Five weeks before the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5, my coach Merrelld this workout: a 2-mile warmup, Li-Ning Low Tops White White Athletic Shoes AGCN175-2 marathon pace, storage robes key-chains shoe-care.
Nike Dunk Low Scrap sneakers orange Vaporfly 4% and drove to a nearby rail trail. The path was smooth and mostly flat, the late March air contained that bit of “perfect,” and my previous workouts gave me confidence that I wouldn’t be left dry-heaving mid-workout.
I was nervous before I started, but I was stoked when I nailed this run—there were 5:39 mile splits, and I felt good enough to hold some 6:30 miles for that steady-state running in the middle. As I cooled down and did some stretching by my car afterward, I looked at this workout as a sign that I may finally reach a goal I’d been chasing since I started running marathons in 2011—break 3 hours.
The only key difference between this speed effort and every other hard workout during this particular training cycle, however, was the shoes. I couldn’t help but wonder if a pair of Vaporfly shoes was all I needed?
After discussing the Running has taught me how via text message, I decided I’d put too much faith in myself for years to give the credit to the impressive shoes. When I got home, I buried them deep inside my shoe trunk so I wouldn’t be tempted to try them again before my race.
Science of New Shoes
Since it launched, the Vaporfly has shown around a 4 percent improvement in running economy—or the energy needed to run at a given pace—in several lab tests. An analysis done in 2018 by zapatillas de running Puma voladoras minimalistas talla 48.5 of half a million marathon and half-marathon times uploaded to Strava (along with the shoes the runners were wearing) confirmed the 4 percent claim and found that runners of the same caliber were more likely to hit a PR wearing the Vaporfly than other shoes.
Are the shoes magic? In an interview with Runner’s World in February, Wouter Hoogkamer, who has been one of the lead researchers of the shoes’ performance, said it’s the integration of a curved carbon-fiber plate that runs through the midsole from heel to toe and the bouncy foam itself (Nike calls it ZoomX) that makes it work so great. The new Vaporfly Next% boasts even more foam in the midsole. Brigid Kosgei wore the Next% when she shattered the women’s world record at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, and Eliud Kipchoge’s pacers had them on when he broke two hours in the marathon during the same weekend. (Kipchoge himself was wearing a completely different prototype shoe from Nike, which we’ve looked at here.)
The Vaporfly’s success has started a product race with brands trying to out-duel one another. Hoka One One released the Carbon X ($180) earlier this year, with office-accessories key-chains polo-shirts footwear-accessories shoe-care in the carbon-fiber shoe. New Balance focused on speed with its new FuelCell 5280 ($200). Designed for a mile race, it also boasts a carbon-fiber plate in its super light and spongy midsole.
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But as much as I love new technology, the thought of using a special shoe (or paying nearly $200) for my marathon felt as pure as Bryce Harper using an aluminum bat to crush home runs. Thankfully, I did it on my own.
It’s Not All About the Shoes
A few weeks after I first broke 3 hours in the marathon (wearing the New Balance 1500v5), I spoke with my coaches about how I was able to take six minutes off my last Pittsburgh Marathon time—nearly a 4 percent change.
“The thing that moved the needle the most was you followed a plan and it provided the right amount of variable stress,” says Tom McGlynn, founder of Runcoach and three-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Several new training elements were key—not just one. Here’s what helped me (and likely would for all runners) more than any pair of shoes can.
Training Volume: In prior marathon training, my weekly mileage hovered in the 40-mile range. The new plan called for two longer speed/tempo workouts (8 to 13 miles) per week, and weekend long runs (minimum 16 miles until tapering). That brought me up to 60-mile weeks regularly.
It’s simple, but finding ways to run more without getting injured helps increase your overall running economy. “Those extra miles are additional time of aerobic training,” says McGlynn. “If you pile that on week after week, it’s that much more capillary density you’re building and more red blood cells to carry oxygen to your muscles.” I don’t have the time or patience to do 100-plus mile weeks like Olympians, but I did add 25 to 50 percent more mileage. That was huge.
Changing Paces: More “sandwich workouts”—like my key workout that mixed mile pace and marathon pace—forced me to deal with glycogen depletion (that Blue men xs shoe-care) on the tail end of shorter workouts. No matter what your time goal may be for 26.2 miles, adapted workouts like these were different and beneficial.
Training at these varied—and faster—paces not only increases aerobic capacity but also “is the best way to clean up bad form,” McGlynn says. I’d like to think that was true when I picked up the pace in the final stretch of my marathon.
Actually Recovering: Thank goodness for one rest day a week. Plus, McGlynn thinks I also benefited from something pros do regularly: using a Air Jordan 1 High OG sneakers "Newstalgia" ($75 per session for me). Each appointment (three times during the final five weeks before the race) put me more in touch with my body and my weak spots so I was ready for the next hard effort.
“Increased bloodflow helps muscles work more efficiently, recover better, and respond better to exercise,” JoEllen Sefton, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at Auburn University, told me. She also cites research that shows how massage has an added benefit of calming your stress, reducing your heart rate, and helping you sleep better. All of this is useful when you’re an anxiety-filled mess On Running 396.
Sleep Better: Blugirl Sneakers BiancoAdidas d rose son of chi 2.0 shoes core black magic grey met carbon gy6496, said late-night workouts or early morning runs can mess up your sleep Merrell. But if you can log an extra hour of shuteye during training, your mood will improve, you’ll be less likely to skip workouts, and your perception of niggling aches will lessen. Seven to nine hours should be your baseline, and the sweet spot for naps is around 30 minutes, according to research.
Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
