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racing footware (Read 431 times)


Slow-smooth-fast

    What are your thoughts on racing shoes? I have really got into running, and have quite a strict regime at the moment, and I was wondering if I should ask for a pair of racing road shoes for my birthday. What is your experience with these? Are they better than normal running trainers? Will I be that bit faster? Feel free to share any positive feedback you have about racing shoes you have.

    "I've been following Eddy's improvement over the last two years on this site, and it's been pretty dang solid. Sure the weekly mileage has been up and down, but over the long haul he's getting out the door and has turned himself into quite a runner. He's only now just figuring out his potential. Consistency in running is measured in years, not weeks. And over the last couple of years, Eddy's made great strides" Jeff 14 Jan 2009


    #2867

      The right shoe for the right occasion... The type of shoe you race in depends upon your goals, the distance, and the terrain. For cross country and track races, you probably want spikes or waffles. For road races, you probably want flats or lightweight trainers. For trail races, you probably want trail shoes. I finally threw out my racing spikes last year since they were falling apart. I've been running in Nike Zoom Katanas for most of my races since, which are nice lightweight racers. I also have some Nike Air Streak Zoom XC shoes that I use for my short races such as 5ks, but once I start getting past the 10k the shoes beat my feet up too much. Wearing racing shoes can take a little practice when you aren't used to them, so you might want to break them in on some speed workouts first. You also need to be aware that you'll feel like you can fly early in a race, especially if you are used to heavy trainers. Just remember to keep good form and not to go out too fast. For my marathons, I have used Asics DS Trainers as one of the shoes to train in (I rotate between 4-6 pairs of shoes) and usually to race in. I just ran a 50k in trail shoes (on trails of course), and I am thinking of using my Katanas at the Marine Corps Marathon in October. I need to try getting a 15-18 miler in them and see how they treat me; I've been doing about 12 miles in them with a 5k in the middle without any trouble.

      Run to Win
      25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)