I really like FOD and respect SIRPOC too but not overly fussed about their recent love in of Chinese running shoes. Both seem very keen, bordering on smug about pushing how great and cheap they are compared to the Western brands. I’d argue theirs ethical reasons that they are cheaper and they don’t seem to mention much how they are buying these shoes.
They may be cheaper but to me on a surface level they look a lot uglier and the reason they are cheap presumably present an ethical dilemma if it encourages supporting exploitative labor practices, environmental harm, and undermines local industries that adhere to higher ethical standards.
Maybe FOD can do some research into whether those ethical concerns are legitimate or just snobbery. As I’m open to the idea of them if I’m just being the latter.
Most brands use unethical production methods. However, with the Chinese brands you are not paying for the marketing.
I’m sure they do but I’d also imagine there’s different levels to how unethical the production methods are…
I’m also no expert on it though so couldn’t comment with conviction which are brands are better and which are worse. Doubt anyone here would know the methods and subsidies involved with the Chinese market. Hardly likely to be public knowledge outside China. Which I guess is the point being made.
this is the kind of b* tchy nonsense I hate about this thread
Babe, he's trying to sell you shoes on behalf of his overlords. He's not trying to give you an honest review, he's trying to sell you something and make money from you.
The dude was somewhat bearable previously but then following London he sold out to Adidas and Start Fitness for literally 6 pieces of silver and has slowly spent the last 6 months disappearing up his own ass.
He'll be selling coaching services next. Imagine being coached by someone with so little knowledge about running he ran himself into a serious illness.
Can't run as much now so he's trying to sell us things in the hope it keeps his handlers happy.
babe, he's not selling me anything because I've watched two of his videos ever, and none in the last 6 months.
I just don't care that's he's doing shoe reviews and the comment i was replying to stated that as if it was of itself an unimaginable sin
That's my take on it; I'm not inherently opposed, but I can find options in the US on sale- i.e. Evo SL on clearance for workouts, closeout Vaporflys/Metaspeeds/Adios Pro for racing - that ship to me in 2 days. Half the time they aren't even the prior version, just a stale colorway.
It's not much difference in price, and I am not navigating proxy Taobao buyers/shippers nor waiting weeks for them to come in.
Fenton’s lack of personality combined with his creepy stash just gives off the overall weird vibe of the loser barista at your local coffee shop who you’d never voluntarily spend time with if you didn’t need him to make your coffee.
It used to be the pub bore, now it's the weird local barista. No wonder our culture is in its last throes.
Insane he really thought he could run 2:25 low or 2:24. I wish he'd post his training to see how delusional this really was. He seems to not be discouraged. I think he thought he was going to run sub 2:20 in 2026 and now he has to re-evaluate how far he is from that goal. I wouldn't be surprised if that's his new series for 2026 regardless. I imagine if he even split rather than going out at 2:24 pace over the rolling hills, that he maybe could've run high 2:27, low 2:28? It's an enormous leap to sub 2:20 from there, which I think he still thinks he can make by losing a ton of upper body muscle mass. Come on Truett, let's see the Christian Bale Machinist training cycle and see where that gets you.
Truett Hanes has announced his new series: Olympic Trials or Die Tryin'. In what planet does this clown think he's capable of a 2:15 marathon on a legit course? Certainly not this one. This dude is an absolute moron.
At least this is the most entertaining thing he could do. I'm the most tempted I've ever been to throw my hat in the ring and join this circus. I don't think I ever posted a follow-up after saying I'd also be doing CIM and "racing" him but I injured my VMO while goofing around with my kids and DNS'd. In retrospect I was begging for an injury but I basically attempted a weighted (lifting my kid) full extension reverse nordic. I can't seem to do any cycling or elliptical without bothering it so this is turning into quite the setback. I may have to resort to swimming like my idol Phily Bowden. Seated shadowboxing has been suggested to me. What better way to start a road to OTQ series than seated shadowboxing?
With my PR technically a 2:38 (despite having been fitter) and currently injured, I'm in the perfect position to copy the RTJ strategy. I could also stand to lose 25-30 pounds. The similarities are eerie. If only I could cycle 2-3 hours a day like he was. Maybe I'll be able to soon.
What better time to announce my plan to OTQ? If it comes down to a last-chance qualifier in Dec '27, I'll be 41 years old. If I don't make it there's always 2032 at 45. I did make the varsity team in high school though so I guess any success I achieve would be all talent, unlike JV hero Truett Hanes.
Truett Hanes has announced his new series: Olympic Trials or Die Tryin'. In what planet does this clown think he's capable of a 2:15 marathon on a legit course? Certainly not this one. This dude is an absolute moron.
At least this is the most entertaining thing he could do. I'm the most tempted I've ever been to throw my hat in the ring and join this circus. I don't think I ever posted a follow-up after saying I'd also be doing CIM and "racing" him but I injured my VMO while goofing around with my kids and DNS'd. In retrospect I was begging for an injury but I basically attempted a weighted (lifting my kid) full extension reverse nordic. I can't seem to do any cycling or elliptical without bothering it so this is turning into quite the setback. I may have to resort to swimming like my idol Phily Bowden. Seated shadowboxing has been suggested to me. What better way to start a road to OTQ series than seated shadowboxing?
With my PR technically a 2:38 (despite having been fitter) and currently injured, I'm in the perfect position to copy the RTJ strategy. I could also stand to lose 25-30 pounds. The similarities are eerie. If only I could cycle 2-3 hours a day like he was. Maybe I'll be able to soon.
What better time to announce my plan to OTQ? If it comes down to a last-chance qualifier in Dec '27, I'll be 41 years old. If I don't make it there's always 2032 at 45. I did make the varsity team in high school though so I guess any success I achieve would be all talent, unlike JV hero Truett Hanes.
Why are you carrying on like anybody know or cares who you are bro??
On a related note do any of our favourite YouTubers have a Twitter?? I’d be interested to see Bester or Felton’s views on politics and general world affairs. I know that legendary masters runner DONATO is very active on there and he’s a great follow.
Babe, he's trying to sell you shoes on behalf of his overlords. He's not trying to give you an honest review, he's trying to sell you something and make money from you.
The dude was somewhat bearable previously but then following London he sold out to Adidas and Start Fitness for literally 6 pieces of silver and has slowly spent the last 6 months disappearing up his own ass.
He'll be selling coaching services next. Imagine being coached by someone with so little knowledge about running he ran himself into a serious illness.
Can't run as much now so he's trying to sell us things in the hope it keeps his handlers happy.
babe, he's not selling me anything because I've watched two of his videos ever, and none in the last 6 months.
I just don't care that's he's doing shoe reviews and the comment i was replying to stated that as if it was of itself an unimaginable sin
Honey, the guy is shilling. What do you think this thread is about? We're calling out shills, liars, cheats and charlatans.
14:39 5K PB for Benjamin Felton/Fenton/Fentanyl, sending this thread home devastated
Hugo Fry with a 14:42, Joe Skipper with a 15:02, and Gabriel Smith with a 15:09. Not a bad day out for the UK YouTube crew.
WHO ARE THESE CRANKS?
why you talking about some wastemen who were over a minute off the leaders and all got pumped by a 16yr old who is 5ft0".
this course in Battersea is notoriously "dodgy" and almost certainly a good chunk short. good to see Bester DFL bar 3 is his heat, man got absolutely pumelled so badly that no BOOMSHAKALAS were given at the finish
We're finally talking about the best YT running channel in the world. They're nice lads. They show the UK club scene. There's no BS. And they're not trying to sell you stuff. Keep it up Inside Tonbridge! And the Mark Hookway channel obviously.
INSIDE TONBRIDGE - Jordan Chambers, you may have not broken 15 on this occasion but all is not lost my friend.
Keep pumping out the content, you will soon overtake the views hoarded by the bellends mentioned on this forum.
Also a shout out for the BLACKHEATH BOYS spearheaded by there 5"0 dwarf Joe Scanes taking the B race in 14:31 - they produce decent race content although not to regular
LBOROMTG - decent training and race vids with a genuine world class talent in Will Rabjohns in action, well worth a follow. not getting the views they deserve due to the awful channel name not being picked up in the algorhytmns but if u know, u know
I really don't understand the RTJ love in on this thread.
Yes, he is running high mileage but it is causing him long term health issues and he clearly isn't absorbing the training as his improvements are not in line with the mileage he's running.
He's a decent guy but I'd love someone to explain why people seem to adore him when he is mismanaging his training just as much as the Feltons and Besters of this world.
Whether or not his training is optimal, I think the big difference with Jake is that he seems to understand why he's training the way he's training. He's read about the Japanese way of training, thrown himself in with groups training that way and on numerous podcasts talks about why he chose to train like that and the specific reasons he thinks it works for him. In one older video he talks about volume vs quality and how you can only have one or the other, as least until your body adapts to the volume, again shopwing that he has some understanding of managing load. I'm not arguing that his training is perfect, just that he knows why he's doing it.
If you asked Felton/Fenton why he implemented double threshold, why he's using a lactate meter and specifically why he thinks that method works best for him vs a different approach, you'd get a contradicting answer full of buzz-words and misunderstanding. He might as well be sticking a thermometer up his arse and reading out the number at the end of each rep... (I'm a fan of Ben by the way, I just wouldnt take training advice from him).
I don't watch Bester, but anyone who thinks shaving the Adidas logo into their hair looks cool must have the mental age of about 9, so I doubt he has a good understanding of training theory.
You raise a good point. Our Nick coming 3rd from last at the FNUL seems to have past us by. Not his best year by his standards what with being humbled at London and Valencia and then in x-country and FNUL. But hey, he made a cool video about starting a park run at the back and over taking a few people.
I'm sure after a week training at altitude in Kenya he'll be back stronger, BOOMSHAKALAKA
I wonder if her contract was for a year with an option for renewal, or just hard set at a year. I also wonder what this means for her coaching situation. Hopefully she either leaves him or goes back to what was working for her instead of three workouts a week -_-
The bigger question is, will she still refer to herself as a 'professional runner', or will the more apt 'influencer' aka peddler of overpriced scam products be used from now on?
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