

Even if I put in that I do 21-25 miles per week, and say that my average pace is 6 minute miles* the fastest time it allows me to aim for is 22 minutes.

* Obviously I don't, but to prove the point!

I've signed up for the Strave plan now and it looks really good and pretty manageable so I'll see how that goes - cheers for the offer though Nobeer!

Good stuff sayno, I've signed up too, been doing too many easy miles recently, need something to aim at. I've talked about getting sub 20 for a couple of years now, time to get it done!.

That's interesting, I thought it might be a conversion thing then as my Garmin is in km but even that, 3:45 km/min is 5:55 min/mile.

I do see your numbers in the summary about the activities but once inside the plan I can change the pace anywhere from 3:45 - 9:30 min/km regarding average pace.

Didnt like the Garmin plans anyway, did both the 5k and 10k one and I think I'm not great at listening to commands.

I don't like how it takes over your watch too!

Quick question for all you runners...

I ran my first half marathon last week (off-road, along the north downs way) in my Salomon speedcross trail shoes. I got a few blisters on the tips of my toes, and underneath (didn't notice whilst running).

Would you expect my feet to toughen up and adjust to this a bit, and the blisters stop? Or is is generally a case of the shoe isn't quite right for me? They feel great, but maybe slightly cramped in the toe-box when descending.

I have an on-off relationship with running- tend to do it more in the winter as I'm riding less. I've been running 5/10ks a few times a week for the last few months though

The runners world 5k 4wk plan was on their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't dream of running trails in cramped shoes, I much prefer shoes that are a size up, with the laces done properly to stop feet sliding forward descending. Means I can also wear a warm sock that helps due to a wee bit of padding.

Feet swell up too, doing longer distances.

Would you expect my feet to toughen up and adjust to this a bit, and the blisters stop? Or is is generally a case of the shoe isn’t quite right for me?

@spicer, a bit of both I'd suggest.
Some shoes just don't work, but your feet definitely toughen up to a degree.
I find socks as bigger cause of issues than shoes, I'm quite picky on what I wear and make sure I Vaseline my toes up for anything more than an hour or so of running.

Any recommendations for ‘mud’ shoes that aren’t mudclaws? The sole pattern on mud claws looks to be what I’m after but the narrow fit and minimal drop don’t suit ideal for me.

running off road in a pair of brooks cascadia’s at the moment that just aren’t cutting it. Went over three times on my last run on the moors. They weren’t great in mud when new but even worse now they’ve done 1000km.

so, aggressive sole, wide-ish toe box, 8mm drop. Any suggestions?

Spikes. It's very icy here and looks like it will be for a while. Looking at Kahtoola at the moment. Nanospikes look like they're fine for road and pavement but going off-road I'm thinking Exospikes might be more appropriate.

Any other suggestions?

Agree on mudclaws, bought a pair last year, ran Carnethy 5 as their first run, felt like I was wearing Elton John's platform boots, awesome grip, but dreadful in every other way. Washed and sold em.

Never really replaced them, just use my fujitrabuco, not as good grip, but far comfier and stable.

Today was the coldest run of the winter, sleaty easterly, horrible. Ran the club hill repeat session, as I did last week. Really surprised myself, as I've only really been doing zone 2 runs for months now, rarely pushing myself, going through the motions.

But last week was rocking faster than ever pace, this week faster again. God knows where that came from!.

so, aggressive sole, wide-ish toe box, 8mm drop. Any suggestions?

Merrel long sky or innov8 x talon ultra the merrels have quite a thick sole so more protective underfoot in rocky terrain and trails. Supposed to he 8mm drop but feels more to me.

X talon better for technical off piste stuff where ankle rolling is likely but less protective. 6mm drop from memory.

Also newer mudclaws feel much narrower than the older versions of the shoe due to the way the sole is moulded. Mudclaw 300's if you can find them are a much more versatile shoe than the current mudclaws.

Jambo, have a look at Nike Terra Kiger, that might for the Bill.

I moved on from mudclaws to La Sportiva Mutant. 10mm drop rather than the 8mm you said but ive found them really stable and grippy in all sorts of horrendous muck.

I never got on with Mudclaws, but use the X-Talon Ultra 260 - good grip, 8mm drop and wider toe box as well.

BGR information =

https://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/forumdisplay.php?22-Bob-Graham

http://bobwightman.co.uk/run/bgr_notes.php

The 3D map / satellite utility on OS online is handy as well, as can Google Maps / earth

thanks for the suggestions. the sportiva mutants look promising so going to order a pair to try.

Thanks for the tips folks. Will keep going on some more hilly off road runs and see if my feet toughen up.
Vaseline to the toes is an interesting suggestion, I'm 50/50 as to if you're serious or completely taking the pi55 but I'm going to give it a go!

@spicer, 100% serious, it works a treat.
As a runner, I am not shy of applying Vaseline to all kinds of places before a long run. Nipples, toes, inner thighs, armpits, have all been covered to help with chafing.

Afternoon all, everyone well?
Shoe talk from me again.
I'm after a new pair or 2 and am trying to be brave and edge away from another pair of Nike's (don't really like the Peg 37's, Milers are fine but dull and I don't want to pay £160 for a pair of the new Invincibles).
The key word here is "cheap" as I'd quite like another pair of VaporFly's and can't justify them if I've just spent £100+ on some training shoes!
So, any suggestions really good value shoes for the slightly wide footed high mileage runners? Seen some Mizuno Duel Sonic on the cheap but I suspect they're a little racier than I really want.

I recently bought the Mudclaw 275s and compared to the 300s I have already they're narrower and longer for the same size, 8 in my case, always go up one and all my off road shoes are a variety of Inov8. I seem to get on well with them. The 300s are now the Mudclaw Classic I believe.

Interesting re the Salomon above, I have a pair form years ago which quickly became my decorating shoes as they seemed to give me terrible hot spots, particularly under the arch.

@lunge - I know you've said in the past you rate the Peg 36s. Get on ebay and pick some up cheap from there. I do this with Adios. They crop up from time to time, "worn once" or "worn on treadmill but don't get on with them". Much less than RRP and even sale prices. Sometimes they come new from the outlet places and people punt them on for a small profit. I'm a believer in sticking with what you know works.

@alanf, that's the default option but I have a hankering to try something new!

Mutants are my go-to trail shoe. I think I'm onto my 4th pair now. Plenty of padding and pretty good grip in the wet. Very versatile.

I've also just bought some X-Talon G210 (as they were the ones that fit best out of the 5 pairs of Inov-8 I ordered from SportsShoes.com!). Very light, much less drop (I think 3mm) and I'd have gone something a bit more robust if any of the other styles had fit as well but the spike / sole works so much better than the Mutants on moorland peat, wet grass etc than the Mutants.

I still think I'll wear mutants most, but the X-Talons are a step up in grip when it's properly wet.

Oh and I've also got a pair of Nike Terra Kigers - bought them in the sale a couple of months ago. They're sat in their box under my desk waiting for the spring / summer - not even close to the soles on the Mutants or X-Talons!

@dashed - the Terra kigers come into their own when it's relatively dry. They don't really work in mud as I've found, but come the spring/summer you'll be flying in them. Great on hard pack and rock and feel almost road like on tarmac.
I've got some X-talon 212s - the classic version and they are excellent when it gets a bit sloppy. Only really deep mud seems to put them off their stride, although mine are starting to get pretty worn after 3 years and are no longer as effective.

@lunge I just bought this afternoon the Saucony Ride13 for £85, seems to get decent reviews and lots prefer over the Pegs. Just got from runningshoes.co.uk in Harrogate and used code FIRSTORDER15 for extra 15% of already discounted prices.

@spicer your shoes are probably a touch too small - need more wriggle room for your toes, plus knowing how to tie laces so it locks your heel in position / stops your feet sliding forwards. Another great thing for toe blisters is Injinji toe socks - but they don't work so well with crushed toes.

I got some Scott Supertrac shoes from Sportshoes - they work quite well for me as it's more rocky than muddy where I generally run. I'm less of a fan of stripped-back fell shoes for mountain running as I like a bit of cushioning.

Now in our 8th week of snow on the ground, so lately it's been shoes with built in booties @scotroutes Grivel Ran crampons work well for me, they're also enough for mountain use and similar to micro spikes.

@lunge
Sportshoes.com have New Balance 1080 v10s for a decent price - I picked up a pair as an alternative to Pegasus. So far so good, my only gripe is the upper comes higher at the ball of my ankle than the Nikes, and has a sharp/rough point just inside which was causing some rubbing

Shoe update.
After disappearing into a YouTube hole I’ve decided to try something a little different, a pair of Reebok Floatride Energy 3. Loads of positive reviews suggest they’re a solid, every day trainer and with a discount code, £60.
This means I have enough spare for a pair of Vaporfly’s or maybe some Saucony Endorphin Speeds.
Lovely.

Oh, and I found Brooks Launch for £55. Not my cup of tea, but a very good price for a shoe that a lot of people really like. https://upandrunning.co.uk/brooks-men-s-launch-7-red-d-width-ss20

What part of the lacing stops your feet from sliding forwards on descents off road? I'm having problems with my current trail shoes, which is a pain as they're new and I don't particularly want to replace them. But despite doing the "mouse ears" lacing to try and lock them in place my feet still move forwards on proper steep descents, and I end up with my toes bouncing off the inside of the toe cap. And they're definitely laced up tight, almost uncomfortably so although when I'm running I don't particularly notice it.

Or could it just be that these shoes (Mizuno Wave Mijun 7) aren't compatible with my feet?

I use a runners loop/runners knot in most of my running shoes, just find it more secure in the heel.
But if your feet are moving that much it may be the shoes aren’t right.

First of 3 new pairs ordered arrived, a pair of Saucony Endorphin Speed's which I bought after reading some brilliant reviews.
First impressions are mixed. The toe box is huge and I think they must size a bit bog too, I suspect I need half a size down which isn't ideal as they don't do size 11.5's.
Feel good on the feet but the flex is weird. Lacking the "pop" of a carbon plated shoe but much stiffer than a normal shoes.
Ideally I'd like to try them on a run before making a decision but I daren't take them outside as they're bright white and I don't have access to a treadmill.
Hmm...

Also recently got some Saucony shoes - guide 13 to replace the guide iso 2 I had. Prefer the ISO’s - fit  of the 13s is much snugger and the guide bit in the inside of the sole feels far too stiff and solid. I think I’ll try some neutral shoes next.

Lunge's shoe reviews continue.
Today's arrival, Reebok Floatride Energy 3.0.
First impressions are pretty positive. Very soft under foot, true to size, feel good on the foot. Perhaps a touch narrow, need to spend some time in them to work that out.
Look is pretty old skool, they don't look cheap like a pair of Nike Milers, more just a shoe from the late 90's.
For £60 I'm inclined to give these a go as it's not a huge amount of money to lose if they don't work out.

Further review, no idea if anyone finds these useful, but there's a few "which shoe" questions here so why not?

Reebok Floatride Energy 3.
I think this would be a great daily trainer for not much money. The midsole is soft, bouncy and feels good to run in, loads of grip in the outsole and the upper is Ok too. I did 10 miles in them and was really impressed.
Negatives are that it looks bang average, like a show from the 90's and I found the forefoot a touch narrow (but I have wide feet).
For £60 I think they're a bargain and would have kept them had it not been for the width.

Saucony Endorphin Speed.
Now this shoe I am gutted about. I'd read some many positive reviews, and when I finally managed to find a pair in my size I was chuffed.
I've run 8 miles in them and can confirm they are an awesome shoe. Good pop from the plate, lots of cushioning, I reckon you could easily race in them if you wanted something a bit softer than a carbon plated shoe and they make a really good fast trainer too. And they look AMAZING.
Sadly, once again, they don't fit me. The toe box is huge, not super wide but really deep, if you have high volume feet you'll love them. Sadly, I don't...so they're going back.
Pro-tip - If you run in a pair of shoes with a white outsole and decide to send them back, soaking the soles in warm water and oxy cleaner overnight brings them back to perfect white, some Cif cream gets the dirtier bit back.

So my search for a non-Nike, cheap-ish daily trainer continues. Brooks Ghost next I think, maybe a Saucony Jazz or an Asics Novablast if I can find them cheap enough.

@mogrim if your feet are still slipping, then maybe an insole with a more pronounced arch will help keep your feet in place? I always aim for a cm or more clearance in front of my toes to stop them hitting the end of a shoe.

Reviews are deffo helpful @lunge

Lunge - the ISO 2 Saucony toe box is more generous than the current editions. There’s still a few kicking about online (Liberty, Guide, Omni, Ride etc).

After a nasty viral chest infection in January I was really struggling with my running. I was trying to be patient and ease myself back into things gradually, in the full knowledge that I had taken a significant step back, but it was frustrating to see my average HR about 30 PBM higher than an equivalent steady pace pre-illness. Today I ran an 8 mile leg of an Ekiden relay for my 2nd claim club, with absolutely no pressure, so a good opportunity to have a bit of a test. Went out with the vague goal of running at 3:30-40/km, and thought I'd really dropped the ball with a faster 1st km. However, I continued to feel in control and actually got faster, absolutely delighted to finish in an average a fraction quicker than my half marathon PB pace 🙂

50 miler in 7 weeks still feels like a bit of a daunting prospect given how much of a dent this illness put in my training 😮

parkrun looking to return, 5th June for the full event, 11th April for the Junior events.
Full press release here:
https://blog.parkrun.com/uk/2021/02/26/restarting-parkrun-in-england/

Looking forward to parkrun returning, I've only done one before. Eldest is old enough for the junior one now, need to teach a 5 year old to run the distance now.

Hello all,

Been a while since I’ve played on here.
@turboferret - you seem to be on the road to recovery. Good stuff.

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the drier weather!

Recent story is I got the dreaded COVID before Christmas, felt like crap, didn’t exercise for an month, discovered I love Altra shoes as I’m sure they used my feet to design them and got onto a 5k training program to achieve my goal at end of March.

Went out this morning, did a 5k and managed to break the mystical 20 min barrier, which was my goal. 19:54. Well happy! Loads of pbs from people I know this weekend so must be something in the air.

Need another goal now, or I might retire.

Nice one root, 20 minn 5k is awesome.
It's something I'd love to have a proper crack at, possibly doable but definitely challenge.
If you're looking for an October goal there's still a few spots left in the virtual London marathon. Do it on the same day as the "real one" on their app, wherever you are. It counts as a marathon, you get the medal, T-Shirt and official time and it's a nice event. Did it last year shielding on my todd and saw about a dozen other runners with numbers that morning, everyone encouraging, and felt like part of a real event. Plenty time to train...

Another shoe review - Salomon Wildcross

Having been an inov8 fan boy for years, I tried a pair of these as a replacement for my too small Mudclaws, I never thought Salomon made a decent mud shoe.

Anyway, went up half a size on normal shoe size and they fit a lot better around the heel than inov8 and the toe box is roomy enough. They don't have the tendency to roll my ankle like previous Speedcross I've had. There was a bit of stiffness / rubbing around the inside of the heel / ankle cuff on both feet but didn't cause a problem.

Wore them box fresh for a 27 mile run up and round Kinder and they were great, better cushioning than roclite 275s but not too soft, no rolled ankles and ample grip in peat and on rock. Will definitely buy again if they keep the design the same. Not sure how long the sole grip will last as its made up of fewer lugs than say a mudclaw but let's see.

As someone who's pretty tight, does anyone else use Shoe Goo to extend the life of trainers?

I use Hoka's - the extra cushioning means I can run every day without pain. However they get worn down on the outside heel and at £120ish a pair it's pretty costly.

Shoe Goo is around £15 a tube for 110ml - scrub the sole clean with detergent, rinse and wait for it to dry. Put an old mug in the trainer to keep it steady / up right whilst sole up. Apply a load of Shoe Goo to replace the lost grip. It stinks so do this outside. Use cardboard to sculpt it. Wait at least 3 days for it to harden else it'll wear pretty quickly.

Add Vaseline or Sudocrem to the cap before sealing the glue else it'll get stuck on.

This adds another 80ish miles to the grip before it gets worn down and needs redoing. A tube will do about 5 layers so 400ish extra miles for £15.

Like that idea.

It's weird, I find a rarely wearout the outsole, I find the midsole loses it's bounce and support before then. I will pass that onto my mate who eats outsoles, he scruff his heel as he runs and destroys shoes, that'll help him I suspect.

Is Shoo Goo still a thing 🙂 I used it over 40yrs ago when I was a poor junior runner and couldn't afford to replace shoes. Fair play it is still going and it does a job

I'm a reluctant runner (only running due to Covid, would normally swim for exercise). Biggest issue for me right now is trying to find some trainers to fit. I'm currently running in shoes that are 6 years old and have seen better days!

Should add it's not my idea - I saw a vid on using Shoe Goo on Youtube so thought I'd give it a go.. the other Youtube solution was to apply Duct Tape to the bottom of shoes, which didn't seem to be as good a fix!

It doesn't have quite as much grip as what it replaces, it goes a bit hard and shiney but is flexible and doesn't crack. Though I suppose you could put grooves in it once it's partially set to add a bit of grip if necessary.

It stinks for a couple of days (throw your homemade spatula in the outside bin after use) but definitely adds life to shoes.

I'm a serial wearer outer of soles (outer forefoot). I think I might give this a try...

On another note (this may or may not be of interest to other serial shoe purchasers - I'm looking at you @lunge), I've managed to bag a pair of Adidas ADIOS Pros direct from Adidas.
I had to enter a draw to be in with a chance of getting a pair in my size but also had to commit to purchase if I got drawn out.
I got drawn out.
Cheaper than the ones being punted on ebay so happy I'm not getting (totally) fleeced.

@ebygomm, Give us an idea of what you need and what you've struggled with and someone may be able to suggest some ideas.

this may r may not be of interest to other serial shoe purchasers – I’m looking at you

There's a few people that could be referring too...
Unrelated, a pair of ASICS Novablast arrived today which makes up for the fact I missed out on the first drop of Vaporfly 2's.

so far keeping on target with my planned 100km/month, although back to zero today...

Give us an idea of what you need and what you’ve struggled with and someone may be able to suggest some ideas.

@lunge - thanks, but being female and size 5.5 I'm not sure there's going to be a wealth of information to be found here 🙂

I managed to try on 3 different pairs of Asics last week in Decathlon and they just don't fit my feet. I'm currently running in some old Salomons so ordered some new Salomons but they will be going back. Size wise they're fine, but just not comfortable.

I now have some Boreal Saurus on the way so I'll see how they feel, they're disgusting colours though as are most women's shoes. I'm running off road, but on fairly hard packed surfaces mainly, but hopefully i can get them muddy quickly if they fit! I'm trying the Boreal as i currently have a couple of pairs of their approach shoes that fit well.

@ebygomm, you'd be surprised!

For hard track trails, Mrs Lunge swears by Nike Pegasus trails, they're a bit wider than ASICS shoes which she also doesn't get on with. They're not great in mud but for general off road work they're very good indeed. I prefer the Terra Kiger which is a bit more aggressive, a bit lower to the floor and has less drop. Available in marginally less hideous colours than those Boreal shoes too!

Nike do free returns for 30 days and if you sign up to be a member (free) that becomes 60 days no questions asked. They'll refund shoes that have been used outside if you don't like them. Very useful to know at the moment.

The Asics were actually too wide/loose so doesn't sound like Nike Pegasus would be a good fit for me. My feet are very skinny (OH calls them skeleton feet!) and low volume. Generally I need to try on at least 10 different pairs of shoes to find a pair that will fit - the Boreal's will be the 5th pair i've tried on this week so hopefully getting closer! I have awkward feet, so trying to buy in lockdown is a pain

For low volume I'd suggest Hoka, La Sportiva or New Balance. I've always struggled to find shoes that fit for the same reason, but generally get on well with those.

Inov8 do different width fittings and you can filter on their website by their 1-5 width fitting.
Saucony my other half loves. She's got a set of the Xodus at the moment.

I had La Sportiva recommended elsewhere, and would have ordered alongside the Boreal but they didn't have my size in stock.

Hoka are also doing the 30 day trial thing, but I've heard they're a bit marmite. They look horrible, and also everything i looked at was out of stock in my size but they might be next on the list. Expensive though

It would be easier to be honest, if shops let you filter by sizes in stock, a lot e.g Inov8, the filter only restricts to sizes the style comes in, irrespective of whether they are in stock or not.
Confused about the width fittings on womens shoes there, as they say 1 equivalent to a B but I thought I read that women's shoes are generally a B fitting anyway.

Has anyone used the Scott Kinabalu Ultra rc?

I've grown to like the Scott t2 kinabalu 3.0 as a good all-rounder so I've been looking at their Ultra RC as a lighter option.

Main uses would be:
Long trail runs consisting of: farm tracks, old railways, country roads, sections of the Pennine Way and other similar long distance trails. Mud clearance isn't a priority.

Does it make sense to stay with Scott?

Thanks

Asking a question for my wife, who’s been running an daily 5k and now pushing towards 10k in the mornings; in the last few months she’s been getting really bad stomach cramps when she runs, often resulting in the trots 24hrs later. This does t coincide with the distance, and happens pretty much on the dot of 2k

Diet doesn’t seem to make any difference - any reasoning or tips please?

Nike shoes tend to be slim fitting generally, much more so than other brands I have tried.

Nike are my favourite brand and IME are the best and most consistent on fit and quality. The waffle outersole is simple but the most practical and perfect for almost everything other than proper Fell running or Xc where you need a spike.

Hoka look terrible but they're far better to run in than they look (much lower drop / stack than they appear) and the build quality is very good in my experience. The Evo Jawz break their tradition somewhat and are a great stripped down fell racing shoe.

Unfortunately people who swear shoes are 'narrow' don't understand it's the volume that's the issue, so shoes like Inov8 and VJ sports may be narrow, but they're still very high volume.

Anyway, in my experience, those 3 brands are best bet for low volume.

Asking a question for my wife, who’s been running an daily 5k and now pushing towards 10k in the mornings; in the last few months she’s been getting really bad stomach cramps when she runs, often resulting in the trots 24hrs later. This does t coincide with the distance, and happens pretty much on the dot of 2k

Diet doesn’t seem to make any difference – any reasoning or tips please?

@Kryton57 - has she tried fasted running? For that kind of distance you don't need to eat beforehand, if I were doing that first thing in the morning I'd have a glass of juice or water, take a dump, and head out the door.

I agree.
My most comfortable runs are when I'm at my lightest.

Yeah, try eating nothing - if she does need a bit of energy then something small and easy to digest like jelly babies.

Yoghurts and/or raisins etc aren't too bad, although can occasionally cause a bit of bloating for me, jelly babies I get no bad reactions whatsoever.

The only other thing I'm wondering about is this bit: "in the last few months she’s been getting really bad stomach cramps when she runs" - if she was fine running before, perhaps it might be worth a trip to the doctors? Either that, or try and narrow down what might have changed since then.

Well my tendonitis in my knee that would hopefully heal in 2-3 weeks has now been dragging on over 2 months. Can't do more than 10 strides and I'm in pain. No pain when walking, or going up and down stairs.

@stcolin sure it's tendonitis? Could it be a nerve trapped in the knee? My physio has me do "nerve flossing" to keep that at bay.

Top tips for an ankle sprain?

Almost a year to the day since the last time, I rolled the same one again. Hard enough to graze the skin where that knobbly bone on the outside met the floor.

I was on a mountain and had to walk 8km to get home which I think did it some good.

Last time the physio had me trotting on the beach as soon as I could bear weight, but never really saw it through as we went into Spanish lockdown two weeks later (no outdoor exercise for 3 months). Never really found out if it worked.

Unfortunately people who swear shoes are ‘narrow’ don’t understand it’s the volume that’s the issue, so shoes like Inov8 and VJ sports may be narrow, but they’re still very high volume.

Controversial maybe but if you want people to comment on volume and not width then maybe you should be clear.

Controversial maybe but if you want people to comment on volume and not width then maybe you should be clear.

Agree with this.
I have low volume but wide feet. Volume is not required at all.

Thanks for the advice for Mrs K, she will give some of that a try.

bit of 'injury' advice please.

bought some proper running shoes (brooks) after advice from here just after christmas, and tried running again after oooooh many years (im now 56). really looked forward to it, new shoes, new earbuds for a bit of music while i run....
i tried doing what id done before which wasnt a great deal tbh, just less than 4 miles. no prob. went out a few days later, same distance but down then up a hill and my knee started hurting. i guess from the 'hammer' as you try to stop yourself from going too fast downhill.
since then its never been right. and to make matters worse, my calf also started playing up. left knee is always uncomfortable but not painful, right calf starts off fine, but then starts 'making itself known' after about 15 mins. gradually gets worse and if i carry on too far its really painful. its then tight for a day or so then right as rain after. until the next run etc etc.
it starts off in the calf, but the pain actually then comes from underneath (soleus?). i then noticed my ankle in the bath a few days later and could see a big bruise just yellowing out and a swell around the ankle. i had no idea it was there and had no pain. i can only think that something went in my calf and thats what the bruising was from? pic below, but the bruising isnt where the pain was, thats why i think it was probably worse beforehand.....
[img] [/img]

left it another week or so then tried another short run this morning to test my legs, still exactly the same.
gentle jog, in fact very gentle, short strides as longer ones hurt more, knee uncomfortable but not painful, nothing from the calf, 15 to 20 mins into it 'hmmm is that the calf just starting to niggle?', yes it is, no problem tho, gentle gentle, slowly getting more pronounced so i went back home early before it was really painful. the niggle started in calf area but the 'uncomfortableness' developed underneath it again.
tightened up now and im sure itll be fine by tomorrow but just annoying that i cant get going with this. i just want to run and listen to music 😀

talking to mates they say a rule of thumb is if the pain doesnt get worse keep going (ok, thats the knee sorted), but if it does then stop (thats the calf stopping me then).

that about right? any suggestions to help me get going again? should i do lots of small runs to build up the soleus? or totally leave it a few weeks?

thanks

It's probably your calf just not being happy at you making it do things it's not used to doing.
I'd be getting on a foam roller and possibly adding in some compression too, to see if that makes a difference. You're going to have a degree of discomfort as you build up and even when you're competently going further you can still get issues if you do a harder/longer session.

Each time you rest, the calf is going to revert back to former state in terms of how it will react to a run, so you may want to try and do more frequent shorter efforts than a longer less frequent run. Shorter/longer will all be relevant to what you're doing now.
I guess this is the whole point of walk to run in that it slowly gets you doing longer stints so your body can adapt.

She said "My feet are very skinny (OH calls them skeleton feet!) and low volume". That's fairly clear isn't it?
My point was that people always focus on the 'skinny' (read: narrow) and disregard the 'low volume' aspect, which results in inappropriate suggestions like Inov8.

I'll leave this forum to your bickering and pedantry now.