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saucony kinvara 4 (question) (Read 130 times)

jsphknndy1


    hi, I'm new to the forum.  just got a quick question regarding the kinvara 4's.

     

    I'm running on average about 10miles per week,  usually doing 3 miles in the morning as part of my boxing training.  I used to do my roadwork in whatever trainers I had lying around: nike air max/puma whirlwinds, just whatever old trainers were lying around my house at the time. I wore a pair of solid ascics trainers for boxing, for possibly about 3 years and still have some life in them.

     

    anyway, I haven't had any running injuries yet however I invested in a proper pair of runners and was told the kinvara 4 was a good shout.  So i bought a pair back in May, they were/are great, comfortable etc. however in the past week I've started to get pains in the back of my calves after running.  I was told this would be a sign of the trainers coming to their end of life, but going by how the guy that sold me the trainers in the running shop told me to check them they still seem as if there is plenty of give in them at the moment.

     

    I'm approximating that I have doing about 200+ miles in them so far and was under the impression that I should be getting at least 300 out of them?

     

    can anyone offer any advice on this or what might be causing the calf pain?  Never had this issue until now.

      First I love the Kinvara 4. I think I have 5 in my rotation. I got the last pair for $30 something just by typing Kinvara 4 into Google and checking a couple of links.

       

      Unfortunately, I only get a little over 200 miles out of each pair. I can tell when they are done when the ball of my left foot starts aching. If your calves were good from May until now I bet a new pair might do the trick, unless you have recently changed something about you're running, e.g., heavier mileage.


      ultramarathon/triathlete

        I doubt it's the shoes wearing out that's causing the problems.  I'm on about my 10th pair of Kinvaras (starting back at the Kinvara 1) and get 250-300 miles out of mine.

         

        And speaking of which, I noticed some tears in the outer toe box after the NYCM.  I'm gonna push another marathon into them this weekend and then refresh them.  Anyone have any specific links to a good sale on them?  I'm a size 10.  Don't care which color or even which model year, as long as it's the Kinvara.

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        keeponrunning


          I'm still in the 3s cause I picked up a whole bunch when they first stopped selling them, but I usually get about 300 miles out of pair (and I'm hard on shoes), so I doubt it's the shoe.

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            So there you go, three replies and two contradictory nuggets of advice. That's RA for you. But if you've been running 10 a week for 6 months with no problems on the same shoe (let's say 240 miles) and you haven't changed anything else or tweaked your calf boxing or whatever else you do, it might be the shoe. Try 6pm.com (where I got my $30 pair) or your local Marshall's (great prices on last year's models) and see if it clears up.

            jsphknndy1


              thanks for the replies.

               

              As far as my running goes, I haven't changed anything in my regular runs. every other week I will do hillsprints on a rest day from running/boxing and haven't picked up any niggling injuries from boxing other than muscle knots in my back from over training at times, which gets sorted after a trip to the physio.

               

              I hadn't planned on forking out for another pair of runners quite so soon, but I have seen the same ones online for £40-50, will update this at the end of the month when I buy the new ones to say whether or not they done the trick.


              King of PhotoShop

                I'm not disagreeing with anyone here, so I hope my input doesn't add confusion.  I have a pair of Kinvara's and I use them for racing short distances, up to tenK.  The shoe is a light trainer, not a racing flat, but I have to say that it is not the most comfortable shoe in the world, a bit boxy, or rigid. And there is nothing to the heel, which would be consistent with your having calf soreness.

                 

                Given that you do not run many miles, AND you are experiencing some discomfort with them, my advice would be to chuck them and look for another light trainer that gives you a bit more comfortable "ride."  Last year when New Balance came out with the Fresh Foam, they asked me to wear test it, which I did, and I found it to be a comfortable and versatile shoe. I ran short races in them and even a 50K, with no problems. I wrote about it here.

                 

                Good luck.  Spareribs


                SMART Approach

                  I really like the Kinvaras but rotate other shoes in my weekly runs because there is minimal heel to toe drop in the Kinvara while my other shoes have a greater heel to toe. I used to have a lower heel to toe drop similar shoe - Saucony Mirage which I liked a lot. I started running in them regularly and developed a calf issue that lingered. I personally don't think you should 100% jump from a more stable, meaty, higher heel to drop shoe to all your running in a low to no heel to toe drop shoe. At least allow some adjustment time.

                   

                  With all that being said, I do think you should just replace your shoes or mix in a run or two a week with some other shoes.

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                    I'm surprised you get very many miles out of the 4's.  I liked the 3's and love the 5's.  My issue with the 4's was the narrower toe box and the fabric.  My little toe rubbed quite a bit to the point of creating a hole in about 100 miles.  And that was on two different pairs.

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                    SMART Approach

                      My bad, I actually have the 5s. The toe box is roomy which is important to me. The 5s were first Kinvaras I have purchased and think they are real good for my rotation. I don't think I will get 300 miles on them unless I do a bunch more treadmill running but I don't wear the heal out as much as my normal trainers which makes sense because of less heel to toe drop

                      Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

                      Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

                      Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

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                      King of PhotoShop

                        Something else occurred to me after I posted last.  Go to your local running store with the shoes and see if the gel insert heel cups will fit in the shoes and allow you enough room.  If so, that is not a bad investment as they are cheap and it might solve the calf soreness problem.  Spareribs

                        Chantilly75


                          The Kinvara's only have a 4mm drop, which can cause a bit of extra stress on your calf muscles if you had been used to shoes with more of a heel.

                          Try to do some calf stretches and gradually get used to the Kinvaras.  I doubt that they are worn out yet. Mine have 500+ miles.

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