And we cracked on at a decent pace. 3 of the 5 miles started with 8:** and that included the last one, which has a stiff little hill and is nett uphill!!!!
So the legs were certainly working very nicely.
While we were running I was thinking a bit about my shoes.
These are they:
Actually - this WAS them the day they got used for the first time! On a lovely sunny evening in Skye with just enough breeze to keep the midges away!!
It was something of an experiment really. Shoes that weight 230 grammes and are pared right down to a minimum might not be some people's idea of an ideal road running shoe. Especially one that is aimed at the Trail Racing fraternity. I bought a pair for Lorna too..... "because they are Blue!"
Actually, that's not entirely true! We both tromp about the hills both running and walking in lightweight fell shoes, and have done for a number of years, and we knew that this shoe was likely to be very comfortable..... even if we couldn't use it as a road shoe.
Neither of us run with a heel-striking gait, which was clear from the wear pattern of out 'other' running shoes, so theoretically, there was no reason why this particular shoe shouldn't suit.
Any doubts that either of us may have had were dispelled in that first 4.17 mile run.
Here is what I said about them at the time....
"...Just taken the his 'n hers Inov-8 F-Lite 230's out for a spin
Initial Impressions.......
I could use this as a road shoe.
Comfortable in a - So Light You Hardly Know It's There - way.
Stealth Running just 'happens'
It helped that this run was on a quiet minor road on Skye..... but even so....!!
I like!!!!!!!!!
..."Incredible comfort for a shoe with such a thin sole, and you really don't know you are wearing them!!
That was 505 miles ago!!
I'll be wearing them to potter around a hilly marathon on Saturday, and our local Half marathon on Sunday.
This is ALSO something that has raised a few eyebrows among some of my fellow runners. Using effectively a racing flat for longer distance races.
But it's really not that surprising!
I have worked on my running style over a fairly long period, and I'm now at a point where I don't 'clatter' the ground with each footfall. I run the same without shoes as I do with them, and THAT is highly protective of your feet, ankles, knees hips and so on. The dynamic impact forces of running are reduced to a bare minimum, and the feedback that your brain gets from a very light shoe is instantaneous - and allows you to make tiny adjustments to keep the way you run 'light'
You simply don't get that in a very cushioned shoe!
As an aside, a significant thing that I've noticed is that the balls of my feet don't hurt after a long run any more - and neither do the fronts of my ankles! And I was the most comfortable I've ever been at the end of the Langdale marathon 6 weeks ago.
And my shoes are as great to run in now - 500+ miles later - as they were when I first tried them!
Now THAT is a quality bit of kit.
Considering the fact that I now almost exclusively use Inov-8 shoes for all my running and outdoor activity, I wrote to them to ask if they would consider supporting us in our training, and for the 10-in-10.
I was really pleased to get a response to my email with the news that Inov-8 would, in fact, be happy to support us. There was certainly something of a sharp intake of breath when I expressed my intention to run ALL 10 marathons in the f-lite 230's.
But that IS my intention.
We will get through a few pairs of shoes before May - but as I have have said before, any help is very gratefully received
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