The Adidas Adizero Adios 6 has been updated so I thought I would share some details about the new technologies and my first impressions after a speed session. Let me know what you think &/or if you have any specific questions comment below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Note: I work for adidas as a Consumer Experience/Running Expert at the flagship store in London.
On Saturday 15th May I took part in the Run Through Battersea Park 10k looking to improve my personal best. Throughout lockdowns I was doing 3 or 4 (more specific) training sessions each week and I managed to clock 16:11 for a 5k solo time trial. I was confident I could run well inside my PB of 34:34 from the London Winter Run in 2018.
In the week leading up to the race I made it to Mile End track for a 10 x 400 (90s rest) session and ran a 20k tempo around Chelmsford on the Thursday to keep the legs turning over. I opted to stay in a hotel, between work and Battersea Park, before the race so I didn’t have a super early start. Aside from the Layer 5 miler, which used wave starts, this was my first “proper” race back since the lockdowns and I was really excited to see what I could do.
The night before the race I was thinking about how to approach it. “Should I go out fast and try to hold on or start steady and ramp it up?”. I opted for the latter because I figured if I went out a little too ambitious it would be a sufferfest. It always feels better to be passing others and finish feeling strong. I looked at what times I would have to hit for each 2.5k (8:45) to run 35 minutes but was hoping I could pick it up enough to run well inside that. After-all my current half marathon PB is around 3:30min/km pace, although that was 5 or so years ago.
There seemed to be a really good turnout for the 10k. I guess Battersea Park is a popular destination for a race as it’s pancake flat and the corners aren’t sharp. It’s ideal for PB attempts (& training sessions) really. The start was a little different to normal with everyone being told to stand on a cone and groups of four set off with a few seconds between them.
With the adrenaline pumping on the start line it’s easy to take off too fast. I made a conscious effort to hold back, get into a rhythm early and assess how the legs felt before picking it up. Having trained solo for a long time it was great to be in a race with others. The conditions were perfect, nice and cool and very still. It’s not very often you get good weather on race day so I wanted to make the most of it.
The first lap went really quickly and I felt comfortable at 3:30min/km for the first few kilometres. There were quite a few guys holding around the same pace so it was good to work together. Another lap down and I went through 5k in 17:13. As I was feeling good I started to pick the pace up a little and focused on closing the gap to runners in front. I was conscious of pushing too hard too soon and blowing up so I increased the pace gradually every kilometre. Luckily I continued to feel good. I think the track session in the week really helped. As I had ran the reps at close to mile pace I felt really efficient in the race.
Thanks to my progressive pacing strategy it was great to be passing others on the final lap. I knew I’d already done enough to clock a big PB but wanted to chip off as much time as possible. With the final kilometre including the slightest of downhills I opened the legs up before crossing the finish line in 33:37. Having not raced many 10ks over the last 5 years I knew it was due a big update but I was really surprised to knock off that much and happy with the way I felt and executed the plan.
As I enjoyed the race so much I’ve been eyeing up a few more Run Through events around London that I can make over the next couple of weeks. Next up could be the Chase The Sun Brixton 10k, think I might need a decent hill session before that one!
Overall I really enjoyed the race and it was great to see lots of friendly familiar faces. Always a big fan of the Run Through medals… and flapjacks too. Thanks to Matt and the team for organising another cracking event. Hopefully see some of you at another event soon!
As races are back and marathons are on the horizon I thought it would be good to share some training tips and sessions that have worked well for me in the past. Please let me know if you find any of the tips insightful/helpful or if you have specific questions fire away in the comments!
As I’ve worn shoes like the adidas Adizero Boston & Adios for the last 8+ years I’ve wanted similar shoes for the trails but with extra grip. Luckily the adidas Terrex team have closely collaborated with British ultra runner Tom Evans to provide that and more. Here’s a quick video going through the tech and letting you know how I found them on the trails.
Note: I work for adidas as a Consumer Experience/Running Expert at the flagship store in London.
Recently I’ve been sent a few messages asking about the differences between some of the adidas Adizero running shoes so I thought I’d record a quick video explaining my rotation. If you have any questions, comment and I’ll try to help or find out the answer.
Note: I work for adidas as a Consumer Experience/Running Expert at the flagship store in London.
As I’ve now run over 500km in the adidas Adizero Adios Pro I thought I would share a quick video going through some of the technologies and to let you know how I’ve got on with them. Let me know what you think &/or if you have any questions, if you managed to get a pair I’d be interested to know what you make of them.
Note: I work for adidas as a Consumer Experience/Running Expert at the flagship store in London.
The adidas Ultra Boost has been revamped for 2021 so I thought I would share some details about the new technologies and how I found them on an easy 10k.
Let me know what you think &/or if you have any specific questions comment below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Note: I work for adidas as a Consumer Experience/Running Expert at the flagship store in London.
Over the last few weeks I have been doing the majority of my running in either the Adios Pro or Adizero Pro. I thought it would be good to share my thoughts on both shoes, trying to explain the differences and highlight what distances they are best suited for. Since I started running 8 or so years ago, I have always opted to wear the Adios or Boston for the bulk of my training because they’re well balanced. I find them cushioned enough for all distances yet lightweight and responsive for speed sessions &/or races. The Adios has always had such a great reputation, pre-Vaporfly 4% it was the shoe of choice for many elite marathoners and for good reason when you consider Haile Gebrselassie and others broke the marathon world record on numerous occasions in them.
It goes without saying that technology in running shoes has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. The emergence of carbon plated shoes has changed the sport and we’re seeing records being broken regularly. As an adidas running expert at the London flagship store, to my frustration a lot of the times were achieved in that brand with the swoosh but thankfully now the Adios Pro has been co-created with some of the world’s best athletes (including Rhonex Kipruto and Joycline Jepkosgei) some of those records are being reclaimed and contended for by adidas yet again. For instance, Peres Jepchirchir lowered the women-only half marathon record to 65:16 in the World Half Marathon Championships in Poland closely followed by Melet Yisak Kejeta also sporting the Adios Pro. Other results to note include Kibiwott Kandie finishing second in the men’s half and Vincent Kipchumba’s second place finish in the London Marathon.
As I’m a keen marathon runner I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a pair of Adios Pro. I was lucky enough to get them before the virtual London Marathon, so I tested them on a 20k run at marathon pace and a few shorter sessions leading up to the “race”. Having ran in the Adios & Boston for so many years I was initially a little worried I wouldn’t like the feeling of a shoe with such a big stack height, but they felt comfortable straight out the box. When trying them on for size I was in two minds whether to go down a half size from my Adios, Boston and Adizero Pro because there is a little more room in the toe box.
However, thanks to the gusseted tongue I felt like my foot was held securely and for a marathon shoe it is always good to have some space for your toes to splay and for your feet to heat up and expand. I’ve been really impressed with the midsole, the Lightstrike Pro foam offers a huge amount of cushioning yet feels stable and a combination of the carbon heel plate and carbon infused energy rods (aligned with your metatarsals in the forefoot) make for a smooth transition from heel to toe. Once you lock into marathon pace, they feel really propulsive. The Celermesh upper which also features on the Adizero Pro is incredibly lightweight and breathable. As there were a few large puddles to run through in the virtual marathon my feet got pretty wet, but they soon dried out. Something I really noticed after the marathon was that my legs didn’t feel half as beaten up compared to when I’ve covered the distance in the “normal” Adios. I benefitted a lot from the amount of Lighstrike Pro foam.
One thing I was surprised about with the Adios Pro is that it doesn’t feature the ever-popular continental rubber on the outsole. However, having completed the marathon on wet ground I had no problems with the grip and I imagine not using Continental kept the price down. For a marathon racing shoe featuring as much technology as it does £170 is an absolute steal.
Tech spec
Weight: 225g
Midsole drop: 8.5mm (heel: 39mm / forefoot: 30.5mm)
Price: £170
When the Adizero Pro was released I watched some reviews and there were quite a few people disappointed with them. I guess initially everyone thought this was the shoe to contend with the likes of the Vaporfly etc but it is more of a conventional racing flat with a full length Carbitex carbon plate which gives you a nice pop off the forefoot. This is now my go to shoe for speed sessions and 5k & 10k races. Going from running in the Adios to the Adizero Pro felt natural and I really like the balance of Boost and Lightstrike in the midsole. As they’ve got quite a lot of cushioning, they’d be a good option for racing half and full marathons if you don’t get on well with shoes featuring a high stack height. The Adizero Pro features the same Celermesh upper as the Adios Pro but fits a little narrower/shorter. As mentioned previously I’m a big fan of the gusseted tongue, especially for speed sessions your foot is held securely.
In contrast to the Adios the Adizero Pro has a lot of Continental rubber in the forefoot with Adiwear in the heel. Wearing the Adios, Boston or Adizero Pro with Continental grip I never have any issues running or racing in wet conditions.
Tech spec
Weight: 235g (UK size 8.5)
Midsole drop: 9.5mm (heel: 21.5mm / forefoot: 12mm)
Price: £160
Overall, I’ve been really pleased with the Adios Pro and Adizero Pro. They’ve both been perfect for the paces and distances they’re intended for. I’m excited to see how the Adizero range develops over the next few years and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of the Adios Pro on podiums in the near future.
If you’ve run in either of the shoes let me know in the comments what you make of them or if you have any questions fire away.
On Sunday 4th October I took part in the virtual London Marathon. Along with thousands of others, it goes without saying, that I was really disappointed the 40th race couldn’t be held on the streets of London. However, when it was announced as a virtual marathon, I thought it would provide a different kind of challenge and I wanted to earn what will hopefully be a unique medal. Fingers crossed marathon runners can be reunited on start lines across the world at some point soon.
In the lead up to race day I was contemplating how to approach the run. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of races my “training” was sporadic to say the least. Between March and June Lorna and I did quite a few long trail runs making the most of the nice weather and time while I was furloughed. After returning to work in June I really struggled to get into a running routine, but I tried to prioritise some of the key sessions that Robbie & Tom sent me through the Fast Running Performance Project Group. Despite the lack of training I decided my goal was to try and clock another sub 3 marathon. On one hand I thought I was being too ambitious but on the other I was confident knowing I managed a sub 3 run in Lucerne last year off the back of relatively minimal training.
To provide some extra motivation I opted to follow the Chelmsford Marathon route, which I hadn’t covered before. I thought it was probably the best route to run continuously and not get bored having to run the same loop multiple times. Luckily Lorna managed to borrow a bike, from our friends Hayley and Will, so she could keep me company and entertained. After gaining a bit of final inspiration by watching the elite women’s race and seeing Sara Hall charge down second place we made our way up to the local park to start the race. Having pinned my race number on I received strange looks and good luck wishes in equal measure.
I stood under the start gantry (actually by some bollards opposite M&S at the start of Chelmsford Central Park) and pressed start on the official tracking app. Having not taken part in a virtual race before it felt quite strange. I’d ran a 5k time trial or two but to try and think of this run as the London Marathon was weird. To finish in around 3 hours, I knew I had to hold 4:15min/km which Lorna and I managed to settle into quickly. In a marathon I have always found the first 10-20k hard to judge because it generally feels quite comfortable. I guess you’re trying to predict how the pace will affect you in the final 5-10k but unless you’ve done lots of marathon paced long runs it’s so hard to know what is sustainable.
As the Chelmsford Marathon takes you along the country lanes, I knew it was going to be a little undulating so through the early miles I aimed hold a consistent effort and wasn’t too worried if I was 5-10 seconds per kilometre either side of goal pace. In terms of nutrition I regularly sipped on a Maurten 320 (80g carbs) mix to keep fuelled up. I felt good through the first 10k, I was enjoying the countryside views and chatting to Lorna made the kilometres tick by quickly. Around the route we bumped into a handful of runners with London Marathon race bibs on. It was a nice reminder that we were taking part in an event and to think about all the other runners around the country pushing themselves to raise money for charity.
Throughout the run I kept wondering whether I was being overly ambitious aiming for 3 hours but through halfway in just under 1:30 I felt relatively comfortable. We’d got into a really good rhythm which meant I didn’t have to stress all the time about looking at the watch, apart from for directions. The country lanes were perfectly quiet which got me wondering why I hadn’t explored them before. As with all marathons I had a few little patches where I started to feel tired and that I couldn’t hold goal pace, but Lorna reassured me that my form still looked good. When I felt like I was losing a little focus I took on more fuel which really helped. After drinking two 500ml 320 Maurten mixes in the first two hours I decided to have a caffeine gel as they always perk me up for the last 10k or so.
To my surprise heading back towards town I still felt good. In previous marathons I’ve really struggled in the last 5-10k, but I think my pacing and nutrition strategy paid off. This was also my first time running a marathon in the Adios Pro, they really helped due to the amount of cushioning and technology in the shoe (I’ll probably do a blog post comparing the Adios Pro and Adizero Pro soon, so I won’t get into the details here). With a lot of the route taking us around quiet country lanes it was great to run back through the park receiving shouts of support from people. Admittedly it wasn’t quite the same as running along Embankment or The Mall!
Having not looked at the official tracking app I wasn’t sure how far I had left to cover. I managed to pick the pace up a little over the final few kilometres to cross the invisible finish line in 2:58:10.
I was really chuffed that I achieved my goal, it was a lot of fun taking part in the challenge especially with Lorna alongside on the bike. Without her I would have definitely eased up and settled for a much slower time. Overall, I’m glad I took part and it’s inspired me to start thinking about the next race &/or challenge. A massive congratulations to those of you that also ran the virtual marathon and thank you if you dropped me a good luck or well-done message, really appreciate it.
Over the last few years I have found various running related websites, podcasts, books, magazines & films really helpful. Some of the resources mentioned below have altered the way I train and race while others have provided motivation and inspiration. I hope you will also find the links useful. If you have any personal recommendations please comment and share.
Websites
Science of Running
https://www.scienceofrunning.com/
McMillan Running
https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/
Fast Running
The Milestone Pursuit
https://themilestonepursuit.com/the-milestone-pursuit-in-running/the-monthly-milestone/
Marathon time predictor:
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/marathon-calculator/
Podcasts
The Morning Shakeout
https://themorningshakeout.com/
Marathon Talk
Lets Get Running
https://www.letsgetrunning.co.uk/podcast
Billy Yang
https://billyyangpodcast.libsyn.com/
Books/Magazines
Marathon Running: From Beginner to Elite – Richard Nerurkar
Endure – Alex Hutchinson
The Art of Running Faster – Julian Goater, Don Melvin
Twin Tracks – Roger Bannister
Two Hours – Ed Caesar
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami
Born To Run – Christopher McDougall
Natural Born Heroes – Christopher McDougall
Why We Run – Robin Harvie
Eat & Run – Scott Jurek
North – Scott Jurek
Running With The Kenyans – Adharanand Finn
The Way Of The Runner – Adharanand Finn
Rise Of The Ultrarunners – Adharanand Finn
50 Races To Run Before You Die – Tobias Mews
Runner – Lizzy Hawker
Ultramarathon Man – Dean Karnazes
The Road To Sparta – Dean Karnazes
Feet In The Clouds – Richard Askwith
Running Free – Richard Askwith
A Life Without Limits – Chrissie Wellington
Finding Gobi – Dion Leonard
Run Or Die – Kilian Jornet
A Year On The Run – Damian Hall
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
Peak Performance – Brad Stulberg, Steve Magness
Grand Trail – Alexis & Frederic Berg
Like The Wind Magazine
https://www.likethewindmagazine.com/
Ultra Magazine
https://www.ultra-magazine.com/
Films / Documentaries / Videos
The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young
Where Dreams Go To Die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU
Run Forever: The film of Nicky Spinks & The Double Bob Graham Round
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ABR30IHlq4
Paul Tierney: Running The Wainwrights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMBEjxlst8
Unbreakable: The Western States 100
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=zy1as6CTYXI&feature=emb_title
Finding Traction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3tCVxm0sm4
Skid Row Marathon
Karl Meltzer: Made To Be Broken
https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/films/karl-meltzer-made-to-be-broken
Kilian Jornet: Summits Of My Life
https://everest.summitsofmylife.com/
YouTube channels
Salomon Running
https://www.youtube.com/user/officialsalomon
The Ginger Runner
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGingerRunner
Run Steep Get High
https://www.youtube.com/user/runsteepgethigh
Ben Parkes
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZPqG0yh_xPm2AyLjffbDvw
The Run Testers
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOBM9FasII4dKbyE_HKkbjw
The Running Channel
Steve Skinner 