Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[Stretch]

Right....clubs.....

 

Clubs are helluva important in running as they are the ones that are organising the races. We re already seeing some races falling off the calendar due to the clubs not being able to put them on. The more people that move from traditional clubs to virtual clubs means that traditional club membership declines and slowly but surely races fall off the calendar...but....they won't fall away instead a commercial organisation will try step in and take on races and then we have what we see in cycling and trail running..expensive races. I am not gonna berate someone for joining a virtual club, but take cognisance of the repercussions.

 

I dont take part in any club training runs with my club, but, we have a gazebo at most races and are about to have a lekker year end function. Fee is something like R250 a year including ASA and we put on one major event in the year.

Edited November 8, 2016 by Stretch

[Andrew Steer]

Clubs are crucial... most of the races are organised by them. It was like that in cycling when I started up, ASG though have taken over most of the old clubs races and many others have just fallen away with all these mega clubs around (who strangely enough aren't mega-enough to organise any races?) Maybe some food for thought for them.

 

Without the passion of club members and the free man power for race day etc, you end up paying corporate salaries through your race entries and the short term saving on club membership comes back to bite you in the long run...

[Hacc]

I agree with Stretch. I joined a club before my first Comrades not to pay the temp license at races. I never went to the club or got involved. I was the "ghost" club member. I met most of the club members at the Comrades Braai two weeks before Comrades. I trained alone and was absolutely clueless when it came to running.

 

I have become a very active member now, and we are one big happy family. I sometimes see my club mates more than my own family. There are lots of experienced runners in the club. Some running their 29th Comrades. You need to be part of a club to gain knowledge and also not to train alone. We help each other at races when the going gets tough. We also support each other and are happy with fellow club mates having a good day or running a PB, we also console the members having a bad day. You see people grow from being a walker, to a 5km runner, to a Comrades runner. We "kuier" after races and have braais once a month.

 

I don't think you will get all of this from a virtual club.

[SeaBee]

I can recommend Saucony as a brand, but not necessarily as shoes for you. That's the part that only you could determine yourself.

 

Saucony has a good reputation for making fast shoes - especially the low-drop lightweight types. This includes road, trail, track and XC.

 

The one negative about Saucony (but many other brands are also guilty of this) is that they like to tinker with their designs, so the fit, feel and quality of a shoe often change from model to model.

 

They do tend to be narrow so might want to try half a size up. They have wider sizes in some of the ranges but I haven't seen those in SA. Half sizing could help with this but be careful to not leave too much space up front - you still want the forefoot area to flex in the correct areas. Specialist shops (read not Sportsmans') could help you with this.

 

Coming from the Ghosts, you can try something like Saucony's Triumph (expensive!) or Ride series.

Echoing Koei again... and some personal thoughts. His first paragraph is the most crucial. What works for one person, may not work for another.

 

You like Ghosts, I hated it. Way too narrow, got a jiggle feel under the heel and drop too high, causing me all sorts of Achilles and calve hell. 

 

Saucony, while Koei rates them as narrow, is quite wide for me relative to at least the Ghost - and my Sense Pro trail shoes. That is for the Kinvara and Triumph ISO (btw, they're much cheaper at Runners Rest and even Somerset Sport) I currently use on road and the Peregrine I just started using on trail. Sure, it's not as wide as Altra and I still want to look at Inov-8 as well, but it beats the majority in my mind.

 

The other shoes I (personally) like are New Balance, which are nice and wide. But compared the 1080 with the Triumph and... the heel on the 1080 just never felt secure. But those foam soles they have now are comfy - just wondering what it will feel like after a long run. May irritate me by being too soft.

 

Now, regarding the club thing. For Oceans I am required to join a club. And for me it was in the end a simple decision to join my local club. It beats these virtual clubs (strangely nobody has mentioned Cape Multisport, who are absolutely all over the show in the races I do)  ito pricing and sure, there is no money-back for certain races - but I only do that much road running anyways.

But heck, I am glad - I will already receive a third of my annual fee in back for not paying the temp licence just doing Bay 2 Bay in Jan. Feels like a temp licence was R35 just the other day... and yes, I am only running for two years, it's not as if I'm talking about the 80's here! 

Edited November 8, 2016 by SeaBee

[Jackes]

Echoing Koei again... and some personal thoughts. His first paragraph is the most crucial. What works for one person, may not work for another.

 

You like Ghosts, I hated it. Way too narrow, got a jiggle feel under the heel and drop too high, causing me all sorts of Achilles and calve hell. 

 

That is weird, the Saucony's felt narrower than the Ghosts for me again.

 

Will definately check them out as well next time, but the changes from model to model would not work for me as well

[Tubehunter]

...snipped

 

It is one of our club member's father. She ran the Kaapse Hoop Marathon, drove all the way back on Saturday to run the 21km with her Dad, who came all the way from Upington. He had a heart attack 2km from the finish. We are all devastated with her. 

 

That sounds so heavy! More condolences to all!

[Tubehunter]

I was a team vitality runner this year. Looking to join VOB for next year, as the TV option is mostly overrated, especially when the ASA license is not included for WP based runners!

 

I did however come from a situation where I began running entirely on my own and doing the online team registration was a simple process. Now that I am running more it would be cool to join the local club! There are way more merits to doing that then the limited cash back options through TV.

[SeaBee]

That is weird, the Saucony's felt narrower than the Ghosts for me again.

 

Will definately check them out as well next time, but the changes from model to model would not work for me as well

See, another case for "what suits you and your feet". It may just be the way my feet settles in the Ghost as opposed to the Saucony. The moment I put on the Kinvara, my feet felt like it was slippers! 

 

Maybe the extra drop I was not used to may contribute to the feeling of narrowness on the Ghost. I just know the odds of me getting another pair is zero - yet there are many people who swear by them!

Edited November 8, 2016 by SeaBee

[Jackes]

Maybe the extra drop I was not used to may contribute to the feeling of narrowness on the Ghost. I just know the odds of me getting another pair is zero - yet there are many people who swear by them!

 

I come from Nikes that was 12mm, thus the drop would'nt affect me yes...  

 

Maybe the Saucony's was just a half size too small.  I will definately give them a look as well next time (which is VERY soon)

[Andrew Steer]

Also eye-balling a possible brand switch... not sure Asics are as good as they used to be. Have also gotten a bit ahead of themselves on pricing. When I made the move from Nike Air Pegasus to Asics Nimbus, the price difference was R300, now it's nearly R1000. My latest pairs aren't holding up as well as earlier editions either... much to ponder!

[IceCreamMan]

A funny

[SwissVan]

I miss the running club culture in SA, braaivleis, sunny skies, sweat and beers

 

If u have a lekker club vibe then it can be very motivating, hence one of the reasons SA is comrades crazy. 

 

Here you do not have to have a license or belong to a club to run a race.... sure its probably cheaper no club fee's etc and no club duties BUT its a bit sterile imo 

[Lexx]

Apparently, clubs are upset about this, lots of emails flying around, and not just Team Vitality, but also Modern Athlete and other "virtual clubs". I know emails have been sent to CGA. Not sure if anything will happen as CGA is still getting the license fees.

 

It is one of our club member's father. She ran the Kaapse Hoop Marathon, drove all the way back on Saturday to run the 21km with her Dad, who came all the way from Upington. He had a heart attack 2km from the finish. We are all devastated with her. 

Oh man, that's terrible news. I am so sorry to hear that.

[Jackes]

Coming from the Ghosts, you can try something like Saucony's Triumph (expensive!) or Ride series.

 

Triumph ISO 3.  Yoh yoh yoh.....

 

One potential problem, how do I go about my ghosts that is lets say halfway done now, 12mm heel to toe, by adding a Saucony now, which sits at 8mm heel to toe and then altering between them?   I presume that is not recommended, or what is the max difference that one would look at.

 

My wife is in Brooks Ravenna, for that slight support.   She overpronates a bit and is unstable in the process of doing so, if that makes sense.  But her feet looks worse than with the Nikes before (blisters on the side of the foot, toes and black to nails)   I think the Brooks might be to narrow, she has wide feet.   Also going to look at Saucony guide and the New Balance 860V7.   She does not have any hasstles with her New Balance Trail shoes, nice and wide.

[Hacc]

So, which cyclists with a running problem is having a cycling problem on the 20th of November?

I am doing my 9th 94.7... Feeling a bit undertrained for a cycling race.

[Andrew Steer]

So, which cyclists with a running problem is having a cycling problem on the 20th of November?

I am doing my 9th 94.7... Feeling a bit undertrained for a cycling race.

 

Ridden twice since the Argust... and wasn't fit for that either.

 

Long day ahead I think