Run/Walk technique for hald and full Ironman

Simon says: - This is a very interesting article by Johan Stemmet from South Africa on the run/walk technique that he has been trying in his training for Ironman South Africa. He just competed in the South African Age-Group Championships and won the silver medal for the 40-49 category (half Ironman) by using this technique. His half marathon time was 1hr26min57 and overall time 4hr33. No too shabby a time I think you'll agree so read on...

Tri-Stemmet writes: -

Here is the silver medal I won this past weekend at the National Long Distance Triathlon Champs.

Not long ago I listened to a podcast where Bobby McGee http://www.bobbymcgee.com/ talked about the run/walk technique and how it can improve your running time. It basically says you must never run more than 10 minutes at a time and then have a brisk walk of 1 minute. He however explained that you can start your marathon by walking 30 seconds during the first hour, 45 seconds during the second hour and then walk 1 minute from the third hour but keep your running at 10 minutes maximum.

The important thing is to walk at a fast pace and don't slow down completely. As he explained if you look at the upper body you shouldn't notice a difference between the run and the walk intervals, the upper body must keep it's running form.

Using this technique also helps you to break down the marathon in 10 minute intervals and you just focus on the next ten minutes. I must say this works as you don't have this huge number in your head where you know you must run 21 or 42 kilometers but only 10 minutes at a time.

Now there will be people that says it works for them and others will says it's not for them and them you will get a lot of people that are too scared to try it.

I decided I will give it a go and I must admit at first I was not too sure if it was the right thing to do but I was determined to give it a go and not give up as I will then never know if it works or not. During training I kept the walking intervals at 1 minute.

As time progressed my running pace was at the same level as when I ran non stop, my heart rate was lower and I wasn't that tired after my long runs meaning I could recover faster.

During Ironman70.3 in January I ran 10 minutes and walked 1 minute but after the race I realized that the 1 minute walking intervals was too long for a half marathon. I then decided to cut the walk intervals down to 30 seconds during my training.

During this past weekends Half Ironman I decided to use the technique again and see if there is an improvement. Well I had my fastest ever half marathon and my body felt good. According to the official results I did the run leg in 1h28:03 but according to my watch I finished in 1h26:57.
race results at http://www.spectrumsport.co.za/Prestige_Ultra_Triathlon_20100221.pdf

I think the transition times were included as the race results don't have a separate time for transition. Below is a breakdown of the 15 laps it took me to complete the run leg. During the last run interval I was just short of the finish line and decided to keep running until the end, that's why the last interval is not 10 minutes but 13:26 minutes.

If you are not into numbers or technical stuff you don't have to read further and can stop here, as all the numbers below is a little to much for some people.

O' and before I forget, wish me luck please. I spoke to a person today and he asked me to send him my sports resume as he might be interested in sponsoring me. I just met the person by chance but maybe I can have my first and only sponsor very soon:-)) Now I just need to compile a resume and make it look professional, not like my average work of art on the PC.

Lap/ Lap Time/ HR Avg/ Distance/ Cadence/ Stride Length
1) 10:00.0/ 154/ 2.417/ 93/ 119

2) 00:30.4/ 152/ 0.08/ 79/ 93

3) 09:58.9 / 156/ 2.556/ 93/ 127

4) 00:29.9/ 154/ 0.077 /78/ 96

5) 10:01.3/ 157/ 2.643/ 92/ 131

6) 00:30.4/ 158/ 0.076/ 75/ 93

7) 09:59.6/ 157/ 2.445/ 91/ 123

8) 00:29.3/ 151/ 0.077/ 80/ 93

9) 10:02.2/ 156/ 2.445/ 91/ 123

10) 00:29.7/ 153/ 0.073/ 74/ 94

11) 10:00.6/ 155/ 2.485/ 92/ 124

12) 00:29.5/ 156/ 0.074/ 77/ 88

13) 09:59.4/ 154/ 2.381/ 91/ 120

14) 00:29.6/ 151/ 0.07/ 75/ 86

15) 13:26.8/ 154/ 3.185/ 91/ 123

Tot 1h26:57/ 155/ 21.084/ 84.8/ 108.9

Johan Stemmet's blog can be found here: - TRI-STEMMET. Johan also qualified for the World Ironman Championships in Hawaii last year and successfully completed the race in October.

Speedsuits legal for Ironman races

I recently heard that FINA had banded speedsuits (fastskins, swimskins) and that WTC the orgaisation behind Ironman were following suit. Indeed it appears they did for a period of 24 hours but then backtracked. I extracted the following statement from the slowtwitch.com website: -

"Wetsuits that exceed 5mm in thickness will be legal at Ironman events that are wetsuit-legal, as will so-called fastskins or swimskins at all Ironman events.

Ironman's Steve Meckfessel stressed that there is no ban in place on either style of garment, and, no date when any such ban is currently contemplated. Any rule changes will depend on the discussions on rule dispensations between Ironman and USA Triathlon."

See full article HERE

Ironman Malaysia - Strategy and Goals

Having done my research there 18 competitors in my age-group that have done better Ironman times than me, 6 of them under 10 hours and 4 of them under 9 1/2 hours - a few people have said that means nothing when it comes to the heat of Malaysia but sadly for me one of the most affected and least able to deal with heat over a long course race is yours truly.

I also have Ironman China two weeks later and the intent was always to treat IMMY as a last long training weekend and a warm up and then nail China. If in the process the weather at IMMY was strangely cool (i.e. raining all day) and I was on to the run within 6hrs then I might try to get a result in Malaysia.

The danger of course is trying to nail IMMY and failing only then to be wiped out for China (the most likely scenario still). So we shall see, I suspect that it will be a 40C scorcher in Malaysia, I'll have a good swim and bike but will cook on the first kilometre of the run and sense/reality/dehydration will prevail and hopefully I'll back off.

However I still need to think about a race strategy and set some goals to help navigate through what will be a tough day whatever. Clearly I will be hard pressed to be competitive in Langkawi as the weather forecast is "Brilliant Sunshine" and since there's no shade on the course we're talking about 40C & 90% humidity. So the goals are: -

1) Swim - PB (Very realistic)
2) Swim - Sub 1hr10 (Realistic)
3) Swim - Sub 1hr05 (Unlikely but possible)
4) T1 - 2min30
5) Bike - PB (Very realistic but will depend on course to some degree)
6) Bike - Sub 5hr (Realistic but will depend on course to some degree)
7) Bike - ~4hr50 (Realistic but will depend on course to some degree)
8) Bike - Sub 4hr50 (Unlikely but possible)
9) T2 - 2min30
10) Run - Back off and smell the roses - jog/walk save myself for China (Most realistic)

Unless I feel amazing then: -
11) Run - PB (If I'm going for it then this is a given)
12) Run - Sub 4hr (If I'm going for it then this should be a given).
13) Run - ~3hr45 (Realistic)
14) Run - Sub 3hr40 (A big ask, weather will dictate)
15) Run - ~3hr30 (Unlikely but possible if weather not too hot i.e. it rains [hahahaha])

Ben recently told me something very useful in the mental preparation of a race (he's a marathon runner, a very good one, albeit soon to buy a tri bike): -

"It doesn't matter how many marathons I've done, or well prepared I am, or how well training has gone, I always tell myself that this is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done".

Simon says: - I think that this is the greatest mental preparation anyone can have for a race (other than knowing you're the fittest you've ever been of course). I've had some pretty ugly Ironmans where finishing was a miracle in itself, the misery was indescribable and so bad that my commitment to never doing another Ironman was resolute - So if I can tell myself that this is going to be harder than that but at the same time I'm swimming/biking/running well, then I should be able to dig a little deeper, push a little harder and go a little faster.

And...One of the beauties of getting faster is that the misery doesn't go on for quite so many hours!

(The photo above is the iconic picture of Julie Moss crawling to the finish line in 1982 at Hawaii - it can always get worse but that doesn't mean stop).

Ironman Training Totals (TAPER WK1) - W/e 21 Feb 2010

My training totals for last week: -

Total Time: - 20:03:05hrs

Swim: - 3:50:41hrs - 11:41km
Bike: - 9:47:39hrs - 339km
Run: - 4:24:45hrs - 55.75km
Core-work & Stretching - 2:00hrs - 180 press-ups, 1500 crunches

Scores on the doors: -
Workouts - 19/23 (missed 3 extra core/stretching sessions & 1 extra swim that I added to the plan)
Eating - 6.1/10 (Terrible - stress starting to show I guess! At least it's measured this time)
Sleep - 4.7/10 (Terrible - probably indicative of the family being away and discipline poor.)
Comments: -

Great week's training - TAPER WK1, didn't feel much of a taper but judging by run heart rate and speed on long bike on Saturday and speed of long run on Sunday the body is responding well and knows the volume has reduced. TAPER WK2 this week and looking forward to keeping the engine ticking over before the big assault on Saturday.

Sleeping and eating haven't been great - poor discipline still but at least I'm aware of it and it's measured - I think at least that will keep it in check. I'm down to 69kg now and will do my best to sustain that - no point in trying to lose more at this stage.

So ready to go pretty much, just got to keep it on the straight and narrow now for a few more days.

Enough to make you start drinking!

(Courtesy of Sian)

Fresh Air Fund needs host families - please spare a minute to consider this.

Simon says: - an email from Sara at the Fresh Air Fund. They are now looking for host families for the inner city kids to get out there during the summer - a great cause and a press release attached - please spare a minute to consider this.

"Hi Simon

I know it's still winter time but the countdown to Summer 2010 has begun and The Fresh Air Fund is again in need of host families. If you could help get the word out on Tritwins it would really go a long way in helping to place these children into a loving host family home for a fresh air experience they will never forget.

I've put together a new social media release to make it simple to repost, so please feel free to use any of the images, graphics, banners, or copy:

http://freshairfundhosts.com/

Please let me know if you are able to post or tweet and if you have any questions. Your efforts can help a child have an experience that will change their life!

Thank you so much,

Sara
--
Sara Wilson,
The Fresh Air Fund
www.freshair.org"

An Actual 1955 Housekeeping Monthly article.

(Courtesy of Siti via Shilpa)

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Simon says: - Where did we go wrong? Ahhh, the good old days! Our Dad's and Granddad's had it sussed - lucky blighters.

Nice name for a ship!!!

(Courtesy of Disco Dave)

Think about it - I guess it's only rude if you want it to be.

A few thoughts for the day

(Courtesy of David Clenton)

Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.

Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our ass ... then things just keep getting worse.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Downhill biking at 173kph - Oh yeah babe...

(Courtesy of Crazyjourneys.com)

Simon says: - You just gotta want to do this...I do anyway!!!!

Amazing dance-climb fusion

(Courtsy of Crazyjourneys.com)

Simon says: - Very cool and having done a little bit of wallclimbing I know how incredibly difficult this must be - superfit, supertoned, superstrong. Excellent stuff.

James Cracknell vs Chris Hoy: The Street Race

(Courtesy of crazyjourneys.com)



Simon says: -

Chris Hoy now Sir Chris Hoy has won 4 Olympic Gold Medals in track cycling, 3 of them in Beijing 2008.

James Cracknell (worth looking on Wikipedia) he has two Olympic Gold Medals for rowing, is an adventurer, rows across the Atlantic amongst many other amazing feats but also ran the 2006 London Marathon in 3hrs00mins10secs (3:00:10) Amazing. A well entertaining TV presenter too.

Welsh police unveil new police car

(Courtesy of Rucku.com and dedicated to Sam and Mike Williams but shhhsh, don't mention the rugby)

Ironman Training Totals - W/e 14 Feb 2010

My training totals for last week: -

Total Time: - 28:14:48hrs

Swim: - 6:41:41hrs - 18.26km
Bike: - 12:17:46hrs - 424km
Run: - 6:45:21hrs - 81.08km
Core-work & Stretching - 2:30hrs - 315 press-ups, 2625 crunches

Scores on the doors: -
Workouts - 21/23 (only missed 2 extra core/stretching sessions that I added to the plan)
Eating - 7.3/10 (An improvement but still poor.)
Sleep - 5.7/10 (An improvement but still poor.)
Comments: -

Another quality week and the last of the really heavy training. I start tapering now although the number of sessions don't reduce nor does the intensity. It's just the volume that lessens and even that only by about 20% in week 1 of taper and about 50% in week 2.

My lungs are pretty much back to normal (not quite 100% yet) but I have noticed that my feet are getting painful around the outside top - clearly this is an overuse issue and ice has to be the answer plus the taper (I hope so anyway).

Eating and sleeping still a long way from being where they should be - I really struggle with these and it's totally down to race induced stress and lack of discipline.

My weight is now at 70kg (37kg or 81lbs lighter than in 2000) but I was targeting 67kg so I will likely hit 69kg maybe 68kg but the extra weight and poor sleep may prove to be my undoing - the weather/heat will be head and shoulders the biggest factor though. Couldn't have really asked for better training, provided I don't screw up my diet over the next two weeks I can be very happy with where I'm at and will have no regrets whatever the outcome.

Gong Xi Fa Chai

Gong Xi Fa Chai to all my Chinese friends - here's to wishing you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year.

Personal Ironman Photography Team - Ironman Malaysia

Many of you will all have heard that Shazly and team will be covering Ironman Malaysia again this year.

For a modest fee you can have the Snap-Attack team single you out and get shots of you not only throughout the race but in the build up and post race celebrations.

Contact Shazly at Snap-Attack.com

SUCK IT UP!

My buddy Johan in South Africa. On the turbo training for Ironman South Africa. Suck it up Johan, Suck it up, just a few more minutes...

What RUNNER+ say about Nike Lunarglide+

(Courtesy of runnerplus.com)

Simon says: - It seems like others agree with me about the Lunarglide+.

The new Nike LunarGlide+ running shoes are the definition of versatility. I was very pleasantly surprised with the feel and comfort of the shoe itself. The orange and black pattern design offers style without sacrifice as Nike has struck a winner with the new LunarGlide+.

The initial feedback has to be given to the shoes incredible versatility. I once thought it impossible to create a shoe that does everything. The LunarGlide is certainly the closest to this achievement. It is hard to believe a shoe can be designed for the underpronator, overpronator, high and low arched, and neutral arched runners in a single design. Nike assessed all different kinds of runners and created a shoe that adapts to anyone. This point cannot be overstressed because of the lack of knowledge in the “shoe fitting” area. We have all heard the claims that this shoe offers this and that shoe offers that. How many times have you been to the store and bought a shoe that just did not work out in the comfort department? Obviously, aches and pains lead to compensation in different joints, muscles, and tendons sometimes leading to serious injury; not to mention the extra energy expended. I personally overpronate with a high arch, and the LunarGlides adapted to my feet extremely quickly. After the first kilometer, I felt like I had put on hundreds already. I also felt the shoe was built perfectly for my feet. The amazing thing is it is built for any type of runner with any type of foot!

The cushioning is perfect for any surface. The Nike FlyWire technology provides superior cushioning without adding weight. The foam had a natural bounce to it thanks to the Nike Lunarlite foam, comparable to the New Balance Zip’s without the bulkiness. The cushioning was not on an Asiacs Gel type level either, which allows you to feel the surface and is much easier on the knees. I used three different terrains on three different runs to access the versatility of the shoe on different surfaces. I ran with them on a treadmill, through a nature path, and on the blacktop. The shoe provided my feet with the same feeling after each run.

Click HERE for full article

Dan Martin - This guy rocks

(Courtesy of Chantal)

On the 8th of May 2010, Dan will embark on his biggest journey to date, as he attempts a Global Triathlon – swimming, cycling and running around the world. This will include a grueling 5700km swim, as Dan attempts to become the first man in history to swim the Atlantic. Check out the video below (only 1min39sec).

The Global Triathlon from Daniel Martin on Vimeo.

Simon says: - SPEECHLESS

Click

Where's Teddy gone?

(retweeted by @donna_de via Twitter)

Simon says: - Very cool, I want to live in a country where this happens - NOTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!

Never give up...

Simon says: - This was my company's daily quote today on the Employee Zone. I thought it rather apt with Ironman Malaysia and Ironman China coming up. Hope it helps some through a tough patch.

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Novelist

What makes a triathlete? - By Bryan Payne

Extracted from a post by Bryan Payne on his blog site Training Payne (well worth following/RSS Feed)

"Near the end of my run, I was thinking that "I love being a Triathlete". Being a triathlete means you're a serious athlete, regardless of your age or finishing times. Just finishing a triathlon, does not make one a triathlete, it's only the starting point on the way to being a triathlete.

What makes one a triathlete is when you become passionate about the sport. Something about the sport speaks to your soul, it feels like a natural fit to your personality and at some point you commit to regular training. Becoming a triathlete is really when you make that lifestyle choice."



Simon says: - I particularly like the bit "Something about the sport speaks to your soul, it feels like a natural fit to your personality..."

Mr Arrogant or Mr Just Being Honest?

Courtesy of Mohan the Great)


Simon says: - Personally I love him, I love his arrogance (and arrogance it is) because a lot of the time he backs it up with results. As for being the fittest man in the world - I think he should look first to Dean Karnazes (Author of Ultramarathon Man, a book everyone MUST read before EVERY Ironman they do). Macca, you add great colour and spectacle to our sport, keep it up dude, not many mouthy Aussies pull it off and still get respect.

CLICK ON ARTICLE TO ENLARGE

"OH BUGGER" moments

(Courtesy of Dave Clenton)

Have you ever had one of those moments just as something awful has happened (or clearly is about to happen) and you've thought "OH BUGGER!". Well, chances are that whatever it was, it wasn't as bad as these guys: -

(I debated with myself about whether to publish the last picture as I think some would consider it a crime against humanity. You decide!)

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Ironman Training Totals - W/e 7 Feb 2010

My training totals for last week: -

Total Time: - 27:24:22hrs

Swim: - 6:25:16hrs - 17.86km
Bike: - 12:58:13hrs - 432km
Run: - 6:30:53hrs - 80.85km
Core-work & Stretching - 1:30hrs - 135 press-ups, 1125 crunches

Scores on the doors: -
Workouts - 19/23 (only missed extra sessions that I added to the plan - 4 core-work sessions)
Eating - 6.0/10 (This is getting worse and could reflect growing subconscious stress as the race draws near - I need to be vigilant and not let this get out of control otherwise this will be a race breaker.)
Sleep - 5.0/10 (Still erratic and poor discipline - this could be a race breaker too so must get on top of it.)

Comments: -
All in all an excellent week with loads of run PBs which is a very good sign at this stage of the game, although come race day it'll be singularly down to the weather and more specifically the heat.

I had some tough days in the saddle this week which I think simply reflect the combined fatigue load - I assume that this is how the plan is supposed to work, build up until almost physical (and mental) breakdown (pretty much daily at this stage of the plan - I've be following it in two stages since the end of August). The structure of the plan and when the sessions are executed give the body enough recovery for the next session and ultimately is encouraged to recover quicker and quicker and also simply get used to the huge work load.

The downside to this is you never know when you will have a good session or a fatigue riddled doggy one. The bike times have suffered this week but the runs greatly improved with the swims pretty good.

I still have some lung issues; when I was really suffering during the long ride and long run I was yakking up greenies again - I hope that this is just residue from the chest infection and a sign that the lungs are recovered but clearing out the last of the gunk - I have a sore throat too so I have to be very vigilant on this.

Eating and sleeping MUST be improved this week and the last 3 weeks for that matter. I have the last mega week this week and really want to execute EVERY session with quality (including the extra ones I've added) plus score perfect 10's for eating and sleeping.

Then two weeks taper (although you may not recognise them as much of a taper - this training plan is brutal!) followed by Ironman Malaysia then two weeks "recovery" and then Ironman China. Should be an interesting roller coaster ride.

Clean can be funny

(Courtesy of Shilpa)

One day, a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very Sexy nightie.

'Tie me up,' she purred, 'and you can do anything you want.'

So he tied her up and went golfing. [Simon says: - My personal favourite - I'm still chuckling as you read this]

*****************************************

A woman came home, screeching her car into the driveway, and ran into the house.
She slammed the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, 'Honey, pack your bags. I won the lottery!'

The husband said, 'Oh my God! What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain stuff?'
'Doesn't matter,' she said. 'Just get out.'

*****************************************

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband. [Simon says: - Any of you married blokes want to argue this point?]

*****************************************

A Polish immigrant went to the DMV to apply for a driver's license.
First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test.
The optician showed him a card with the letters

'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.'
'Can you read this?' the optician asked.
'Read it?' the Polish guy replied, 'I know the guy.'

*****************************************

Mother Superior called all the nuns together and said to them, 'I must tell you all something. We have a case of gonorrhea in the convent.'
'Thank God,' said an elderly nun at the back.. 'I'm so tired of chardonay.'

*****************************************

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.
Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen.

'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!'
The wife stared at him.

'What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?'

The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'[Simon says: - Welcome to my world]
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Fifty-one years ago, Herman James, a North Carolina mountain man, was drafted by the Army.

On his first day in basic training, the Army issued him a comb.

That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair.

On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush.

That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth.

On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap.

The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years.

*****************************************

Rocky the Mouse

(Courtesy of Mohan the Great)

How to dump your girlfriend Australian style

(Courtesy of Sam)

Warning: - It's Australian so there is "colourful" language involved.

Nike Lunarglide+ - Verdict

I have religiously worn these shoes for several months now alternating them with my beloved Asics. However, the Nike Lunarglide+ have been my long-run shoes of choice and I've notched up 800km in them now and they are officially dead.

So what did I think? First of all you have to put my thoughts into perspective, I started running in about 1982 and wore waffle bottomed Nikes. I just couldn't understand why anyone was daft enough to run in anything other than these clearly superior shoes.

I was a committed Nike fan for years and years even after I kept buying Nikes that just didn't seem to be working for me, year after year after year. In the end though I couldn't ignore the simple fact that Nike had lost its way so I started trying every shoe under the sun, Brooks, Mizuno, Asics to name but a few. I eventually fell in love with Asics and especially the DS Trainer for racing (I still don't think you can beat that as a racing shoe for all distances). I even flirted with Nikes from time to time but was always disappointed.

So when Nike asked me to review these shoes I knew I'd be objective but I wasn't sure they'd appreciate my comments as I didn't hold out much hope. So to my conclusion: -

Style: - Black and orange, pretty funky but not for everyone - as for me I loved the alternative look and tend to wear lots of black so I'm giving them 9/10 for style.

Durability: - I NEVER wear shoes past 800km but few ever get close to that because the outsole always wears out on the outside edge and ball of the foot area. Once the outsole goes then you are making contact with the ground with the much softer midsole. This results in rapid wear but more importantly reducing the stability of the shoe. I wonder sometimes if manufacturers make the outsole a little soft so the shoe wears out quicker???!!! Maybe I'm just cynical! The Nike Lunarglide+ outsole was awesome and made it to 700k before the outsole had worn significantly.

The midsole is a little more difficult to gauge as it can be compressed and worn out without you even realising it. It's usually only when you get a new pair of shoes and feel like your on springs that you realise your previous shoes had no life left in them. A telltale sign is creasing in the midsole. I'm pleased to say that the Nikes still feel full of life and there is no creasing.

The upper, usually these have leather or plastic support bands on them that can become brittle and start ripping. With the Lunarglides they have a sort of cloth material to create the stability and I suspect this also helps keep the weight down. I note that along the edge of one of these bands a tear has slowly appeared during the last 100k or so but has not affected performance at all. So my overall verdict for durability is 9/10.

Comfort: - These shoes feel very "squishy" and are like walking on foam (not an unpleasant feeling as I wrote previously). This may have been a negative if they hadn't been the most stable shoes I've ever worn. They do seem to get a little hotter than most runners possibly due to their colour or tightly knitted material but this is a minor issue. These shoes have to be the MOST COMFORTABLE SHOES I'VE EVER WORN!. 10/10.

Stability: - Runners World classes these as stability shoes. I'm a supinator so I need neutral/cushioned shoes in theory whereas stability shoes and in particularly the Lunarglides are touted as being perfect for over-pronators. Can it be that these runners fulfill the cliche "One size fits all"? Maybe not one size but I reckon they would suit just about any running gait. I have never been so injury free or aches and pains free. 10/10.

Performance: - I have to say that I wouldn't race in these shoes given the choice as I feel that my Asics DS Trainers return a lot more oomph to each stride. Having said that the Asics take their toll because of that. Whereas the Lunarglides get you home not feeling too beaten up. I read one magazine review that stated that due to their lightweight that it wasn't recommended to run more than 10k in these shoes - I say twoddle to that. I reckon these shoes get better the LONGER you run in them. They would always be my shoe of choice for long training. Yes they are very light but incredibly well cushioned. 8/10.

So would I recommend these shoes? When I embarked on this journey I was worried how I'd write honestly as I'd received a free pair of shoes to review that I didn't hold out much hope for. Basically, I resigned myself to the fact that it would be polite criticism rather than a brutal tirade. I have however found the job to be very easy and I've been very pleasantly surprised.

So would I recommend them? Let's put it this way, I have a long run to do on Sunday, the shoes I was given have expired so I'm prompted to write this final review before popping out to BUY MYSELF a new pair. I think that probably says it all does it not?

Possibly the most comfortable, lightweight, forgiving & hard wearing running shoes I've ever owned. Also not as expensive as Asics either!!! No NIKE are not paying me to write this but I suspect if you buy a pair you will be very pleased.