Running

Fucking Inov-8... Fucking wiggle.

I've been using the same collection of shoes for about 4 years now. F-lite 195s for road and dry trails, and X-talon 212s for wet trails. Recently Inov-8 began messing around with their models and introduced two variants of everything... "standard" and "precision" fit. It took me a while to work out that the original shoes were both "precision" and that "standard" is a new wider fit designed for forefoot strikers. Ordinarily I'd approve of this, and I'd like to try the wider "standard" fit at some point, however we're currently in the run up to the London Mara, and all I want is the same shoes as I've run in for years... through several ultras, iron-men and all my training... I know they work. I don't want to go experimenting with new shoes now.

I've been casually browsing for over a month now and it appears that very few stores carry the old "precision" fit, and even more have the shoes badly listed so it's impossible to know which is which. For example Wiggle have this shoe listed as being "precisions fitting", but is that the same as "precision fit"? Inov-8s website suggests that those colourways only come in "standard" fit. This seems to be the case everywhere I look, but eventually, I found that wiggle had a single pair from last year's range properly and clearly listed as "precision fit" in a colourway that appears to make sense. Frustratingly it cost £20 more than the poorly listed 2015 shoes but it was in my size so I ordered it. It's taken well over a week to arrive only to discover it's the wide version.

Why can't I just get the same shoe I've always had??!?

Can you view the Performance Management Chart in the free version? If so then it might be worthwhile (at least it won't cost anything).

TP can use your HR data to calculate a TSS or rTSS for each session based on HR. If you can view that info on the PMC then it could be useful to helping you monitor your progress and avoid over fatigue.

I don't think you get the PMC in the free version, and you cant plan workouts either so I'd say the free version is pretty useless TBH (unless I'm wrong about the PMC bit..)

I cant comment on the effectiveness of it really as I've only been using since November and this is the first time I've raced, so whether getting the numbers right results in a peak is a bit of a mystery until Sunday (and really once probably isn't that great of a test)

I assume its calculation of a TSS for cycling would be based on cycling threshold heart rate (subject to the usual vagaries around HR) so could be fairly good as long the threshold is set correctly

Its pretty useful with all the functionality switched on, I forecast the TSS's for future sessions based on numbers for previous similar sessions, and that's been really useful in seeing quite how fatigued I'll be at the end of the training block/understanding the impact of sessions.

Both British Cycling and Triathlon give members a discount code for annual subscription but there are lots of codes floating about for free week/month trials, and you'd be able to work out if you like it during a month, especially if you took the time to go back and enter the last 3 months worth of workouts as well.

@ewanmac I've got really pissed off with Innov8 recently, they seem to have moved away from running shoes, only doing trial shoes and xfit specific shoes, and some new tri shoes.

They do list sportshoes.com as an official supplier and they tend to carry a lot of previous years models so I've ended up hoarding a load of road-x 255s, as the 233s I used to use have completely run out everywhere I can find them...
http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/ino506/inov8-f~lite-195-fitness-shoes-(precision-fit)-~-aw14/
http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/ino504/inov8-f~lite-195-fitness-shoes-(precision-fit)-~-ss15/

I haven't move up to the latest style of shoes which list precision/wide fit shoes.

Got a rogue pain roaming around my left leg - huge, pinpoint pain that comes, goes, then comes back elsewhere.

Is my leg going to fall off?

Yeah, I recon those black ones are probably my best bet... so dull! The Inov-8 website seems to say that for this year you can only get the precision fit shoes in black while all of the nice colours are reserved for standard fit. All the old stock is sold out in my size.

Incidentally, when I began running in them the F-lite 195 were listed as being light trail/road running shoes, but then one day they got re-assigned to cross fit, and are now are apparently specially designed for climbing ropes or some such bollocks.

Yeah I contacted them last year about the xfit models and they basically came back and said their only shoes for running on the road are the tri-extreme or to look out of NOS stuff.

I just want my running shoes! I did the ironman marathon in the 233s, but they were so knackered after a year of exclusively training in them they had to be pretty much instantly retired, it was a sad day throwing them away! my feet were poking through and there was no runner left on the soles though!

Ed and Ewan, ta very much. I'll have a look and see.

Free burgers for Brighton Marathon finishers @ Meatliquor

https://twitter.com/MEATliquorBTN/status/585861515292581889

On for a 35k week, slowly building up towards 45k.

12k run into work tomorrow, just have to wake up and not be lazy.

nice, thats the post run food sorted then :)

@ewanmac I feel youre pain
inov 8 make a different mudclaw every 6 months
do i give a fuck? I know they work, and Im gonna use them
BUT,
we must act as consumers and care deeply about this.
it is all life means, to have new shoes and be able to choose hundreds of items

Im gonna get some fashion victim hokas to bounce on, no really I am.

run faster, win more, end.

I can understand fashion brands doing this, but innov8 are surely first and foremost a sports shoe brand, and people will buy new shoes regularly from them as they will simply wear out...

I wear the Road-X 255s

They are still available, just at twice the price.

In the wrong colour.

This is why I don't run any more.

Barefoot is cheaper.

I save money by wearing nothing but shoes and a smile.

Or a leering grin.

the road x 255 are currently in stock and 39.99 at sports shoes.

I've now got three pairs sitting in boxes un tocuhed, as they are officially now discontinued...

All the wrong size for me, unfortunately.

Any idea if there is a replacement model?

apparently not, I need to dig out the email they sent me, but I asked them about the 233, they said they weren't making it any more and suggested I try the tri-xtreme 255, which now seem not to appear on their website either...

shoot, just been on and they seem to have sold through loads, was planning on hoarding one more pair :(

I plan on stocking up on trainers [1] when I've got down to my target weight. Last time I went from 90kg to 75kg I dropped a shoe size (10.5 to 9.5). For cycling shoes this doesn't make much difference but I expect it may for running.

Fat feet. Ugh.

Legs feel great after this morning's 12k run in. Looking forward to 5-a-side tonight and then a few days holiday in Cornwall. Have a cheeky 10k route plotted to do down there as I'll be missing my usual parkrun.

1. Currently Saucony Jazz 17 (good weather) and Peregrine 4 (boggy trails)
   

Ah, remember that time that woman laughed at your penis while you were running?
THIS IS WHY.

The experience (so far) with sportshoes has been a delight... I saw they had a phone number, and so to avoid the wiggle debacle of mis-listed items I called them and spoke to a charming lady. She appeared to know all about the different sizing options and said that they had a black pair in my size so I've ordered them.

We'll see what actually turns up but positive so far. Shame I had to get boring black ones though.

#fashionshoes

Saucony represent! (Xodus, Guide, Peregrine, Endorphin)

nice, they've always been really good to me, and despite all the plugging on this thread I'm not on commission :)

Yet...