Asics gel

Hi all, new here.  Just a few words to explain myself:

I'm 56 & ever since I turned 50 & stopped smoking I've been doing a lot of walking with my dogs, mainly on road & sometimes getting up to about 45-50 miles a week; (25 miles a week minimum); always having one eye on keeping relatively active for the annual 40 mile walk in May, which I've completed 3 times, walking only, in between 11-12.5 hours.

After overcoming the smoking hurdle I've now managed to shed 3 stone & now find I can jog non stop 4 miles in approx 43 mins which to be honest I'm really chuffed with.

I now have a goal to see if I can do the 40 mile 'walk' in 9-10 hours which would mean partial jogging & I want to invest in decent shoes.

Here's my dilemma; I've had a pair of asics gel shoes in the past & was amazed at the gel cushioning experience; but; suffered a calf tear whilst using them. Would I be correct in stating (a), I may have over stretched my calf due to the excessive cushioning of the gel & (b) does the same apply to soft gel shoes as does bicycle tyres in that the more of a cushioning effect you go for, (lower tyre pressure) the more effort you need to put in per mile?

I feel it's a topic worth exploring as on this particular walk many find they can get to say marathon distance without problem but the next 14 miles are where the niggles, both major & minor,  come in.

Hope its a topic worth debate.

Best regards,

Al

Comments

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    As you approach the current limit of your endurance, you'll find all sorts of fatigue appearing. Its a recruitment thing. Like a car engine perhaps that's only ever revved at 3000rpm, it can never show a problem. Give it max and it may 'let go' in 5 minutes.

    Cushioned shoes or not, 40 miles is going to have some effect as regards strain.

    If it didn't there wouldn't be all those people going by bus.

    🙂

  • I highly doubt a calf-tear could be caused by "excessive cushioning"

    also, I wouldn't think any extra effort needed while wearing cushioned shoes would be that significant

    the main thing you need on a long jog/walk is for the shoes to be comfortable full stop.
    in particular wrt any chance of giving you blisters
    you just need to try them out on a few longish outings first
    I'd say if you could do 25 miles with no probs, you'd probably be OK for 40

    niggles towards the end (and cramp) would be more likely to be down to lack of fitness rather than shoes

  • Frankly getting tired after about a marathon sounds more like they need to eat more whilst on the move so they don't hit the wall. 

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