Sub 3

Nice long runs Everybody (I started listing names separately but ended up with half an alphabet of abbreviated names). Sound like a few extremes of weather have been encountered this weekend on long runs. It's virtually clear up here near Preston with only a bit of ice on the pavements but a bitter wind to contend with.

Due to the race cancellation I had a few beers last night, a lie in and headed out for a long one at 11-ish. Ended up doing 27.4m averaging 7.14 pace (marathon split of 3:08). Apart from some tough sections into the wind it all felt pretty comfortable and brought up to 74 for the week.

I'm feeling a little wistful hearing about all these long runs!  Well dones (particularly in the cold conditions) to Tim, CC2, CW, ES, CD, Jools, M, CL, DanA & Marigold.  An extra star to Andy D for a very long 27.4!

TT.. cracking week, a ton & a bit!

Blisters.. good to see you back in the groove, nice 15.

Al P.. nice session on the treadie, hope the race went well.  BTW have you booked any accommodation in Frankfurt yet?  I'm looking at about 6 hotels around the start/finish area and they are starting to fill up.

A mere 12m for me, though in fairness I'm not training for a marathon yet!  Cold but dry, even the country lanes were clear of snow thankfully.

TT - massive miles. Not the cold weather, I'd stopped running before teh cold snap arrived. up and down the hill was making it worse if anything. Been pretty careful to build freq and then miles, but if its the ligament injury then I must have twisted it anyway.

Andy D - massive long run ! good for confidence I suppose. take it easy for a few days now though.

CW - I find it very comforting to find a fellow shoe-weighing anorak Thanks for the info on the X-Talon 190s and the X-Road Lite. So I guess my next question is what do you rate as the lighest racing shoe that youve found to work well? 30 laps is hugely impressive/totally nuts. Thanks for the andecdote regarding being called "reckless", had a similar experience yesterday. You're advice about "ice-running" is sound, that's the one surface I've found to be slick even with the 212s on my feet.

Al_P - totally agree, they "just got it right". Thanks again, you and CW saved my arse this weekend and converted me to the possibility of being able to run outside when the conditions are "lethal". Nice progressive run.

I too started listing people... but everyone's done well this weekend. Were you kidding about the follow-on 12M Dan? (Wouldn't put it past you.) And nice one on the overdistance run AndyD.

Day off for me with my long one yesterday, but I'll be run-commuting in the snow tomorrow with a bulging Monday rucksack (clothes + food + laptop, this time) first thing.

mmmarmite -- my best light racing shoes were New Balance RC152s, but they stopped making them. The ASICS Pirhana SP3 are really light but give me sore feet. The Adizero Hagio I used for VLM and am pretty happy with, but they're noticeably heavier than some others. So I'm still searching. I liked the sound of the New Balance MRC1600 (aimed at marathons but 164g) and also their lighter bretheren, the 5000 (91g!!). Both confusingly labelled 'spike' on their homepage. Anyone tried them?

Ahhhh... the size 10s... on my 5'7", 29" inside leg frame.... well... my first ever pair of racers were size 9, and I felt guilty about how much faster they made me than my old trainers, but they squashed my toes a bit. (I've not bought any sensible shoes for years, but 8.5 or 9 were OK.) So ever since I've erred on the side of caution. Holding out hope I might grow into them perhaps :- )

More snow running today while it's possible to run in daylight. 11 miles in Yaktrax. Back to the dreadmill tomorrow though and praying the forecast snow doesn't arrive overnight. 

Dan -- ah, I messed up. I thought you did the long one yesterday (Sun) morning, and were planning the 12M in the afternoon as a double...

LD -- the magic is in the grip. Two years ago I was phoning round gyms asking about pay-as-you-go treadmill sessions when the snow fell, until I tried running in the XTalons. It really is very good indeed, and makes the difference between training pretty much as normal outdoors -- or not.

Seem to have broken this editor with an inadvertent Ctrl-key combo, not sure if this will be legible)...)

Blisters - great news, always nice to have a nice surprise like that!

Andy D - impressive. Had you planned such a long run or did it just turn out that way?

Nice long runs by plenty of others too.

I went out on Saturday morning with the Fred Hughes 10 race director and seveal others and ran the course, so he could decide whether to cancel the race or not. Within about 400m there was a unanimous decision! It's all on country lanes, so although it was just about OK for jogging, really not good for running fast. Good decision as it snowed all day yesterday and would have been even worse. We did about 13M at around 8 min/mile.

Then 1:45 on the turbo yesterday including 3x20mins "comfortably hard".

Marigold - I'm running the Southerns, although I won't be troubling you (or PP for that matter I suspect).

Dids, I don't know about you, but I find that while the Precisions are great road shoes, they're absolute pants on anything remotely wet & muddy, and on snow they're even worse.  For that I use Mizuno Harriers, which are basically a Precision with a knobbly sole (not unlike the Inov8 ones).

AW - Well done for getting the 20M in despite the weather, definitely be getting more aerobic resistance training out of it, even if the pace is lower than normal.

CW amd Marmite - I've got the New Balance MRC1600s, used them for the 10k yesterday in fact. Raced up to HM in them and think they could be a contender for marathoning. Very light, comfy (IMO) and with pretty of outsole rubber so should have good durability in that department. A bit more cushioned than the Hagio, which I'm yet to get on with (mid sole is too firm for my liking). The New Balances are quite narrow (of the pointy performance ilke) though. Also got a lowish (6mm) heel to toe offset which I like.

Non-shoe geeks look away now .... My running shoe spread sheet compares the specs of most of the racing models, as well as  more minimal end of the spectrum, plus XC/trail and general purpose light weight. Can't remember who asked for a link to download it (definitely not Dids ), if either of you would like a copy send me a message, I find it a very useful for doing a quick comparsion of different shoes. As much of the data a possible is normalised by using the runningwarehouse.com website, which provides all the key measurements (heel/toe stack heights, weight). I try and keep it updated regularly and add in future models whilst keeping the current ones so it's possible to see how different shoes change/develop from year to year.

Shoe-talk? Must bookmark this page in case I ever start to suffer with insomnia. I ran in the snow on Saturday and the shoe selection was based on turning 3 or 4 pairs sole side up having a quick squint and deciding which ones seemed to have the most rugged grip.  Other than the fact they had some red on them (all my scoobeis do) I've got no idea what they were and I stayed upright without any problems.  Crikey some of you lot really enjoy making something incredibly simple into something out of Coro-world.

They say there is no such thing as inappropriate weather for training just inappropriate clothing.  I beg to differ after enduring several hours on the bike yesterday, culminating in frozen bottles (to match my hands and feet) - seems like the Brass Monkey took advantage of his day off and travelled South.  I went past him in the Forest and even he was wearing bloody gloves!

 As you Brrrr.
 

Al_P - Now, don’t get me wrong. I have had the kitchen scales out and weighed my trainers. I’m very definitely concerned about the weight of my trainers – especially the ones I race in. I’ve just not ever noticed the difference between a methaabsorb last with hi-tension bar support and whatever alternative “system” someone else has to offer.  Not noticed it, cos there ain't any.

Charlie - You may notice that my avatar is the classic “Lawrence Ripple” cross training shoe of the late 1970s. Believe me, when these babies came out and I finally got a pair and was able to do a race across the muddied fields of Lawnswood without slipping about, my life was practically transformed. Especially because I was the last boy to have a pair, so an end to the ridicule my plimsolls invoked. So, I know the pleasures of better grip.

CD - Not noticed any grip issues with Mizuno – but then I live in Manchester. No snow here ever, just drizzle 365 days a year.

(And I have, to the best of my shite memory, only ever fallen down once when running (when I tripped over a tree branch). Maybe I’m overly wussy, or blessed with the balance and poise of Eddie Gray?)

Finally, one man’s pander to a useless fad is another man’s life passion. I’m afraid I can’t go into a coffee shop and get a coffee. I have to give them about 5 bullet points of instructions, ask the barista why he/she didn’t tamp anywhere near firmly enough then complain afterwards. At home I have been known to strip down the insides of my Gaggia in order to adjust the pressure valve in search of that perfect shot, then surf the web dreaming of a La Pavoni – sure that will make me happier.

Lord Didsbury wrote (see)

At home I have been known to strip down the insides of my Gaggia in order to adjust the pressure valve in search of that perfect shot, then surf the web dreaming of a La Pavoni – sure that will make me happier.

Not an activity I am familiar with.  Does it make you go faster?