Run-Down Forums

[whitney]

I am a young beginner, and i asked for recommendations about shoes from one of my friends. He said that i should use racing flats only for races and speed work, and a good stable shoe to handle the LSD for training. Well, what i am getting at is, I don't really know what speedwork is. What you would consider speework and what you would consider training. lol I would appreciate any help, because once again, I am a beginner. Thanks.

[Indeurr]

Hey Dan
What shoes would you recommend for me? I have flat feet. However, I do not step on the insides of my feet, but on the outsides (like if my feet where overarched -- probably an atavism*).


*my IQ is slightly over the average

[Dan]

For both questions, my personal opinion is to disregard "stable" recommendations and instead look for the best combination of flexibility, light weight, fit, and durability that meets your needs. My belief is that many injuries are caused by overly supportive shoes that do not allow your feet and lower legs to function naturally. More often than not, the first three items I listed above are mutually exclusive from supportiveness.

From a footwear standpoint, speedwork is basically anything done at a fast pace on the track or roads. The faster you are running, the more important flexibility and weight become. For true speedwork (i.e. sprinting), spikes are generally used, assuming you have a good track surface to train on.

As far as specific shoe recommendations, I don't have any. Sorry. I haven't actually bought a pair of running shoes since late '97, believe it or not. I used to know virtually every model on the market, now I know little more than brand names...

And I have no clue what an atavism is without looking it up! Sounds painful.

Dan

[Micah Ward]

Look for a specialty running store in your area that has real runners for employees. Usually you won't find that in the major chain stores. If you are lucky enough to have a Phidippedies store go there. A knowledgable sales person will ask you about your running history, watch you run and offer several different models for you to chose from. If you have trouble finding such a store contact a local college runnning coach or local running club. Good luck.