Anyone train in racing flats?

IanRunnerIanRunner ✭✭✭

Hi,

Ive been reading that  people train in racing flats.

I was just interested if anyone on here did?

ian

Comments

  • RMcDRMcD ✭✭✭
    Noticed at last week's Kinnoul Hill Race that winner Dan Whitehead (British internationalist) was wearing Mizuno Wave Idanten racing flats - given this was a hill race over rough terrain thought this was somewhat unusual. Some experienced runners like to feel their feet close to the ground and do wear flats as much as they can even when training.  However, for most of us given they give little if any support to your feet this is not an option. Indeed, even in races, most runners would only wear them for 5k or 10k distances - danger is as you tire form goes and shoe will give you no real protection thus increasing injury risks.  I wear flats when at track working on sprint speedwork - do have sprint spikes as well but find I need to limit time in them.  I don't wear flats for road racing but have considered it. One thing I would say is shoe weight does make a difference in races - say potentially 30 secs over 10k which is enough to matter.
  • I train in racing flats - NB RC150s to be precise - and have done for the last 5 years or so when I bought myself a few pairs for very little money.  I haven't had any real injuries in that time.  Mind you, I'm very light (and light on my feet), avoid landing on my heal whatever my speed, and I watch where I'm putting my feet.  A proportion of my training is also done off-road in said shoes, though I have to avoid anything with big sharp stones.  Personally, I remember doing an awful lot of running around in the 1950s in "pumps" (=plimsoles) and it "didn't do me any harm" but you don't seem to be able to get them any more!  Maybe it's because the manufacturers wouldn't be able to charge £80-100 a pair.
  • pumps = ultimate racing flats? image
  • As suggested above, Gordon Pirie's book says it better than I could - and it's available on line.
  • I found the book and scanned through it. It makes sense. I've run in flat trainers (just a thin rubber sole)before and never had a problem. I injured my knee playing basketball  and I decided to go with the prevention is better than cure and method and get some "proper" running trainers. Maybe this is the wrong path...

  • I'm thinking of taking up race walking and a total beginner to athletics. Would racing flats be suitable for race walking?...

  • I train exclusively in nike vaporfly and do all my marathons in them.  They're racing shoes although not true flats as they are slightly built up.  Any race shorter than a marathon and i use mayflys.

    I don't think you can get away with this approach if you heel strike though. 

    Hayley - I don't know the first thing about race walking but would guess that you'd need to heel strike to walk that fast so probably not the best option.  I bet someone out there makes specialist speed walking shoes

  • I do all my training and racing in flats, though some are flatter than others.  My current favourites are Adidias Adizero Mana, but I also wear in rotation Asics Gel Speedstar 3 (not really flats, and I don't rate them very highly), Nike Mayfly (don't work very well with my orthoses), Nike Air Streak (fabulous shoes but discontinued), Asics Gel DS Racer (two pairs) and Brooks T5 Racers.
  • I'm about 12 1/2-13 stone and run only in racers  curretly Asics Hyperspeed2, Adizero LT+, Nike Katana racer3 and Mayfly, I've just retired  a pair of Nike Ekiden and 2 pairs of Nike Spectrum+ all 3 pairs with well over 700 miles on them and only binned because the uppers had gone, not the soles,  I do have some Vaporfly as well but I don't really like them, even though I ran my marathon pb in them.

  • I train 50/50 in Adizeros and Nike (structured for pronation).  Finding myself running much more comfortably in the Adidas these days though and can see a day when the vast majority of my running will be done in racing flats.

  • touie2touie2 ✭✭✭
    Edward Collier wrote (see)
    I do all my training and racing in flats, though some are flatter than others.  My current favourites are Adidias Adizero Mana, but I also wear in rotation Asics Gel Speedstar 3 (not really flats, and I don't rate them very highly), Nike Mayfly (don't work very well with my orthoses), Nike Air Streak (fabulous shoes but discontinued), Asics Gel DS Racer (two pairs) and Brooks T5 Racers.
    Do your orthotics fit into the Nike air streak's well? I haven't tried racers before and am looking for some that are cheap in case I don't get on with them and that my orthotics will fit into, there seem to be lots of Air Streaks on ebay at the moment!
  • @touie2 - Yes, my orthotics fit well into all my shoes except the Mayflys.  However, I wasn't able to find any Air Streaks on eBay except Ventulus, which are different from mine.  Can you provide a link to the shoes so that I can check if they are the same version?
  • I managed to dig out a picture of the ones I was referring to - they're actually called Air Zoom Streak Racers:

    http://www.startfitness.co.uk/product.asp?s=fc5kg9155654&strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=36466&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=91

     I've had the Air Streak II as well and they were fine with orthotics (as far as I can remember!)

  • Back in the 80's my mate did all of his runs in racing flats, including one alcohol fuelled fell run that seemed like a good idea at the time. (ie: in the pub.)

    It didn't matter if they were training runs or races, or even what the surface was, and he ran injury free for many a year. I hate the git !! image

  • @Extreme Muzzy - If you can't beat him, join him!
  • Unfortunately, I'm a severe overpronator so flats are a no-no as far as I'm concerned.

    Besides, he has never finished ahead of me in any race over 10k despite him having better pb's (from races I didn't run in) at every distance except ultras.

  • Then you must be doing something right!  My main love of flats is because they're cheap image
  • I think that was his main driving force for them.image

    I remember buying 2 pairs for him (Reeboks)  from Traks in Nottingham as, although they were very cheap, he didn't have enough money with him to buy more than one pair and wanted them while they were on sale. image

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