ive been training in the kinvaras for awhile now and looking to get a lighter shoe to race in for marathon.. im 6ft 145 and pretty efficient.. but is the saucony grid type A4s gonna last a marathon race with me or beat my legs up..anyone have any recommendations?
I don't think that you would have a problem.
The above was correct, you should be fine. But for only about an ounce difference, is it worth the risk?
If you do want to try it, get them and get at least one 18 to 20 mile training run done in the A4's.
well bowerman would say saving an ounce over 26.2 miles would add up to a few tons i would say.. but i would think that the A4s would put you on your toes more.. is there any other shoes worth looking at in the same mold as the A4
First, Type A4's are awesome.
Second, they have a similar 4mm heel:forefoot drop.
Kinvara: 18mm heel:14mm forefoot
Type A4: 13mm heel:9mm forefoot
However, the A4's will stress your legs differently because they are 5mm thinner overall. As another poster advised, I'd recommend at least one long run in them before your marathon. But I would do several medium long runs and longer tempo runs in them as well so that your legs adapt and become accustomed to marathon pace in your intended marathon shoe.
6-foot, 145, training in Kinvaras, racing in A4s....are you me?? No wait, you said you were pretty efficient.
Seriously though, if you can do a few longer (14-18 mile) marathon pace runs done in the A4s without any issues, you should be fine. Would your legs be less beat-up the day after your marathon if you wore the Kinvaras? Probably. But like you said yourself, one ounce over the course of 26 miles is a lot. Plus it's more 1.5 oz. (7.7 for the Kinvara and 6.2 for the A4 I think?), and IMO the A4 is a much more responsive shoe. I love the Kinvaras, but wouldn't do anything faster than marathon pace in them because they have that soft feel.
For what it's worth, I'm planning to race a 25K in the A4 in the spring. If that goes well I'll probably use them for a marathon next fall.
is it true about A4s being smaller for size.. i have an 11 for the kinvaras..would i need a 11.5 for A4s
what do you do gv10k
I have the A4's, love em. But look into the fastwitch. You're gonna need something that can back you up as you break down.
doesnt the fasttwitch have like a post in it to make sure you dont overpronate or something..i dont have any pronating problems why get a shoe that helps correct it..
just enough to prevent a nice ligament strain in your feet after bashing down on them for 2 or so hours. just go ahead and do a long tempo in the A4's
I don't pronate either.
I wear a 10.5 in both shoes. The A4's are definitely a little more snug, but I haven't had any issues with them. Then again the longest I've gone in them is 10-12 miles.
The fit of the Kinvara is "relaxed". It starts with a typical Saucony fit with a fairly roomy toebox. The upper seems to give a little bit.
The Type A4 is most definitely narrower and snugger overall. If I were using it for 5k's, I'd probably wear the same size in both. But for a marathon, I'd recommend a half size bigger in the A4.