Very lightweight trainer suggestions

Hilly

I've looked on Fastfeet for 150's and can't seem to see any. I'd like to see what they look like but all my searches come up with nothing.

[Deleted User]

hilly - they look a bit like this in black. Fastfeet's website isn't great but they're very helpful on the phone.

[Deleted User]

hilly - Check picture. They come in diffrent colours.

[Deleted User]

P.S. mine aren't shiny like the ones in URR's picture. They're white with red and grey.

[Deleted User]

Yuck! Chocolate lime flavour??

Mine are red and white.

Hilly

Thanks for the pics. Not sure I'm into choc/lime either, the black are fine though:o)


Are only for men and how much are they?

[Deleted User]

Don't know much about women's footwear. Not on my list of favourite websites:-)

They're £25 a pair, or £20 if you buy 3 or more.

Seriously, what are the difference between men and women's trainers, apart from the light pastel colours?

Imaginary Friend

BR - the price!

Duck Girl

Well, in NB854's (have had many many pairs of both, being a size 9) then the toes & heels are slightly different shapes. Never made much difference to me. Sometimes widths are different, but I need width fittings anyway.
I don't much like the girly light blue anyway.

Duck Girl

ooops - 400!

[Deleted User]

hilly - Not only for men. I know a female vet runner, ranked over all distances and she races in red/white NB150s.

Hilly

Sorry I'm a girlie and like girlie colours:o)

Thanks URR, I think I like the look/sound of the Puma H streets.

[Deleted User]

I've got both Puma H Streets and NB 150's. The H Streets have a much harder sole and are good in the dry and over rough ground but are USELESS in the wet(even dangerous if gradient is steep and wet )
NB 150's are much better in the wet.

Welshpoppy

Where would we buy NB150 from I have done a search and can come up with no where?

JD.

you'll need to phone paul at fastfeet.co.uk

he's got a stock of them.

it's recommended by people on this thread to go for one size bigger than you normally take.

Hilly

Thanks for the info on both shoes. I've decided not get any at the moment as I've only just gone to racing flats. I think I'll continue with my barefoot running mainly on the treadmill and wearing racing flats and see if I'm ok in them. Making too many changes at once might cause me problems and then I wouldn't know which was the problem.

Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

Hmmmm ... and wonder what the best way is to get my speed back now that I've switched styles.

I started changing style at the beginning of the month, then had a break of a couple of weeks as I tried to sort out a new job (frankly that is an excuse and I was a bit lazy), now I'm continuing where I left off.

Calves don't hurt so much, but I'm wondering how long it will take to get fast again. PB before was 5:15 for a mile, currently 20 secs off that. At the minute I am concentrating on knocking out 7 m/m's (say about 3 or 4 miles) as these feel fairly comfortable and seems like a good way to make the transition.

Talking to URR it seems like I should try some faster interval running, maybe do some 200m's or something?

Is this going to take another couple of months (if I train consistently)?

Tigger's mate Roo

I've got exactly the same problem. After 4 weeks of building up the new style feels comfortable, calves rarely tight. I've got up to 7 miles, and done some speedwork on grass, and an 800m & 1500m track race.

It feels as if I'm running faster, and certainly has the potential to be faster, but for some reason it isn't (yet). I'm about 30 secs/ml down on last year/pre-injury, although I don't know how much of that is down to lost fitness in my time off injured, and the very low mileage I'm still doing.

so, same question, how long is it going to take ? What is the best way, to speed things up ?

Imaginary Friend

I don't know of the best way to speed up, but I do know that it will take time, and that it will hurt!

I found that even though I can run 10-12 miles at easy pace comfortably in minimalist shoes, my calves turn to bricks as soon as I try running mile reps or anything shorter. I think that what is happening is that running faster pushes you further forwards onto your toes and so works different areas of the muscle group.

So it seems that it just needs time to build up more muscle - strengthening exercises have got to help. Otherwise, I guess it's a question of 'if it's not hurting, it's not working' 8oS

Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

It's weird in that 7 m/m actually makes me sweat, never happened before ...

Tigger's mate Roo

I feel I'm working much harder ie an 'easy pace run' doesn't actually feel very relaxed, but without getting more out of breathe, which I guess is something like the same thing.

Chaos

With the change in style I think it's probably necessary to somehow work on the elasticity in those muscles to work toward more speed. Certainly at the moment I've been doing some strength training, both on the calves and hamstrings. In particular I'm concentrating on the lowering bit of a calf raise (as per the 3rd para of http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0031.htm) and using ankle weights to work the hamstring in a simple near-vertical pull of the ankles up to the butt and back.

Too early to tell as I've only been at it for 3 weeks or so, but it's not doing any harm! Also doing a lot of active stretching and NO passive stretching - i.e. where you use the opposing muscle to stretch the main one and only hold for a few seconds, repeating 8 times. (see Gerard Hartmann's website)

It's either that or plyometrics I reckon, combined with a steady return to mileage and aerobic improvement in the previously less-used muscles.

Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

Other thing is that I've noticed when walking down the stairs in the morning, my ankles feel *very* strong.

Some wicked looking shoes ...

here

Imaginary Friend

which shoes in particular?

Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

Yu might have seen them before, I dunno.

Liked the look of the Magic Racer, Supernova, the Mizuno's, the 950, and the Zoom Marathoner.

Who knows, they might all be cr*p shoes, for all I know?!

Imaginary Friend

The 950's look nice - not too much heel.

I'm thinking that I need a new pair on non-minimalist shoes as my tiger paws are getting a bit old. I was looking at the fastwich speed, the T4 and (now!) the 950s.

Good find!

nrg-b

I hope you all like my new piccie!

Imaginary Friend

is it you running?

(nice work if it is!!)

[Deleted User]

Over on the Nike Free thread, it's been announced that the FREE 4.0 was launched in the last few days, so it should be available nationwide soon.

I'll be very interested to see if there is any change to the dynamic heel pocket, as mine have a rip in them, and a number of others report the same.

Of course it will also be interesting to see the sole thickness.

Virgil_

Apologies if these have been suggested already, but:

Mizuno Wave Aero - 250 grams
Mizuno Wave Precision - 290 grams
Nike Zoom Miler - 276 grams