Skechers Gorun ultra review

I have been running in Skechers Performance Division shoes for about 18months.  For long runs/ultras ( including 24 hour races) I prefer the Gorun ride; for speedwork and races up to marathon I like the Gorun2 as they are very light.  For other training runs I switch between these two models.

On Monday I received two pairs of the new Gorun ultra http://www.skechers.co.uk/style/13915/skechers-gorun-ultra/tlpk which has 65% more cushioning than the Gorun ride but the size 7 is only 25g heavier weighing in at 240g so still very light.  I have used the shoes for all my runs this week except my speed session so have covered over 90 miles in them including a 40 mile long run yesterday.

First impressions were that the shoes looked much nicer than I expected, I don't think the picture on the website does them justice.  I was expecting them to look bigger as I have read that they are an alternative to Hokas which are massive.  These look like normal shoes and the teal colour is lovely 

The material of the upper is really soft.  I walked around the house in them feeling very tall as they have more height than my other shoes; they have a wide toe box like most the other skechers models.  Size wise they are marginally bigger than my size 7 Gorun ride but not so much bigger I would go down a size.

For the first mile of my run they felt quite strange - I am not used to so much cushioning; they were very bouncy - I felt as if I was being propelled forwards which was quite nice.  I soon got used to them and my run was faster than normal.  

Over the course of this week I have been using the shoes on my steady runs and at the gym.  Although they are only 25g heavier than the Gorun ride I can tell I have a lot more shoe on my foot - from the picture below you can see the shoe is bigger. (teal is the ultra)   I must have become lazy as quite a few times I nearly tripped over due to not picking my feet up enough! The shoes feel a lot more sturdy than the lighter models and have more support.  Due to the cushioning, which although only 25g feels a lot more,  I don't feel pebbles/twigs etc when I run over them like I would in lighter models.

The sole is quite different to the Gorun2 as it is designed to used as both a road and off road shoe.  I don't do much off road running and even less in the winter so can't comment on how grippy they are although from looking at them I would think they would be ideal for canal type paths and off road when conditions are mostly dry but where some extra grip is needed in a few places.  For more serious off road I would use my Gobionic ride.

Yesterday I used the shoes for my 40mile training run.  They were very comfortable and I didn't get blisters, I deliberately didn't put plasters on spots I sometimes get blisters as I wanted to give them a proper test.  My legs were a bit tired before I started (taking longer than expected to recover from a race last week then did a speed session too soon!) so I can't really compare the state of my legs after.  The extra cushioning should mean that my legs are saved a bit from all the pounding.

Overall verdict is that they are a nice shoe and have a place in my collection but I like the Gorun ride better.  This is my personal preference as I prefer lighter shoes with less support.  If you want a decent amount of support/cushioning but also a reasonably light shoe then I think you will like these shoes.  These may be my next 24 hour shoe, I am undecided and will need to do more longer runs in them when I don't start with tired legs.  I prefer running in the Gorun ride but if the ultra means my legs do not get so tired then the trade off may be worth it.  I think that because the Gorun ride is such a great all round shoe it is very hard to find anything better!  The picture below shows the sole after 95 miles - a little wear on some of the middle lugs but no more than I would expect.

Compared to shoes I used to run in - Kswiss blade light, asics cumulus, mizuno waver rider - I prefer the go run ultra as they are more flexible and comfortable as well as having more cushioning but without the extra weight - they are the same weight at the blade light but lighter than the asics/mizuno.

As I said above, the ultra have a place in my shoe collection, I see them being the shoe of choice in the following situations:-

- for recovery runs when my legs are tired and I want more cushioning 

- mixed terrain runs where there is a lot of tarmac meaning trail shoes are not necessarily the best option.

- off road races where I am not sure whether to go with road or trail eg in the summer when it is quite dry but there could be wet parts 

- running on hard surfaces eg a race I have done over the Humber bridge - this surface always leaves the bottom of my feet sore so more cushioning would be needed

- canal running 

- multi day marathons or back to back long runs so that my legs are less fatigued at the end of day 1 meaning they are less tired in day 2.

- possibly for longer ultras (100km upwards) on the road 

Lessons Learnt from Running over 100 marathons

When it comes to training for and racing a marathon we are all different in terms of pace/

susceptibility to injury/time available/ability to cross train and many other things. I do not claim to have all the answers - I am still learning but I would like to share some of the lessons I have learnt as people are often asking me for tips/advice.

Just a little bit of background - my first marathon was London in 2007 where I ran 4.48 on around 5 runs a week. After a few years of 3 marathons a year I started doing a lot more and have now done 130 marathons/ultras. My current PB is 3.12 at London 2013 on 10-12 runs a week.

1. Long runs (the basics) I think this is the most important run of the week and should not be missed. As well as improving endurance it is a time to practice race day hydration/nutrition

(see point 3). The general rule is to increase your long run by no more than 10% each week. I think it's OK to increase a little more than this when you get over half marathon distance if you are used to that distance but would probably limit it to 2 miles and if you do accidentally
increase too much compensate the next week. After 2-4 weeks (depending on your
experience/fatigue levels and other things going on in your life) cut your long run right back.
The pace should feel quite easy where you can talk in full sentences, for me this tends to be
around a minute or more slower than race pace although when I was slower my long run pace was more like 30s slower than race pace.

2. Long run (progressions) - After I had done a few marathons I found that two things helped

improve my times 1. A progressive long run - this is where you try to run the last section of your long run at race pace e.g. 16 miles steady then 4 miles at marathon pace or harder. This sounds easy but is quite hard and initially got me worried about my ability to hold marathon
pace for the whole marathon if 4 miles felt hard but remember in training you have a lot of miles in your legs whereas on race day you will be tapered. 2. Back to back long runs eg 10 miles Saturday 20 miles Sunday - the idea is that you start your long run a bit tired which is good practice at running on tired legs.

3. Long run (nutrition/hydration) - Find out 
 in advance what drinks/gels are provided at your marathon and test them on your long run. If water is in cups and like me you can't drink from cups then work out how you are going to carry your drink (I use a raidlight bottle belt which has pocket gels/phone). If you don't like the gels provided find something that works for you. During marathons I use gels as they are easy to get down but for longer runs when I am going slow enough to chew I use other things - marzipan, coconut mushrooms, 9bars, fun size crunchy, Jaffa cakes, bananas.. Practice carrying these (unless you have someone on the course who will be handing them to you) and eating them on your long run.  You don't need to use gels for all your long runs if that is what you are using on race day but try

them on a few runs to make sure they work for you. I use food suggested above in training as it is nicer and also cheap!

4. Speedwork - I didn't do any for my first few marathons as my body had enough to deal with getting used to running 5 days a week instead of 3. If you are running more miles miles than usual and adding speed be careful, you don't want to be too tired to do your long run. Any running which gets you out of your comfort zone is going to help you get faster but too much will leave you burnt out/injured. A good starting point and a session I do quite a lot is 1 minute hard 1 minute easy ten times. If that is too much do fewer reps or have more recovery then each week try to add one or two more reps. If possible try to get out of your comfort zone 1-2 times a week and mix up the sessions you do - any marathon schedule will have examples of speed sessions. I am now trying to do one tempo run - 4-5 miles hard and 1 intervals session such as 5x4 min hard each week.

5. Listen to your body - this has been my biggest lesson. I no longer follow schedules because I feel bad about missing a session so in the past have done the session when I am feeling too tired/ill/ have a bit of a niggle then end up more tired or injured. Schedules are good if you are new to marathon running as they give you an idea what you should be doing and how to progress but don't be a slave to them. It's OK to miss a session or downgrade it e.g. if you are due to do 6x800m at 5km pace but are feeling tired/unwell then change that to 3 reps/ give yourself more recovery/ run at 10km pace. If you are really ill or injured then you are best missing the session altogether. Sometimes I find it hard to decide if I am suffering from CBA or if I really am tired - it's a fine line!

6. Ignore what others are doing - we are all different, not everyone can manage the same mileage or the same amount of speed work. I used to get really tired on 50 miles a week. After many years of gradually building up I can do the occasional 100 mile week without feeling too tired. If you have other stresses in your life/a family to consider then you might not be able to do as many miles as someone without those stresses. Don't compare yourself to others in terms of miles in training or times, work within your own capabilities and gradually build on that.

7. Tune up races - these are good to get feedback on where you are at but be careful. Too many times in my early years of marathons I have run Ashby 20 (5 weeks before London) hard, then been exhausted for the next few weeks and probably as a result not had a very good marathon.

8. Marathon pacing - don't believe the calculators where you put in your half time and it tells you what you can do for the marathon, mostly these are over optimistic and can lead to people starting too fast then hitting the wall. Most people say you should aim for even splits or a negative split (second half faster than the first), I have done a few of those but not many - my better marathons have had a small positive split of up to 3 minutes. On race day marathon pace will feel quite different to how it feels in training. I have often done a 4-5 mile marathon pace run in training and thought there is no way I can do that for a marathon but on race day I have - remember you will be well rested and have crowd support to help! On race day you should start at a pace which feels comfortable, possibly even holding back a bit depending on your experience, it's hard to know what is right but you should get an idea from your long runs as to what is realistic. The more you do the better able you are to judge what feels right and the more likely you will be able to maintain a higher intensity. Eg one of my earlier marathons which was a PB at the time was with a friend, we were chatting constantly up to about 20 miles.  Now I can maintain a higher intensity so whilst I can chat I it would just be the odd sentence here and there after about an hour.

9. Hard/Easy - always follow a hard day with an easy day/rest day or even two easy days to allow your body to recover. I confess that I do occasionally break this rule if for example I have a race at the weekend I might do hard on Monday and Tuesday then easy for the rest of the week.

10. Doubles - when I started doing two runs a day I improved my marathon time despite not doing much speedwork. Start by adding a short run of 20-30 mins once or twice a week at an easy pace for a few weeks before either adding more days or increasing the length of the run. I now run twice most week days. Initially my legs would feel a bit tired for my second run but they don't any more unless my lunchtime run has been a hard session.

11. Shoes/blisters - putting Vaseline on your feet on areas where you might get blisters can help. If you always get blisters in the same place then compeed before the run might help or changing your socks. I get more blisters in hot weather when my feet are sweating more so you need breathable socks- I like hilly twin skin. It might be a change of shoes helps, I always got blisters with mizuno and asics but stopped getting them when I switched to Kswiss (apart from on really long or wet runs). I now wear Skechers and rarely get blisters - just on some ultras - as these have a bigger toe box than most shoes. A lot of people get half a size bigger for marathons. I have half a size up for marathons and a whole size bigger for ultras as my feet tend to swell a lot. My current favourites are Gorun2 (yellow) for speedwork, races up to marathon distance and some general runs as these are very light and Gorun ride2 (pink)for long runs, ultras and recovery runs as they offer a bit more cushioning but are still very light.

12. Diet - this really depends on how dedicated you are. Generally losing weight will help you run faster. When I started marathon training I ate more (rewards) so put on weight; when I lost this I got faster. What I have eaten the day before will often affect my run; if I have eaten rubbish my run will often be rubbish - put good quality fuel in your body you will run better but that is easier said than done. There is a lot of information out there about fasted training/ low carb high fat diets being good. I don't do either of those but they might be worth looking at. I am vegetarian with a high proportion of my calories being from fruit/veg.

13. Cross training - This depends on the time you have and how injury prone you are. If you get injured easily then doing a bit more cross training is worthwhile e.g. elliptical trainer/bike/aqua jogging. If you are finding the higher mileage hard then you might be better off doing your intervals on the elliptical or bike - this will not be as good as doing a hard running session but the hard running is more likely to leave you injured. Core training is good for running form especially when you are tired like at the end of a marathon. The elites all seem to do weight training so it must be good but I don't think essential. I find that running to the gym to do spin or body pump then running home is a useful session as you are practicing running on tired legs without doing that many miles (4miles total).

14.Multi tasking - often time is limited and fitting in sessions can be tricky so get a running rucksack so you can do jobs on your run - I often run to town to do buy a few bits/go 

the bank/ train station etc. It also saves petrol!

15.Race day prep - as well as testing gels and shoes make sure you test your kit as sometimes it can cause chaffing. The problem with spring marathons is that you are likely to

be wearing shorts and vest but in training it is too cold. At least try to do one long run in shorts if you don't normally wear them even if it means wearing a jacket to keep warm -
thigh chaffing is quite common! Vaseline/body glide before the run can prevent this. I like to use shoes with around 100-150 miles on them for key races so will wear them for a few weeks and a long run to make sure they are OK then put them away. A few months out is a good time to be planning your shoes - too many people get to a few weeks before the marathon and realise they have 400 miles on their shoes, it is then too late to get new ones and test them on a long run. Make sure you have tested your race day breakfast before a long run and know what time you need to have it. I can have breakfast 90 mins before the marathon but some people need longer for it to settle. If you are staying in a hotel check in advance what they have and what time they are serving breakfast so you know if you need to take your own.

Stamford 30km

I entered this race for two reasons

1. It is hilly so would force me to do some hill training

2. I would use it as a hard paced training run - a tempo run for ultras I suppose.  I find it hard to push myself for so long on a training run so this would be ideal.

I had a slightly easier week this week as I wanted to run the race hard - just one tempo run which I did on Tuesday and a coupe of hill sessions on the treadmill; I also cut one of my Saturday runs.  Since the weather was horrid again this week I was pleased to be taking it easier.   Total miles for the week were 73.

Last year I made a right dogs dinner of this race, I set off too hard, partly because the start was crowded so I wanted to get around the crowds, partly I got carried away in a race situation and partly because I had no idea how to pace a 30km! I have run plenty of marathons so was thinking that as it's a lot shorter than a marathon it needs to be run a lot harder - I overdid this!  At some point before half way I was slowing drastically and ended up with a 4 min positive split.

This year I was determined to do a better job, not necessarily a faster time but a better paced race.  I had no idea going into the race if I could run faster  than last year as most my training has been 40-60s per mile slower than last years pace with the odd tempo run/interval session 60-90s faster - I had done nothing in the middle so was not sure of my ability to run at that pace and for over 2 hours!  I have done some hill training but nowhere near enough due to my knee injury and needing to be careful.

I find it hard to pace hilly races, I checked my Garmin after each mile and was running at a pace I thought was a bit too fast but maybe that was due to those miles having a net downhill, I wasn't sure if they did so had to go on how I felt which was that the pace was comfortably hard, I was able to chat a little with some club mates but wasn't keen on long conversations so I think that was about right.

On the ups everyone was passing me as I crawled up, I kept the effort level about the same, a lot of people try to keep the pace the same but I know if I do that my legs and lungs will be screaming me at the top so I just run up steady and slow then would pass loads of people on the way down.  Next hill the same people would pass me then I would pass them on the way down when I picked the pace right up.  I never understand why people keep the pace the same on the down, why not make the most of the hill? There were a few small groups who got on my nerves a bit running two or three abreast taking up half the road so I had to go onto the other side to pass them, that is not ideal when you are flying downhill hill and have to change direction, a few times I would run between them but mostly they didn't quite leave enough space.  I had to keep passing these same people on every downhill!!

Got to halfway in 1.09 (last year 1.10) feeling quite good so thought I ought to beable to better last years time.  By 10.5 miles I realised I had not had a gel so took a double caffeine one even though I didn't feel I needed it (that was my only gel of the race). With about 4-5 miles to go I realised that it was nearly done and I was feeling OK so made a bit more effort - I was being a bit cautious earlier after what happened last year.  I was was now passing a few people going uphill and often those who I passed going down did not pass me again so I was working my way up the field.  It is always a bit confidence booster when you are passing people in the later stages of the race.  

Finished feeling strong - such a different experience to last year - in 2.17.40 (average pace on Garmin 7.20mm) which was 7 mins faster than last year - feeling quite positive about London marathon now.

I wore my Gorun2's which I have been using for speedwork.  They are really light, I always feel fast in them! I wasn't sure if they would provide enough cushioning for the pounding my feet would get going hard downhill but they were just right.  I was amazed at the number of runners around me wearing heavy weight shoes which slap hard on the pavement and are noisy when they run, I expected more people to be in racing flats or at least something a bit lighter.

Stamford 30km is a great race - cheap to enter (£16); well organised; a testing run; useful goody bag (banana, chocolate  bar, sports drink and love hearts!)and always a great technical long sleeved T shirt which makes a nice change from short sleeved which  I have plenty of.  

Difficult training weather

The last couple of weeks training have been good apart from the weather making a lot of runs harder than normal.

Last week was a cutback week although really it was just a weekend cut back. I did a hard hill session on the treadmill in the evening on Friday then ran through treacle home so I knew I was ready for an easy weekend.  The previous weekends long runs had been (going backwards) 35 miles, 35 miles, 32 miles, marathon, marathon so I felt no pressure to do anything.  I have to confess to feeling a little smug when I saw the weather as it really was horrid out there most the weekend.  The previous weekend I had intended to take it easy but decided that since the weather was half decent I would sneak in another 35 miles - that was a good move.

Usually when I have an easy weekend I will do a long run of around 10-15 miles and possibly a tempo run or some marathon pace in that long run to get in some quality but I was feeling quite tired, probably from a couple of hard weeks so  just did a couple of short easy paced runs each day. Total miles for the week - 72.

By Monday I was raring to go so the 'rest' obviously did me good - had a great 5 mile tempo run which was 2 miles longer and also faster than the tempo run the previous week.  Next hard session was not until Thursday where I did  5x4 min hard with 2 min recovery.  Another great session and slightly faster than last week.

This weekend the forecast was gales and wet. The plan had been 35-40 miles but in that wind? I had been checking the forecast for a few days and had downgraded my target to 30-35 miles.  I knew it had to be done as I didn't run long last week and can't next week due to a 30km race.  Last year when we had snow I did 50km on the treadmill so I hadn't ruled that out.  Got my 'checkpoint' set up by the front door as I do loops so call home for food/drink/toilet but thought if it was really bad I would run to the gym.  I am very slow on the treadmill so loaded up plenty of programs on the iplayer to watch!
 

Long runs are not just about getting the miles in / time on feet but also for testing things.  I knew in the wind my running would be rubbish but at least I could make it a worthwhile outing by testing a few things.

1. My new salomon compression tights thanks to Mr Ninebar for those, need to get the logo on.  I like the tights as they have a zip pocket on the back which most compression tights don't have.  They also have a couple of mesh pockets probably big enough for gels, tissues or sweeties.  They seem to offer more compression in the lower quad area (where the stripes are) than my skins A400 tights.  The material is not as soft as the skins but feels a bit more sturdy.  The only issue with them, which is the case with all compression bottoms is getting them up and down quickly when nipping behind a bush!

2.  Maximise protein bar

Normally in ultras I alternate powerbar protein bar with 9bars with the odd crunchie thrown in.  These maximise bars are higher in protein than the powerbar - 9.5g compared to 7g for a 35g bar.  Most protein bars require a lot of chewing which is not ideal while running but both of these are soft and easy to get down,  The maximise ones are nicer, more coconutty and a bit sweeter.  The only downside is they don't contain calcium and magnesium like the powerbar ones but I checked the amounts and could get that much by popping a supplement if I felt I wanted it! 

3. Exceed ( berry blast)

This is blend of amino acids and electrolytes.  Amino acids are a help prevent muscle breakdown; increase endurance; increases ability to recover and many other things.  More info here http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/exceed/10636986.html this is my referral code which might get you something off MP383847.

I have taken this a few times before running but never during so on one of my trips home had some.  The taste is not great just about OK but not sure I would beable to get it down during a 24 hour race when my stomach is not at its best.  Will need to experiment a bit - it might be more palatable if diluted more or perhaps add some juice to it.  No idea if it made a difference as I only had 10g and the run was harder than normal due to the wind so it's not as if I was comparing like with like. 

The 35 mile run was hard going, I kept changing direction so was never running in to a headwind for more than a couple of miles at a time.  Was glad to get it finished.  I always run at an easy pace for long runs; two weeks ago that was 8.55minute mile, this week 9.05mm which considering it was much windier I am pleased with that.

Today I need to do 15.3 miles to make the magic 100 miles for the week again.  This morning I ran to town the long way to do some shopping. This afternoon I ran the long way to the gym where I did 3 miles of hills before running home ending on 100.2miles for the week.  My 3rd 100 mile week this year.