Hello,
I just finished my second marathon. Last year I ran the same course in cushioned shoes and this year in VFF. I am gearing up to attempt two full ironman this year. Anyways, I thought it was interesting to see the differences between spm
Last year in cushioned shoes -
Avg Run Cadence: 87 spm
Max Run Cadence: 94 spm
…
Avg HR: 166 bpm
This year in VFF -
Avg Run Cadence: 98 spm
Max Run Cadence: 107 spm
Avg HR: 167 bpm
http://joggerjoel.blogspot.com/2011/02/standard-charter-hong-kong-full.html
Interesting results. That said, be prepared for the rocks to be thrown and the hate-fest against VFF’s, usually from people who have never tried them.
I have a pair of Bikilas and really enjoy using them although I did make the newbie mistake of not building my mileage slowly enough as they felt so good to run in. You will no doubt hear from plenty of people on a mission telling why they are so bad but on a personal level they have been a useful tool (VFF haters please note that I said a tool to assist and not an evangelical magic bullet) that helped me to learn to run in a much lighter manner without heel striking.
I must admit though the appearance is a bit freaky and you do end up looking a bit like a hobbit! :o)
Thanks for sharing the comparison data.