Recreational Running

[ulysses_sc]

We are not worthy!!!!

 

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/janette-murray-wakelin-alan-murray-running-raw-around-australia

[vyruz]

We are not worthy!!!!

 

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/janette-murray-wakelin-alan-murray-running-raw-around-australia

 

That's amazing.

 

One thing I love about running is how little age can matter.

[mechwira]

i'm going to review compression base layers now, starting from cheapest to most expensive.

 

 

PERSONAL REVIEW: X-PRIN COMPRESSION BASE LAYER

 

http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/pict/400596675931_1.jpg http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/pict/141092698117_3.jpg

 

Available as long top, short top, sleeveless top, shorts and pants from Qoo10.

Price approximate $20 each piece with free shipping option available.

 

 

Comments:

 

The fact is, the term 'compression' is too loosely used by sellers. technically, a 'real' compression garment should offer graduated compression and then have threads that deliberately hold your muscles/body in a certain way to achieve a certain effect. for active sports, the effect is *supposedly* to "reduce muscle vibration" thereby "reducing fatigue" and "enhancing performance".

 

i dont want to comment on whether the claims are true. i believe scientific tests have yielded only a big "maybe". but if your compression base layer does not give the graduated compression with deliberate threading, then its just PLAIN TIGHTS. the kind last time during NS you wear inside pants during route march to prevent abrasion.

 

and thats what these X-Prin things are: PLAIN TIGHTS. they fit reasonably well, wick sweat away reasonably well, and while you're running then no matter hot sun or light drizzle your body feels like its running in the same comfortable temperature. HOWEVER.... if the weather is hot and you haven yet started running it will feel warm.... and if you just finished running in these and the weather is cold, you will shiver.... its during the run while sweating that there seems to be some climate control at work. But most important of all, it prevents chafing and abrasions. thats what plain tights are for.

 

Verdict:

if you just want plain tights to prevent abrasions, and either dont believe or dont need the claimed enhancements of 'real' compression garments, then quite frankly these work reasonably well at the cheapest price i could see. buy a set, try it out, if you like order some more.

Edited January 29, 2014 by mechwira

[mechwira]

Personal Review: Nike Pro Combat Shorts and Sleeveless Top

 

http://fighterxfashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/nike-pro-combat-9-inch-shorts.jpghttp://slimages.macys.com/is/image/MCY/products/7/optimized/1231397_fpx.tif?$filterlrg$&wid=370

 

Approximately $40 without discounts at most sports stores.

 

 

Comments:

 

In my previous post, i explained the difference between real compression garments and plain tights. nike labels these as compression. and i say bullcrap these are plain tights like the X-Prin i reviewed previous post. however, the pro combat shorts are noticeably more comfortable than the cheaper X-Prin shorts in terms of how they stretch and hug your legs and balls (sorry to be crude), and especially that bigger elastic waist band. but for some reason the top i felt like it just tugs at my chest and tummy in an uncomfortable way.

 

 

Verdict:ultimately, despite those fancy looking threading, i still feel no graduated compression or anything different to the cheaper X-Prin other than a more comfortable fit with the Pro Combat shorts. i guess in a way the extra comfort is worth the extra money. but dont expect these to feel like those real and ultra-expensive true compression garments.

[mechwira]

Personal Review: Skins A400 Long Sleeve Top and Long Pants.

 

http://di3-3.shoppingshadow.com/pi/i.ebayimg.com/00/$T2eC16ZHJF8E9nnC8HQEBRCVEcy+0g~~_32-840x840-0-0.JPGhttp://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4643771446528510&pid=15.1

 

Price: Not sure retail, bought it via lobang. I believe would be around $170. for top or pants EACH. around same price as 2XU's equivalent top of the range.

 

 

Comments:

 

if your eyes havent popped out the the price i stated, either you're already wearing one of these or the 2XU equivalent, or you need spectacles. this is freakin expensive.

 

So the most important question: are these 170 bucks garments any different to the plain tights of X-Prin and Nike?

 

Hell yeah. Like a Givi open-face helmet vs an Arai full face. like a CBR250R vs a Fireblade. you get the idea.

 

So is it worth the 170 bucks? that one not so easy to answer because for the price, you can get 8 pieces of X-Prin or 4 pieces of Nike.

 

Once these are in your hands, you immediately feel that the material is thicker than the X-Prin or Nike plain tights. then you put them on and almost faint from trying to pull on something so tight and you wonder if you bought the wrong size. so you keep pulling and pulling for them to go over your legs (or upper body), running out of breath.... and then it snaps into place and suddenly, immediately you realize comparing these with X-Prin or Nike is ridiculous. like the helmet and bike comparison i gave.

 

it hugs like a second skin, full stop. no gaps, no loose segments, no movement. once it snaps into place, it stays there and you never feel like you need to tug here or there to get the garment just right. even though its thicker, it doesnt feel hotter. and once you're up and running, you feel like you're not wearing anything there but your muscles feel tighter and firmer. Amazing.

 

But here's the disclaimer: wearing these for a 10k, and then swapping back to X-Prin, i'm not running significantly faster on these. I do, however, feel less muscle fatigue towards the end of an 18k. and strangely after the run when i took them off, muscle fatigue gradually and noticeably set in, an observation a lot of internet reviewers also claim.

 

to put it into context, even if you believe that these will enhance your performance, these are not going to suddenly cut your IPPT timing by 1 minute. you are not even going to feel any difference at any run less than 10k. what it does (at least for me) is at the exteme end of my endurance distance, i feel less muscle fatigue enabling me to keep going. that means if you're into its performance enhancement, then if you're not into endurance running, it is a monumental waste of money just for an ultra-comfy piece of running underwear. Please.... don't wear these in your IPPT run, i seriously cannot stop myself laughing if you do.

 

 

Verdict:

Do you do endurance running above 10k? Do you believe that real compression garments might somehow help you perform? if answer to both is 'no', then like i mentioned this becomes a $170 (top or bottom EACH!) ultra-comfy running underwear. if you run above 10k and/or believe in the enhancement, even then i donno to conclude worth the money or not, and many net reviewers feel the same: dam good but dam expensive. if it were me, i would buy just one pair long tights bottom and wear only during once a week Long-Slow-Distance and half marathon events.

Edited January 29, 2014 by mechwira

[ticks]

Hi mechwira, thanks for the detailed review on compression clothes. As usual. Heheh. You've seems to spend quite a lot on running gear huh?

But what about UnderArmor anyway? Seems to have a lot of publicity in movies with the Rock wearing them..

 

On a side note, how often do you guys run with minimalist shoes and how long per run? I've just got myself a Merrell Trail Glove 1. A 2km run in it renders me out of running action for the next 3 days due to calf muscle ache. FYI, I have rather skinny calves. I think I've just found the best way to train the calf muscle now. Lol.

[mechwira]

Hi mechwira, thanks for the detailed review on compression clothes. As usual. Heheh. You've seems to spend quite a lot on running gear huh?

 

i find it particularly heart pain when i spend a lot on an item that i later find does not work for me. like the saucony virrata. i still feel sian looking at those new shoes at my shoe rack.

 

but no choice, must experiment to find wat works. when something expensive works, then i easily justify it coz i run 6 days a week, including a once-a-week long run which by now is 18k. the expensive skins compression is worth wearing for the very long run, all the fuel gels is necessary coz if i go past 15k without fueling i bonk.

 

But what about UnderArmor anyway? Seems to have a lot of publicity in movies with the Rock wearing them..

 

donno, never tried the brand. even 2XU i heard people say the stitching follows kinesiology, so it grips your muscles a certain way which some people may not find comfortable. i can only comment the feel of compressions that i've tried.

 

On a side note, how often do you guys run with minimalist shoes and how long per run? I've just got myself a Merrell Trail Glove 1. A 2km run in it renders me out of running action for the next 3 days due to calf muscle ache. FYI, I have rather skinny calves. I think I've just found the best way to train the calf muscle now. Lol.

 

when i first used NB Minimus Zero, i could only go casual 5k runs in them. the rest of the time i reverted back to my Kinvara. and yes, that first week in the minimus gave me the most painful calf soreness since i started running.

 

the key, as always, is transition. if 2k gave you muscle soreness, wait till the soreness disappears, then run your usual distance with your other shoe first. then go 3k or 4k with your merell and see if any soreness develops again. i believe will have but much, much less. eventually there is no soreness. then it becomes how long you can maintain your running form in them, or how long you can tahan their harshness. i can now go 12k in my minimus. my longs, events and ippt 2.4 i still use kinvara.

 

but i cannot stress enough how important my minimus zero has been in terms of developing my proper running form, even if now i still cant use them for my long runs or ippt 2.4km

 

i'm surprised you got the trail though.

[ticks]

Wow. 12 k in your minimus. That's a tough achievement! Yea but anyway, training for the half marathon now means I can't run as much as I like in them.

I do like the merrell as I feel it forcefully corrects my form even though it's just short distances. Then when I revert back to my Kinvara for long distances, the leg sort of automatically avoids heel strike.

Reason why I got the trail over the road was partly due to the salesman who was a runner himself. The reason he have and from what I experienced before on my NB is that, the road biased shoes offer no grip when the surface is wet/damp. I ran in Henderson park with my NB last time and it was just an accident waiting to happen due to all the damp algae. In the end, I could only walk through the trail.

[vyruz]

Hi mechwira, thanks for the detailed review on compression clothes. As usual. Heheh. You've seems to spend quite a lot on running gear huh?

 

Seconded! Mechwira, time to buy lots of new running headphones/earphones and give us your thoughts.

 

I run with my trusty ol' Sennheiser CX 300 II, with different sized silicon tips in each ear.

 

I bought the Jaybirds Bluebuds X (below) for S$269 and returned them because they just didn't it well enough to make a good seal. Without this, no in-ear earphones will reproduce good bass.

 

http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/372/907/372907920_640.jpg

 

I then bought the Sennheiser OCX 685i for something like S$60 from amazon.com, and that also didn't give a good seal. S$20 on Comply foam also did not help.

 

http://en-us.sennheiser.com/images/1636/all/square/6500/square_louped_OCX_685i_sports_01_sq_sennheiser.jpg

 

I'm back to my original CX 300 II now

 

On a side note, how often do you guys run with minimalist shoes and how long per run? I've just got myself a Merrell Trail Glove 1. A 2km run in it renders me out of running action for the next 3 days due to calf muscle ache. FYI, I have rather skinny calves. I think I've just found the best way to train the calf muscle now. Lol.

 

I do my 21km runs in my Merrell Vapor Gloves. I do this at most once every two weeks partly due to not wanting to strain my joints too much, and partly because long runs can feel reeeeeeeeally long and it gets to you.

 

Minimalist shoes definitely give the calves a beating, but:

 

1. Your calves get used to it after a while. I used to get sore after 10km on the Vapor Glove but not any more. I still get very sore after a 21km (I hobble around the rest of the night), but muscle soreness is so much better than the injuries I am prone to in cushioned shoes.

 

2. The shoes are super light, which becomes important the longer you run. I can feel my thighs getting heavy and tired lifting my legs over and over again, and hours into a run, the few pounds different in shoe weight become as pronounced as running with/without ankle weights.

 

Keep at it! If you're sore, just take it easy by resting (not running) or doing a significantly lower paced run.

 

Some tips I always remind myself of when running in the Vapor Gloves:

 

1. Drop stride length and increase cadence - so smaller steps and faster turnover of the feet striking the ground. This will do wonders in lowering the amount of force you feel shooting up your feet from the ground, and the soreness you have to deal with later.

 

2. Minimize the duration my feet contact the ground. The longer your feet remain on the ground, the more 'sticky' the run, the more energy sapping the run feels. To do this, I try to land my foot as close to under my centre of gravity as I can, which feels like my feet are landing behind me (i.e. I don't see where my foot lands unless I look far down). Not sure if this makes sense

 

3. "Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless… When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one – you get those three, and you’ll be fast" - from Born to Run.

 

4. Don't push off the ground. Instead focus on lifting via thigh muscles. I'm guilty of forgetting this until like 4km into a run and realizing that I'm getting sore/tired too quickly.

[mechwira]

aiyah... i dun run listening to music so i not into earphones

 

i find the music distracts me from focusing on running form, cadence, foot strike, breathing, exertion, etc. and when i zone out i kinda like the focused mental state i get into, and get to just think about things. i honestly feel the mental state i achieve in running is akin to meditation.

 

and btw, with regards to maintaining running form in a run especially with minimalist shoes, i found that ever since i started a training program, running drills have been the most significant in improving my form. i would recommend incorporating running drills at least once a week; slow jog warm up about 15 mins, then do the drills explained here and here.

 

i really feel those drills helped fire the lesser muscles properly during my run such that my legs feel more flexible and lighter.

[ticks]

Those are good tips there! But where do u do it normally? To avoid people looking at me like a crazy dude, I normally do my interval training comprising on push-ups, burpies, squats and what not on top of a vacant car park. Lol.

[ticks]

Hey vyruz, can't agree with u more. Muscle soreness is so much better than joint pains.

Regarding your lifting-the- legs point, I was mistaken when I saw one YouTube vid to use the knee drive. That put my hamstring in pain for days. Then I discovered to use the glute and butt muscles for propulsion and that work wonders.

All in all I think I just have weak lower body muscles and just need to work on efficiency while hitting the gym the same time to build some muscles.

About headphones, I'm using the ones sold at running lab at I12 katong. It claims that the earphone will never fall off. While the sound quality is crap, the BS thing is that i discovered when I was running, I accidentally hooked the wire and I thought the whole earphone was dislodged from my ear. But it turned out, only the wire came off while the earphone was still in my ear. Lol. Can't really fault the brand since the earphone did stay in my ear, albeit without the wire.

[mechwira]

Those are good tips there! But where do u do it normally? To avoid people looking at me like a crazy dude, I normally do my interval training comprising on push-ups, burpies, squats and what not on top of a vacant car park. Lol.

 

i do my running drills at a paved open space beside my block. some hdb estates have these kinda open space.

 

first time yeah felt self-conscious, some ppl were looking like wondering wat i was doing, especially with all the high knees, forward flicks side shuffles and reverse running. but two weeks of twice weekly was enough to fire up the unused muscles such i really feel the increase in flexibility when running.

 

so now i heck care how i look. if its good for my running, i'm doing it.

[Isopropyl]

U guys are so pro.

 

Gone are my distance running days. Nowadays I just use my army running shoes. Haha.

 

I have cut out all moderate intensity running. My weekly workout consist of 1 gym session, 2 high intensity interval with 1 on road and the other with HDB stairs. The rest of the days I will try do slow walk as much as I can squeeze in throughout the day.

[vyruz]

But it turned out, only the wire came off while the earphone was still in my ear. Lol. Can't really fault the brand since the earphone did stay in my ear, albeit without the wire.

 

LOL :lol:

[vyruz]

New shoe update!

 

I bought a pair of Skechers GoRun Speed (Retails $169 at Skechers Parkway Parade, $28 off for CNY sale, still on as of a few days ago).

 

http://www.menshealth.com.sg/system/files/shared/mh-runners/Skechers_Gorun_Meb_Speed_Main_Article.jpg

 

What I Like:

 

1. Way more cushy than my rock hard Vapor Glove. I felt WAY less fatigued in the calf area and running downhill was a pleasure.

2. Soft, but not too soft, sole. There are harder pods in the midfoot area (see dark blue circles below) and a carbon fibre (tasty!) plate in the middle of the sole. See below

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6Ht1rclkTAw/URLFKQHUrPI/AAAAAAAAKD4/oC8kRBDSdAs/CIMG5252_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg%3Fimgmax%3D800

 

What I Don't Like:

 

1. Not as light as my Vapor Glove - I can feel the weight bearing down on a 10km run. It's all relative, but I definitely felt the weight difference as my run progressed. Vapor Glove=5oz. GoRun=6.9oz.

2. Sole is still predominantly soft material - like the Saucony Virrata - so it feels like it robs some efficiency in the run (i.e. sticky feel). Also wears fast. After my first 10km on it, there is significant wear in the midfoot and outer heel area. I know I drag my feet from time to time, but relative to my Vapor Glove, this thing wears out quick!

4. Runs a little narrower in the toe box than Vapor Glove, so I can feel one or two little pressure points on my right foot, but it's nowhere near as bad as the Saucony Virrata felt.

5. Doesn't breathe anywhere near as nice as my Vapor Gloves. Feels stuffy at the end of 10km.

 

I feel like I'm chasing an unobtainable holy grail shoe that is:

 

1. Light, airy and hard like my Vapor Glove but also

2. Soft enough to let me increase my distance and cruise downhill without hurting

 

The search continues! Next stop, Merrell's Road Glove 2.

Edited February 14, 2014 by vyruz

[mechwira]

yeah i've accepted my mythical really-do-it-all shoes does not exist.

 

I totally need my kinvara for ultra-long (relative to my ability) for the cushion. I also need it for high speed work like intervals or ippt.

 

but then i also need my minimus zero for steady running form and cadence training.

 

i absolutely cannot do without these two. in fact a few weeks ago i bought a new pair of kinvara coz i suspect my first pair is about worn out in the cushion and cannot last longer than 15k in one go. i hope new balance does not screw up its next iteration of the minimus zero coz i probably will want a new pair in a few months.

 

then i wanted a third pair which ideally is a blend of these two. i tot the virrata would be it, but i was dead wrong. then i bought the adidas gazelle.... sounded good on paper, looked good on the shelf, felt dam good on my feet in the store... but when properly pushed it turns out it was more show than go. haiz...

 

wanted to try either the road glove or bare access, but the shop did not carry half sizes so could not find a properly fitting pair. wanted the skechers gobionic, but every outlet i visited only carried the gobionic ride, and the 'ride' in the name of every skechers shoe essentially meant a thicker sole/cushion version of an original design.

 

so kinvara and minimus zero for me until they stop producing (or screw up a redesign), and still hunting for the ideal third pair. but spent too much liao, must tolerate the adidas for the time being.

[vyruz]

Weather's been hot. Hope you guys are staying strong and are fighting through the heat! :sweat:

[ticks]

That's why I run only at nights., lol.

[vyruz]

Poos and wees. Woke up after my 10km on Wed with sharp pain in the area between the heel and arch of my right foot. Goes away after I move around a bit, but comes back if I rest and move around again. Still painful today.

 

It would appear that I may have the awful, dreaded:

 

http://www.youbeli.com/images/products/full/332678.JPG

 

mechwira, how long did you take to recover after you got it? Did you go on smaller runs anyway?

 

ticks, night runs are good fun But I do most of my mileage as a commute home from work, so no choice. The pain of running in the evening heat is not as much as staying longer at work and leaving when the sun goes down

[ulysses_sc]

Not so bad already... I got the dreadful ITB syndrome... had to stop running for a while. No idea how long I can run before the problem re-occurs. Next Sunday die la...

[vyruz]

21km in the 2XU next Sunday, ulysses_sc? Good luck and let us know how the event goes.

 

I haven't done anything structured since very casual bouts of 5.6km at JP Morgan Chase events. Don't know why, but I'm hesitant to do a proper event until I see regular good training performance.

[mechwira]

Poos and wees. Woke up after my 10km on Wed with sharp pain in the area between the heel and arch of my right foot. Goes away after I move around a bit, but comes back if I rest and move around again. Still painful today.

 

aiyah.... jialat liao lah.... yeah thats exactly my pain....

 

it started like yours. then at that time still not knowledgeable, so continued running normally through the discomfort. after a week of the on-and-off pain and continued running, it became bad enough that i ended up limping for two days; the pain when first standing was sharp enough to scrunch up my face, then after a bit of walking it reduced but did not go away at all.

 

by that stage, i could not run even if i wanted to; i couldn even walk properly. but i was too hooked on running. after 2 or 3 days of off-run, the pain reduced such that at least i could walk, but it still did not really go away completely.

 

this lasted me three to four weeks before finally going away. and like i mentioned before, these three weeks i ended up 'resetting' my mileage coz i could not keep to my regular distance. if i forced myself, i would end up limping the rest of the day after the run. when the pain finally went away, i had to reclock my mileage. even now i still feel residual pain after long or hard runs, but its only a minor dull ache lasting no longer than a few hours after the run. people say the planta takes up to 6 months to fully recover....

 

if this is initial onset, i strongly suggest 3 days off, and if the pain is gone, then a run at no more than half usual distance to test. if the pain comes back, you're in trouble. if the pain doesnt go away at all in 3 days, you're also in trouble. you've properly torn the ligament

 

if the ligament is properly torn already, its the tight scar tissue that is causing the pain. scar tissue is totally not flexible like 'live' muscle or ligament. and so long as the scar tissue has not dissipated, you will continue feeling the pain; worse still if you keep pushing hard, because its tight it will cause new tears around the scar tissue. and scar tissue takes weeks, of not months, to fully dissipate

 

whether its too late or not, i suggest twice a day foam roller or hard golf ball on the foot, especially at pain area. the pain means there is already scar tissue. self-myofascial release speeds up the process. if you have to give the run a miss, do so. take every run as a 'test' of whether you have healed. i forced myself to run at very reduced distances such that i could feel the pain very slowly getting less day by day, until it disappeared after three weeks plus. if the pain got worse after the run, i know i cannot yet do that distance so i reduce some more.

 

and remember kids: prevention is better than cure. running drills and other core exercises are necessary to prevent running injuries once you go beyond 10k.

[ticks]

Poos and wees. Woke up after my 10km on Wed with sharp pain in the area between the heel and arch of my right foot. Goes away after I move around a bit, but comes back if I rest and move around again. Still painful today.

 

It would appear that I may have the awful, dreaded:

 

I did get a pain on my left foot some time ago. It was on my outer perimeter of the foot, between my heel and my midfoot.. Mine was caused by an incorrect foot strike I think. Nowadays I land my feet flat on the floor instead of rotating from the outside front inwards to the balls of the foot. Hope the words makes sense. I think it did help cos I'm not having any issues now.

[ticks]

Bloody fool. Run tomorrow, last night kicked my leg against the bed leg.. Now toe pain. Zzz