Any Runners here?

[Old Onkyo]

Hey guys, anyone into running? i am new at it and am looking for advice on gear, tips, trying to improve etc.

since this is AH, any advice on earbuds? I have Backbeat Fit and AirPod Pro.

Shoes, I started with New Balance 880 v9, I purchased two pair and alternated use daily. I only got about 150 miles on each pair before I had to replace them. I read a few articles that state I should get about 275 miles minimum.

my feet like a nuetral shoe with soft cushioning, I overpronate but i have become more conscious of how I land. I am a mid foot striker, trying to learn to run on a forefoot.
how does the Drop of a shoe influence how you land?

is there a runners forum equivalent to AH?
thanks.

 

[ryanosaur]

I ran for a while until my ankles and some plantar fasciitis turned me into a swimmer.
I haven’t really run much in them but the Brooks Ghosts get really good reviews and weren’t to expensive. Pretty comfy for most general wear. Jogged in them some and liked them for that. *shrugs
Just take care of your wheels! A small ache one day can be debilitating the next. Stretch out lots and listen to your body. Have some jammers and a kick board waiting just in case!!!

 

[Old Onkyo]

I ran for a while until my ankles and some plantar fasciitis turned me into a swimmer.
I haven’t really run much in them but the Brooks Ghosts get really good reviews and weren’t to expensive. Pretty comfy for most general wear. Jogged in them some and liked them for that. *shrugs
Just take care of your wheels! A small ache one day can be debilitating the next. Stretch out lots and listen to your body. Have some jammers and a kick board waiting just in case!!!

I swim like Joe Frazier. if you are young Google it!
I terrible plantar for years, cortisone injections, orthotics, a fortune in shoes! About four years ago I started wearing neutral running shoes, exclusively, ditched the orthotics, I will not walk five feet barefooted. i currently use the Hypervolt pre and post run.

 

[GO-NAD!]

I'm a regular runner - I'm averaging 32km (20 miles) per week right now. I run in Altra Escalante 2 shoes. I should explain how I ended up with them.

When I started running regularly, 21 years ago, I wore "conventional" running shoes with thicker heel soles. My feet weren't fussy - various models of Nike, Asics, NB, etc - I wore pretty much anything. However, my job involved many hours a day on my feet and after 3 - 4 years, I developed plantar fasciitis. I had always been a heel striker, which may have been a contributing factor. But, as much as I tried, I could not make my feet transition to a mid/forefoot strike. I was prescribed orthotics and the usual stretching/heating/icing therapies and I coped for a few more years, with the condition not really improving. I kept running until I reached a point where it became too excruciating and I had to stop.

Of course, part of the issue with healing of the inflamed tissues in your feet is that at night when you're asleep, your feet naturally relax at a wider angle than when you are standing. This, in effect, shortens the tissue length in the fascia. The tissues do some healing overnight and when you stand up in the morning, you tear all that freshly healed tissue, which is why it's the most painful in the morning. (You may know all this already...)

Then a friend mentioned the Strasburg Sock and how it had helped her. I figured I had nothing to lose and gave it a shot. It holds your foot at a right angle to your leg, so the fascia tissues heal in the stretched position. I had tried a night splint before, but I couldn't sleep with the big cumbersome thing on. Wearing the sock, and alternating between feet each night, it was just a matter of a few weeks before the condition pretty much disappeared. I was eager to start running again, but I didn't want to go back to having PF again. So, I figured I'd try Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) which have flat soles and essentially no padding in them. I would now be forced to forefoot strike. It took a few weeks of adjusting to them, as my foot and leg muscles had to strengthen and my Achilles tendons had to toughen so that they could absorb all of the impact of striking the ground. I ran in the VFF's for about 10 years - until this past spring.

I was out for a 10km run and almost done, when my left foot landed on a stone that fractured a bone in my foot - remember, the VFFs have no padding. I was laid up for about 6 weeks and when that healed up, I was a bit gun shy about the VFFs. So, I started looking for some shoes with a bit more cushioning, but still made it easy to maintain a forefoot strike. That's when I found the Altra's. They have a bit more cushioning than I was really looking for, but have zero heel-drop. I've been wearing them since the summer and they've worked out great for me. I've been pushing myself over the past few months and I recently set a personal best 10k time of 51:40. My goal for 2021 is to break 50 minutes. I'll be 56 YO later this month.

 

[Old Onkyo]

I'm a regular runner - I'm averaging 32km (20 miles) per week right now. I run in Altra Escalante 2 shoes. I should explain how I ended up with them.

When I started running regularly, 21 years ago, I wore "conventional" running shoes with thicker heel soles. My feet weren't fussy - various models of Nike, Asics, NB, etc - I wore pretty much anything. However, my job involved many hours a day on my feet and after 3 - 4 years, I developed plantar fasciitis. I had always been a heel striker, which may have been a contributing factor. But, as much as I tried, I could not make my feet transition to a mid/forefoot strike. I was prescribed orthotics and the usual stretching/heating/icing therapies and I coped for a few more years, with the condition not really improving. I kept running until I reached a point where it became too excruciating and I had to stop.

Of course, part of the issue with healing of the inflamed tissues in your feet is that at night when you're asleep, your feet naturally relax at a wider angle than when you are standing. This, in effect, shortens the tissue length in the fascia. The tissues do some healing overnight and when you stand up in the morning, you tear all that freshly healed tissue, which is why it's the most painful in the morning. (You may know all this already...)

Then a friend mentioned the Strasburg Sock and how it had helped her. I figured I had nothing to lose and gave it a shot. It holds your foot at a right angle to your leg, so the fascia tissues heal in the stretched position. I had tried a night splint before, but I couldn't sleep with the big cumbersome thing on. Wearing the sock, and alternating between feet each night, it was just a matter of a few weeks before the condition pretty much disappeared. I was eager to start running again, but I didn't want to go back to having PF again. So, I figured I'd try Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) which have flat soles and essentially no padding in them. I would now be forced to forefoot strike. It took a few weeks of adjusting to them, as my foot and leg muscles had to strengthen and my Achilles tendons had to toughen so that they could absorb all of the impact of striking the ground. I ran in the VFF's for about 10 years - until this past spring.

I was out for a 10km run and almost done, when my left foot landed on a stone that fractured a bone in my foot - remember, the VFFs have no padding. I was laid up for about 6 weeks and when that healed up, I was a bit gun shy about the VFFs. So, I started looking for some shoes with a bit more cushioning, but still made it easy to maintain a forefoot strike. That's when I found the Altra's. They have a bit more cushioning than I was really looking for, but have zero heel-drop. I've been wearing them since the summer and they've worked out great for me. I've been pushing myself over the past few months and I recently set a personal best 10k time of 51:40. My goal for 2021 is to break 50 minutes. I'll be 56 YO later this month.

Congratulations! I can identify with the struggle with plantar fasciitis...
youare in fact a runner, I am a jogger but getting better. Thanks for your input.

 

[mazersteven]

My nephew's a runner who runs well over a hundred miles a week. He even got a full ride scholarship to college to run for the school. He's since graduated but still runs everyday. Two years ago he ran the NYC Marathon. He was averaging mid to sub fives a mile. He gassed out the last few miles, his last mile was a 12 minute mile. But he did finish

If you going to continue running I recommend Asics or Brooks

 

[GO-NAD!]

My nephew's a runner who runs well over a hundred miles a week. He even got a full ride scholarship to college to run for the school. He's since graduated but still runs everyday. Two years ago he ran the NYC Marathon. He was averaging mid to sub fives a mile. He gassed out the last few miles, his last mile was a 12 minute mile. But he did finish

If you going to continue running I recommend Asics or Brooks

Over 100 miles per week! I don't have the time to run that much, much less the desire.

 

[ryanosaur]

Or the pain tolerance!

 

[Swerd]

I used to run quite a lot when I was much younger. In high school & college, I ran track and cross country. In college, cross country races were 6 miles (now 10K), and we averaged 70-80 miles a week training in the fall. In the winter and spring, the distances were shorter, but the speed higher. My favorite racing distance was the mile and half mile, now 1500 and 800 meters. Now, I walk, and I'm happy if I go 2 miles in 38 minutes .

Shoes are terribly important, but people's feet, footfall, and stride vary all over the map. So the shoes that work for me are probably not the same as for you or others.

I also strongly believe that you should run the stride & footfall that is most natural for you. And find shoes that make that style most comfortable for you. You'll soon know if your shoes are poor – it takes longer to know if your shoes are good for you. I personally like Asics and New Balance, but I spent years trying (and failing) to like Nikes. Adidas were too inconsistent over the years. Your mileage will vary – so will your shoes.

I was shocked when I first heard about the mid/forefoot strike fashion. I still think it's a rotten idea – for me. I was always a heel striker and my feet pronated. As a freshman in college, I finally gave up on the idea of trying to change my pronation, and ran much better in the process. On a wooden indoor track, 11 laps to the mile, with steeply banked curves, you will injure yourself if you alter your natural running style.

 

[Mr._Clark]

I'm not an avid runner by any means (I probably run about 10-12 miles per week), so take the following with a grain of salt.

I alternate between shoes. My sense is that if I use the same shoes every single time I run it stresses my feet, legs, joints, etc. in exactly same way, whereas using different shoes seems to relieve the stress a little. My primary shoes right now are Mizuno Wave Rider 23s and Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37s. Both of these work quite well for me, but I suspect they would not be the best choice if you put in a lot miles.

The Nikes are a bit like running on pillows. I'm fine with it, but it's not for everyone.

I also have a pair of Gore-Tex Mizuno wave rider 21s that I wear if it's cold and rainy. These (and a Gore-Tex shell) make cold rain much more bearable.

I also have an old pair of Gore-Tex Nike Trail runners I use in ice and snow. I drove short hex head sheet metal screws into the bottom to create studs. These are pretty beat up and they have very little cushion, but they still do the job.

For trail running in snow and ice, I have a pair of Salomon Gore-Tex trail running shoes. I wear these with kahtoola micro spikes. These spikes really grab on ice. If anything, I worry about turning an ankle because they grab so firmly.

I have a stationary bike I use as well. This seems to help maintain cardio vascular health while reducing repetitive stress issues. It's a Schwinn 230 recumbent. This is a relatively cheap unit, but I've been happy with it given the modest cost.

This video provides some interesting information on running technique:

Just a couple thoughts. Again, I'm not an expert.

 

[GO-NAD!]

I used to run quite a lot when I was much younger. In high school & college, I ran track and cross country. In college, cross country races were 6 miles (now 10K), and we averaged 70-80 miles a week training in the fall. In the winter and spring, the distances were shorter, but the speed higher. My favorite racing distance was the mile and half mile, now 1500 and 800 meters. Now, I walk, and I'm happy if I go 2 miles in 38 minutes .

Shoes are terribly important, but people's feet, footfall, and stride vary all over the map. So the shoes that work for me are probably not the same as for you or others.

I also strongly believe that you should run the stride & footfall that is most natural for you. And find shoes that make that style most comfortable for you. You'll soon know if your shoes are poor – it takes longer to know if your shoes are good for you. I personally like Asics and New Balance, but I spent years trying (and failing) to like Nikes. Adidas were too inconsistent over the years. Your mileage will vary – so will your shoes.

I was shocked when I first heard about the mid/forefoot strike fashion. I still think it's a rotten idea – for me. I was always a heel striker and my feet pronated. As a freshman in college, I finally gave up on the idea of trying to change my pronation, and ran much better in the process. On a wooden indoor track, 11 laps to the mile, with steeply banked curves, you will injure yourself if you alter your natural running style.

I understand that the forefoot strike isn't for everybody. I transitioned away from the heel strike because of the wicked pain I had experienced with PF. The two may be unrelated, but I made the change anyway. I'm more inclined to blame my job for my PF than running - as I stated before, I used to spend a lot of time on my feet at work - much of it standing, rather than moving. I really couldn't say if either running style would be quicker, safer or more efficient for me. I'm not a "competitive" runner by any stretch - if anything, I compete against myself.

 

[Speedskater]

I was a marathon runner (did a 100 mile week once and said never again) but orthopedic problems ended running. When COVID ends, I'll be back to doing a lot of speedskating. Mostly on short track ice.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I used to run some time back for 10 years, about 3 miles a day 5-7 days a week. A girlfriend issue started me out.
Started slowly, maybe a 1/10 mile, worked up eventually to that 3 miles. Time wasn't bad at my peak although I wasn't interested in personal bests, etc.
No need to push unless you are intending to race. Work up slowly to get your body and lungs up for the task. Didn't have any special gear.

Enjoy

 

[Speedskater]

One thing for new runners:
Stay away from 'heart rate monitors' !
They will only confuse you with their stupid charts and graphs.
Just run at whatever feels comfortable.

 

[Alex2507]

I transitioned

So brave

 

[Old Onkyo]

I purchased some Jabra Elite Active 75t wireless earbuds. They are going back tomorrow. They were a breeze to connect and use, unlike Apple products they stay in place, but they sound horrible to me. The app is good, there is an equalizer that is useful, but the music and voices on phone calls does not sound authentic.
My go to units are Plantronics Backbeat Fit. I am looking for better sound quality, connectivity, the Jabra’s are good, but if you don’t sound better than Apple you have got to go.!

 

[mazersteven]

Great SQ and Great Price

SE215 Pro - Professional Sound Isolating™ Earphones - Shure USA

SE215 Sound Isolating™ Earphones provide clear sound and deep bass through a single high-definition driver in a durable, discrete design with detachable 3.5 mm (1/8”) audio cable.

www.shure.com

 

[Old Onkyo]

Great SQ and Great Price

SE215 Pro - Professional Sound Isolating™ Earphones - Shure USA

SE215 Sound Isolating™ Earphones provide clear sound and deep bass through a single high-definition driver in a durable, discrete design with detachable 3.5 mm (1/8”) audio cable.

www.shure.com

They will be here Friday!

 

[GO-NAD!]

So brave

In retrospect, I would have used a different word.

 

[GO-NAD!]

One thing for new runners:
Stay away from 'heart rate monitors' !
They will only confuse you with their stupid charts and graphs.
Just run at whatever feels comfortable.

You find the charts and graphs confusing? Interesting.

A plot of heart rate laid over pace doesn't get much simpler.