Wondering what your thoughts/opinions/experiences were on using different spikes for training and competition. ie spikes with less rigid plates for your training. Too schools of thought…however, the reason I ask is that recently having this discussion with a podiatrist friend of mine (who is also a high level athlete/sprint hurdler) who states that there is no scientifically recorded evidence that less supporting running shoes (trainers or otherwise) have any effect on foot/ankle/knee/hip injury. This information came from a medical seminar he recently attended in Japan, where ther were representatives form many elite shoe manufacturers in attendance. He went on to state that he buys 3 pairs of the same spikes eath year. 1 to train in and 2 to race in. Thoughts?
If you have the money to buy a good pair of extra spikes, certainly you should to 1) keep your competition spikes in good condition 2) save your legs. I and most of the people I know here in Argentina use mid-distance spikes (those with a cushioned heel) during training. If I use sprint spikes during all training I’ll get periostitis and all types of other overuse injuries. I also feel much fresher when I finally put competition spikes on, it’s a welcome change, and the feeling of getting into those much lighter spikes is incredible, it’s like you’re wearing feathers. Just my experience, I wonder if the protocols are different in other countries.
I like to use the old zoom shifts for training (the black and yellow ones) although they have a rigid plate they fit my foot more comfotably than any other spikes and they are the only ones that do not give me blisters after running several reps esp coming off the curve. I have also found them to be the most durable.
For competiton i like the superflys and i jump in the zoom Lj.
Nothing but Nike for me.
Its certainly nice to have a fresh, special pair of racing spikes - makes you feel ready to race!! See the Alan Wells Book of Sprinting. I also keep vests (singlet to the americans amongst you) for races only so that I know Im going to race.
As for training spikes I had a recent ‘spike audit’ and found i had 14 pairs which my wife says is excessive event by her standards - but i use different ones for different sessions and different conditions (Im a 400/400H) - grass, track, hurdling, wet, dry, sprint etc. Matbe I just have a fixation with buying spikes and try to justify it in this way!!! 
firstly when buying spikes make sure they are the same brand and model.i always was lucky enough to take my pick from a certain company and i could get identical models for training vs racing.do not train in nikes and race in mizunos because 1-different plates,2-different fitting sizes and 3-weird feeling when racing which you do not want.
in racing you want everything to be the same.you want to run the way you run in training and you want to feel the same also in what you wear.the only difference between your train vs race spikes should be the colour.training spikes seem to be dirty and racing spikes are always new looking which looks and feel great.
What you said is absolutely correct X. Don’t make the mistake of having 2 different pairs of spikes for training and comp as this brings about unfamilarities in comps. The sensation should be the same. This makes preparing for comps (drills/warm up etc) feel routine and the same as training.
all you guys have brought up good points which i agree with. The only thing i would liek to add is that in competition i like a slightly more rigid spikes plate than in training and a more comfortable shoe in training. For example suppose my race day shoe was the michael johnsons. No way in hell could someone train in them! Besides the shoe probably tearing apart there is nothing to it which may cause blisters and after numerous reps hurt your feet. So in training make sure you have a shoe that you can wear without havving blisters or other foot problems after numerous reps.
For example suppose my race day shoe was the michael johnsons. No way in hell could someone train in them! Besides the shoe probably tearing apart there is nothing to it which may cause blisters and after numerous reps hurt your feet
Yeah i trained and raced in the maxcats, very similar to the jsc’s, which eventually led to a stress fracture in my foot ending my season short. Next season i’ll be much smarter and train in my indoor shoes, unless i’m doing starts and speed work.
In terms of optimising skill transfer you ideally want to keep as many variables the same for training as racing. So training in the same spikes that you race in would make sense. However, since skill transfer is so specific perhaps you could use more cushioned spikes for lower intensity work (such as tempo) and keep the racing spikes just for the high intensity stuff?
Just a quick question about tempo: do you let your heels touch the ground during it or still try and run on your toes. Charlie? Anyone?
I agree that using a better cushioned spike is good for lower intensity work as well as for harder tracks. I train primarily on a rubberized coated asphalt track that is hard, so I typically use spikes with a little more cushioning and sometimes insert a thin spenco insole just to add some protection for the metatarsals, which can take a beating on a hard track. If I had a nice Mondo track for traning, I wouldn’t take this approach, though.
As for heel touches, I think your heels touch (ever so briefly) even at high speed, which is why Nike is touting their Monsterfly spike with the raised heel. I would just run tempo with the same mechanics as full sprints, though the intensity is reduced – staying up on the ball of the foot, though the lower intensity would reduce the angle somewhat.
Tempo should always be done in trianiners or barefoot on a soft surface. NO SPIKES!
Also just to add since it was mentioned, Mondo IS a bad surface to train on.
What’s wrong with a mondo surface?
mondo surface is alot harder than tartan and not great for training on due to the hardness of the track.another question was about foot strike while doing tempo…you should land on the ball of the foot while doing tempo and even while jogging.practice holding yourself in the correct position even while jogging,relaxed shoulders,foot plant etc.the heel will touch the ground no matter what which is totally natural even when at full speed.as you pass over the COG it will touch for a brief second
the only 2 athletes i have seen who don’t do this are MJ amd MJones while at top speed.everybody else whom i studied do so
Jogging should be flat-footed.
I agree! You want everything to be the same- except that the spikes will be in the best shape and not stretched out at all.
Jogging should be flat-footed.
come on,get real.how many athletes do you see jogging flat-footed.untrained athletes and out of shape people thats who!
i’ll not tell people how they should jog but to jog while striking with the BOF first is natural and even more natural to a trained athlete.come on people,its not rocket science we are discussing here,these are all natural movements we all do from a very very early age but can get abused by lack of knowledge and poor coaching habits!
I’m on board with trainers and soft surfaces for tempo.
Didn’t realize Mondo was a problem. I find it softer than what I typically train on.
X-man I am surprise you would say that, being you worked with Tellez. Tellez actually advocates jogging flat footed. He feels the faster you go the further up on the balls of your feet you rise. He often shows a video of Joe DeLoach and his son walking then jogging then moving into a sprint to demonstrate this point. Flat-footed is not the same as heel-first(what the untrained do).
I was once filmed by a therapist when jogging on a treadmill and my heels never touched the ground. I was told I ran like a sprinter and advised to try to run more flat-footed to save my shins. Never have I felt less athletic than during those runs. It felt like sitting down and running at the same time. I basically hid myself in the woods so that no one could see me.
Theone,when you jog you land on the BOF right,then pass over your COM with a contact of heel to ground.this is totally natural.what TT says is 100% correct as this movement will happen to anything as it increases speed.take a car for example.if a normal car with no dampers travels at 60mph the handling is good but increase the speed to 100mph and handling will decrease as the contact with the ground is minimised thus leading to the car loosing control.the exact same effect happens when sprinting.the faster you go the more height you get as forces are applied.
TT means striking in the same position whether its while jogging or sprinting.contact with the BOF first.just watch loe deloach in that video were he demonstrates it the exact same as in sprinting and also you will see the greater the speed the greater the height