More New Shoes! New Balance Vazee Rush v2

I've been on the lookout for a pair of fast road shoes since I signed up for the Amsterdam Half Marathon and following the Saucony Stride Lab last month I know what I am looking for - neutral, light, flexible, fairly minimal.  The Kinvara 8s I tried on at Accelerate felt nice, but I wasn't sure if they were £120 nice.

Last night while browsing the Decathlon website for a few basics I need to pick up I had a browse of their sale section when I spotted they had New Balance Vazeee Rush v2 down from £65 to £50.  I've looked at the range of shoes available in Decathlon before, and everything I looked at for pure road running was high drop - 9mm or even 12mm, and felt wrong on my feet when I tried them on.  These were 6mm though which is the same as my trail shoes, and they look to be similar weight (and even the colours match!) and the Sheffield store had some stock in, so I read some reviews and decided to give them a go.

After a short period of confusion where I thought the fit was awful because I was looking at the US size and not the UK size I popped a pair on and had a quick jog up and down the aisle. They felt natural, with a good fit round the heel yet a roomy toe box, so in the basket they went. I've only managed a quick 1km loop around the block in them but it was a fast km - new PB for 1km at 4:03 and I am now 6th of 223 on my local Strava segment - this might have to be something I work on chipping away at :)

I've already got my sub 25 minute parkrun, but I shall be looking to get some decent road distance under these as part of my half marathon training plan and seeing how much they help my speed.

Saucony Stride Lab @ Accelerate

A couple of weeks back I spotted that Accelerate were going to be hosting a Saucony Stride Lab towards the end of the month, which was perfect timing as I have begun to think about shoes for the Amsterdam Half Marathon. Liz and Kelly had been to one at Up + Running in Sheffield City Centre a few months ago and had given very good reports of it. As the event got closer I realised I had got my dates wrong and wouldn't be able to make it, but as luck would have it my schedule changed and on Wednesday morning I saw they had a 12:45 slot available - perfect, I could take a long lunch and go along.

I hopped on the tram to Attercliffe and was immediately met with a warm welcome, had barely stopped moving before I had been offered a cup of tea - now that's the kind of friendly Yorkshire service I respect. Having only decided on the day that I was going to go along I had no running kit with me, but they were happy to lend me a pair of shorts to replace my jeans, and a loose fitting short sleeved check shirt was fine for a little bit of running.  Now I'm not ashamed to admit I was a little bit apprehensive before doing this as I've not run on a treadmill for many a years (I just find it really dull, scenery and fresh air are some of the best things about running) and I have never had my technique studied, so all I know about how to run comes from observing others, chatting, and reading a myriad of conflicting articles online.  I was fully expecting to discover I was doing it all wrong.

A pair of shoes was picked, and then before it was time to jump on the treadmill it was time for a few questions about how often , how far and how fast you run, any injuries, what you are looking to get out of it, any other exercise you do, and any injuries you've had.  I mentioned that my right knee sometimes twinges (an old hiking injury from Scouts) and that I had irritated my Achilles (Again on the right) recently but stopping wearing boots day to day got rid of this.  He noted that these are probably nothing to do with the areas where the injury occurred and that he would pay attention to them on the run.

On to the treadmill then.  They have 3 cameras set up, one to catch full body profile from the rear and another the same from the side, and one to get a close up on the knees and feet.  These are high speed cameras so that they can analyse specifics of technique. I was set off at a reasonable pace considering my history, then left to relax in to a run.  Thankfully I hadn't forgotten how to run on a treadmill and was soon happily bounding along - at least until it came to time to stop and  I slowed down too fast and nearly went off the back of it.  Initial analysis was good which was very pleasing - semi dynamic body position, midfoot landing, good leg extension behind me, minimal hip drop, stable knee, minimal pronation.  One of the concerns I had had in advance was regarding pronation as in photos from the White Peak Trail Run made me think I was rolling over my ankle, but this was explained as part of the natural dynamic and the point at which the photographer caught me.

As we stepped through the analysis it became apparent that I was dropping my right hip slightly and introducing an imbalance in to my running.  This was studied in some depth and several theories considered, I must admit that at some points it started to escape my knowledge of human biology and musculature systems but it boils down to inactive glutes from a slightly poor posture.  It was clear that I was planting my right foot over to the left, meaning that my left foot has to go the long way around instead of having a clear pass through.  It's all a bit cause and effect, but we discussed a need to stand tall, get the hips forward, and focus on driving knees forward and elbow back.

We also discussed shoes at this point and I talked about how my Decathlon Trail Shoes feel really good on my feet as they are lightweight, flexible and low drop.  I've not got on with traditional 10mm+ drop on road shoes which appear to be very common, and the good news is with my running style I am pretty much free to choose any neutral shoe I want. Taking my comments on board I was suggested the Saucony Kinvara 8 which only has a 4mm drop and was described as "a great match for your description".  Already it felt better on my foot than the test shoe (cannot recall what this was) and I jumped back on the treadmill - at which point they captured more video for assessment.

Compared to the previous stills I am standing taller and my foot placement is miles better, which is mostly me responding to the feedback but I have to say I felt much more comfortable in the shoes too.  At this point Stuart wandered past and started having a chat about it, discussing various causes and all sorts of things which may contribute.  I do not apparently have a leg length imbalance issue, it seems most likely is a lot of desk work sat down reaching further with one arm than the other due to using a mouse.  A good working environment which is comfortable for long periods of time is something I am keen on, but I am going to review it as you can clearly see the difference from left leg to right even after changing shoes and focusing more on technique. This is down to the inactive glutes, apparently when stood on the left leg my hamstring is compensating and on the right my back is compensating - this makes my left hamstring less inclined to lift my foot.

I've come away with a list of technique areas to improve, some exercises to look at (glute activation and strengthening, hip stretching) and a confidence that I am running right, and some shoes to look in to - I am going to look at alternatives to the Sauconys as well (there are some by New Balance I need to check out) but I really did like them - and in that colour they even match my trail shoes.  I would really recommend going along to an event such as this if you are after new shoes or simply want to know more about your technique.  Accelerate is a really friendly shop and I will be back there soon.

New Shoes! Kalenji Elio Feel Trail

I decided that after payday I would treat myself to some new shoes as since taking up running I have worn a pair of cheap trainers I got for going to the gym over 10 years ago, and a pair of Magnum Uniform Service Trainers I picked up off eBay originally to use as approach shoes when climbing. I don't really think about my feet at all when I am running on hard services so I probably keep the Magnums for now when I am running on the roads, but I have noticed a bit of slipping and sliding in the mud so thought I would look at dedicated trail shoes (trails are more fun anyway).

I popped to Decathlon after work as it is convenient and their budget own brand gear is rather quite good for what you pay, with a shortlist of four:

1. Kalenji Elio Feel Trail
2. Kalenji Kiprun Trail XT6
3. Asics Gel Kanaku 2
4. Kalenji Kiprace Trail 3

I was focusing on 2 and 3 on the list as I was after an aggressive tread pattern, the Elio Feel wasn't as extreme and the Trail 3 was very similar to the XT6.  When I got there I couldn't find the Kiprace Trail 3 so that was quickly ruled out, and the Asics Gel wasn't doing it for me - there was not as much to the sole as I expected.  I tried the Elio Feel Trail on and was surprised by how comfortable and light it was, and I really liked the way the sole flexed. I then tried the XT6 on and it just felt wrong, which I figured out to be the 9mm drop rather than the 6mm drop.  If they had the Trail 3 in at this point I would have been looking at that as it also has a 6mm drop, but it wasn't there so I couldn't.  After a little mental back and forth I decided to get the Feel Trails as they were cheap and even if they do not tick every box for me on trail running I can always upgrade later safe in the knowledge I will get plenty of life out of these.

Yes, that is my cat's leg. She wanted to be in the picture.

First impressions: As I said they are light, 270g in size 8.5.  The soles are very flexible but seem to have good grip, and a feature I found odd at first but seems to work is the fact the tongue is built in to the shoe on one side, and the other side held captive on elastic.  This seems to help with positioining and stop it slipping to one side.

Of course I couldn't wait to get them on my feet and get them muddy.  I actually spent all morning wearing them and they are super comfy.  Anyway, the opportunity arose and I decided to go and noodle around on Loxley Common as it has a good variety of terrain and I know of some slippery muddy banks in there...

Out on a run then and I start off on tarmac. They feel grippy and fast, and I can already see that if those don't work for me off road I will use them on road.  They have a bit of cushioning in the heel in case you do heel strike, but I found myself naturally landing on my midfoot. When I hit a hill I could really feel the flex helping, allowing me to dig in and drive up the hill on my toes with high turnover. Hills turn out to be something I'm ok with which came as quite a surprise.

After about 1km I turned off up what was a very muddy path last time I took it.  It appears to have dried out quickly in the recent fine weather, but I was still able to feel great grip on loose dry mud and on dry stone, very useful for those technical trails on top of the peaks.. Done as teep bank and then straight up the other side I felt no slipping and was very sure footed, and then hit an undulating section with plenty of mud - not ankle deep peat on top of the moors, but certainly thick gloopy brown stuff.  Again no hint of slipping.

It was then on to a section of uphill loose fine gravel which was no challenge before a great fast downhill section on hard dry soil and gravelly paths.  Still feeling sure footed I had the confidence to lean in to the hills and take them at speed even on the steep twisty sections, being rewarded with a best ever mile (7:37) and kilometre (4:37) on what was supposed to be a gentle run. Back on to the roads, and a final push for home trying to keep my pace under 5:00/km (don't forget that sub 25:00 Parkrun target...)

Am I happy with my purchase? Yes, yes I am.  They shall be getting a thorough workout at the White Peak Trail Run and if needs be there will be updates over time but for now I recommend them to people looking for an entry in to trail running on a budget.