Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[SeaBee]

Do the work, they'll change your life.

Have run in Altra, both the Instinct and the Superior. Loved the Instinct, ran them to smithereens, but did not like the Superior all that much - too loose at the heel and the tread wore down really quickly. But agreed, they are hands-down the most comfortable shoes out there. 

[gifs]

I love my Altras as my issues with blisters and blue toenails have disappeared once I switched to their foot shaped toebox. I just transitioned to zero drop gradually and haven't had any issues related to Achilles or calf problems.

 

I currently run in Superiors and they are great for short trails, but once you go 20+ kms, the minimalist cushioning becomes evident. I am going to get me some of the new Timp 2.0s soon that will be more suitable for longer trail distances.

[Jewbacca]

I love my Altras as my issues with blisters and blue toenails have disappeared once I switched to their foot shaped toebox. I just transitioned to zero drop gradually and haven't had any issues related to Achilles or calf problems.

 

I currently run in Superiors and they are great for short trails, but once you go 20+ kms, the minimalist cushioning becomes evident. I am going to get me some of the new Timp 2.0s soon that will be more suitable for longer trail distances.

I do think this is 100% relative though, as I have done a number of 100 milers in various model superiors and absolutely love them.

 

The 29mm stack height and shape of the Timp makes it look awesome for rolling terrain and speed packing/Adventure racing, but doesn't look like it translates that well to technical terrain.

 

Great for a race like Moab, Western States or Addo, but would be terrible at Reunion Grande Raid, UTD and long runs on table mountain.

 

I love the Lone Peaks. They are a fantastic 'do it all' trail shoe, but I prefer the King MT and the Superiors for going fast over longer, more technical runs.

 

I only run in Altra's am a crazy loyal brand user and struggle to justify trying anything else but the 2 things that get me about them are the stock laces suck and the toe cap bit from the sole always separates on at least 1 shoe in the first 5 runs.

 

Bear in mind I have had multiple shoes of every Lone Peak iteration, Superior iteration and most other models.... 

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Of course different things work for different people (and feet). For me on sharp rocky terrain I think the Superiors just don't offer enough protection, and on wet rocks their grip is a bit suspect.

 

Funny you should say you don't think the Timp will work for UTD as that is the race (UTD100) I am buying them for   , I will also look at the new Lone Peak 4.5 whilst I am at the store.

 

Last year I did the UTD GCU62 in Inov-8 Trailroc 285's which have a stack height of 23mm, which was fine from a cushioning point of view. Of course with my wide feet I did struggle with blue toes and blisters. So I guess at 25mm stack height the Lone Peaks are definitely an option.

[Stretch]

Wayde van Niekerk ran a 10.10 100m and 20.3 odd 200m at some random UFS event on a grass track. Also watched a video of him run a very relaxed looking 1:53 800m training run....I do believe our man is back in form with 5 months to go before Tokyo

[Jewbacca]

Of course different things work for different people (and feet). For me on sharp rocky terrain I think the Superiors just don't offer enough protection, and on wet rocks their grip is a bit suspect.

 

Funny you should say you don't think the Timp will work for UTD as that is the race (UTD100) I am buying them for   , I will also look at the new Lone Peak 4.5 whilst I am at the store.

 

Last year I did the UTD GCU62 in Inov-8 Trailroc 285's which have a stack height of 23mm, which was fine from a cushioning point of view. Of course with my wide feet I did struggle with blue toes and blisters. So I guess at 25mm stack height the Lone Peaks are definitely an option.

I just think the shape of the shoe/sole/midsole is more suited to gravel roads, smooth hiking trails and less technical contour paths.

 

It looks a bit high and that bulky forefoot and rounded sole looks like it will feel awkward picking lines over rough trail and rocks, and very awkward on picky descents at speed.

 

But ja, I haven't used the Timp2.0 so can't say for sure. Just an educated gues from using the maximus and the old Merrel high stack, zero drop, fast packing shoes which were very similar.

 

Good luck at UTD. It's a fantastic race. Pack enough food for the 1st 65km before the 1st aid station!

[b-rad]

A little race report from the last couple weeks. Decided to find some warmer weather further south in Europe. First up was the Barcelona 21k two weekends ago.

My first time in the city and really enjoyed it. The temperature was top class at about 20 degrees so it reminded me a bit of Durban in the winter. People eat late in Spain, often around 10pm, so it's very festive on the streets in the evenings with tapas bars very popular.

The race is a big one and considered a fast course. Around 23000 entrants I believe but surprisingly very little in the way of a race expo. With a niggly calf in the days leading up to the run I wasn't expecting much at all and didn't even have a goal time in mind. Just ran a steady pace and finished up in a bit over 1h21. If I had the sub 1h20 goal in my mind before I think I could have achieved this. A few minutes off my 21k PB so I'd like to give a good go at a 21 later in the year. Calf was very tight afterwards so I was a bit concerned about how it would be in the following days.

The number of quicker runners was incredible compared to your typical race in SA. Hundreds of people finishing under 1h22 - I think I was around 800th. A friend from SA smashed his previous PB and finished in 1h14. He only just snuck in with a top 300.

 

It was back up to colder parts of Europe for a few days before making the trip down to Sevilla, Spain for the Sevilla marathon this past weekend. Again the weather was lekker. Sunshine and low 20s as the day went on. The route is regarded as a very fast one with no climbs besides one underpass and not too many turns. The field was around 14000.

My calf was feeling good again and I had done a few runs prior to raceday. It was always going to be treated as a decent Comrades training run so I figured if I sat with the sub 3 group and see how that went that'd be okay. I only decided on this strategy the day before really. Besides 2 pee stops an the first 12ks the k's were ticking by quite comfortably. With the sub 3 group through 21ks in 1:29:24. At about 5kms to go I was feeling fresh so picked up the pace a little to finish strong in 2:56:44 so a good little 2min negative split. Any marathon is hard, even a flat one, but I finished feeling like I had a whole lot more in me and nowhere near as tired as my first sub 3 in 2018.

Met a few South Africans briefly afterwards. Seems like everyone had some solid results and or decent training runs for Comrades. One of the chaps from Wanderers smashed a 2h36!!

Overall two good weekends away. Now to find a hilly event to at least get some hill training in.

[Chris_]

Of course different things work for different people (and feet). For me on sharp rocky terrain I think the Superiors just don't offer enough protection, and on wet rocks their grip is a bit suspect.

 

Funny you should say you don't think the Timp will work for UTD as that is the race (UTD100) I am buying them for   , I will also look at the new Lone Peak 4.5 whilst I am at the store.

 

Last year I did the UTD GCU62 in Inov-8 Trailroc 285's which have a stack height of 23mm, which was fine from a cushioning point of view. Of course with my wide feet I did struggle with blue toes and blisters. So I guess at 25mm stack height the Lone Peaks are definitely an option.

 

Do check out the lone peaks, I have 2 pairs and the level of grip is unbelievable, and they offer surprisingly good protection/comfort over sharper rocks. 

 

Bear in mind I am incredibly slow so if you're more racey you might well need something else, but for anything from 10km to 100m I absolutely love them.

 

I have escalante for the road which I'm sloooooowly getting used to, it has taken a bit longer than I expected, I may experiment more with their road versions.

[gifs]

I just think the shape of the shoe/sole/midsole is more suited to gravel roads, smooth hiking trails and less technical contour paths.

 

It looks a bit high and that bulky forefoot and rounded sole looks like it will feel awkward picking lines over rough trail and rocks, and very awkward on picky descents at speed.

 

But ja, I haven't used the Timp2.0 so can't say for sure. Just an educated gues from using the maximus and the old Merrel high stack, zero drop, fast packing shoes which were very similar.

 

Good luck at UTD. It's a fantastic race. Pack enough food for the 1st 65km before the 1st aid station!

 

Thanks! The Timp 2 does look like a major update from the 1.5, so I will have to see.

 

Regarding UTD, the routes have changed from previous years, though the first 40 odd is still the same on the 10km. The info shows that there will be nutrition available regularly (at 13km, 28km, 36km etc):

https://www.ultratraildrakensberg.com/utd-100

[Stretch]

A little race report from the last couple weeks. Decided to find some warmer weather further south in Europe. First up was the Barcelona 21k two weekends ago.

My first time in the city and really enjoyed it. The temperature was top class at about 20 degrees so it reminded me a bit of Durban in the winter. People eat late in Spain, often around 10pm, so it's very festive on the streets in the evenings with tapas bars very popular.

The race is a big one and considered a fast course. Around 23000 entrants I believe but surprisingly very little in the way of a race expo. With a niggly calf in the days leading up to the run I wasn't expecting much at all and didn't even have a goal time in mind. Just ran a steady pace and finished up in a bit over 1h21. If I had the sub 1h20 goal in my mind before I think I could have achieved this. A few minutes off my 21k PB so I'd like to give a good go at a 21 later in the year. Calf was very tight afterwards so I was a bit concerned about how it would be in the following days.

The number of quicker runners was incredible compared to your typical race in SA. Hundreds of people finishing under 1h22 - I think I was around 800th. A friend from SA smashed his previous PB and finished in 1h14. He only just snuck in with a top 300.

 

It was back up to colder parts of Europe for a few days before making the trip down to Sevilla, Spain for the Sevilla marathon this past weekend. Again the weather was lekker. Sunshine and low 20s as the day went on. The route is regarded as a very fast one with no climbs besides one underpass and not too many turns. The field was around 14000.

My calf was feeling good again and I had done a few runs prior to raceday. It was always going to be treated as a decent Comrades training run so I figured if I sat with the sub 3 group and see how that went that'd be okay. I only decided on this strategy the day before really. Besides 2 pee stops an the first 12ks the k's were ticking by quite comfortably. With the sub 3 group through 21ks in 1:29:24. At about 5kms to go I was feeling fresh so picked up the pace a little to finish strong in 2:56:44 so a good little 2min negative split. Any marathon is hard, even a flat one, but I finished feeling like I had a whole lot more in me and nowhere near as tired as my first sub 3 in 2018.

Met a few South Africans briefly afterwards. Seems like everyone had some solid results and or decent training runs for Comrades. One of the chaps from Wanderers smashed a 2h36!!

Overall two good weekends away. Now to find a hilly event to at least get some hill training in.

You really live up to the myth that your running just gets faster and faster as soon as you break the sub 3 barrier!

[EddieV]

Have run in Altra, both the Instinct and the Superior. Loved the Instinct, ran them to smithereens, but did not like the Superior all that much - too loose at the heel and the tread wore down really quickly. But agreed, they are hands-down the most comfortable shoes out there. 

 

Agree, I love my Altra's too, but the sole on the Superior wore down very quickly. Since the majority of my running is on the road, the sole wore down even faster.

Purchased a brand new pair of Altra Escalante's, absolutely love them. Did the Peninsula marathon in them. 

My feet not nearly as tired in the Escalante as compared to the Superior. Escalante's sole is much harder, and the new 2.0 has a much better heel-cup than the previous Escalante (in my opinion). Love them.   

Want to purchase a second pair before they change the model.

[Edgar]

 

Was there as well, you must have finished right behind us - Great Run by the way. We finished 2:55:36 (finished around 720th) also went neg splits. 1:28.45 thru hw and 1:26.something coming back. I was in WAC kit, the 2:36 dude was Quinton Honey. He is really quick and does a lot of trail. 

 

It is a great route and weekend, Sevilla is an amazing city. Great vibe, great food and I actually prefer it to Barcelona.

 

Would recommend this event to anybody looking for an awesome int'l marathon.

 

Sorry about the sideways pics.

 

A little race report from the last couple weeks. Decided to find some warmer weather further south in Europe. First up was the Barcelona 21k two weekends ago.
My first time in the city and really enjoyed it. The temperature was top class at about 20 degrees so it reminded me a bit of Durban in the winter. People eat late in Spain, often around 10pm, so it's very festive on the streets in the evenings with tapas bars very popular.
The race is a big one and considered a fast course. Around 23000 entrants I believe but surprisingly very little in the way of a race expo. With a niggly calf in the days leading up to the run I wasn't expecting much at all and didn't even have a goal time in mind. Just ran a steady pace and finished up in a bit over 1h21. If I had the sub 1h20 goal in my mind before I think I could have achieved this. A few minutes off my 21k PB so I'd like to give a good go at a 21 later in the year. Calf was very tight afterwards so I was a bit concerned about how it would be in the following days.
The number of quicker runners was incredible compared to your typical race in SA. Hundreds of people finishing under 1h22 - I think I was around 800th. A friend from SA smashed his previous PB and finished in 1h14. He only just snuck in with a top 300.

It was back up to colder parts of Europe for a few days before making the trip down to Sevilla, Spain for the Sevilla marathon this past weekend. Again the weather was lekker. Sunshine and low 20s as the day went on. The route is regarded as a very fast one with no climbs besides one underpass and not too many turns. The field was around 14000.
My calf was feeling good again and I had done a few runs prior to raceday. It was always going to be treated as a decent Comrades training run so I figured if I sat with the sub 3 group and see how that went that'd be okay. I only decided on this strategy the day before really. Besides 2 pee stops an the first 12ks the k's were ticking by quite comfortably. With the sub 3 group through 21ks in 1:29:24. At about 5kms to go I was feeling fresh so picked up the pace a little to finish strong in 2:56:44 so a good little 2min negative split. Any marathon is hard, even a flat one, but I finished feeling like I had a whole lot more in me and nowhere near as tired as my first sub 3 in 2018.
Met a few South Africans briefly afterwards. Seems like everyone had some solid results and or decent training runs for Comrades. One of the chaps from Wanderers smashed a 2h36!!
Overall two good weekends away. Now to find a hilly event to at least get some hill training in.

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Edgar

[Stretch]

IMG_0286.jpegIMG_0276.jpeg

 

Was there as well, you must have finished right behind us - Great Run by the way. We finished 2:55:36 (finished around 720th) also went neg splits. 1:28.45 thru hw and 1:26.something coming back. I was in WAC kit, the 2:36 dude was Quinton Honey. He is really quick and does a lot of trail.

 

It is a great route and weekend, Sevilla is an amazing city. Great vibe, great food and I actually prefer it to Barcelona.

 

Would recommend this event to anybody looking for an awesome int'l marathon.

 

Sorry about the sideways pics.

I'm definitely gonna remember that... Looking for a nice chilled city marathon next year.

 

But let me tell you... this winter training is hard and lonely work.

[Chris_]

Nike is giving away, for free, a pair of the new AlphaFly shoes to every runner in the US marathon olympic trials this weekend. 

 

The original gamechanger Nike is back.

[Jackes]

Wayde van Niekerk ran a 10.10 100m and 20.3 odd 200m at some random UFS event on a grass track. Also watched a video of him run a very relaxed looking 1:53 800m training run....I do believe our man is back in form with 5 months to go before Tokyo

He played on the Bloem tartan as well the same week. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B83h4SLnISj/

 

And then there is this post from him...

 

waydedreamer

Verified

@bencramchoi my 800 days are done

[Chris_]

 

He played on the Bloem tartan as well the same week. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B83h4SLnISj/

 

And then there is this post from him...

 

waydedreamer

Verified

@bencramchoi my 800 days are done