Training in racing flats?

A very wise person put me on to training in racing flats. I'm not certain they are for everyone (I'm 6'1/140), but they have eliminated the injuries that have plagued me. I do 110-115 MPW in a pair of Air Ghost racers, going through a pair about every 6-8 weeks. Biomechanics people have told me the lower heel height has a lot to do with it; 18 years of injured, low mileage training in "trainers"; 2 years of 2-3x the mileage I was doing before in racing flats, no injuries. It works for me. Now if Nike will just start making the Ghost racer again...I'm on my last pair...

You might want to try the teva proton,a 35 dollar shoe:

http://www.teva.com/Apparel_Detail.asp?dept_id=1&sku=6658&c=hydro&sc=1

I have been doing all of my running in the proton for 2 months and will NEVER go back to a "running" shoe.

Since you allready train in a shoe that does not have a rasised heel you probably can adapt to the proton's lack of raised heel quickly.If you need to add cushioning just get some insole inserts.

They hold up very well.

Q: Who buys the vast majority of Nike racing flats?

A: Japanese runners buy them for everyday training.

I read an article recently that Nike sells way more racing flats in Japan than trainers. Personally, I am a believer in the low heel theory. I used to have arch, achilles and knee problems, then I switched to shoes with lower heels and I haven't had as many injuries. I still struggle with a chronic ham problem, though. In my current rotation of "training shoes", I wear a few racing flats: Mizuno Wave Phantom, Asics Tiger Paw 99, and on rare occasions Nike Air Streak Ekiden. I also wear a lightweight trainer with a low heel, the adidas supernova classic (98).

For the hamstring try running in Leggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose,I am dead serious.These are a light weight compression hose.

Many of my cirrent injury problems can be traced back to training in flats during the '70-80's. Cushioning is not a bad thing.

I swear by training in racers. I haven't had to take time off due to injury in two and half years and have run up to 115 miles a week. The flats can hold up well enough, and because of the upper they can fit really nice too. I think they really help prevent injury. Everyone who I've met tells me I'm a dumbass about this, but the thing is it seems like no one is willing to give it a shot. I myself like the Air Streaks, and especially the Triax TC.

I'm not saying you guys are all wrong for training in flats but it still doesnt really make much sense to me how you can be less injury prone wearing a shoe that has a whole lot less to it. After wearing flats (Asics Tiger Paw) in track workouts and races I always felt that my legs, especially my calves, felt more beat up. Anyone else have any good reasons to make the switch, cause I am very injury prone??? Thanks.

I also train in racers. I haven't even put on a pair of training shoes in several years. If you are running in trainers, do yourself a favor and give this a try. You might just be surprised at how much better running feels when you aren't lugging all that extra weight around on your feet. As my college coach was fond of telling us, God designed the foot correctly. It's the shoe companies that try to mess it up.

As an added note, since I switched to racers full time, I have not had a single injury. When I was still carrying around anvels on my feet, I was almost constantly getting foot/leg/knee problems.

Your legs feel beat up after doing a session in flats because you're used to training in bulky, stiff, heavy tank-shoes. The high-heels of the athletics world, if you will. Gradually make the transition over to flats and odds are you won't look back.

DJL

I wear a solid training shoe (Asics Kayano)and orthotics, and have had a number of lower leg injuries. I have decided that after Boston Marathon in April, I want to wean myself off the orthotics and eventually off the Kayanos during the summer months. Any suggestion on how to do so w/o any injuries?

Solipsist....if you're really a true solipsist, why does it matter, since shoes don't actually exist anyway??

Dougruns26 wrote:

I wear a solid training shoe (Asics Kayano)and orthotics, and have had a number of lower leg injuries. I have decided that after Boston Marathon in April, I want to wean myself off the orthotics and eventually off the Kayanos during the summer months. Any suggestion on how to do so w/o any injuries?

I can't offer suggestions from experience, because I went cold turkey after my college coach told me to. Much like breaking other bad habits, it was very liberating.

One more thought. If you are going to do this, develop some thick skin, figuratively speaking. Your unenlightened running friends will call you crazy (ignore them) and running store clerks will treat you like a moron (ignore them, too). Just smile at them with the knowledge that you are the enlightened one, while they are still living in the footwear dark ages.

I too have made the transition from wearing heavy trainers (with a pair of Spenco arches) and being constantly injured to wearing "less shoe" and being injury free.

This has been a long process for me. The first step was to get rid of the Spenco arches and just run in the heavy trainers (wore the Structure Triax). About 3 months later I switched to lightweight trainers (about 10 oz.), and I now do my speedwork in spikes and faster/longer runs in racing flats. This total process has taken about 18 months and was not without some minor difficulties.

There is a huge downside, however. For me at least, the lighter the shoe, the less it lasts. That is why I have not switched to racing flats full-time, just can't afford it right now.

I have a big stack of old shoes at home, anyone ever donate them and get a tax write-off?

Agreed! Store clerks can be the worst...

"So you're planning on running the Joggerville 5k in these bad boys, eh? They'll make you PR, that's for sure...These things should be considered lethal weapons, har har har, run 5k in em and that's all your feet can take!"

"Uh, actually I do all my training in racing flats...I had some Brooks Hyperion Racers, but only got 250 training miles out of them...I'm hoping these will last a bit longer."

"Uhhh...are you feeling OK?"

DJL

Not saying u guys are wrong... wrote:

I'm not saying you guys are all wrong for training in flats but it still doesnt really make much sense to me how you can be less injury prone wearing a shoe that has a whole lot less to it. After wearing flats (Asics Tiger Paw) in track workouts and races I always felt that my legs, especially my calves, felt more beat up. Anyone else have any good reasons to make the switch, cause I am very injury prone??? Thanks.

It's a theory that if you allow the foot to do what it was designed to do, you will avoid injury. Heavy, cushy or stiff trainers all restrict your feet from doing what they would do naturally (without shoes). This is why when I'm at home I walk around barefoot as much as possible. I'm not saying it will work for everyone, but if you're getting foot and lower leg injuries it might be worth a try.

Thanks, Doug. You said what I have been trying to, but much more clearly.

I wrote an article about this last year that was in Marathon and Beyond. I referred to a Cabadian doctor who's studied this for years and years. Essentially, he says that the foot needs feedback to function properly while you run. Cushioned, corrective, "supportive" shoes block the feedback and you end up slamming your foot into the ground harder in an attempt to get the feedback.

I switched to racers full time in 1995 and have not had one injury since. I made the switch because my knee had been killing me and not getting better and had goten worse as I spent money on more "protective" shoes. Since the article was published I've gotten several phone calls or e-mails from people who read and cleared up problems by switching to racers or to very simple shoes. Personally, I think that one of the reasons the Japanese can do all the mileage they do is because they train in racers.

I made the switch all at once, no transition or anything. I assume this won't work for everyone, but it's worked for several people. I haven't found the durability issue too problematic. I've got an old pair of Nike Pegasus racers that I've had forever and that show no sign of impending death, and I was close to 1,000 miles with a pair of Asics Gel-Paws. I just took out the insoles at about 300 miles and replaced it with a Spenco.