Catch-up, and a question

[Cp1965]

Morning all. Been a while since I've posted here, I did write quite a long post a couple of weeks back, which subsequently vanished into the electronic ether along with a couple of private messages... just lately it seems that I've spent so much of my working life in virtual meetings and generally staring at computer screens that, well, when I get home I just don't feel inclined to turn on the computer again.

My last post here appears to have been in March, since when I've done some consolidation runs at 5k, getting the time back down nicely, and on April 27th I took the plunge and restarted the Magic Plan with the aim of getting myself back up to 10k by the end of June. It needs to be said that my success has been variable, some runs have been, shall we say, more challenging than others, W4R3 being particularly so when the legs just gave out at 6.1k and I had to resort to walking part of it. A short break in London with my daughter however gave me the opportunity to have another go, and I did the 8k round Hyde Park early in the morning before it got too warm!

Next one is W6R2 tomorrow, 5k, the time is coming back down and it's getting easier again - last 5k was 30.23 which is still outside my PB but I'm getting back there. Then 9k on Saturday... we'll see how that one goes!

Which leads me on to a question if I might crave your indulgence. When I started running, some 15 months ago, not wanting to fork out large amounts of money for kit I bought a pair of shoes online from a chain retailer, they were/are reasonable quality for the money, but are now starting to get a little tired, it seems especially that the support in the heels is starting to compress and yesterday morning my left heel in particular was starting to ache a little.

So, I've taken the plunge and booked myself a gait analysis at a local store on Saturday. Fully realise that their prime purpose is to sell me shoes, and past experience leads me to think that they will direct me towards the higher price point, before hammering the credit card too much however, looking for recommendations for current makes/models of shoe which others on here have found to be comfortable and durable. I'm 5'10" (178cm), approx 13 stone 11 (88kg), so recommendations from anyone of a similar height/build will be especially appreciated.

Edit to add - I usually run on a mixture of tarmac and grass footpaths so a "road" rather than "trail" shoe would probably suit me better, although again I'm open to any suggestions.

I've tried searching through old threads, but just got overwhelmed by the results, so links to relevant threads will be appreciated too!

Thanks in advance!

[Tank_EG]

Hi Cp,

as you know I followed your helpful advice when I first started and got most of my gear from Decathlon. However once I had graduated I went to a local running shop which had good reviews online to analyse my gait and buy some better running shoes.

I found that they did not try to sell me the most expensive shoes going though you will probably have to pay a premium over buying online as they will need to meet the cost of a physical shop and the extra time in measuring your running style.

For me 2 brands stood out, Brooks and Saucony. I ended up with the Sauconys as they had that tiny bit more comfort for me. Price at the end of last year was around £90.

Since then I've hit 10k and sub 30 minute 5ks mainly on pavements.

All the best my friend and hope you find what you are after 😀

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

Welcome back again! It sounds as if you’re well on track once more and that 8K around Hyde Park sounds gorgeous 😍

You’re right about getting a gait analysis done as it sounds as if your running shoes do need to be replaced. If it’s a good reputable running shop then they wouldn’t try the hard sell. Just explain your budget and they can let you try older models which are cheaper.

I once asked a running shop if my current shoes needed replacing and they said no! So they didn’t get a sale from me that day but I did go back weeks later when they needed replacing. Great customer service 🙂

Your gait analysis is individual to you so it would be tricky for others to give you advice about which models to buy. So wait and see what your gait analysis shows up and what they recommend.

Enjoy the experience and happy running to you 👍