Welcome to "RUN SDJ"! My VLOG diary of sorts capturing my passion for running.
This channel showcases my running journey. I am by no means the fastest, but look to continually improve and challenge myself in different ways.
My name is Steve, please join me as I share video content of my races, training runs, and the gear that helps me push through all those kilometres (or miles....). Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, I hope this channel provides you with helpful insight, inspiration, and motivation to help you achieve your running goals. If you fancy coming on my journey, please subscribe.
The park has a Modern visitors centre and a big cafe... its a short walk from the finish onto the other side of the park. The Rugby club is closer so more handy for the start line toilets, but there is definitely toilets and a cafe, cafe does everything plus icecream, worth a visit. would recomend the thick toast they do. The Park is world famous as it was the worlds first public park, which Central park in New york was modelled on. It was also the park where Irvine and Mallory lived during their Everest expeditions . The visitors centre provide some interesting history with a room dedicated to it with pictures etc.
Thanks! I rely a bit on the Parkrun website for things about facilities so if that misses it and it’s not somewhere I’m super familiar with I might miss things here and there. I caught most of what you said in your second para in the Timelapse commentary I hope.
My local but not done a park run yet, I am just on the couch to 5K at the moment so hopefully in 2-3 weeks I will get my first Parkrun done. I walk my dog here quite regularly and in fact I walked 6k this morning and used this as my warm up before running for 25mins on the treadmill as part of the program.
It’s a great one to have as your local. Really enjoyed the course and the location. Good luck with your first parkrun in a few weeks. Let me know how it goes.
@@RunSDJ ah I was only joking pal, I love Parkrun and its vibe. I do sometimes pick a runner though and have a race with them (that they know nothing about!), someone who’s going at a slightly higher pace than I’m comfortable with to try to beat my own time 😂
I bet! It felt busy last week w 625, the park seems to be able to handle it though. Nice wide roads for the majority of the route. I think most Parkrun's likely had a bump this morning with the 20th Anniversary weekend.
There is a cafe in the lower park, at the visitor centre. It’s about 500 yards from the first hairpin turn. But the rugby club is great anyway. Thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed it
I will get my hand in both the Mizuno Neo Vista and the Superblast 2 by the end of the week. I am also on marathon trainning. Based on your review and other that I have seem this is my usage idea: Easy and recovery runs-Neo Vista Tempo Runs- Super blast Long run with fast intervals- Superblast Long run at steady marathon pace or slower-Neo Vista Does this makes sense to you?
Yep. That makes sense. Though I’ve felt the lack of structural support in the Neo Vista that I mentioned in my review see me favour the Superblast more and more. I did my longest run of my marathon training block (34k) in the Neo Vistas a couple of weeks ago, and things broke down for me a bit. Now that could have nothing to do with the shoes and just be down to having a bad day but I’ll be trying a similar run in terms of distance (32k) and pace this weekend in the Superblasts, which if it goes well like likely confirm them as my marathon shoe over the Neo Vista.
Hmm. Unsure then. Have you set your race to Primary race? Beyond that I’m unsure if the newer UI on the Fenix 8 might mean the implement of it might be different.
@@RunSDJ just found it. Can access after selecting start->run the scroll to workout -> library then daily suggestion. Wired that Garmin hide it under so many menu items compared to what you have shown.
You’ve ran really well in this block Stephen. Really excellent running. Is it even marathon training if the wheels don’t come off at least once? I bet you’ll feel the benefit of that ‘bad’ run soon enough.
Thanks David. I do try and show both sides, granted most videos cover things going ‘right’ but I think you’ll see, this video starts quite brightly and confidently but things took a bit of a turn later. In these moments it’s often harder to turn the camera on myself but I am keen to show when things go a bit wrong, and then in follow up videos hopefully show things getting back on track. 🤞🏻
I am yes. If you watch my Chicago week 1 training video I run through my setup of it for Chicago. I really like it, though I am setting my own time expectations for Chicago and not strictly following what RUNNA thinks I can do. In short RUNNA thinks I can do sub 3:30 (again) but I feel like im setting myself up for disappointment if I hold myself to that so I’m setting myself 3:45 target which would be a 13ish min PB. I find I can hit the pace targets it sets in interval and tempo sessions without too many problems, but I can’t hold a 5min /KM pace for a marathon currently. Despite Paris being a 30min PB it was still tinged with a bit of disappointment that I hadn’t hit my RUNNA target. In hindsight I should have been really happy. So that’s why I’m going on a time based on my own targets.
Honestly I would rather have firm shoes for long runs. My long runs are only up to 16 miles but I use the Triumph 21s because they are firmer than my Hoka Mach X. I felt my feet were just sinking into the shoes with no return on the Mach X. I got these coming in these week to soak up the long runs. I'll see how they do but firm is better for me.
@@RunSDJ Update I got about 88 miles in them. They are great for long runs and I get great bounce when I land on the forefoot. I'm the opposite of you, they are not good for tempo as the turnover is slow but they def soak up long miles. Right now I'm using Saucony Speed 4 for tempo, Novablast 4 for long runs, Saucony Triumph 21 for recovery, and I occasionally throw in the Mach X for daily/recovery just to switch to the 5mm drop. My track sessions are Saucony Pro 3s, and race is the Pro 4s. This my first running shoe rotation.
Bought this 2 months ago as replacement for my OG Superblast as my long run shoes. (almost 600km++ for my Second pair of SB1) 133KM done in this shoes. Yes, it's soft but have some lag of bounce. I'm trying to love this shoes. But, it's failed. One big problem for me is durability. The outsole durability is so bad. Because muzino labeling as daily or super "trainer", i expect 300 up to 500km or more for "trainer". At my highway area, it's already gone just for 100km++. And now, it's hella slippery at just Slightly wet condition. The midsole is getting too soft for picking up the pace. Suited me for below 7km/min Loosing the bounce like what i remembered when i got this for my first run. Now, it's just soft. Really2 small bounce left, just after 133km? For me, it's crazy. And, it's unstable. Maybe just because too soft midsole? Idk. That's what i feel. And thanks god, i bought the Superblast 2, 3 weeks ago. After 65km, SB2 already brakein. And, yes. For me, SB2 is way way better shoes than Neo Vista. It's softer than previous model, it's bouncier, it's more breathable, great stability, and no sign of wearing after 65km at the outsole. Lighter than neo vista. It's feel like SB2 made for me. It's suited me perfectly. So, i retired Mizuni Neo Vista just after 133KM. Fastest Retirement so far. 😔
My outsole appears to the holding up better than yours, so fingers crossed it stays okay for a while longer. It is quite unstable I agree. I think it’s down to the upper knit fabric more so than the midsole softness. It REALLY doesn’t enjoy sharp turns.
Nicely shot and presented 😃. Are you wearing the camera on your forehead or hat? Much better than the chest mounts some runners use that feels like you're punching yourself in the face 😅. Nice course, looks a bit energy sapping on that surface but you can't beat running in the countryside.
Thanks very much. Yes this is my new insta360 Go 3s. I just used the tiny thumb sized camera for everything in this video including the audio which I was really impressed with tbh. I had the hat mount clipped to my running cap for the POV shots but when not in use put it the camera in my waist belt out of the way and turn my cap the right way round. Up until now I’ve used a GoPro w a chest mount which has always done me good, but it’s a lot more to carry. I’ve used the magnetic chest mount with the insta360 but the footage was unusable even w the flow state stabilisation, but the hat mount is a 👍🏻. Course was good. Don’t think it’s much more sapping than road tbh. It was fairly solid and very flat.
I find the novablast 4 great for easy paced long runs and reasonably priced too.. I always assumed that the superblast would be a lot more sporty than the nb especially given the premium price.
Owning both, I find the uses cases of both very similar tbh. I don’t like the NB4 at slower paces either. I do think the SB2 give better response at the faster paces, but I’m unsure if it’s worth an additional £70 of investment.
Great review. I love the colourway. Gutted I could not get my hands on a pair as they sold out so quickly. Hoping they release some more or even a new colourway and will attempt to get some
Yeah. It’s subtle but with a bit of nice vivid colour on the midsole. I’m pretty certain more colour ways will be coming soon. You think they’d be rushing them to market since every size is sold out in every region at the moment.
I haven’t cleaned them so far. I’ve got some brushes that attach to a water bottle that I put some detergent in to generally clean my running shoes when they need it, but so far these have stood up pretty well to the mileage. To be fair, they haven’t done too much in the wet or on dirt tracks, a bit here and there but mainly clean routes.
Thank you for the great detailed review. So basically if this shoe isn’t the greatest for easy long runs or recovery runs, despite all it’s great features and great experience running in them, do you feel there is a much needed place for this shoe in a rotation or not necessarily? This is more important for me than anything else when choosing my running shoes
It depends what makes up your rotation. Say you want an Easy / Recovery Shoe, a Tempo / Interval Shoe and a Race Day Shoe so a 3 shoe rotation, this for me would fit in as my tempo / interval shoe. I can take it to the track as well and enjoy it as much as taking it to a Saturday Parkrun where I like to push my 5k pace into 4:00-4:30/KM. I’d have something like a Nimbus or Invincible for the slower paced / recovery stuff, and my Race Day shoe is a Hoka Rocket X2 (carbon plate). If I wanted a single shoe to do everything well, I would go for the Mizuno Neo Vista, but the downsides of that is the lack of arch support and it’s not a very stable shoe, but it is enjoyable at slower paces and race day pace. I’ve ended up using my own insoles in it to give it more arch support which has worked quite well.
@@RunSDJ Thank you. So basically this shoe eliminates the need for a daily trainer besides a recovery easy run shoe. It is almost like having a daily trainer + tempo shoe.
Yes. I like having a 3 shoe rotation which adds a race shoe, for this I have the Hoka Rocket X2 but if I went to a 2 shoe rotation eliminating the race shoe this would be a good shoe to cover everything except the recovery / easy for me.
I have a SB1 (350km on it by now) and my rotation is basically a nimbus for easy day/LSD and SB1 for intervals/tempo/threshold and races (currently training for a hm). I really don’t feel like I need another shoe, but if I was to buy a new pair to add in the rotation it would be a carbon plated race shoe
thanks for the review! so complete! I really enjoy the tone and the paused rhythm, it make it easy to process all the info. thank u for your generosity
I’m a bit torn vs the Superblast TBH. Initially I would have definitely said the Neo Vista but as I’ve broken in the Superblast 2s I’m really enjoying them. That being said, I think they are actually very different shoes. I’ll have a review up soon.
Great video! I’m on week two of my marathon training with Runna and enjoying the app so far. I also found the Tempo runs the hardest so far. Excited to see the progression!
Thanks Courtney, really appreciate the comment. What marathon are you training for? I'm into my second marathon training plan now (for Chicago), mid way through week 5, it doesn't feel like it gets any easier! :)
I’d say so. It does a bit of everything well. It’s not as supportive as the invincible, hence me putting some arch support insoles in it but much lighter feeling on foot. Comfortable at slower paced longer runs, as well as being good as the quicker paces.
Thanks Tom. Yes, pushed very hard but just a bit short on that occasion of the sub 20 dream. Hopefully have another crack at it before the end of 2024, perhaps after my marathon training is done.
Great review. Unfortunately I’m having considerable charging issues! On many occasions, they’ve been in case charging (even plugged into power) and they’re dead flat. I’m on my 3rd pair under warranty and Shokz are brilliant as a company in that regard but today still an issue. A 3rd pair would suggest some sort or ‘user’ error but charging shouldn’t be that hard 🤦🏼♂️… it appears really need to focus on making sure there is good contact in the case! Anyone else having issues?
Hi Scott, appreciate your postive comment in relation to my review and sorry you are having issues with your Shokz. Since making the review I have had perhaps had 1 issue where both the charge case and the battery were out of battery despite me being almost certain I had recently charged them, but I put this down to user error, perhaps having not turned the plug on or something, but perhaps it might have been an issue like the one you mention. It's only happened to me once though, so I didn't see it as a broader issue. Hope you get the issue resolved!
Sure. When you say ‘gear’ do you mean my running shoes or other stuff. Happy to oblige just helpful to know. Usefully tomorrow I’m trying out some ‘race fuelling’ during my long run, so I’ll talk a bit about that while I record my VLOG tomorrow.
Drawback is for those that have hearing issues, bone conducting headphones win. Unsure how the inner side can fit with so many different sizes and shapes of the tragus lobe. And really wondering with the increased bass over the ear if this will cause further hearing degradation. For the most part you covered everything minus how the earphone fits over the tragus. Glad these are not in-the-ear or ear-buds, yet still am concerned about hearing the surrounding as I ride a recumbent trike in various environments and wear the OpenRun & OpenRun Pro in different scenarios.
If the OpenRun range work for you then keep with them! I was only looking at something different because my battery on mine was at the point where it wouldn’t last for a long run. I can only speak from my experience but the OpenFit fit very comfortably for my ear shape. I don’t get on with things like AirPods because I have quite big ears and they just fall out. In terms of your point about increased bass, you have full control of the EQ in the app so you can get the balance of it to suit yourself. I’m still aware of my surroundings wearing them, but I’d say when you push the volume to the limit then they aren’t as good for that as the OpenRun series.
just a quick question on the strength zone, when you say sets. i may have misunderstood, but i thought it was 3 rep max and 5 rep max for the movments then your done. From what your saying you cnan go multiple sets of this ? i imagine for higher points ? sorry if its a silly question :)
You can do as many sets as you want in the time available, but you only NEED to do 1, only your heaviest set of each movement will count. I think the point I was making is don’t burn energy doing lots of sets in the Strength zone. Use the warm up zone to build up to your heavy weights and then just get into the strength zone and minimise your sets as to not burn more energy than you need.
Thanks for sharing your experience. How is the grip on wet road? I would like to use the shoe as a road-to-trail one, but I‘ve seen mixed opinions on the grip.
I’ve found them fine on wet roads to be honest. As I showed in the video, on wet soil type terrain the sole is a bit of a magnet for the dirt, that’s the only real issue I have experienced with them so far.
Thanks Josh. I put it together quite quickly, I’m usually a bit more of a stickler for transitions on the beat etc (see my Paris Marathon short for example) but wanted to put something out as way away from being able to edit for best part of a week.
That's me in the black and green squirrels top you were following for the first part! You should check out our videos of Abbey park parkrun ov3r on the Jogger Vlogger channel
