I've recently been introduced to the world of racing flats. Apparently, serious runners train in one shoe, but race in another. This is a strange concept for someone like me who used to show up for a race in the same shoes he wore to school. Well times have changed. I'm currently training and racing in Asics' 2120s. I've been pretty happy with these shoes except for the fact that they are a little narrow for my fat foot. Two callouses on each foot later, I now run in them without pain or discomfort. Yeah, I know, it's not a great way to approach shoes, but I was stuck with them so I made due. Now that I've put my 300+ miles on them, it's time to start considering a new pair.
After talking to a few "people in the know", I was introduced to flats. The ones in particular I'm looking at are the new Brooks Racer ST's. They run around 8.8 ounces, compared to 11.3 ounces you'll get with the Asics. Not a big amount, but in terms of shoes that's a 22% difference. Just think if you could make your bike 22% lighter? For me, that'd take buying some Zipps and losing half of my ass. I'm not that desperate yet. The skinny is that after pounding it out on the bike, any weight I can take off my feet is a bonus. So my question to my fellow Tri folk and expert runners is if you've had any experience with racing flats and are they worth it? What's your take?
1 comment:
I run in racing flats or less (Vibram Five fingers) for all of my running and all distances. Racing flats for racing at the very least will help you. It takes less effort to move the weight on your feet. Multiplied over thousands of steps. Many may discount it, but heck why use more than you need? You might just learn to run better and start to develop those muscles in your feet that your current shoes are hiding! Good luck, and transition slowly. Don't go gonzo and end up injured.
Post a Comment