Training in racing flats?

This is very widely discussed on the boards. A search should bring up a lot of results.

The following has worked for me for the past 9 years:

TRACK SPIKES

training - intervals on track, intervals on trails

racing - track meets

RACING FLATS

training - intervals on track/road, long runs at marathon pace

racing - road races, track meets

TRAINING SHOES

easy runs (majority of mileage)

i trained in flats this year. it was great until i got injured.

DON'T do it unless you want to wind up injured.

I suffered with ITBS until I started training in flats/spikes or barefoot. No problems anymore - actually barefoot works best for me. From a performance standpoint, I improved my 10mi, 1/2m, and marathon times - the shoes helped me stay injury free but I was also training better and smarter. I had a good experience, wish you the best of luck.

Its probably good to do at least some if not all of your speedwork in your racing shoes. If you rarely wear your flats or spikes and then run an all out race in them, you're asking for injury.

I do track workouts (Just the workout no warmup cooldown) and the occaisional tempo run in them .... but listen to these other guys, flats give you no support, they're just rubber to protect your feet. If you train too much in them you will end up hurting yourself.

I did 110 miles in them one week and no injuries. Let him decide and make up his own mind.

Since you are asking specifically about interval workouts, I think you should definitely do them in your racing flats. This will prepare your legs for competition in your racing shoes and also contribute to increased efficiency at the faster paces. If you do your regular training in heavier training shoes you will still feel the lightness on race day.

flats vs trainers wrote:

If you train too much in them you will end up hurting yourself.

Really? That's strange, here I thought for the past three years I was healthy for the first time in yeears and running pr's.

I've recently switched to running all my track sessions in flats and think it's a much better way of training. Cushioned trainers simply absorb a lot of the energy you are creating, which could instead be used make you go faster. By running in flats you'll also better develop the muscles you use when actually racing. If you aren't running long repeats and are using a rubberised track, the risk is low. You can make it even lower by running your warm-up and down in reverse direction around the track (ie, stressing the opposite ankle) and doing easy runs on grass (which will strengthen both ankles).

There is a substantial school of thought that ALL running should be done in flats if you are a neutral, biomechanically sound runner because training shoes are unnatural -- like high heels. I've been trying Asics Gel Magic Racers on the street and track and have been very surprised to find that my legs feel better, not worse.

I'm certainly coming round to that view. I reckon in 5-10 years time we will see a lot of studies arguing that running in cushioned trainers is bad for you, and that we should all be running in flats instead.

My left arch and achilles developed serious issues when I switched to flats. I never exceeded 52 MPW and was out of action more or less for 2 full years: PF and Achilles Tendonitis.

Therefore we can conclude that the only proper way to train must be to run in 17 oz. clunkers. It's like, so totally cool.

Better yet, run in army boots.

Zatopek did train in army boots and he was a multiple olympic gold medallist.

Pal wrote:

What do you guys think about running interval sessions on the track in racing flats? I've read that some people do this, and I'm sure it would help you run faster in workouts, but wouldn't it also increase the risk of injury? Wouldn't the added weight of trainers actually help you to a degree because then your racing spikes would feel really light? What's your guys' opinion?

The logic is simple:

If you run races in flats , then train in flats. If you run races in trainers, train in trainers. If you run races in army boots, train in army boots. If you run races barefoot, you better damn well train barefoot. What is the logic in constantly changing your shoe type?

I'm sure many people who train in trainers and then race in flats would agree that they get sore after they race. Why? Because their legs are not adapted to run in flats and the change in shoe type adds extra stress to their legs. If these people trained in flats all the time, then their legs would have adapted to the new stress and then the would not be sore.

But this is my simple logic. I used to train in trainers and then do speed work in flats/spikes and I used to get sore twice a week, sometimes to the point where I could barely walk. During this time, I used to always have chonic Achilles Tendonitis and Planter Fascitis. Now, I train stictly in road flats but not H Streets (maybe someday) and now I can run everyday with little or no soreness and no more AT and PF.

My advice is that if you are going to run more in flats don't over do it or YOU WILL GET INJURED.

PS I also had to correct my form when I switched to flats. I had to shorten my stride and increase my cadence and run more on my toes. And I feel better than ever.

I've training in Brooks T4s, Nike Marathoners, Nike old school Waffle Racers, without any problems. Putting in up to 120+ miles, 22 mile long runs, etc. Of course I'm outside the norm.

Alan

9/10 the injury is because your probably running entirely on the roads, or doing a majority of your mileage on the roads. Back in the day, werent the shoes runners trained in basically flats? they were generaly just a piece of rubber on the bottom of the foot. I trained in flats for along time and never got injured, because i ran most of my weeklymileage, if not almost all my weekly mileage purely off-road.