Beardys running log - Ct5k

[Polar Bear]

Huge given how much an average "last years model" gets discounted.*

When I look at the shoes that I buy from year-to-year the differences between the shoes seem to be entirely cosmetic.  I know they claim new midsole foam and grippier rubber than before: better lacing system for comfier fit and lighter but stronger fabric made from plastic recovered from the oceans to trigger your eco conscience.  I am not convinced.

I don't really feel any differences in the model progression save for inflation-busting RRP rises.

* Unless you have wide feet of course.  🤔

[Hot Flatus]

Just done 10k in the Hokas. Weirdly they now feel smaller than they did when I stopped using them 3 weeks ago. I think my feet are changing.

Feet feel fine post run, so I'm going to do my shorter runs in the Hokas to try and get my feet used to mid drop. Once that happens I'll be sold on them for off road running.

[sojournermike]

Retailer markup is basically to double the wholesale price, so buying at full retail direct more or less allows them to send you two pairs of shoes - e-store costs excepted - and still double Thor normal margin. Otoh, returns are a huge problem in online clothing retail, often running at 70%.

There are some really significant challenges with all these business models, and they usually come home to roost in some failure to meet reasonable esg standards

[Polar Bear]

I was trying to recall similar Mike from the early noughties when I did some work for a very large UK retailer.  I just wasn't confident enough to suggest that it is 100%.

I do recall also how utterly shambolic said retailer was at calculating warehouse shelf cost to the extent that a scart lead would have the same shelf storage cost as an American style fridge freezer.   Scart leads were a consistent best seller by volume in those days.

[Cudzoziemiec]

It seems that, like in the clothing sector, much more work is needed if trainer companies are to move beyond improving policy and actually stamp out poor working conditions for good...

Sportswear giants Brooks (Berkshire Hathaway), Under Armour Inc, Nike Inc., Adidas AG and VF Corporation all received worst ratings in both Political Activity (lobbying and political donations) and Anti-Social Finance (tax avoidance and excessive director pay)...

A clear trend, compared to the last review of trainers in 2016, is how some popular ethical brands have been downgraded in the Environmental Reporting category. Veja, Vivobarefoot and Inov-8 were all small companies (with an annual turnover of less than £10.2 million) last time out and got best or middle ratings for their efforts. This time, the companies have grown but their environmental reporting has not developed beyond thoughtful but unquantified discussions of sustainability issues...

For every kilo of cotton fibre, around 28 kg of CO2e emissions are produced. Some estimates put it at more, and some as less than polyester. Polyester’s other main impact is, of course, plastic waste...

A 2013 study from MIT estimated that the total life-cycle emissions of a pair of mostly synthetic trainers was equivalent to 14 kg of carbon dioxide. That’s roughly the same global warming impact as a 50-mile trip in an average petrol car and half a day’s worth of an average UK citizen’s carbon footprint.

What was particularly interesting is how manufacturing made up 68% of synthetic trainers’ carbon emissions. This means that, when extensive animal products like leather aren’t included, it is the complexity of production that contributes the most to trainers’ carbon cost. Hundreds of manufacturing and assembly steps means the energy used in production is very high....

Reportedly, about 90% of all shoes are sent to landfill. The plastic that makes up so much of modern trainers does not readily break down – an EVA midsole can take 1,000 years to do so...

The elephant in the room, when considering the difficulties with the end of a trainers life, is why this end comes so quickly, even when the UK’s top factor when choosing between footwear retailers is quality...

As well as what you buy, it’s important to consider where you buy. According to one estimate, 50% of the final sale price of trainers is the retailer’s share...

According to the US Department of Labour, cotton is one of the goods most commonly produced using forced labour. Forced labour exists in nine countries producing 65% of the world’s cotton – Benin, Burkina Faso, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Europe is the biggest single destination for Uzbek cotton...

The footwear industry has a history of poor supply chain practices. Whilst some things have improved, the move in the last decade away from China, where wages are rising, towards cheaper countries such as Vietnam suggest that cost-cutting is still companies’ highest priority...

About trainers generally rather than running shoes in particular, but I doubt there's much difference. From here.

[Polar Bear]

Thanks Cudzo.   As I was reading that it struck a chord and then I saw the link to EC.

Keeping fit ad healthy is bad for the environment.  😔

Does it help that we have not owned or run a car for nearly 20 years?  We have had about a month of car hire in that period.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Perfect conditions this morning, cool, crisp and dry.

Wore headphones as an experiment (always used them in Cambridge, to help combat the boredom).
Worked, in that they distracted me from discomfort. Ran best time for my 5km loop by a minute.

[Polar Bear]

First "MAF" run imminent.  I say run, it's more likely to be a return to something akin to week 5 of C25K but longer.  I'm quite looking forward to this. 

[chrisbainbridge]

I predict that it will be frustrating but eye opening in how relaxed and unhurt you will feel at the end!!

[Polar Bear]

Ah, well you are partly right.  I didn't feel at all frustrated with the run but did so twice when my ToJ gave me misleading messages.  Nothing lost however because both times it was a misleading message causing me to slow thinking that I had reached the programmed max hr for the session where as in fact this was not so.

I was about 60 plus seconds off my  normal" training pace per km which isn't that big of a deal.

What I found interesting was that I quickly adapted to a slower pace and was able to keep running for longer each time after the first couple of run / walk segments. 

I'm pleased with it and will keep it as is for March.

Now the question is: do I do my intervals session tomorrow and the longer steady paced run on Saturday or vice versa?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Thanks Cudzo.   As I was reading that it struck a chord and then I saw the link to EC.

Keeping fit ad healthy is bad for the environment.  😔

Does it help that we have not owned or run a car for nearly 20 years?  We have had about a month of car hire in that period.

Keeping fit and healthy is good for the environment. Running as an activity creates a healthier, happier person, who is likely as a result to be more efficient in use of resources such as food, transport, heating. The same goes for cycling, hiking, kayaking, etc. Unfortunately we get persuaded into using lots of gadgets to help us in these activities, and then often 'upgrading' these gadgets while they're still perfectly usable.

Of course not running a car helps. Although I don't know by how much; I dare say that even without a car (and it's a mere 13 years for us) we're using more than our 'world permissible resource budget' (or whatever the phrase is) just by virtue of living Western lifestyles (which are kind of hard to avoid without moving to the Third World). But maybe I'm wrong in that, I dunno.

Anyway, today my left shoe (cheap Reebok, doubtless made by exploited labour in an East Asian sweatshop and surely containing multiple indestructible pollutant petrochemicals) was hurting my left arch, which was odd. So I stopped and loosened the laces at the top, tightening them at the bottom. That made it much better! My feet are kind of narrow over the toes but not on top, which does not conform to the "standard wide British foot" (what's that, Reebok are an American brand owned by a German corporation? Well... )

[Hot Flatus]

Received a nice Salomon hydration vest yesterday. Ordered because I felt lack of water was about to be a limiting factor.
Tried it out today, just with the two 500ml soft flasks and a couple of gels shoved in. Really comfortable.

Did my hilly loop up and down the escarpment through the woods, then added about 3 miles of flat cycle track to top it up to 13.5 miles. Wore the Hokas too and feet are nowhere near as fucked up as when I first got them.

[Feanor]

Received a nice Salomon hydration vest yesterday. Ordered because I felt lack of water was about to be a limiting factor.
Tried it out today, just with the two 500ml soft flasks and a couple of gels shoved in. Really comfortable.

I have one of those, too.
A blue s-labs sensifit thing. I do like it.

The soft flasks are positioned in such a way that some of my co-conspirators refer to them as my boobs.
"Have you filled your boobs?"
"Do you need a sook of your boobs?"
etc etc.

Thusly:

Mount Keen by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

ETA: And I think that's a YACF buff on my heid!

[Hot Flatus]

 

Mine is a little more discreet than your mammary vest...



 ...but I still couldn't help saying "Bitty!" before every sip.

It was fiercely expensive, £85, but rrp of £150. I did a bit of research and general opinion seemed to be that it was exceptionally comfortable. I found this to be true. After a few minutes I forgot it was there.

[Polar Bear]

Being of larger proportions I struggled to find anything of a suitable size for an average bear.  Then I happened upon Harrier, a relatively new British company who supply own brand products at reasonable cost.   They make a vest called a Stanage in bear sizes.  I bought one.

I have only used it once to date but it fitted well, is comfortable and would be easy to forget if it didn't rustle so much.  As an experiment it is a resounding success to date but who knows what I will think of it in another few months.

[Hot Flatus]

What do people think about running wear?

Whilst my shoes, and hydro vest are top notch, my clothes are just cheap shite.  I wear leggings or 3/4 off ebay that cost £5. Top layers tend to be Mountain warehouse stuff that I had any way. I all seems to work fine...but would better kit work finerer?

[Cudzoziemiec]

They look as if they might be a bit sweaty in the summer? But I guess they're a lot more convenient than carrying a bottle in your hand or in a backpack (which would of course also be sweaty).

[Feanor]

Like yourself, I'm wearing fairly random shite.

I'll put on merino thermals from my cycling kit according to weather.
Then, shorts ( I have some compression shorts too ), or cheap longs as per photo.

I don't find the cheap kit as much of an issue running as I do cycling.
Basically, anything's fine.

I'm thinking that I may need to consider better compression and support if I want to push my distance to marathon an ultra, but I'm not at that point yet.

[chrisbainbridge]

I have Alpkit 3/4 length tights over really old compression shorts and I am basically running in cycling base and top layers. I also bought an Alpkit waterproof.

My only investment for the really cold weather was a lightweight insulated gore jacket which really was superb in the really cold weather.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Ron hill winter tights for cold weather. Decathlon lycra basics for when it warms up.
Cheap merino tops for the cold, if it is very wet and cold I put on my waterproof (which happens to be lightweight and stretchy).

[Polar Bear]

I am Bear at Ronhill.  I've been wearing Ronhill stuff because it just does the job and tends to be hard-wearing.  I've also been a wearer of Ronhill Classic Tracksters since the eighties. I don't bother with the variants.  I have numerous tee shirts, long sleeve tops and Tracksters as well as a couple of pairs of gloves for those colder winter days.

I do have some cheap Adidas "de-badged" shorts with pockets and I do use Runerwear briefs and socks.  Not yet convinced by the socks but I have always tried to buy decent socks (I used Thorlo for years) and have only ever had one blister in an on/off running habit which started in 1985. 

I only replace kit when it needs replacing and if I try something and it works I tend to buy a few of them when I can get them cheap.  Just because I buy something when cheap doesn't mean that it gets used either.  My wardrobe is a store of "bnib" kit.

I also now own a Virgin Marathon blue and black training jacket.   This was my reward for not getting a place this year but donating my entry fee.  It is used as a warm up and cool down jacket and usually worn with a fetching pair of Ronhill Classic Tracksters.

It is unbranded save for a Virgin Money London Marathon logo which I hope will wear away with time and gentle persuasion.  If I wasn't wearing it I would be wearing an old fleece instead.

[sojournermike]

Back in 2005 - remember then - I was showing a colleague some pictures that a friend had posted I. The web from the time we ran the Welsh 3,000s in 1995. I was pictured on top of the 3 tops of Snowden etc in a very fetching pair of green shorts that were about 10 years old. I then realised I’d worn them the evening before accessing the web for a run.

Don’t let the marketeers tell you that running kit is like (the way we treat) cycling kit. I buy new odds and sods as I need it, but everything gets used up over a period of years. Often 10 years... or more! Shoes and socks do wear out more quickly I’m sad to say. I have a couple of polypropylene base layers, plus one that Sue gave me and I tore on a barbed wire fence first time out, a couple of white synthetic T’s and 3 or 4 running vests (one club). Also a couple of pairs of shorts and a couple of pairs of Ron Hill tricksters - the latter were bought within the last 5 years and are nicer than those of my youth.

I tend not to carry water or food unless I’m going a long way - wouldn’t bother for a half marathon in training - but do have a couple of differently sized bumbags for spare clothes in winter. I can stick a bottle in the big one if I really want.

Really, running is simple. I’ve been at it for over 40 years (with varying frequency, but always regularly).

Mike


PS oh and a ‘pertex’ jacket - probably also only 5 years old. Apparently I’m a medium nowadays - used to be large, which confused me as I’m definitely much heavier!

PPS - I’ve also got an expensive Inov8 fell jacket that meets the FRA waterproof requirement. It’s nice, but I’m scared to wear it normally - see the new base layer and barbed wire incident above:(

[Hot Flatus]

I've just been wearing normal pants with no issues.

Am I a noob?

[Cudzoziemiec]

No issues, so...

Tracksters: Also a fan, for various reasons. But I always cut off the 'stirrups'.

[Jasmine]

For most running, if you are comfortable in what you are wearing, then that's all you need. As Mike says, a lot of running clothing lasts well, and there isn't the need for this year's fashion.

For me, as I've got faster I've discovered I run hot. When I first started I could wear full length winter leggings in winter. Now, I wear full length lightweight leggings for training below 5C. I'd race in shorts in the snow, no problem. I'm a bit specialist because I sometimes run canicross (dog attached) so I need shorts that won't cause the belt (looks like a climbing harness, with leg loops) to give me a wedgie or thigh rub. As a result I use Element Karbon shorts which are mid-thigh lycra. Without the dog I usually wear standard running shorts.

The only stuff I have that's more specialist is:
Coat - I have several. Mostly I wear a windproof (not waterproof) to start on cold days. It usually comes off within 2 miles. Like Mike, I have an FRA compliant waterproof coat that I don't wear very much (bastard expensive and actually too hot to run in unless it's battering with rain).
Hydration pack - I have 2 with different capacities. I also don't carry water unless I'm going over about 15 miles, or it's really hot. On hot days I'll carry water for the dogs (although they mostly drink from streams). I mostly use these to carry other stuff. I do a lot of fell & mountain running, so the pack is to carry stuff to get me out of the shit - phone, vet-wrap (self adhesive bandages), foil blanket, extra clothes, dog carrying bag, my coat after the first mile. I have a Raidlight pack, which is super comfortable. Even full of stuff I don't really notice it.
Socks - I get blisters between my toes, so I use socks with toes
Gloves - despite generally being hot, I wear gloves when it's cold. I usually wear silk glove liners because it's about covering them from the wind more than anything else.

I think the main gain for certain types of expensive kit is being at the right temperature without being sweaty, and it being comfortable over longer distances. If you aren't uncomfortable, there's not a lot of reason to change. You may find that kit that is ok for 5 miles starts to be a little irritating at 20 miles. Equally, it may be fine.