Thanks! Weather was great at 7-11C, sun and low wind.
The AP4 are a great shoe in general. I find them super comfy and like the geometry to the plate and very early curling sole. I believe they are not the fastest shoe out there, with the Metaspeed sky Paris feeling a little faster, but they are definitely a great mix of comfort, stability and speed.
While some have reported the had trouble with their big toes getting scuffed up by the upper, for me it is the ones next to it (which are shorter for me).
I must say that a lot of shoes give me blisters on the tip of my toes, hence I wear rubber protectors.
But the length of the run, the intensity and the shoes created a perfect storm to even work through those.
I think this might become an issue for the full marathon. For the half, I only felt it afterwards so it didnāt really matter.
For the Berlin Marathon in 5.5 months time, I will do a full performance diagnostic to see which shoe works best on me. So far my candidates would be AP4, Evo Pro 1, Alphafly 3, and if it arrives on time the new ASICS line up.
And then Iāll still need to see which feels best.
The first shoe for my testing has arrived: The Pro Evo 2 (the silver one).
Itās really weird how different the shape is from the AP4.
Man they are light, but they will not last long, especially with the outsoles being as thin as a piece of paper.
Those look fastā¦ Let us know. I just picked up a pair of Asics Superblast 2 and my first āgo for a runā had me flying. Do you have a race planned for those?
Yeah, Berlin Marathon. Iāll do a full performance/ efficiency analysis of my 4 top picks before then (Pro Evo 2, Metaspeed Sky 4, Puma Nitro 3, Alphafly 3).
Iāll test all of them in a long workout as well on feel. That should give me great inside.
The Superblast 2 is great. Itās my number 1 training shoe, that I love running long runs and similar work outs in them.
This shoe discussion made me think. Iām a recreational triathlete and I love running, but Iām 53 and 60lbs overweight and my ONLY priority is not getting injured.
Iāve run exclusively on āmax cushionā shoes until now (Saucony Triumph, NB 1080, etc.) to protect my knees and joints. And Iām still really slowā¦ 10K PB is ~84:30.
At what point of increased speed or reduced excess weight should I start to consider other types of less-cushioned shoes for more variety or other benefits?
But. If youāre running regularly, more than once or twice a week then some variety is always a good idea; road, trail, grass, track and if you want, shoes to match.
A road shoe and a trail shoe and terrain to match gives you some flexibility, different stressors on your feet/legs, and circulation/hygiene on your shoes - imo
Interesting read if youāre a bookworm (or audiobook in my case) is Born to Run. The emphasis is on the barefoot movement and puts readers in a position to question their footwear choices.
That said, when running in a plated or energy return style shoe, I dont notice any improvement at speeds slower than a 9min/mile pace. Click it down to 8 min/mile and youāve got a bit of a cadence or stride length to notice the pop these shoes offer. Ratchet down further and youāll surely notice the difference.
At this point its just a fun thing to experiment with and have a āniceā pair of shoes for events to make the whole thing feel a bit more like a production than another run.
At 53 and with the weight you mention, losing 5lb will do you infinitely more good than any pair of shoes could offer. my 2 cents.
Born to run was an interesting read. The whole barefoot running thing was ridiculous but there was some good gems in there. I particularly thought the part with Joe Vigil & Deena Kastor was interesting from a coaching standpoint.
Iād dabbled with barefoot shoes before reading that, though mostly for gym work. When I tried them for running I instantly over did things and ended up with nagging calf issues. No surprises thereā¦
Something from the book that my wife and I reference often is āthe beastā and how to handle yourself when they come. I cant remember who in the book used that term but it stuck with me. Pretty fun while on those long runs where youāre in the hurt locker and youāre just working out the problem of how to handle yourself better every time.
Oh, absolutely. Iām definitely working to lose 50-60 pounds while improving body composition. What I meant was, should I stick to very cushioned stuff until Iām down much closer to a good weight (say, only 10-20 pounds overweight) or is there a benefit to starting to use some less-cushioned shoes even now?
I already run with two brands of shoes to get a little variety in shoe design and behavior. But Iām wondering at what point in the journey āmax cushionā should cease to be the only category of shoe I use.
Thereās still a fair bit of variability in geometry/build even within the ācushy daily trainerā niche, so I donāt think thereās a ton of need to actively seek out something firmer specifically from a variability standpoint. It can be worth rotating through a few styles ofc, but If you feel better-/less beat up with a bit more cushion youāve still got a lot of options in that regard.
I wouldnāt view it as a case of needing āxā shoe at a specific point, thoughā itās too individual for that and thereās always going to a bit of a risk assessment in deviating from something that already works. Sort of like form/gait changes, there might be some natural/intuitive changes with time, but I wouldnāt try to āforceā something for some perceived benefit, particularly if your main goal is consistency and general health.
Iāve settled on the Adidas Pro 4 - super comfy shoe.
If you have time to test another then the saucony Elite 2 should be on your list. Even softer than the Pro 4 apparently and consensus is that itās faster?
Word is the upcoming Puma fast r nitro elite 3 is the next huge step up in the arms race. Almost as much as the original Nike carbin plated creation was vs conventional shoes. I am ordering a pair as soon as I am able to find one available.
Iām doing Manchester as well, currently got a cold, hope it clears up by Sunday had it since last week. Taper coldā¦ amazing how often that happens, it is like to body relaxes when you reduce the training and then a bit of illness gets yer.
