with the kinvara models being so well received, what do people think of the new saucony virrata to come out this winter? the first couple times i used my brothers kinvaras when i was home from college to run with him, they felt a little off and i didnt particularly like them but when i got my own pair i really took a liking to them. and type A5 racing flats are superb. so im looking forward to launch of this shoe. might make training in new england winters a little better. http://blog.runningwarehouse.com/rs/saucony-virrata-sneak-peek/?fb_action_ids=10151109091304879&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map={"10151109091304879"%3A10151764849195291}&action_type_map={"10151109091304879"%3A"og.likes"}&action_ref_map=[]
Love the way they look. Like the bootie construction. But I’d be curious to know how they wear out. I am a huge fan of Kinvara’s but they wear out much more quickly than other shoes I’ve run in.
That looks bad ass. I’m a Kinvara guy myself and can definitely see giving this shoe a test run.
I’ve been asking Saucony to make a shoe between the A4 & Kinvara for some time now. This looks like it would fit that niche. Hopefully the ride is firmer than the Kinvara. It would make a pretty nice marathon racing shoe.
i see good things coming out of it. maybe not as versatile for everyone as the kinvara. but seems like a great shoe for training, esp for those who are light and have good form, speed work, and racing up to marathon. most likely using my typeA5 in my marathon debut over the kinvaras but if i had this shoe, maybe id use this one.
“i see good things coming out of it. maybe not as versatile for everyone as the kinvara. but seems like a great shoe for training, esp for those who are light and have good form, speed work, and racing up to marathon. most likely using my typeA5 in my marathon debut over the kinvaras but if i had this shoe, maybe id use this on”
I would advise against using your A5’s for a marathon, and REALLY advise against it in a debut. I made the wrong call and had to spend 2 weeks after the race gimping around the office. The thing that killed me was the lack of protection from uneven road surfaces on race day (Philly). It was fine on brand new roads in training where you could change course to avoid potholes, etc. Come race day on beat up roads in a flying pack (which I assume you’ll be in, if you are even considering racing in a 10K flat), you don’t get to choose where your feet hit the ground. Also, things exponentially bad from about 18 on, so if you are getting through 16 mile training runs with the thought of “I’m slightly mauled”, that means you will be walking come 24/25. An alternative (that did not work for me) would be the fastwitch, but it is a really different shoe. The only serious marathoners I’ve ever seen use the A4/A5 were <110lbs and/or African (better foot falls).
im 5’7 120-25 during tri season. down to 117-18 currently feeling pretty healthy. not planning on going much lower unless it just happens and i still feel strong. i put on weight quite easily so ill be fine when i go back to tri. i did a lot of my training in the asics hyperspeeds during tri season, now mostly the kinvaras since im getting up to 70 miles. my form is pretty good. the plan was to use the typeA5 but id decide after a long tempo run. thanks for the advice. its the cape cod marathon. racing the distance is a bit concerning for me as i have the speed but im developing the endurance to race fast longer. i just graduated college so im looking to see how well i can become being just run focused. would like to get 2:50 but id be happy to finish/ would hate to have my calves be utterly destroyed mid race.
“calves utterly destroyed”. Pretty much describes most folk’s experiences with the A4/A5 in a marathon, unless they are finishing in the <2:18 or so range. With your experience level with that distance, weekly mileage and goal time, you really will want a bit more forgiveness when muscle elasticity make for the exits at mile 18-20. The marathon is not so much an endurance event as a fuel sparing contest. Once you are fit/adapted the pace will feel truly “easy”, like you can talk between breaths. Training the engine to get good enough gas mileage and keeping the biomechanical chain in one piece are the real challenges (in my experience). In other words, it is not as simple as a extra-long half marathon.
thanks for the advice. i will def keep that all in mind
I love the idea of this shoe. I use the Mirage as my main trainer. They don’t make the A5 big enough for me (15), but I’d definitely give this a try. Never tried the Kinvara, not exactly sure what I’d use it for. I like the slight bit of structure the Mirage has as I’m an overpronator. Maybe I’d try Kinvaras for a marathon if I did one. I used my Nike Zoom Streak XC flats for my last half marathon and had no problems, but I’m sure I’d want more shoe to go longer…
i did my half in my kruuz without a problem which are similar to the typeA5. calves were understandably a bit sore after the race but so were the quads,etc. nothing to bad. good enough for a short easy run the next day, and then back into training after that. kinvaras can be used for daily training and many use it for races to. its very versatile. its lightweight but has a bit of cushion to it so raking the mileage in them isnt an issue.