When you guys are doing your workouts, do you guys do them in spikes or regular running shoes?
This year I did every track workout in spikes and someone told me that was bad. I know a club track team that goes 4 days a week and trains every practice in spikes (yes…they are very fast kids…some of the fastest in my state).
I was thinking about doing all non-tempo work in spikes and tempo/hills/stadiums in regular running shoes.
What do you guys do?
Yes I agree with you 400stud, where sneakers on tempo days. Spikes on speed days (sneakers for drills, warmups, plyos). I might even take the spikes off if there is a long rest peroid, but im crazy. Also you might develop shin splints or other problems if you where spikes to much (especially everyday). Theres no padding. I have heard of sprinters using distance spikes for speedwork because they have more padding. Any thoughts?
I’m not going to use distance spikes for two reasons:
But, I’ll probably just do like I said and use my running shoes on tempo days. Thanks.
Good input!
Tim, don’t feel alone. When I have a long rest between reps, I take my spikes off too. I don’t like standing still or sitting down for a long time, so i’ll just walk around the track in the grass, barefoot, or with no shoes at all. My feet start hurting if I walk on the track for 10min.
400stud, I agree with wearing sneakers for tempo. Maybe it’s me, but I never have any problems wearing spikes for tempo. But it usually depends on the distance. If I do some 100’s(tempo) I usually do a set or 2 in the grass, barefoot. On the track i’ll wear spikes if it’s the last set, shoes if it’s one of the 1st. I refuse to do 300’s(tempo) in gym shoes though. Couldn’t pay me. I’ll do some 200’s(tempo) in gym shoes, but i’d rather not.
What do you all think about doing short speed work in the grass. I did some 30’s in the grass yesterday, and ran a bunch of 3.8’s, and 3.9’s. Got on the track and was absolutely flying. 3.6’s and a 3.4. I wonder if the grass had anything to do with that. Cuz I was putting the same effort into it. Maybe it has something to do with Einsteins theory of relativity.
I have no problem doing any distance tempo in running shoes. Here’s my theory: if you can get used to running in heavier shoes for longer periods of time and still maintain pretty good form, imagine how much better your form will be in track spikes for shorter or longer distances. It’s kind of an overtraining thing. You train heavy, and run light (shoes wise).
Just look at baseball players…they warm up and/or practice with multiple or heavier bats to make things easier for them when it’s time to hit for real. Just my theory.
As for your 30 times, it probably has to do with the fact that you were running against resistance (the grass) which made running against no resistance easier because you were already used to running against something (see the trend here…shoes, grass, etc. 
).
400stud, agree with the theory. I was just pretending I was a primadona. lol I use the same logic behind running tempo in gym shoes. And I also do it because of the pounding. I just don’t like it because they’re heavier!
Same thing goes with the 30’s I knew the answer.
I do that all the time. I just wanted to hear other peoples theories. I think it has more to do with the grass not returning any energy. It was pretty much absorbing most of the power I was putting into the ground. So when I got on the track, and did the 30’s, I went a lot faster without putting as much effort, because my body was still used to the grass. So you had it backwards. 
The grass wasn’t resisting at all. Thats why all the power was lost. The track returned most of my energy, so it made me go a lot faster. The track was resisting a lot more.
Haha, I thought this was going to be another jumpsoles thread.
treble, that’s interesting about the grass.