You’d be forgiven for thinking that minimalist footwear is two-a-penny these days – every brand seems to have brought out their own version of a ‘natural’ running shoe. But some are more natural than others in our opinion. Many companies have simply jumped on the bandwagon and their shoes don’t fit our criteria of what a barefoot/minimalist shoe should do and offer. So we only stock shoes that we would wear ourselves. (Talking of which, Jeff recently ran 2.39 in the Paris Marathon in his VIVOBAREFOOT Evos.) But we’re all different, and one of the Emperor’s New Shoes strengths is in having the expertise and experience to advise you on what minimalist shoe is right for you and how to improve your form successfully and safely (I am one of the UK’s first certified barefoot coaches).

You can find out what makes a good minimalist shoe here and view our range here. We’ll also be taking our mobile store to races throughout Kent and East Sussex over the coming weeks, so look out for us!

But I came across an interesting study today (not new) which suggests that RPE is somewhat transient… fragile even. Researchers from the University of Southampton got runners to run at 75 per cent of their maximum on a treadmill in three different trials, and monitored their mood (known as ‘affect’ in psychological research) and RPE during each.

In the first trial, they were told to run for 20 mins – and did so. In the second trial, they were told to run for 10 mins – but when the 10 mins were almost up they were told to run a further 10 mins. And in the final trial, they were not told how long they would be running for (but it turned out to be 20 mins).

In the second trial, when the runners thought they were about to stop but were asked to carry on, mood (understandably!) took a bit of a dip. But RPE increased, despite the fact that the speed remained constant at all times throughout all trials. In other words, the runners rated their effort as ‘harder’ because of the unexpected extra mileage. This led the researchers to suggest that RPE is not purely a measure of physical exertion, but has an affective component, too. It reminded me of the 10-mile race I ran last weekend – a fellow participant asked me about the hills and I told him ‘there’s one at 4 miles and another at 7 miles but the rest is fairly flat.’ He came and found me, someway between 5 and 6 and said in an accusatory tone ‘you didn’t tell me about this one…’ Oops. I bet his RPE was sky high…

So what does this all mean? I think it means that your state of mind can have a big impact on performance, and that having someone – or something – else in control of your performance is disempowering and likely to make you feel that you are working harder than if you knew exactly what lay ahead. I’ll keep that in mind in my coaching in future - and my mid-race banter…

I tested the shin/calf sleeves (pictured below), and found the ice sheets (which resemble bubble wrap with icy bubbles)  a bit fiddly on initial use – you have to soak and dry them in order to activate– but once that’s done you simply refreeze them after each use.  Encircling my calves in their icy grip after hard training or racing when my calves were particularly sore or tender has felt really beneficial, (and the science supporting compression use in recovery is relatively good) but I have frequently used the sleeves on their own in training, too, for the less well-researched benefits of compression during performance.

If you are the sort of person who’d rather stick a bag of frozen peas down a tubi-grip bandage than shell out for fancy kit, you’ll likely not be buying these – the calf sleeves cost £55 and the shorts and tights are pricier. But they are well made (seamless for comfort) and hardwearing - and for the gear addicts, they come in a snazzy insulated bag, so you can freeze them before a race and put them on straight afterwards. Which has to be better than mushy peas, I reckon.

Try to use a race performance that is as relevant as possible to the marathon distance – so, if you have a recent 5km time and a 10-mile time, opt for the 10-miler. If you have two half marathon times, pick the one that most closely resembles the course profile of the marathon. It can be useful to work out your ‘potential’ pace from a range of different distances, to get clues on whether your natural strength is speed or stamina.

 Here are some calculations you can use:

• 10km time x 4.76 (5km time x 2 plus 1 min = 10km time)
• 10 mile time x 2.82
• Half marathon time x 2.12

(Pick a race, convert your race time into minutes and multiply by the figure above – predicted marathon time is in minutes)

If you have any questions about marathon strategy, pacing or preparation, I am doing an online chat on Friday 30th March on the Runner’s World website forum at 1pm-2pm.

The rules of the race are that every team member has to cross the finish line to be declared winners, and it was only when we came hurtling into the finish area that we realised we still had a chance – as both us and one other team still had one team member out on the course. ‘GO ON ANDY!’ we bawled, but the Rye Rugby Club guy pipped him to the post and Rye Runners settled for second place. This year anyway. We’ll be back for the next one though…

My first observation on putting them on was that they felt pretty heavy and cumbersome. My digital scales clock them at 234g each,  and the fairly deep snow I was running through initially didn’t really give much of a chance to put their grip to the test (when it’s that deep, your feet simply sink, not slide). I could really feel the weight of them when lifting my feet and I’d pretty much decided they weren’t all that good.

BUT! When I made it across the fields to the country lanes beyond, I found the tarmac was sheathed  in ice. I stepped gingerly on to the glossy surface (I’d normally have turned back) and wiggled my shoe – it clung firmly to the ice. I took another step – same thing. Over a mile and a half of hard packed snow and ice, I didn’t lose my footing once. Impressive. Once I hit the snow and ice-free roads, I became aware once again of the weight of the ice spikes and of the metallic thud of each landing. They aren’t comfortable to wear on a clear surface – and of course, that isn’t what they are designed for - but that does make them somewhat inconvenient when the terrain is varied – some icy, some not, some grassy, some tarmac.

In summary, they do what they are meant to do – grip the ice – superbly. But the downside is their weight and limited comfort. £50 RRP. www.pogu.co.uk

It’s a difficult question to answer, because only you can truly know how bad the niggle feels. But asking yourself these three questions can help you come to the right decision…

• Is your running technique compromised or affected by the niggle? (In other words, are you running a bit ‘funny’ to protect the sore area?
• Does the niggle seem to be exacerbated by running, either during or afterwards?
• Has the pain/niggle lingered even after taking a few days rest or trying anti-inflammatory measures such as ice or anti-inflammatory painkillers?

If the answer to any or all of these is yes, then I recommend that you don’t run on it. Try to find a form of cross-training that doesn’t hurt, be proactive about reducing inflammation and keeping the area gently mobile through gentle stretching/movement and consider seeing a sports physio, osteopath or therapist for treatment, and to shed light on the cause. There really is no sense in running through injuries – you are likely to end up out of the game a lot longer than if you take action straight away to resolve the problem.