National 100km

Thanks to Julian Porter for the picture

This was my first A race of the year.  As it was just 3 weeks after the London marathon by the time I had recovered from London it was time to taper for this so I got to the start feeling like it had been ages since I had done any decent mileage, at least I was well rested.  My last hard sessions was a 10km track race 10 days before where I set a PB of 39.29 (knocking almost 2 mins off my previous best) so I was feeling in good shape.

The course was 48 laps of just over 2km round a cycle park so nice smooth tarmac and a wide course BUT it had a hill.  I knew about the hill so had been doing more hills in training but knew that a few months was never going to be enough compared to others who run hills all the time and have done for years but I did the best I could bearing I mind I get injured if I do too many hills.




A selection of my food/drink there was more of the same in the box

Arrived just after 7am for the 8am start.  We had 3 tables for the England team so loads of space for all my food/drinks - high5; coke; water; 9bars; powerbars; bananas; Jaffa cakes; funsize cruchie; coconut mushrooms and gels.  As always I had far too much but you never know what you want in such long races.  I was wearing Skechers Gorunride 3 but had a pair of ultras to change into incase I felt I needed more cushioning and another pair of Gorunride incase it rained. 



love the personalised number -thanks TZruns

Although I carry a bottle on training runs I prefer not to and since it was only a 2km loop I decided on a new system which I have seen others using - grab drink, have a few mouthfuls, drop bottle, Phil pick up bottle to reuse.  I had about 10 bottles so there was no need for him to pick up that often.  We agreed beforehand where I would drop my bottle.  This was mistake number one as the place we agreed was not far enough away for me to drink very much.  In hindsight I should have just dropped it later and told Phil as I was running past him but its hard to have a conversation when running.

Set off at what felt like a comfortable pace but the garmin was saying too fast.  I find pacing hard on hilly courses as some miles will be faster and could cause panic but shouldn't if it has down in.  Other miles will be slower if they have uphill and so could also cause panic.  Mistake number2.  Rather than looking at my mile splits I should have been looking at laps and worked out in advance what I should have been doing.

Thanks Julian Porter for the photo

When I have tapered my legs are a bit too fresh and I have a tendency to start too fast.  The same happened last year, I just gradually slowed down.  No wall hit or anything just slowed at a fairly gradual rate so I was not too concerned by the odd faster mile.   However, in reality it wasn't just the downhill parts that were too fast the uphill ones were too.  Mistake number 3.  I was running with other people  so was not taking that much notice of my mile splits.  If I had been on my own I would have been focusing more on my splits and realised that the uphills were too fast as well and possibly have taken that as a warning to slow down.

Whilst it was nice running with others and having a bit of a chat I was quite relieved (in more ways than one!) when I needed to stop for the toilet as then I was able to run on my own and focus a bit more on food/drink/pace.  I am not used to running with others in races (apart from the off road navigation type) so being on my own meant I could now tune in better to what I was doing. 

I realised that I had probably not eaten enough and now started taking my bottle both laps.  My pace was still good but was slowing a bit, no more than I would expect after the fast start. 

At about 20 miles I suddenly felt really dehydrated, looking at my splits I can see that I started to slow more a couple of miles before.  From 20 miles I decided that in order to get in enough fluid I would just have to carry my bottle for the lap.  After drinking about half fluid was starting to slosh in my stomach so there was no point drinking any more despite feeling really thirsty I would just have to try to catch up gradually.

Now I was on my own I was assessing every so often how I was feeling. Mistake number 4.  I was asking myself how I was feeling on the flats, the effort was feeling about right for the distance when on the flats but in reality something like 1/5 of the lap was uphill where I would have been working harder so really I ought to have taken the flats a bit easier to cancel out the harder effort on the hills.

Thanks Julian Porter for the photo

Went through marathon distance in 3.38 feeling quite comfortable.  This was about the same as last year so I was pleased with that, if anything I thought the first marathon was more comfortable than last year so that would hopefully mean my fade later would be less.   50km was again a similar time to last year so all good still. 

Then it all started to go a bit wrong.  Somewhere around 35 miles just as I was getting towards the top of the hill each time my foot hit the ground I had shudders going through my body, like vibrations, it was really horrible and a bit scary as I didn't know what was happening.  It lasted less than a minute then went away.  On the 3rd time of it happening it didn't stop when I got to the top of the hill and I also felt really light headed and quite unwell.   I started to walk (my first walk) and saw Walter, the England team manager who was walking the course.  He said to jog to the aid station so I started running again until I got to the bottom of the hill when I really didn't feel I could run it. A lady started walking with me, said I was looking really wobbly then Walter appeared again.  There was no way I could manage over 20 more miles like this.  Decided I would take on some food have a walk and see how I was after a  bit of a break.

Previously I had shouted what I wanted and Phil would have it ready next lap so I never had to stop.  This time I stopped, I was desperate for a gel, gels are not that nice so I must have been in a bad way to be desperate for one! Had the gel, some Jaffa cakes and took a carton of chocolate soya milk to drink whilst walking.  Darren walked with me for a while but must have been fed up with my moaning as he soon left me.  Was dreading having to run again so had a decent length walk then waited until I got to the flatter bit before giving it a go.  Rather surprisingly, once I started running again I felt fine and was back to running more or less the same pace as before.

Obviously by now I had lost a lot of time but at least I now felt I could finish and was feeling quite good again.  I had one more sugar crash, cant remember where but I was fine going past the aid station then all of a sudden I was desperate for a gel again I just needed the sugar now.  Again I stopped at the table as I needed to get something in quick, the rest of my gels were in a box not on the table as I hadn't expected to need them so I grabbed a crunchie, some coconut mushrooms, soya milk and asked for more coconut mushrooms next lap.  After that I ate something small at least alternate laps.

Around 50 miles I had quite a tight spot in my left glute.  It wasn't massively painful but it was annoying me so I stopped for a bit of massage from the team physio (Brian Cole), its amazing how much difference a couple of minutes can make when the phyiso knows what they are doing. 

Apart from the walk I had when I had the wobble I had continued to run the whole time.  With 5 laps to go I decided I would allow myself to walk the hill.  I didn't need to but was tired and having a walk break to look forward to was nice.  Also, since I was no longer chasing a time a few minutes added per lap didn't really matter.

On the last lap I ran the hill and did attempt a sprint finish but it was more a sprint in my head!

Was very happy to get that one done.  My finish time was 9.29.  Last year on an easier course I did 9.11.  I am disappointed  as I was fitter this year and my training suggested I should do better.  Lots of  people got PBs so I cant blame the hill too much although many of those who did PB are more used to hills than I am.  I think that a mostly it was due to the mistakes I talk about above.  I was just not focused enough during the first few hours on pace/food/drink and then it is difficult to rectify that.

9bar breakfast bar - wheat free, gluten free and vegan

9bar have just launched a new breakfast bar range.  I eat the original bars (peanut and fruity are my favourite) during long runs and on ultras as they are easy to digest; the seeds have slow release carbs for a constant energy supply and they have a decent amount of protein to feed the muscles.

I was very excited to receive some samples of the breakfast range. The original 9bars are around 50% seeds/nuts, the breakfast range is around 25% with gluten free oats and soya protein crispies replacing the seeds.  Instead of honey or golden syrup as in the original range rice syrup and agave nectar has been used.

All varieties are wheat and gluten free as well as being vegetarian society approved and vegan.  The photo shows almond and raspberry. 

The texture is a cross between cereal bar and flapjack. All flavours are moist as well as quite chewy but not chewy and hard work like a protein bar.

Full nutritional information on each flavour is here  http://www.9bar.com/shop/category/breakfast the photo shows information for almond & raspberry but in brief they are all similar and have around 230 calories per 50g bar, 9g protein, 2.5 g fibre and 17% RDA calcium although the amounts vary for each flavour.   

For comparison weetabix breakfast bars contain the same calories, half the protein less sugar and fat.  As the main ingredients in these are seeds/gluten free oats they are slower release so keep you full for longer, they are also a lot more filling so don't leave you reaching for another snack an hour later.  

 

My husband is not too keen on 9bars, he says they are 'too healthy' and doesn't like all the seeds.  When I told him about the new bars he was not that interested as he thought it was just going to be another health bar but when he tried them he was pleasantly surprised and loved them too - the seeds were disguised enough for him not to notice!  I think I will need to hide these!

My order of preference is ...

1.  Almond & Raspberry

Wow, these are gorgeous, I didn't think a healthy bar could taste so good -it's like Bakewell tart. I am not that keen on raspberries so initially was dissapointed to see raspberry had been combined with almond (one of my favourite flavours).  However, I was pleasantly surprised - almond is the strongest taste with the raspberry being quite subtle.  I can imagine these being a top seller, I hope wholebake can keep up with demand; my new favorite snack of all time (apart from a chocalate bar!). 

2. Coco & cashew

I am a big chocolate lover so was especially excited about this coco flavour with (vegan) dark chocolate chips it didn't dissapoint. For breakfast sweetness is just right. If you don't like cashews don't be put off as the chocolate flavour hides them yet you still get their goodness.  For an afternoon snack I would like more chocolate chips but that's because I love chocolate.  Having said that they are really nice and a close second.  For a healthy chocolate bar alternative this is as good as it gets without all the fat and sugar.

 

3. Apricot & strawberry

I like strawberries but am less keen on apricots although I like the flavour.  Apricot was the stronger than strawberry, so if you like apricots this is for you as it was a good apricot taste.  I liked it but prefer the above two; that is just my taste though. My mum loves apricots but is on holiday so I couldn't get her opinion!

 

4. Peanut & raison

This was ranked 4th by both of us although having just had another might be pushing it up to 3rd.  You can taste the raisins but don't really notice the peanuts. There is no strong flavour (which is why we ranked it 4th); just a nice moist chewy bar. For people who don't like such strong flavours or chocolate then this is the one.  It would be ideal if you struggle to get breakfast down on race morning or want something plain.  I think this is the safe flavour which everyone will like; no one will dislike but it will probably not be the favourite for many people.  

I hope that this has given you an idea of what to expect.  At the moment you can only buy them from the 9bar website where you can get a selection box to try all flavours or a box of just one flavour.   Postage is free. If you are a friend message me as I have a 20% discount code.  They will soon be on sale at independent retailers then supermarkets 

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.