Scott’s Blog

I have always felt one of the beauties of running is the lack of required gear. Feel inspired, step outside, go. Unless we’re running barefoot and naked, which some of us nuts are, we require only simple clothing and shoes. I’ve commented some in previous posts about shoes I’ve raced with, but I’m frequently asked what shoes I wear for training. I’ll comment again on both. Here’s the scoop.

Most of us don’t have the exact same biomechanics side to side, which is also true for me. I am a strong supinater on one side and a neutral pronater on the other. I alternate a bit from a neutral cushion shoe to a mild stability shoe when training on the roads. For optimal performance on the trails I feel it’s important to run with a lower profile shoe without as much consideration to pronation and supination, unless severe, as the foot and ankle are continually adjusting to the varied terrain.

Most frequently I prefer the Brooks Radius for my training road miles, a shoe I used for this type of run long before I was sponsored by Brooks. It has a medial pod which prevents a small amount of pronation. This works nicely for my neutral side, while not overcorrecting my supination. I like it because it’s relatively light for the amount of forefoot and rearfoot cushioning it provides.

Although the Radius is my go-to shoe for the majority of my training, I sometimes throw in the Brooks Glycerine to give my foot and ankle more mobility, mostly considering my supinating side. I feel it is important to break up the repetition of road running, so if one can alternate between a more and slightly less stable shoe, the repetition can be broken up and overuse minimized. Of course this may vary as some individuals may strongly prefer one model of shoe for fit, biomechanics of foot and ankle, and training demands.

For shorter, faster runs I pull out the Brooks Axiom. It has a mild medial post for controlling pronation subtly. It’s feel is lightweight and responsive; and the lower profile makes it feel like a cross between a racing flat and a lightweight trainer.

Also for these shorter, faster runs and for road racing I use the Racer ST 3. I’ve found these racing flats to be the perfect mix, being lightweight for speed, while providing ample cushioning and moderate stability for all distances. Yes, all distances. I’ve been using these racing flats for everything from half marathons to marathons to road 100K’s to ultra-long ultras. This has been my shoe of choice for both of my Spartathlon wins and both of my Badwater wins. In each of these four events I ran in the same pair from start to finish. If you have ever wondered if you could wear a racing flat for road marathons and ultras the Racer ST 3 is worth a serious try. Lightweight, but enough cushioning to get you through long miles!

My favorite terrain is the trails. I started working along side the Brooks development team a few years ago to help them design the perfect trail shoe. What developed is the Cascadia. In its latest version, the Cascadia II is a mix of the features I feel necessary in a trail shoe: excellent traction, quick water draining, lightweight and breathable upper, forefoot protection with ample flexibility. Many people have shied away from trail shoes in the past due to lack of forefoot flexibility but this shoe flexes like a road shoe in the forefoot, with a low profile and neutral posting. As featured in The Green Guide, we have also incorporated environmentally friendly components into the design, such as a natural rubber outsole. And the future Cascadia III coming out in January will include the MOGO midsole, another green feature.

So those are top choices of what to put on my feet before I head out the door. With clothes, that is.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 8:47 pm and is filed under Gear, Racing, Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.