Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[Hacc]

So after 3 glasses of wine and looking at my friend's Fenix 3 I bought the watch.

I got it today! (Great service by TakeAlot) I am so excited I cannot wait to go run, but Murphy decided otherwise. I woke up with a cold and feeling terrible. Sigh....

[Ed-Zulu]

I had my first pain free run last night since middle of March this year, man I'm so happy!

 

I've been suffering with piriformus syndrome, probably well before March but had it misdiagnosed as lower back pain somewhere between L1 and L4 for some time. It only really manifested itself and got correctly diagnosed when the piriformus muscle started overtaking on the pain scale from other muscles.

 

I have had so much discomfort during and after runs and from what I've read I'm quite lucky to have shown improvement in such a short time. Well the recovery is on the up and up so I can start thinking about faster and definitely longer runs before year end.

[EmJayZA]

So after 3 glasses of wine and looking at my friend's Fenix 3 I bought the watch.

I got it today! (Great service by TakeAlot) I am so excited I cannot wait to go run, but Murphy decided otherwise. I woke up with a cold and feeling terrible. Sigh....

 

Perfect excuse to put up the feet with another glass of wine and read the manual! 

[Barry Stuart]

Quick question for the trail runners. Any of you had experience with Inov-8? I'm looking at the Trail Talon 250, would it be suitable for our average terrain? I'd like to do some shorter distance trail runs this year, 12-35km, so I'm trying to find a suitable shoe. Missed out on Cape Union Mart's Kanadia sale (R799) as they didn't have my size.

[Lexx]

So after 3 glasses of wine and looking at my friend's Fenix 3 I bought the watch.

I got it today! (Great service by TakeAlot) I am so excited I cannot wait to go run, but Murphy decided otherwise. I woke up with a cold and feeling terrible. Sigh....

I am so Jealous.... Damn that is one sexy watch.

[Ed-Zulu]

Quick question for the trail runners. Any of you had experience with Inov-8? I'm looking at the Trail Talon 250, would it be suitable for our average terrain? I'd like to do some shorter distance trail runs this year, 12-35km, so I'm trying to find a suitable shoe. Missed out on Cape Union Mart's Kanadia sale (R799) as they didn't have my size.

I just purchased a pair (within the last 10 minutes) from www.adidas.co.za for R999...

 

Edit: they have a sale on some of their shoes at really great prices right now

 

Edit2: if for some reason you do find the adidas Raven Boosts at a good price, rather give it a skip, probably the worst pair of trail shoes I've ever owned, tight, narrow and hard, should've trusted the reviews

Edited July 25, 2017 by Ed-Zulu

[dave303e]

Quick question for the trail runners. Any of you had experience with Inov-8? I'm looking at the Trail Talon 250, would it be suitable for our average terrain? I'd like to do some shorter distance trail runs this year, 12-35km, so I'm trying to find a suitable shoe. Missed out on Cape Union Mart's Kanadia sale (R799) as they didn't have my size.

 

I have a pair of them, they are comfy, grip well, they don't have the sole stiffness the salomon Slab ultra's have they are a lot more supple but haven't found too much fault in them yet, held up for a few treks and paddles at Expedition Africa but I still haven't taken them past 40km yet. They certainly seem to be lasting longer than the salomons in terms of the upper part of the shoe.

 

My 2c don't go with lumo green, you will hear every joke about never being lost/lighthouses/blinding ever...

[Barry Stuart]

I have a pair of them, they are comfy, grip well, they don't have the sole stiffness the salomon Slab ultra's have they are a lot more supple but haven't found too much fault in them yet, held up for a few treks and paddles at Expedition Africa but I still haven't taken them past 40km yet. They certainly seem to be lasting longer than the salomons in terms of the upper part of the shoe.

 

My 2c don't go with lumo green, you will hear every joke about never being lost/lighthouses/blinding ever...

That's encouraging to hear. I tried on both the Hoka Speed Instinct and the X-Talon yesterday and found the wider toe box of the latter to be far more comfortable. They were also true to size. Noted on the tiresome jokes, thanks ????

[SeaBee]

Barry, what made you decide on that specific shoe (the Inov-8 TT250) with so many options available? Just curious. Have not heard anything bad of Inov-8, but no personal experience.

[Barry Stuart]

Barry, what made you decide on that specific shoe (the Inov-8 TT250) with so many options available? Just curious. Have not heard anything bad of Inov-8, but no personal experience.

I don't know much about them but did some reading on my usual source for new shoes, RunRepeat.com, and they sounded right for me. Relatively light, good on hard pack, and a wider toe box. I think Salomon are probably too high performance, which tends to come at the cost of longevity, for what I'm intending as I'm probably going to be a bit of a dirt roadie to start with. I remember being pretty impressed with some of the Merrel shoes on display at the Walter Sisulu but I can't find any in the stores to try on.

 

If you've got some advice on other models I'd appreciate it as it's pretty daunting for a road runner dealing with unfamiliar brands and technology.

Edited July 25, 2017 by Barry Stuart

[SeaBee]

What's the drop on the shoes you usually run in? Because if you're not used to low-drop (6mm or lower) shoes, most of my advice will be relatively worthless... or you must convert to these shoes with caution.

 

Firstly - if dirt road running is what you're most likely going to be doing, why not stick with the road shoes? Or get some road shoes with a bit more tread than some of the completely flat-soled ones. 

 

If not, why not try some of Salomon cross-over range, which is suited to both. (And I also think they have a higher drop, if you're more accustomed to that.)

I also run in Salomon Sense Pro's (the original version), which has very little tread - 6mm drop. Sense Pro's 2's uppers are really dodgy, so stay away from them - and they have a much more blocked tread. But fully agree on the stance that the more racy shoes do not last. My Sense Pro (not my go-to shoe of late) has I think more than 700k's (of trail running!) behind them and still looks good. Friend of mine "works" his front foot a lot and he bald-patched his front foot area in about 650. Both of our uppers are fine. He then bought the 2's and got uppers torn after 200. Then went to Brooks Mazama, which is a very very similar shoe to the Sense Pro (original) and still using it. So that may be something to consider as well. (I know some guys that swear by Brooks Cascadia as well, but heard they are pretty narrow.) The Mazama comes in a pretty shocking yellow. And ironically two ladies also run in them in my regular group. Their shocking red-pink option is (to me at least!) much better looking than the yellow... but that's just looks.

 

The old Mantra's are pretty darn close to road shoes as well, but you don't get them any more. I's personally have loved a pair of those.

 

I run a lot in Altra Superior 2's, but they do not like hardpack. Mine is wearing down on the knobs rather rapidly. But look at Altra if you want the widest shoes available - maybe another model/or road shoe. Super super comfy - somebody recently called them "the crocs of running!" (I also train in their Instinct road shoe). Zero drop on Altra's, so beware of this!

 

My preferred shoe - I love them! - is Saucony Peregrines. 4mm drop, wicked grip (which you won't need and my feet just love them - well, for that matter between Altra and Saucony, my feet seem to be very happy. I use the old 5's obtained in yellow ticket sale, think they're up to model 7 now, so not sure what the changes are that was made. 

 

NB also make some awesome trail shoes, some also with relatively smoother tread. And their toe boxes are usually also nice and wide. Think they have a Leadville trail shoe that had less tread on it than the road shoes I used back then from them, but I presume with more protection.

 

And still, I have not had experience in the Inov-8's, but have not heard anything bad from them.

May think of more stuff as the day goes on and/or other comments come in.

[Mudsimus]

The Sense Pro2 uppers are only dodgy if you run into rocks instead of over them. I have both the previous range of Sense Pros and the Sense Pro2, both still going strong after 500km. As an all round trail shoe these are probably your best bet, but dont put them on tar. At 6mm the drop is in the sweet spot for me. If you prefer a bigger drop then the S Lab wings might work, they are 9mm if Im not mistaken. This is probably the most comfortable Salomon trail shoe, you dont even notice them on long runs.

Edited July 26, 2017 by Mudsimus

[CobusV]

What's the drop on the shoes you usually run in? Because if you're not used to low-drop (6mm or lower) shoes, most of my advice will be relatively worthless... or you must convert to these shoes with caution.

 

Firstly - if dirt road running is what you're most likely going to be doing, why not stick with the road shoes? Or get some road shoes with a bit more tread than some of the completely flat-soled ones. 

 

If not, why not try some of Salomon cross-over range, which is suited to both. (And I also think they have a higher drop, if you're more accustomed to that.)

I also run in Salomon Sense Pro's (the original version), which has very little tread - 6mm drop. Sense Pro's 2's uppers are really dodgy, so stay away from them - and they have a much more blocked tread. But fully agree on the stance that the more racy shoes do not last. My Sense Pro (not my go-to shoe of late) has I think more than 700k's (of trail running!) behind them and still looks good. Friend of mine "works" his front foot a lot and he bald-patched his front foot area in about 650. Both of our uppers are fine. He then bought the 2's and got uppers torn after 200. Then went to Brooks Mazama, which is a very very similar shoe to the Sense Pro (original) and still using it. So that may be something to consider as well. (I know some guys that swear by Brooks Cascadia as well, but heard they are pretty narrow.) The Mazama comes in a pretty shocking yellow. And ironically two ladies also run in them in my regular group. Their shocking red-pink option is (to me at least!) much better looking than the yellow... but that's just looks.

 

The old Mantra's are pretty darn close to road shoes as well, but you don't get them any more. I's personally have loved a pair of those.

 

I run a lot in Altra Superior 2's, but they do not like hardpack. Mine is wearing down on the knobs rather rapidly. But look at Altra if you want the widest shoes available - maybe another model/or road shoe. Super super comfy - somebody recently called them "the crocs of running!" (I also train in their Instinct road shoe). Zero drop on Altra's, so beware of this!

 

My preferred shoe - I love them! - is Saucony Peregrines. 4mm drop, wicked grip (which you won't need and my feet just love them - well, for that matter between Altra and Saucony, my feet seem to be very happy. I use the old 5's obtained in yellow ticket sale, think they're up to model 7 now, so not sure what the changes are that was made. 

 

NB also make some awesome trail shoes, some also with relatively smoother tread. And their toe boxes are usually also nice and wide. Think they have a Leadville trail shoe that had less tread on it than the road shoes I used back then from them, but I presume with more protection.

 

And still, I have not had experience in the Inov-8's, but have not heard anything bad from them.

May think of more stuff as the day goes on and/or other comments come in.

 

My 2c.

 

I've been using the Inov-8 Roclite 295 for the past 18months, and my wife is the Trailroc 255. Have now done about 500km on them, including 3 stage races (Giant's Cup, Wolkberg and African X). Solid shoes. Can't really fault them, except maybe that the cushioning on the Roclite is a bit on the minimal side and you feel it a bit after day 1... Excellent grip and excellent durability. Seeing the the conditions of peoples feet at African X, the Inov-8s definitely one of the better shoes to run in.

 

I have a brand new pair Nike Terra Kigers in by cupboard, but when this pair of Inov-8s is done I want to switch over to the TrailTalon 250 as well.

 

Regarding the Peregrine - there was a major sole change from version 5 to 6. Also very solid shoes from what I've heard. Can't comment on Salomon - never used it and too expensive for your common government worker. Brooks Mazama looks good as well - Pure Grit more minimal.

[SeaBee]

Mudsimus, then my buddy just had a bad pair, I presume. (Though I've heard other people complaining about this as well.) Both his shoes tore at the "fold" on the upper within a couple of runs of each other.

 

Cobus, with your (and others')  comments regarding Inov-8, I am quite curious and have in past considered looking at them. (And my Altras are not going to last another 100 years.) For starters - what are the differences between their naming convention and numbers? Rocklite vs Trail Talon - is the Rocklite for more rocky terrain and as such heavier/more protective/more treaded? And then within each range, what does the numbers mean?

[CobusV]

Mudsimus, then my buddy just had a bad pair, I presume. (Though I've heard other people complaining about this as well.) Both his shoes tore at the "fold" on the upper within a couple of runs of each other.

 

Cobus, with your (and others')  comments regarding Inov-8, I am quite curious and have in past considered looking at them. (And my Altras are not going to last another 100 years.) For starters - what are the differences between their naming convention and numbers? Rocklite vs Trail Talon - is the Rocklite for more rocky terrain and as such heavier/more protective/more treaded? And then within each range, what does the numbers mean?

Roclite - heavy thread for all conditions. wet, dry and rugged.

Trail Talon  - more suited to hard packed trails. More of a "faster" shoe. But still plenty of thread. The trail talon is the upgrade/replacement of the Race with more aggressive thread. The number, i.e. 295 refers to the cushioning + drop (and is the weight of the shoe for a size UK9, or something like that...). For the current range the lower the number, the less the drop and less cushioning. I need to check, but if I remember the Trail talon 255 is 4mm drop and the 275 is 8mm. In the old days they used the arrow system - 1 arrow 4mm, 2 arrow 6mm and 3 arrow 8mm or something like that.

 

The Roclite 295 is 6mm drop, but lower heel height than the new trail talon 255 (which is a 4mm shoe) and less cushioning. The Trail talon is very, very similar to the Terra Kiger in terms of offset and heel/forefoot height. But heel/forefoot height is only part of the equation. The shape of the shoe and upper being the rest. Best is to try it on. But is works well for me.

[Gringo111]

Sooo, decided to give Comrades a bash next year! Time to get training!

 

Races entered so far:

 

6th August - Vitality Series - Old Eds 21.1km 

27th August - Vitality Series - Wanderers 21.1km

4th November - Kaapsehoop 42.2km **Comrades Qualifier**