Skechers Gorun3 review

I have been wearing the Gorun2 for over a year now so was excited to receive the new Gorun3 a few weeks ago.   

The material is slightly different with the upper having a bit of a pattern on the gorun3.  The pink is just as on the picture, they are bright - I love the colour - I am keeping them for best as they are too nice to get dirty just yet! The green/white is nicer than it looks on the picture - good alternative for people who don't like bright colours yet is still a bit different to usual shoes.   I saw the purple at the London marathon expo, that looks really good - a nice deep purple and the black with pink laces looks better than in the picture on the website.  The ladies seem to have a much better selection of colours.

The biggest difference for me is the tongue which on the Gorun3 is now like the Gobionicride - the weight has been cut down but the tongue is not as soft so if you didn't get it lined up right it could be uncomfortable ( this has yet to be a problem for me although I prefer the tongue on the gorun2)

The other noticeable difference is the heel counter which on the Gorun2 is a bit more squashable; on the Gorun3 it is more sturdy but still quite soft and mouldable (much softer than on the speed which I found to be too hard until I bedded the shoes in) 

The sole is the same - my Gorun2 have now done over 400 miles so are looking a bit worn but still have life left, I expect to retire them around 500 miles as I do most shoes, they look good for at least another 100 miles. 

When you first put the shoes on you will feel like you are wearing slippers they are so soft and flexible as well as being really comfortable. Like all skechers shoes (apart from the Gorun speed) there is a wide toe box so your toes have plenty of space.  I have narrow feet; this is not a problem as it's the toe box that is wide not the whole shoe.  There is a 4mm drop on both models and they both have M strike technology which promotes a forefoot landing which is argued to be more efficient than heel striking.  

I wore the new Gorun 3 for a few short runs then 11 miles before wearing them for the London marathon on Sunday.  I love them (just as I love the Gorun2).  The ladies size 7 weighs 182g (on my kitchen scales) so they are very light giving you a good feel of the ground yet with a surprising amount of cushioning for the weight. Yes you feel stones through them so I wouldn't use them on gravelly /stoney paths but that's the price you pay for lighter shoes.  At no point in the marathon did I think 'I wish I had more cushioning'  they are so light you almost forget you are wearing them. I was very happy with how they felt  throughout just as I was the previous model and was not desperate to take my shoes off once I had finished as used to be the case when I wore clompy Asics Cumulus or Mizuno wave rider.

I have used the Gorun range for all race distances up to marathon (Gorun ride beyond marathon as more cushioning) as well as speed work and a lot of my steady runs as well because I like them so much.  

This shoe is not going to be suitable as a marathon shoe for everyone as it is very light.  When I started wearing the Gorun2 my calves would ache after a few short runs in them, it took several months to build up to marathons with no calf ache.  They are a great racing shoe for short distances.  If you are looking for a lightweight marathon shoe for the Autumn then now is the time to get some giving you plenty of time to get used to them.  There is a bit of a shortage of sizes at the moment but I have been told there will be more in stock this month http://www.skechers.co.uk/style/13927/skechers-gorun-3/prlm

London marathon

This was not my A race - I have been focusing my training on longer races - but as my training and some recent short races have been good I felt I was in a position to get a PB.

Feb - Stamford 30km 5 mins faster than last year 

March - Loughborough 5km ( my first so a PB) 2nd lady. 20.08

          -  Groundhog track marathon 1st lady, 3.16, no PB but it was very windy 

           - Raceways marathon, wasn't racing but was still 2nd lady

           - Loughborough half 1st lady and PB 1.30.28 ( was hilly and windy so hope to go sub 1.30 soon)

April.   - Colwick park run 5km 1st lady  and 4th overall 19.42 PB 

My marathon PB is 3.12.21, I was aiming for under 3.10 hopefully closer to 3.05 which I felt was realistic based on my training and races.  I had a mini taper ( rest sat, only one run Friday, a few miles dropped on other runs, some gym sessions missed and no hard sessions during the week) and cut caffeine from Monday. A week before I was confident but on race day I was not as I had picked up a cold/cough earlier in the week which had meant sleepless nights all week coughing; the hotel had a function until after midnight the night before which was far from ideal and I couldn't get the breakfast I wanted.

I was at the championship start due to getting a sub 3.15 qualifying time.  This meant short toilet queues as well as a marquee to change / wait in and generally a much calmer atmosphere.  It also meant I got to start right at the front so would not have to fight past fancy dress costumes or slow celebrities who get to go from the front of one of the other starts or other slow people who had put the wrong time down deliberately to get in a faster pen.  I was running for Macmillan http://www.justgiving.com/helen-james14 but had to wear my club vest from the champs start and no logos were allowed so I couldn't wear my usual 9bar calf guards!

Got off to a good start, no hold ups like in previous years: I could more or less run at the pace I wanted.   It was crowded but the traffic was flowing well and people were not running two and three abreast far too slow and getting in the way; there was no need to get my elbows out like in previous years!

Thanks to Ian Berry who took this whilst running!

I was feeling good for around the first 5 miles.  Pace was marginally too fast but not by so much as to cause concern as the 1st and 3rd mile are downhill.  It then all started to go a bit wrong, each mile got slower and slower.  My legs felt fine but I had to slow the pace to keep my breathing under control.  Although my cold had been a lot better by Friday my breathing was quite still laboured on my last run; I had hoped 48 hours later things would be much improved and whilst I was feeling fine pottering around London Saturday I was not over the cold enough to run well.   Even today just sitting here my breathing is not quite right - it feels as if my airways are slightly blocked and I can't quite get enough oxygen in.

The next 10 miles or so were not much fun - so many people were passing me which is really demoralising.  It was frustrating that my legs were fine and wanted to go faster but my breathing wasn't having it.  

At around 17 miles the sub 3.15 pacer went past me which was probably the lowest moment as although I realised I wasn't going to get the time I wanted I had hoped I would still at least manage sub 3.15.  It turns out the pacer was going too fast which was a relief.

Felt better from about 18 miles as it was now not far to go and I wasn't being passed as much -  lots of people were walking or slowing so I was passing people now.  I knew for 3.10 I needed to be at 20 miles in 2.25, was surprised to get there only a minute too slow, maybe things were not quite as bad as I had imagined them to be in my head! I knew I couldn't catch up that minute; neither could I pick up the pace by enough prevent the deficit growing so a PB was off but hopefully sub 3.15 still on so I kept going at about the same effort which was one that was not taxing my breathing too much.

It felt good to get to 23 miles as that was just over a park run, I had just under 25 minutes to get that done and get sub 3.15 which is what I did.  I managed to do a bit of a sprint finish ( well in my head it was a sprint).  My time was 3.14.06 which gets me a championship start again but is not the time I was wanting or felt I was capable of.   When I finished all I could think of was getting some water, I must have been very dehydrated as I am not usually that desperate.

My splits tell the sorry story, I do like the bit bottom right which says that I passed loads more in the last 7.2km than passed me!  Another positive is that I wore my new Gorun3 which had only done 11.5 miles, they were very comfortable, light but had sufficient cushioning for 26.2 miles of tarmac.

Now I want to do another one soon to try to redeem myself but need to focus on recovery a bit of training then tapering for the 100km which is one of my A races.  This is going to be a great race, Steve Way who was 3rd Brit at London and ran an amazing 2.16 is running the 100km as it is laps I will get to see him in action as he laps me! There is also a 50km so if anyone fancies an ultra it is not too late, this would be an ideal first ultra for anyone wanting to step up from the marathon and because the pace is more relaxed in some ways it is easier.http://www.national100k.com/index.html

 

Two unplanned races

The plan for last week with London two weeks away was fairly normal training during the week but no long run at the weekend - just 12 miles to test my marathon shoes. The 100km is my A race so I am doing a fairly minimal taper for London in the hope it will be enough for a small PB (3.12.21)

Legs were very tired on Monday after a 60 mile weekend - massage Monday evening hurt! Tuesday legs still tired runs were a bit of a slog. Wednesday back to normal for an interval session - 4 x 4 min off 2 min - fastest pace ever for that session.

Mid week it occurred to me that I could do a park run at the weekend.  I have never done one before because my nearest is not that near and normally at weekends I am doing long run/ races or need a lie in.  A while back I said that once I felt confident of doing sub 20 I would make the effort and sacrifice my lie in and lazy Saturday morning! Last month I found a local 5km which I could run to, I did 20.08 - it was hilly and windy so I felt confident of sub 20 on the right course with the right weather! So this weekend myself and hubby ( who runs once or twice a week) went to Colwick park run.



His and hers Skechers shoes ready for park run

I would recommend doing one.  They are free; well organised; quick results and an email with your results to include gender, age category, WAVA etc, really impressive.  Pre race I looked at the results from previous weeks so that I knew where to start - 2nd row seemed about right. The first few minutes were a bit congested with narrow paths and slower people starting ahead but I could soon run at my own pace.  Although flat I didn't find it the fastest course as there were twists/ turns and it was uneven underfoot in a lot of places but I got the job done - 19.41, 1st lady. 4th overall out of 172.  After I finished I jogged back to run Phil in - not sure if he liked that or not. I was really proud of him, he was working hard, he has only done a couple of races and seemed to enjoy it.

My plan for Sunday was a steady 12 miles in my Gorun3 probable marathon shoes.  Normally I am really organised - test my shoes months in advance then put them away.  I had been planning on using my Gorun2 which I used for Leicester marathon in October with no problems.  Since then I have used them for some short speed sessions but when I used them for Stamford 30km in February my toes were sore.  I put it down to the hills so my toes probably hitting the end of the toe box.  Used them again for a track marathon in March - same problem.  I think that my feet must have expanded.  The new Gorun3 has just come out so Skechers sent me some in size 7 (half a size bigger).  I've had them a few weeks but have only used them for short runs as all my long runs have been really long!



Skechers Gorun3 - London marathon shoe

Sundays steady 12 miler ended up being a 6 mile race sandwich as there was a plea on FB on Friday for vet ladies for the club league race.  Arrived early to do to few miles before.  Wasn't expecting to beable to run very hard after the 5km but decided to go with the flow and just do my best to try to get some decent points for the club since I was there and don't do many of these races.

It was a hilly one - as always I was passed on the uphills but gained back places not the downs.  Was really pleased how well I was able to run after yesterday.   4th lady which I was very happy with, time was 40.07 which is an 11 minute PB ( my last 6 mile race was about 6 years ago!).  Just after finishing I did a few more miles making the total 11.4 for the morning.  Shoes were totally fine - really nice actually so they will be my London marathon shoe. There are a few minor differences between the Gorun2 and 3 so I wasn't expecting any problems but with going up half a size wanted to run a bit further in them before race day.

Half marathon win

Last week was a slightly lower mileage week (82 miles) following 108 miles the previous week.  At the end of the week I had my first half marathon in 2 years.  My PB was 1.34.08 on this course but it was measured short.  I was fairly sure I could get a PB based on recent training and liked the idea of sub 1.30 but when I worked out the pace a few days before I realised that was out of the question! Then the day before I starting thinking maybe I could with the wind in the right direction, an easy day the day before and everything else going just right.

In the end I decided to just run hard and hope for the best. I cycled to the start and although there was a bit of wind it wasn't as bad as it had been.  However, I had been misled, on some parts of the course the wind was very strong.

I had no idea how to pace this so just went for it, the first mile was far too fast trying to duck and dodge around people to get into the right position.  My splits were all over the place as the course was quite hilly, much more so than I remembered.  It is not the best course for a fast time due to the hills; crossing of roads;  narrow bits where it was hard to get past people.  There was even a nasty off road part where loads of people went past me as I am rubbish off-road.

Despite these problems  I had a good run and surprised myself with a new PB (wasn't surprised at the PB but was at the time given the course) of 1:30:28 and first lady.  Was also first V35 so ended up with £75 vouchures from Nottingham runner. Makes a nice change to win something rather than to just get a trophy or nothing.

The half took longer to recover from than I expected, most likely from pounding down hills which I am not used to.  I have been doing lots of hill reps on the treadmill but they don't include downhill so need to do some reps outside as I really don't want to spend several days recovering every time I do a hilly race! So it was just easy running until Thursday when I did an interval session at lunchtime - 4x4min hard where I did my fastest pace ever for that session then hill reps in the evening.

This week I had two exciting deliveries of kit, one from Skechers with some long and short sleeved tops and another was my England kit.  I did not order the pants, someone obviously thought it would be funny to include them in my package!

Yesterday I did a 40 mile long run.  I used this as an opportunity to test a few things ..

England shorts - they were OK, rode up a bit but not too bad

Sunwise sunglasses - got these with my vouchures; normally wear oakley but thought it would be good to have some cheaper ones I didn't need to worry about it I was taking them on and off in lapped races.

S!caps electrolyte tablets - in 24 hour races I struggle to get enough electrolytes from fluids so trying these tablets - took 4, had no issues.

Inside out calf guards - from the championship start at VLM only tiny logos are allowed, my calf guard all have massive compressport logos so I wanted to make sure inside out didn't chafe - they were fine

Gorun ultra shoes - wore these for my last 40 miler.  They are totally fine, really like them but am still torn as to which shoes to wear for 100km and 24 hours.  The extra cushioning would probably be better for my legs but I prefer the lighter Gorun ride.

It was a warm day, and guess what, another windy one.  It was shorts and vest weather but I decided to go with my new long sleeved black top from Skechers just to make sure I was hot and to make the run harder as London and my 100km could be hot so it's good to make use of these warm days to try and acclimatise.  

On my long runs I call home a few times for drinks/food but always carry some with me as well.  At 15 miles I was almost out of water and some way from home so had to buy some coke from a chippy with my emergency £1.  That was a much needed and really nice can of coke.   For the last 6 miles I went round and round a very hilly loop near home to practice hills on tired legs ready for the 100km.

By the end of the run my black top had loads of white sweat marks! I had drunk around 3 litres (had to call at the gym for a top up) instead of around 1.5 litres last time and I still felt dehydrated even this morning.  It was a hungry run as well, ate - 3 9bars, 2 powerbars, 2 bags of crisps, 2 funsize crunchie, 2 Jaffa cakes, funsize bag of maltesers and some coconut mushrooms.  Before you call me a pig bear in mind I was running over lunch so lunch is included in that lot!! 

This morning I did 8.5 hilly miles on my little loop, Was going to run longer but had bad stomach cramps (too many post long run white chocolate maltesers) so decided to split the run into two.  This evening did 11.5 miles to take me to 20 miles for the day and a 60 mile weekend.  This is my longest ever training week of 115 miles and 400 miles for the month with a day to go.

London in 2 weeks.  I wont be doing a proper taper as it is not my A race so I don't want to be missing much training time but I will not be doing any more long run.  Just need to try to do 10-14 miles at some point to test out my race day shoes (gorun3) which I have only worn for short runs so far otherwise all other runs will be no more than an hour. 

Skechers Gorunride3 Review

The Gorun ride has been my main running shoe for about 18months.  I use the Gorun for races (up to marathon) and speedwork as well as some training runs but my default shoe is Gorun ride which I have used for all distances including for a 24 hour (132mile) race.

The Gorunride2 was a big improvement on the original Gorun ride so I was excited to receive the new Gorunride3 a few weeks ago although I was really not sure how it would be possible to make an already great shoe any better.   The idea of the update was to make it appeal to more of a mass market - to look and feel more like a normal running shoe.  http://www.skechers.co.uk/style/13910/skechers-gorun-ride-3/teal

They look very similar to the GRR2 on the upper - both are a lovely soft material - I love the teal  (others are available including a rather nice looking hot pink or black for those who dont like bright colours). The sole is much improved.  The GRR2 would sometimes get stones trapped between the GOimpulse sensors; the GRR3 is designed such that it would be hard to get stones trapped. 

The Gorunride3 has a bit more support around the heel to hold the foot better in place but the difference is fairly minimal, it's not something I felt was lacking before but I know some people prefer a little more support.

The GRR3 is a little narrower, there is still plenty of space in the toe box and much more than on other brands. I noticed this at the gym when I spent quite a long time on the cross trainer, the shoe was feeling a bit tight lower down the foot which I think was because my feet were spreading out more than when running.  As soon as I got off and ran home I didn't notice it and since the shoes are for running not the gym then it shouldn't be a problem although I would reserve judgement until I had done a long run in them.  

After a few weeks of short runs I am very happy with them, if I am honest I don't really notice the differences between the GRR2&3.  I love the gorun2 so am pleased they have kept everything I like about them. I especially like how soft and slipper like they feel, not just the materiel of the upper but also the cushioning which is sufficient to give protection from stones etc. whilst keeping the shoes light.

Both models are very flexible and light - size 7 is 212g with the sock liner.  You can take this out if you prefer a more minimal feel - that will save you 20g.  Just like the original the heel drop is 4mm and there is the same technology to promote a midfoot strike.  I used to be a heel striker; since wearing skechers shoes I have gradually changed to more of a midfoot without really thinking about it.

I have now done 100 miles in the shoes including a 32 mile long run yesterday with the first marathon at a purposeful pace.  The wear after 100 miles is similar to the other Gorunride models which I have retired at 500-550 miles they do have wear left in them but I don't want to risk injury.

The shoes gave me plenty of cushioning and support during the 32 mile run such that I could forget I was wearing them. The marathon was on Tarmac around an airfield and whilst I would normally wear my gorun2 if I was running fast I was glad of the extra cushioning as there were a lot of potholes and stoney bits so they offered more protection. I didn't get any stones trapped like I would have done with the GRR2.  I had absolutely no blisters or hot spots and the issue of them not feeling as wide after an extended period on the cross trainer was not a problem on my long long run.  

The GRR3 are made of a more breathable fabric as I didn't have the wet sweat patches on the top of the shoe which I would get on the GRR2 on a warm day or when I am running hard.  An additional bonus is that my white socks were not stained from the fabric - with the GRR2 after a long run my white socks would be a bit pink from the dye of the shoe!

Since I was undecided which I liked best and couldn't really tell the difference I went for a hilly run with one shoe on each foot.  Since the GRR2 have about 350 miles on them it was not really a fair comparison.  I would say that to me the difference was fairly minor, I felt that the GRR3 supported my foot a little more, not in an anti pronation way.  It's hard to explain but it just felt a bit more Iike my foot was kept on place and prevented a little bit from spreading which is going to be better for people who are used to traditional shoes.  I found the difference to be very minor though. In terms of cushioning and comfort both were equal so I would say if you are undecided get the ones which have the colour you like best or which are in the sale as the differences small, although if you run on gravel and stones then the GRR3 is going to be best.  

 

Selections, 5km and track marathon

A lot has happened since my last blog.  Firstly two very exciting bits of news...

1. I have been selected to run for England at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km on May 3rd.  This is a home countries international, I ran for England last year at this event in Perth.  There is also an open 100km race with a 12 hour cut off and an open 50km with a 7 hour limit so get your entries in!  The course is a 2km loop which some describe as flat but it does have a few inclines.  I have run a marathon on this course and as someone used to flat I found it quite hard towards the end.  http://www.national100k.com/

2.  I have been selected to run for GB at the World 24 hour Championships in Pilzen, Czech Republic in June.  The photo is from last year which is why I am not in it.  However, in the last few days this event has been cancelled and they are now looking at a new venue so hopefully some news soon.  http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2014-news-page/february-2014/25-02-14-24hr-champs/



Thanks Andrea for the picture

A couple of weeks ago I did my first 5km (I did do race for life about 10 years ago when I didnt run much).  I am not very good at short distances so tend to avoid them but I spotted this on Friday night before the race on Sunday, it was a weekend when I wasnt planning a long run so decided to give it a go.  It was local so I ran to the start.  I wasnt sure if I was in shape for sub 20 but that was my dream goal, I knew I wouldnt be too far away on a flat course but had been told this was hilly.  I started on the second row as that seemed about the right place - I know you shouldnt judge other people by what they are wearing and their size but I had nothing else to go on.  As soon as the gun went off loads of people from behind went charging past me, ooops, I started too far forward!  It took a few minutes for me to realise that I was doing a 5km not a marthon so I needed to be going faster, I then started passing people so that was nice after feeling a bit demorolised at the start being passed by so many! 

I knew I needed to average 6.27mm so allowing for garmin error I was aiming for about 6.24mm.  At 2.5 miles I looked and was on 6.15mm so thought it was in the bag.  I then didnt look again.  A big hill came up which I must have lost time on, didnt think to look.  I saw a lady ahead of me who I was gaining on but the finish was too close to beable to catch her so I didnt go into that 6th / run so hard you feel sick gear, I was happy enough that I was on course for sub 20 so wasnt too fussed about another place higher.  After I finished I didnt look at the time for a while as I assumed I had gone under 20mins and wasnt really that bothered how much.  When I looked I was quite surprised to see 20.07, how did that happen? I am so used to marathons where if you are 10s a mile ahead with half a mile to go then yes it is in the bag but that is not the case with a 5km.  Had I been looking at my garmin I could have gone into that top gear and maybe just sneaked under.  The other annoying thing is that I was 2nd lady, had I known the lady ahead was 1st I could have caught her as she was only 5s ahead.  Oh well, guess I need to do another some time!

Last weekend was the Groundhog track marathon.  I was taking this fairly seriously although it is not my A race so I skipped a long run the previous weekend (did the 5km) and cut caffeine for the week.  I also had a rest day the day before which turns out to have been my first rest day of the year.  I was not sure if I was in PB shape but knew I was close after the Stamford 30km so I was going for it.  Unfortunatly it was very windy so we had a strong headwind on the back straight and part of the bend.  Yes there probably was a bit of a backwind as well but that never cancels out the time lost on the headwind.  Managed to run to PB pace for the first 30 laps (its 105.5 laps in total) but then gradually got slower as the headwind started to take its toll.  Splits were not a disaster, 1st half was 1.35.xx (not sure the seconds) final time 3.16.10.  This got me 1st lady, 19 minutes ahead of 2nd.  Although it was 4mins too slow I was pleased with the way I ran.  Yes I did fade but so did most people and I felt that at the end I was still running strong, apart from into the headwind which by the last 20 laps was getting really hard work.




Post marathon my calves ached but that is to be expected running 26.2 miles on a hard track in minimal shoes (Gorun2).  My legs did not feel too tired though which  is perhaps due to only running at marathon pace for about 270m then having a 130m headwind at a slower pace (although still marathon effort).

Now I feel my speed is back post injury I am slightly changing my focus - a bit less speedwork to make way for more hills in preparation for the 100km.  Instead of 2 hard fast sessions a week I am dropping down to 1 but will do a mini strides type session just so I am still using the fast twitch muscles twice a week.  I have been doing 2 hill sessions a week on the treadmill and some hilly runs outside.  I am going to either make those sessions longer or do more of them and also do more outside hilly runs rather than the same old routes.  Yesterday I did up and down park road several times (a half mile hill) then a hill session on the treadmill in the evening so I was doing hills on tired legs.

This weekend is the Stratford raceway marathon.  I am not racing this, but using it as a training run and a chance to test my new Gorun ride3 which I have been using for a few weeks on short runs - first impressions are that they are very nice and I love the colour.  The race is 5km laps so I might do a couple of extra laps then on Sunday I plan to do a hilly long ish run ie on tired legs which is what I need to practice for the 100km.

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