The ‘conversational pace’ DOES exist! (and new shoes)

[ktsok]

I’m quite excited about this. I have suspected for some time that I am not in fact some subspecies that can’t do what everyone else can; I just hadn’t cracked it yet (too fast/too unfit/lack of running partner) and today this was confirmed.

A friend had suggested we do a Parkrun, but she is in the sub 30 club and I’ll still have another km to run by the time she is over the finish line at our standard paces. She did confess that she too struggles with the conversational pace (she may have been being kind…) and we said maybe our goal should be to see if we could chat our way around a Parkrun?

I’m not yet ready for such a feat of endurance, but the seed was planted.

My new shoes arrived today. Not the colours I would have preferred, but they were in the sale. The men get nice colours like forest green with dark outsole EVAs (I have just learned this term, it’s the rubber bit between the sole and the upper); the women’s choices all seem to have pure white outsoles/uppers that are just begging to look dirty. Is it the patriarchy?! We have to scrub like devils to look pure as the driven snow?!

Anyway.

After several suggestions here (thank you all) I decided Altras sounded just right for me. I wear barefoot shoes for everyday but they feel a bit brutal for running, given there’s no padding left in my knees. I browsed extensively… read multiple reviews… decided on the fit… and went down multiple rabbit holes only to find the wrong sized on sale shoe sitting at the bottom… eventually putting aside any preferences regarding colours (I SO wanted the dark blue/grey lone peak 6’s) and clicked buy… buy…

I know some people like this kind of detail, so: for roads, I got the Altra Torin 5 (in half a size up), for tracks, the Altra Lone Peak 6 (in usual size).

My 13 year old son had his C25K 5:3 run today. 20 minutes! And he wanted to run it with me (☺️). My knees aren’t great, but they have been worse, and the blister is receding, so I pulled on some old compression socks and laced up. I was determined to go slow. Slow was the goal.

S l o w

I think my son might have been a bit nervous, as he stayed with me rather than shooting off. Our paces are so vastly different that he kept running around me in little bouncy loops as I softly sponged along in the ultra lightweight Torins (lord, these shoes are comfortable) at 8m/k pace. And we talked! Not in that gasping, get a sentence out then need to catch your breath way, but proper having a chinwag stuff! That’s all it took - 30 seconds slower per km. Who knew? Well, plenty of people on this forum, actually, but I’m more of an experiential learner.

My son easily ran the 20 minutes thanks to his snailpacesetter mother. I had the breath to clap and cheer as I overtook. Well done son.

I decided to stop at 30 minutes as I could feel my foot going numb around the blister site - I think the compression socks are a bit too tight now. Plus tender knees + new shoes don’t seem the moment to push harder.

I think the shoes are good! The Torins are a shocking yellow underneath. I imagine them flashing as I run, signalling danger like bunnies tails (although given my plod, they may not be seen at all). I haven’t tried the Lone Peaks yet (other than jogging to the bathroom and back). I got these in my street shoe size as per online advice. They do feel a bit snugger…

… and I’m a bit smugger. Apparently my new best friend Garmin says my fitness age is 28.

😜

[PaulS83]

🙌 It’s all coming together.

I’ve got my eye on lone peaks actually. It’s been a whole month since I bought a pair of running shoes.

And I think you’ve only got yourself (womankind) to blame to white/whites. I think that and some white socks are the snazz . That’s the most “Dad” thing I’ve ever said. 😆

🥳🎉🎂 That’s for your 28th.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

The snazz?!

I am not to blame for whites. I like clothes I can go about my life in that don’t impede me by being too restrictive/ revealing/ white/ not having pockets, etc etc. I want to be able to climb a tree if need be/if I feel like it, basically.

We can be the lone peaks club. Sounds like we are mountaineers, good marketing that. I think they’re at version 7 at the moment, but I read good things about the 6…

I wish my knees were 28.

[PaulS83 in reply to ktsok]

The snazz.

White shoes, white socks combo.

Previous shoe versions on or around launch of the newest versions tend to be utter bargs.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

The snazz sounds good, and the white shoes/white socks combo doesn’t, in my world. I do have a pair of white Birkenstock sandals… no socks in sight there.

[Katnap Graduate]

Lovely pairs of runners there! Just let them get muddy now to remove any pressure to keep them sparkly clean.

Happy running!

🐱 Katnap 🐱

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Katnap]

No pressure here Katnap! I’d just like them to start nearer mud hue.

[Katnap Graduate in reply to ktsok]

🤣

[Jell6 Graduate]

That sounds great! What I took from this is why even consider cleaning your running shoes🤣🤣🤣🤣

Also I have different headphones/buds /music providers I run solo but now often sing as I go😬

[PaulS83 in reply to Jell6]

I don’t think I’ve ever once cleaned a pair of running shoes. And that’s not the worst habit. When I run with gloves I end up using them like wearable Kleenex, saying to myself, “I’ll wash them when I get home”. I don’t.

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

I could say the same for my gloves, collars and sleeves. Surely that's why the thumb holes are there, to assist...

I do wash them though!

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

Ewww

Yup, me too.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

Jell-y Andrews. I am now imagining you wearing your curtains and singing about your favourite things…

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to ktsok]

🤣, it keeps my pace slow but could scare the wildlife.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

🤭🤭

[CBDB Graduate]

fab to read! Yes, I’ve had to completely forget about colours for both leggings and shoes. I just take what’s in the sales. And some of my shoes also blind any running buddies, flashing their yellow soles!

Great read!

[ktsok Graduate in reply to CBDB]

At least it will stop me wearing them for everyday - lurid orange doesn’t match my regular clothes! And I guess being seen whilst running is no bad thing, like having full beam headlights on.

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate]

That's a very similar experience to mine when I started using heart rate to pace myself: It forced me to slow down - and all the sudden I understood "conversational pace" 🤣 Well done, ktsok ! And thank you for sharing in such a delightful read!

Fortunately, I tend to manage getting the hot pink version of shoes on sale, so I've been able to avoid white, which is just an absurd color in running shoes (or pants or...).

Happy running while chatting!

[ktsok Graduate in reply to ChannelRunner2]

I know, right? White! Tsk.

It’s interesting it was HR monitoring that slowed you down. I have been scratching my head for ages over it, as I’m in Zone 3 walking briskly, and I’m not really unfit. My heart just seems to run very fast. Slow RHR in 50s then gets overexcited when I get off the sofa kind of thing. I read an article the other day that set out quite clearly why HR zone training doesn’t work for everyone, which was a bit of relief. Judging my conversational pace by having a conversation has been the winning formula over here.

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I was delighted to encounter an assistant who had me sussed from the off and brought me men's shoes. She too objects to the gender colour divide in running shoes. This is why I am now running in fluorescent green 😀

[Yesletsgo Ambassador Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

I don't mind most colours but there's a certain shade of puce-y pink that they use for women's outdoor clothing that's the ugliest colour imaginable. Why can't they just use red?

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

No scarlet women allowed?!

[ktsok Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Smart lady! It’s bonkers, isn’t it? From dressing little girls in pretty dresses so they can’t freely get dirty or hang upside down in a playground without flashing their knickers, to grown women with pink and white feet… 😮‍💨

[Yesletsgo Ambassador Graduate in reply to ktsok]

It's the patriarchy innit?

[Leotigris Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

I just wish my feet were big enough! The men's shoes (and other clothing) are always in my preferred colours

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Leotigris]

Let’s hope Altra & co. are listening!

[ktsok Graduate]

🙄