My Forum

Hi RedM,

Rank is the position you were in compared to all the other runners when you crossed the finish line (where you were in the gun-time order). It does not take into account any delay in crossing the start line.

Position is where you came in order of chip time (i.e. subtracting the time to cross the start line from each runner's gun time).

For most race organisers, gun time is the "official" one, and is the important one for awarding prizes. However, for the majority of us who are not normally near the front, the chip time is the important one to use for PB purposes.

Nice time for your first 10k, by the way.

Hi Spongebobley,

Well, I certainly like them and so does my OH. Once you get going in them, they are also great value because you can do far more miles in them than "normal" running trainers - there is no support and not a lot of cushioning to wear out in the first place. My first pair of Free 5.0s is still going after over 2000 miles, although I favour my 3.0s now (maybe only 1200 miles on the clock for these).

I would avoid any "derivatives" of the core Free range (Free Everyday, Free Run) - I have tried these on and they just don't feel the same. That leaves you the 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0 - the numbers represent the degree to which the shoe simulates "barefoot" running vs wearing a cushioned shoe (3.0 = 70% "barefoot", 7.0 = 30% "barefoot"). I would suggest looking at the 5.0 first, to get a good idea of what it's likewearing this type of shoe, but not be too much of a shock to the system. I wear them with socks, but maybe you would get away with sockless - the are comfortable like slippers.

I am a mild overpronator like you and sometimes run in support shoes, but have never had any problems with the Frees. In fact, my lower leg problems (e.g., shin splints) disappeared some time after starting wearing them, although I am not sure that can be ascribed to just the shoes. I also eased into running in them very cautiously - just a few km per run at first.

They are fine in the wet from a grip perspective, but the uppers are porous like most running trainers and as they are fairly low to the ground they are not great for charging through puddles. Note that the grooves in the sole pick up all sorts of debris, but it doesn't bother me when running.

Well, should you get them? Only you can answer that. I am a fair bit lighter than you and run a lot more miles, so you might not find them suitable. You should definitely be very cautious at first - just walking in them to begin with, then just 1-2 km run. If you find you can't run in them, they are not bad as casual shoes to walk around in, if a bit expensive.

JYATR

I wouldn't necessarily put this down to low blood sugar, although that might play a part. The interesting part for me was that you felt faint when you were standing still on an escalator, not while walking around just after the race (nor during the race, presumably).

It could well be due to (temporary) low blood pressure as a result of the cessation of leg movement meaning that blood that has accumulated in dilated veins in the legs does not return quickly enough to the heart. This can lead to "Exercise-Associated Collapse", which is the most common reason why runners collapse after races and, fortunately, is usually not due to any serious underlying condition. See p 245 in Noakes' "Lore of Running" (4th ed.) for a more detailed explanation.

My OH suffered something similar on a train journey where we had to stand, about 15 minutes after a long training run. When we got off the train, she was only just about able to stagger off the train onto a bench and needed a good 10-15 minutes sitting down to recover.

Recommended solution: keep moving after extended exercise and if you feel faint/about to collapse lie down, ideally with legs raised.