Brooks Glycerin 7

After my recent post in which I mentioned that I was in the market for a new pair of running shoes I am glad to say that I have ignored my own advice and gone for a pair of Brooks Running Shoes!

I have bought a pair of Brooks Glycerin 7's. Yes they are not the latest model as you can now buy Glycerin 8's but I have never been one who needs the latest model the day it is released. I need to secure what I perceive as value for money and only time will tell on this score.

I judge value for money in running shoes on a number of factors but the number one is the no of miles I get from the shoes before the heels wear away. As a neutral heel striker , with high arches who under pronates ( yeah I have tried to run and land more mid foot and I have told myself I am doing it but the evidence on the wear of my last shoes just shows I don't!) I need a heel that will last and give me at least 400 miles.

Secondly I want comfort and from my first few runs in the Brooks Glycerin 7's the shoes were comfortable and don't pinch anywhere. You know how when you open new running shoes you require a pair of scissors to cut off an increasing number of information labels attached to the laces. If you are like me you cast a cursory glance at this before binning as I don't profess to understand the scientific bits ( rather like those shampoo adverts !).  However I was drawn to the use by Brooks of a material called BioMoGo which apparently is the world’s first-ever bio-degradable mid sole which has to be good for the environment.

The review of the shoes on the Runners World site wouldn't have you rushing out of bed to buy these . In summary they state "Probably the best way to describe this shoe would be "solid but unspectacular". Our testers found it to be, at best, a pleasant ride and, at worst, inoffensive, with the cushioning and breath ability being the standout features. Our wear-testers say:
"An average shoe in most departments. I was most impressed by the breath ability of the upper which was excellent." - Ben Madsen"

Interestingly though readers reviews were better than the Runners World staff so hopefully I have made the right choice and I will alternate use of these with my other pair of Asics Gel Stratus 3's which are still going strong  after 300 miles.


I have used Brooks shoes before I had a pair of Addictions back in 2004-5 which served me well.

What new Running Shoes shall I buy?

Yes it is that time again when I need to invest in a new pair of running shoes and retire an old pair.

Unfortunately my experiment with using Saucony shoes or at least the Saucony Jazz 13's was a failure. I should qualify that the Jazz 13's may be a good shoe but they were not right for me and I will explain why. Not sure if you can make out the wear and tear on the shoe photos  in this post but to explain I think you can see that the uppers are as good as new and would last many more miles.  However  the heal wear was excessive and the black carbon sole has been worn away to show patches of yellow beneath. At this point I never run on using a pair of shoes as to do so will only lead to probable injury. There may be people who do and get away with it but not me.



Unbelievably I have only run a 108 miles in them! They were very comfortable and out of the box were immediately enjoyable to wear perhaps more so than most shoes that I have had which normally require 3-4 runs to get used to them. New shoes can often feel so springy and it just takes a few runs for you and shoe to become perfect partners. The Jazz 13's as I say felt like slippers and were a great fit.

As a runner I have high arches and under pronate as I run and the advice I have always had is that I need  a neutral shoe.As I tend to land on the outside of my heel this is where I found shoes wear out. I need shoes to have a hard carbon outer otherwise I can find the wear is too great.I can end up chucking shoes out even the rest of the shoe may be in good condition because the outer heel has become like a cliff edge.

What lead to the Jazz 13's not being right for me? Well I just don't know but with my long term injury I did put on weight so I would have been a harder on the shoes. I do tend to mix my running between road and trail. As you can see from the photos there is plenty of mud on these but I have never had a pair which gave up the ghost after just 108 miles! Clearly Jazz 13's were not ideal for trail running.

I always try to alternate shoes for each training run so I still have my Asics Gel Stratus 3's which currently have over 300 miles of usage and are still fine. In fact this set me to  looking back on recent shoes and how many miles they have lasted as a basis for what brand I should buy next. My results are

Asic Gel Stratus 2's                     412 miles
Asic GT 2130                               449 miles
Mizuno Wave Rider                     423 miles
Asic Gel                                        427 miles
Asic Gel GT 2110                        516 miles
Reebok Premier Ultra 111          314 miles
Reebok Premier                           214 miles
New Balance 1060                       439 miles
New Balance 854's                      241 miles
Saucony MC5's                             356 miles
Brooks Addiction                          405 miles
New Balance 855                         406 miles
Saucony Trigon                            258 miles


I started recording the shoe I wore and the miles run in them from around 2004 so what does the stats tell me ? It is fairly clear that the Saucony shoes just don't suit me as well as Asics. I have consistently got at least 400 miles out of Asics. New Balance , Brooks and Mizuno were also in the main likely to give me 400 miles of running. From this I am likely to look at one of these brands for my next shoe.

I would be interested to know how many miles do you get out of your shoes before they wear out ?

I ran a 40 minute mainly green paced heart rate monitor run this morning. This is a medium paced effort and I think doing the race on Sunday acted a little as a kick up the pants as I ran 4.6 miles for around 8.45 pace. Still no great shakes but heading in the right direction as most of my previous training runs in the last month have been at 9 min plus miles.

Saucony / New Balance and Brooks

I currently have three pairs of running shoes on the go at the moment.

Brooks Addiction 6 2005
Saucony Trigon Responsive
New Balance 1060

I don't normally have more than two pairs but spotted the New Balance shoes for sale at a factory outlet in Keswick. I have to say for comfort and fit the New Balance shoes are the best of the three. They are the pair I would choose to use for any races I enter. However they are not great of road and i didn't expect them to be from the tread on the soles.

The Brooks Addiction 6 shoes get my vote for being the most durable particularly on the outer soles where I tend to wear out my shoes quickest. I have had previous addiction shoes and I would buy this model again .

The Saucony Trigon shoes are a bit of a mystery to me as I bought them a while back and I must have shoved them away and forgot all about them for 6 months. I can't understand where they have been but anyway I spotted them when I was having a clear out and almost chucked thinking they were an old pair.. These have great tread for off road and I am likely to use these a lot over the fields this winter.

When I buy shoes I am always happy to buy last years models I never buy the latest shoe at the top price. Perhaps I am missing out on something as I suppose you do get what you pay for generally.

When the running shoe reviews come out in Runners World I look but don't usually buy. It generally comes down to what is available from mail order outlets. I have bought from Wiggle, Bourne Sports and Sports Shoes Unlimited and all have offered good service.

I don't particularly care about the colour of running shoes they soon get dirty. I always consider durability and brand to be chief qualities that I consider when buying.

Keswick to Threlkeld

4pm 7.5miles in 1hr 1min and 5 secs.
Year to date mileage 787
Month to date 107 miles

A repeat of yesterdays run along the old Keswick to Threlkeld railway line. This really is a great walk or cycle ride for anyone visiting the area. It is pretty much all on the flat which is unusual for this area. You cross over and under many bridges. With the recent heavy rain the River Greta was in full flow. The only disappointment is when you reach Threlkeld and find your way is blocked by the very busy A66.

Running Shoes

I currently prefer the Brooks Addiction range of shoes. I have the Brooks Addiction 6 model which seem to be extra tough on the outer sole. I have high arches and seem to over pronate leading to wear on the outersoles. However the Brooks shoes seem to last longer before the outersole is worn so they suit me well even they feel a little heavy.

However I always used to swear by New Balance so when I chanced upon a New Balance factory shop in Keswick I bought a pair of 1060's . I wore these on the run today and they seem a lot lighter though I am not sure if they will cope with my over pronation, only time will tell.

Fell Walking

I have spent most of my vacation walking in the fells rather than running. Keswick is a perfect base for exploring the Northern Fells. If you are based in Keswick you can walk up to many fells without needing to use a car. Overlooking Keswick are Latrigg (1203 feet) and Skiddaw at (3054 feet) . If you take a short boat ride on Derwentwater you can then climb up the very popular Cat bells ( 1482 feet) Maiden Moor (1837 feet) and High Spy ( 2143 feet).

A short drive to Braithwaite enables you to to undertake a lovely ridge walk climbing up Grisedale Pike and circling around over Eel Crag (2749 feet).

On 2 or 3 occasions I saw a different breed of runner out on the fells , the kind of runner that you look at in awe and wonder just how they have the nerve and strength to run up and down the side of mountains. If you lived up in the lake District and had a love for the hills then it would be natural to want to run over the fells.

I am currently reading 'Feet in the Clouds' a story of fell running and one mans obsession with undertaking the legendary Bob Graham Round. You can qualify to be a member of the Bob Graham Club if you can run within 24 hours a set course, up and down 42 peaks covering a distance of 72 miles. More on this another time