Thinking about training in xc flats...

i do about half of my mileage in xc flats. same story, no cushioning, but its really not a problem. the only reason i only do half in my flats is just because it's too hard for me to do all of it in flats--i'm not blessed with the same efficient stride, hence why i'm switching, to try and teach myself to run better. No, i do about 30mpw in flats and i'm not having any problems so far. Here's the thing to remember--cushioning is a crutch. if you need it, it helps. if you don't need it, it gets in the way. the only way to find out whether or not you need it is to try it without.

ill have to agree with the above poster. alot of people do not need the massive amounts of cushioning present on current shoes.

I dont think youll get a stree fracture so quickly, expecially if you have already been doing half your mileage barefoot (no cushioning at all) or in flats.

try it out, the worst thing that could happen is that you get hurt, byut then at least youll know if you could handle it or not

dont be afraid of failure or pain

I switched almost instantly from Brooks Adrenalines to Puma H streets. The first week or so my legs were extremely sore. My calves were sore for about a month also but after that I felt better than ever training. Never been injured or anything either.

I don't recommend transitioning like that, it was pretty stupid but since you already do a good amount of running barefoot and in flats it shouldn't be to hard to completely transition in a few weeks. Thing of what you are doing now as part of the transition.

Form is everything. If you're a heel striker, you need to fix that first or you'll screw yourself up. I do 100% of my mileage in flats and spikes, almost all of it on dirt. I transitioned from gigantic heavy trail shoes/trainers straight to flats/spikes w/no problems but had already worked on my form. I found that imagining I was barefoot was the best drill to get away from heel striking.

Flats are not a magic cure. You have to be very careful with the transition. It shouldn't be too hard for you though if you are already in lightweight trainers, but I don't suggest switching overnight unless you want to start over with your mileage. They've helped me, but not without a few stebacks.

Flats are not a magic cure. You have to be very careful with the transition. It shouldn't be too hard for you though if you are already in lightweight trainers, but I don't suggest switching overnight unless you want to start over with your mileage. They've helped me, but not without a few setbacks.

Speaking of running barefoot, I was thinking about buying a pair of Nikes free to simulate barefoot running. Does this give you the same effect?

To elaborate, I am a midfoot striker. I made a conscious effort to switch from heel striking after two cases of AT. I haven't had any running-related injuries in over a year. I log about 15 mpw in Vibram Five Fingers and 25 in flats (Nike Zoom Waffle Racer 3). I am currently running about 60 of my weekly mileage in a "less" shoe. I am having no problems. I just went for an easy 8 in my waffles and felt great. No soreness, no aches, no pains. I have been transitioning consciously for a while, I am just curious if it is ok to be running ALL of my mileage in shoes like these and if I may increase my risk of getting a stress fracture. I think i am going to continue to transition because I like the feel of running "on the road." Keep the feedback coming.

I run the other 25-30 miles in my DST's for a total of 55-60 mpw.

It takes most people a long time to make a safe transition in their training like switching from trainers to flats. If I were you, I'd try to do 5% more of my training in flats every 4 weeks, or something like that. Just because you feel good doesn't mean your body can handle it. Your muscles adapt WAY faster than you bones, tendons, and ligaments. Even if you feel great, take it SLOW. The transition can definitely be done and will most likely be beneficial, but it will take some time.

I hate to bring up Steve Magness on this board, but I believe he runs over 100mpw in Puma H-streets, which are a VERY lightweight shoe. I've also read of people running completely barefoot all the time.

Good luck.