because science wrote:
Vaporfly Asterisk wrote:
Just remember that every single mile is going to degrade the carbon fiber rigidity at the pivot point hence the limited shelf life. But I wouldn't think a half is going to kill them before your big race.
Good luck!
Yes, this is the exact same reason why cyclists discard their bikes after a few rides.
Are you having a laugh?
Is he having a laugh?
It's no laughing matter.
I can bend spoons just by rubbing them with my thumb. Great you might think! But alas no... it's been an awful curse. Ever since I first did this I can no longer sit on a steel framed bike without the frame completely collapsing under me. Because science.
Pretzel Man wrote:
Raysharp001 wrote:
They are fine in the rain. I wore them at Boston 2018, was worried, but didn't feel any loss of traction.
Makes a old man feel young.
I am also old so I guess if I will race I will get a pair, but I will not race until I am 60 (in two years), but getting information on all kind of shoes is nice.
(I guess your wife is happy too :-) )
Absolutely, I’ve done the same with mine. Around 200 miles of racing and then around 300 training miles in them. That’s much more than I ever got out of Saucony Kinvara’s for example, and they still feel protective.
Zeeuwseloper wrote:
Is it that bad? Then I am glad I am not an overweight runner. Then they will not survive one full marathon...
VFs don't wear out as fast as people say. The foam gets visible creases very quickly, which people perceive as wear, but I have 400 miles on a pair that's still fine. Would wear fresh ones for a big race, but they're not going to suddenly explode on you or stop working. My marathon PR was on a pair with 200 miles on them. (Though my second, third, and fourth fastest marathons were all in Adios Boosts.)
Finally got a test race in the Vapors. I was supposed to break them in during the half marathon in The Haque but that got cancelled due to the weather. So after some thinking I decided to take part in a regional half marathon. Not a fast course, a lot of open space with some tight corners, and the wind was stronger than I expected. But the Vaporfly did not give a flying ****! Wat a shoe! The goal was to use this as a training/tune-up race for the Rotterdam marathon april 7th but I felt so strong that I won the race set a 3 minute PB on the half marathon en also felt fresh as a daisy after the race!!
I ran the half marathon in 1:15:40 and finished the race (which was 500 meters longer than half marathon distance) in 1:17:20.
Only strange thing is that were normally my calves feel sore after a fast half marathon now it's my quads that feel sore. My calves are feeling perfect.
This.
I only heard about this 'only last for 100 miles...100K...one race' crap after running my 3rd full marathon in the original pair, plus a tune-up half and some training runs. For what it's worth, it was a massive PR, so I guess they worked. That pair is now 300 miles old and I still take them out for marathon-paced running.
I finally gave in to the hype and bought a pair. I took them to the track for a 5k paced workout.
The shoes fit great and are light, but they're too bulky for this short stuff. I normally wear the Streak LT for races up to 10k, but as a masters runner, my calves can get a little too stressed in them. I do a lot of training in the Fly SP, so I'm used to the overall ride of the vaporfly. In my opinion the vaporfly isn't a necessarily fast shoe. It's just a really light, highly cushioned shoe. Probably perfect for a marathon racer, but I might not even use it for a half.
You are totally right. I don't believe that it's a very fast shoe for shorter races. But it's just so light and cushioned/responsive that your legs don't get sore/tired during a long race. I just could not slow down and felt in amazing shape after the race. So it does not make you faster, it makes you keep a fast pace for a longer distance. I wil only run half and full marathons with them. They are also tricky when you have a course with a lot of tight turns. I found it very hard to take a tight turn at high speed.
PR*
PB*
Interesting how different folks have different experiences in the same shoe. I think they DO have some pop for shorter races - Placebo effect? Maybe...
I have two pair 4% VF (both purchased well under MSR price) in January. I am using one pair now and the others are 'in reserve' for longer races later this year.
I have used my 1st pair in three 5ks plus 6 miles so far and am 62.
Results? : #1 Recent PB and 1st overall (on 2/2 in Florida), #2 8th overall (2/17 N.C. HILLY!), 3# 3rd overall PB pace (3/16 30 degrees in Michigan)
Planning on using them this Thursday for local annual 5k.
So far zero signs of wear!
My serious suggestion to the OP - put just a light coat of Shoe Goo (or similar product) along the outer most white edge of bottom - the 3" around "U". That white outer layer is really thin and I have found so far this completely eliminates the excessive wear to the white layer as reported by other users.
Good luck and let us know how they workout for YOU in your races!
I'd recommend at LEAST a 5x18 miler workout to test the waters.
I am the master of NIKE wrote:
Do at least a 20 in them! You need to check they work for your feet brah.
BAD advice. They lose their effectiveness very fast. I would do 3 miles in them at most before the race. The first 20 miles they are at peak performance.
Zeeuwseloper wrote:
You are totally right. I don't believe that it's a very fast shoe for shorter races. But it's just so light and cushioned/responsive that your legs don't get sore/tired during a long race. I just could not slow down and felt in amazing shape after the race. So it does not make you faster, it makes you keep a fast pace for a longer distance. I wil only run half and full marathons with them. They are also tricky when you have a course with a lot of tight turns. I found it very hard to take a tight turn at high speed.
Wonderful!
darkwave wrote:
HHH Runner wrote:
People really underestimate the durability of the VF4%.
I have two pairs. The first pair I raced 4 HM, 2 multi-stage relays (19 miles total and 21 miles total), 2 10ks, even some 5k's and all associated WU's/CD's. And a track session when I first got them. Then I switched to the 2nd pair.
However, I kept hold of the first pair and started wearing them for tempo workouts, long runs with faster miles mixed in etc etc. They're now up to roughly 350-380 miles and still absolutely fine. The plate has lost a little bit of spring compared to my 'race' pair but I'd still take them over any other model of shoe, hands down. Still get way less fatigue in the legs the day after a hard session.
Don't worry about durability. Sure there's cosmetic wear on the sole but it's just that, cosmetic.
I've done something similar - put about 200 miles on them last year, including 3 halves and 3 fulls. My final two races in them were my best and fastest two races of the year.
After that, they did feel a bit flatter - not bouncy and almost like they've lowered in stack height. They also feel more nimble and better for turning. So I've given that pair a second life as a 10K and under racer, where they seem to be doing well. If I get another 200 out of them that way, the $250 will have been a pretty good value (I've had many a racing flat that seemed dead after 150 miles).
Same thing here, done plenty of workouts in these and they've had to hit at least 200 miles by now.
I took my VF flyknit's out today. 100 miles. They feel noticeably slower than when I first got them. My running buddies say the same thing.
I actually think the original VF without the flyknit had more response. I think they may have snuck in some React foam. The flyknit feels deader since day one.
Could be.
I noticed mostly that the outer side of the heel have some damage. I am really lightweight so it was not very bad but still after one half marathon... That's not what I am used to with Asics. I contacted Nike to ask if that was normal and they directly asked me to return the shoes and give a refund. That's some service from Nike!!! Now I will be running the Rotterdam marathon in some fresh Vaporflies!!