Hey guys,
The weather is all nice now and I have decided to start doing sprint intervals on our track 2x a week on my off days. I’m on a bulk but want to do this to minimize fat gain. So . . . .
What type of shoe is best for sprint interval work on a track (or off a track if I’m at home)?
I don’t need this for some serious team running work. Just sprint intervals 2x a week. If it matters, I have really flat feet so I’ll need shoes to fit my custom orthotics into.
Also, does anyone know a good place to buy running shoes with people who are knowledgable in the DC area? Thanks!
Just a light pair of running shoes should suffice. I like my Nike Free trainers but they may be too small to fit orthotics into. I also have a pair of Nike Pegasus that are light and great for running sprints. Just make sure they’re comfortable.
Just pick up some cheap sprint spikes at eastbay.com or your local running store. When you are sprinting, you should be on the balls of your feet, so your having flat feet won’t matter. There won’t be a “heel to toe” transition, so you won’t have much of a chance to pronate or supinate. You will not want to wear your orthotics (you probably couldn’t fit them into spikes anyway). Check the surface of the track to see how long your spikes should be, and also whether you need to get shoes with a hard spike plate or soft spike plate (some tracks are just asphalt, so you would want to get spikes with a soft spike plate, or even lightweight trainers for more cushioning).
[quote]jdr23 wrote:
Just a light pair of running shoes should suffice. I like my Nike Free trainers but they may be too small to fit orthotics into. I also have a pair of Nike Pegasus that are light and great for running sprints. Just make sure they’re comfortable.[/quote]
Ok, so nothing special to look for in running shoes. Just as long as they are light and feel good.
[quote]smallmike wrote:
Just pick up some cheap sprint spikes at eastbay.com or your local running store. When you are sprinting, you should be on the balls of your feet, so your having flat feet won’t matter. There won’t be a “heel to toe” transition, so you won’t have much of a chance to pronate or supinate. You will not want to wear your orthotics (you probably couldn’t fit them into spikes anyway). Check the surface of the track to see how long your spikes should be, and also whether you need to get shoes with a hard spike plate or soft spike plate (some tracks are just asphalt, so you would want to get spikes with a soft spike plate, or even lightweight trainers for more cushioning).[/quote]
So you say not to even bother with putting my orthotics in running shoes. And about the spike thing, does that really make a difference having them instead of just basic running shoes? Concerning spikes, should they be used outside of a track setting like when I’m at home and on the open road? Just curious.
[quote]IronDude17 wrote:
smallmike wrote:
Just pick up some cheap sprint spikes at eastbay.com or your local running store. When you are sprinting, you should be on the balls of your feet, so your having flat feet won’t matter. There won’t be a “heel to toe” transition, so you won’t have much of a chance to pronate or supinate. You will not want to wear your orthotics (you probably couldn’t fit them into spikes anyway). Check the surface of the track to see how long your spikes should be, and also whether you need to get shoes with a hard spike plate or soft spike plate (some tracks are just asphalt, so you would want to get spikes with a soft spike plate, or even lightweight trainers for more cushioning).
So you say not to even bother with putting my orthotics in running shoes. And about the spike thing, does that really make a difference having them instead of just basic running shoes? Concerning spikes, should they be used outside of a track setting like when I’m at home and on the open road? Just curious.
[/quote]
You don’t have to get spikes. They are just cheaper and better for sprinting short distances than normal shoes and I assumed you would be doing most of your work on the track. If you want shoes that work at home too, look into any lightweight trainer. The forefoot of the shoes can have a little cushion, but you don’t want the shoe to have a big, cushy heel (a la Nike Shox) because it will mess up your sprinting form. Nike Free’s would probably work well for you as a sprinting shoe since you are almost 200 pounds. The only time I would worry about putting in your orthotics is if in the longer sprints your heel starts hitting the ground. Are you thinking of 100m or 200m sprints or something longer?
[quote]IronDude17 wrote:
So you say not to even bother with putting my orthotics in running shoes. And about the spike thing, does that really make a difference having them instead of just basic running shoes? Concerning spikes, should they be used outside of a track setting like when I’m at home and on the open road? Just curious.
[/quote]
Spikes make a huge difference, trust me. They are much lighter than anything else, and much stiffer too.
You don’t want to wear spikes on road. Actually, don’t even use them if the track isn;t rubber. They do have small metal spikes, and they have to dig in.
For road running, there is a lot of people that like running in cross country flats. This takes some getting used to and if you need orthotics, might not be recommended.
You don’t have to get spikes. They are just cheaper and better for sprinting short distances than normal shoes and I assumed you would be doing most of your work on the track. If you want shoes that work at home too, look into any lightweight trainer. The forefoot of the shoes can have a little cushion, but you don’t want the shoe to have a big, cushy heel (a la Nike Shox) because it will mess up your sprinting form. Nike Free’s would probably work well for you as a sprinting shoe since you are almost 200 pounds. The only time I would worry about putting in your orthotics is if in the longer sprints your heel starts hitting the ground. Are you thinking of 100m or 200m sprints or something longer?[/quote]
Thanks for the advice! And I didn’t update my profile in awhile but I’m now 210 (every lb counts haha). Since you asked, my plan is to do 100m sprints (run the straight, walk the curve).
I would NOT start out sprinting in spikes if you haven’t been running for a few months already. I have orthodics too and just put them in a normal running shoe. There is really no reason for you to wear spikes if you aren’t racing. I have no idea why someone would recommend that. If you do decide to wear spikes I doubt your orthodic could fit.
If your going to run sprints I would invest in some good sprint shoes. I use flats and spikes depending on what I’m doing. For spikes, I’ve used just about every brand but I love the Adidas Demolisher. For flats, I don’t really have much of a preference but I’m currently using some Pumas. If you use spikes make sure you have access to a rubber track or a cinder track. If you get into the sprinting you’ll find that you calves and achilles have a much better range of motion and consequently a better workout from using the flats and spikes.
Sprint spikes aren’t going to make much of a difference if you’re just doing sprints to work out. I’ve worked with a few high school track teams and the only time any of our sprinters ever wore spikes were to race. There’s not enough cushioning in them to wear for regular running
You probably would be better off getting a trainer type of shoe, as opposed to spikes (to absorb some of the impact).
I don’t know if you have a decent running store where you live, but if you can find one they can help you get a shoe that works for your foot type. For example, I have a low arch, and slightly overpronate, and went to a specialty store and told them I wouldn’t want to spend more than $75 on a pair of running shoes.
They looked at the wear on my current running shoes, watched me walk, looked at my foot, and in 15 minutes I was out the door with the most comfortable pair of running shoes I’ve ever owned. (I used to get terrible shin splints, but good shoes and stretching fixed this).
Thanks everyone for the advice! I ended up buying a pair of Brooks: Dyad 4. I went into a specialty running store and the staff were definitely knowledgeable and helped me greatly with finding the right shoe. It felt great and test ran it a bit outside their store and it worked really well I think. I’m going to keep my orthotics in them but would it be beneficial to take out the sole of the shoe first or is that just a matter of preference?