How do I "break in" a pair of racers (and my legs) ... Nike Vaporfly Next% (Read 113 times)

Hi -

By way of introduction, I am an amateur not very fast runner, about 30 miles a week, being surprisingly disciplined (for me) in sticking to a training and recovery schedule in preparation for a half-marathon in December. In ideal conditions I run 10 miles at just under 9:00 min/mile (what I did when working in Wisconsin last month), and here in the South Texas heat and humidity, and huge hills, it's much slower.

I have been training in Saucony Rides, just got some Ride 2s a few weeks ago. What I did is I bought a pair of Nike Vaporfly Next% racing shoes. I know I'm not going to run 4%+ faster in them, but I guess I've bought into the hype that they are very likely to cut some time off in races, and I decided to splurge on them as long as I was being disciplined with the training.

I tried them on in the store today, and they definitely feel very very different than any other shoe I've worn (I've always had "normal" trainers). Of course they're very light, but they have this mid-foot ridge thing going on. It sort of acts as a rocking hinge point, so that if you lean forward even a smidge it rocks your whole body forward. The first time or two I tested that out (in the store), I wondered if I was going to do a face plant!

Significantly, I've heard the Nike Vaporfly Next% racers are not very durable!

Sorry for the long background ... What I'm concerned as a downside of these shoes is that my running  mechanics will be quite different based on how they felt in the store today - which might result in some bad cramping or pain if I just lace them up for the first time on race day.

So I figure I should put some miles on the shoes before race day ... but how many, and what kind?

The folks in the store were not very knowledgeable, the best consensus they had was maybe 1 or 2 long runs and a tempo run, "not too much because you might mess up the foam before the race" ... but honestly, I am not putting too much stock in what they said as they seemed to be kind of winging it when I asked them that question.

I tried to find a Nike running forum to see if I could ask any experienced users, but the only Nike forum I could find was all Michael Jordans, and not much if any Vaporfly ...

1) Does anyone have any thoughts on what kind of break in period I should give the shoes (and my legs to get used to the very different running mechanics?)

2) Does anyone know of a Nike forum where I might be able to talk to other users of this shoe?

Thanks for any help!!

Like all racing shoes, start out with a short tempo run, maybe 3-5 miles. Wait at least 3-4 days before wearing them again, preferably a week. Do a race-pace workout in them a few times before trying them in a race, especially anything 10k and longer.

I suspect the VaporFlys will be an easier transition than other road racing flats because they have a high drop and lots of cushioning, similar to trainers. If you're not used to something that light, your strides will feel short and choppy when you first use them.

But yeah, at least 3-4 runs in them before you trust them in a race.

I have the original 4% and yeah they feel very different, especially at easy pace!  I did one short run and then raced a 10k and they felt great, but I had some outer ankle pain for a few days after. I then raced a half and full marathon and didn’t have any issues with them at all. A tip that I got was to lace them up tight which made them feel more stable.

At that pace you are not going to get much benefit out of the Next %. The ride on them is slightly awkward unless you are moving at under 4:00/km or 6:30/mile.

At that pace you are not going to get much benefit out of the Next %. The ride on them is slightly awkward unless you are moving at under 4:00/km or 6:30/mile.

That's what about every independent reviewer says. They are designed for a quick turnover and midfoot strike to get the most out of the foam and plate. People who train in heavy shoes will get a boost just because of the lighter weight, though (as long as they PRACTICE wearing the lighter weight shoe once in a while so it's not a surprise!).

Buyer Be Informed.

Just to add a little more from my experience. Most racing flats tend to load the calves as they are low heel to toe drop. The Vaporfly’s, given their higher drop and higher stack height, tend to reduce load on the calves and Achilles and distribute it to the quads and hamstrings.  On balance this is probably a good thing as larger muscle groups are better equipped to do the work.

 

That's what about every independent reviewer says. They are designed for a quick turnover and midfoot strike to get the most out of the foam and plate. People who train in heavy shoes will get a boost just because of the lighter weight, though (as long as they PRACTICE wearing the lighter weight shoe once in a while so it's not a surprise!).

 

Buyer Be Informed.

Don't know anything about how fast you have to run to see improvement. But, if my wife is any indication, they seemed to help her and she can do 9 minute miles for a half when she's in shape and they seemed to improve her performance at a slower pace then that. She's a heel striker, if that makes any difference.

Having said that, I'm a bit faster (1:40-1:45 Half) and am forefoot to mid-foot striker (for road races I use VFFs).  I've done 4 races in the 4%s 3 Halfs and 1 marathon and they didn't seem to help me.  So, I'm a counter example.

As far as breaking in shoes. Modern running shoes really don't require much break-in time.  The more flexible the shoe, the truer that statement is.  I wouldn't worry about it and wouldn't waste them on a training run, but that's me. DW used her's once before her race for a 6 mile run.

If they are lighter then what you usually train and/or race in, I think you will find that your time will improve just from that.  They aren't lighter then my VFFs and I might lose some energy that I wouldn't in the VFFs which may explain my results.

Yeah, you don't really break in shoes anymore, you break in your feet to get used to the shoes.