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Will racing shoes help you or hurt you?
One of the decisions that many runners face,
is whether they should wear racing shoes when competing,
especially at half marathon distances and longer.
A lighter shoe can result in a faster running performance IF
the shoe doesn't cause you to be otherwise less efficient.
In general, the less weight you carry, the
less energy you burn. Assuming all else is equal
mechanically, having less weight on your feet means that less energy
is required to move
your legs on every stroke. It's no coincidence that many
elite runners are smaller than average, and have average or
smaller than average sized feet.
In my case, I'm painfully aware of shoe weight, because my
large feet require me to run in size 13 training shoes, and
size 14 shoes when running marathons. My training shoes
weigh an average
of 15 ounces each; my racing shoes average 11
ounces. Shoes for most runners with smaller feet normally
weigh about 2-4 ounces
less. Following is an example of the potential reduced
workload that can result from wearing lighter shoes:
I average about 1500 footsteps when running an 8:30 mile at
a stride rate of 175 or so. My feet have to lift 187 fewer
pounds per mile when I'm running in racing shoes that are 4 ounces lighter
than my trainers. Assuming a one second pace improvement per
mile for each ounce, I could achieve the following (this is
a rough estimate that again assumes that all other factors are
equal):
580 fewer pounds in a 5k, with a time savings of 24 seconds.
1060 fewer pounds in a 10k, with a time savings of 48
seconds.
1870 fewer pounds in a 10 miler, with a time savings of 1
minute and 20 seconds.
2450 fewer pounds in a Half Marathon, with a time savings of
1 minute and 44 seconds.
4900 fewer pounds in a Marathon with a time savings of 3
minutes and 30 seconds.
That makes the decision sound easy, doesn't it? But
wait. As mentioned above, this only works IF the lighter
shoe is equally efficient, and doesn't cause other problems.
In general, racing shoes weigh less than training shoes for
a reason: they don't offer as much impact protection, and
generally don't have other features to minimize wear and tear
on your feet and legs. They also tend to have a lower heel
height to achieve a faster heel-to-toe transition, but that
feature unfortunately also stresses the achilles tendons of
some runners.
These factors can
affect runners in different ways. For some, the
reduced cushioning and protection provided by many racing shoes can cause
them to fatigue and experience form breakdown earlier than
usual, especially at longer distances. The result: a SLOWER time.
If racing
shoes cause a change in stride or form, the potential for
injury also increases. Finally, a longer recovery is usually needed
with racing shoes due to the reduced cushioning and
protection mentioned earlier.
If you'd like to try running in racing shoes, race day is
not the time to experiment. Your best bet is to try them on
a few short training runs first, to see how your body
reacts, and how you feel form-wise. If all goes well,
try a 5k, 10k, or other short race distance, and gradually
move to longer distances, if you still feel comfortable.
Like everything else running related, racing shoes are not the best choice
for everyone. I personally run in racing shoes for short distance
races, and
stick to lightweight trainers for marathons. The only way to
know for sure if they'll work for you, is to give them a try.
If they do,
faster times should be around the corner!
Run on,
SuperRun
Article © 2004 Ron Rowland, all rights reserved
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