good to see so many of you running well, and happy to see others resuming healthy training. a couple of comments regarding tempos and vaporflys:
i ran a 4 mile tempo last friday in vaporflys for the first time (got them for christmas)--i'd been reluctant to try them since i've been enjoying good health and didn't want to add anything new to the mix. had worn them for a track workout, but didn't seem like they made a difference for me. most of my tempos this year have been 5:40-5:50 pace on dirt, though i did manage a 5 mile tempo at 5:36 pace with some young dudes a couple of months ago. i ran 5:30 pace on an asphalt bike path alongside a dirt trail that i usually run on, one of my best tempos in a couple of years. i've always thought my tempos were at least 30 seconds slower (sometimes 40) than my 5k pace, so i'm hoping this is a good sign, other than i was worried about the impact of the vaporflys. it was also a good 30 seconds faster than a tempo on the same trail but dirt (and asics hyperspeeds) from two week before.
i ran another tempo today, same trail, but this time on the dirt and with asics hyperspeeds. ran a few seconds slower (5:31 pace) than last week, so maybe the vaporflys didn't make a big difference for me.
i thought this week's workouts were a little harder, so i expected to be more tired. on the other hand, last week was solo (generally not a problem for me with tempos), and this week was with a calcoast teammate.
which means i can't really tell the difference. it is quite possible that since i'm already an extreme supinator/forefoot striker, essentially born with a fiberglass arch in my foot, maybe they affect me less than someone who is not normally a forefoot runner.
not sure what to make of all this, or if it's any help to anyone else. i can't decide if i'll try the vaporflys in my next race in a week...
carpe crepusculum,
cush