Racing and Cross Training Shoes

20 Comments

I didn’t realize my shoe choices were so interesting.  Either way I thought I would talk about my racing and cross training shoes as well.  Incase you missed it last week, here are the shoes I train in.  Moving on…  First, I prefer the lightest possible shoes for racing.  I want to run fast.  No I don’t think I’ll ever run barefoot or in five finger shoes but these are all my jives.

I used to run all races in the Nike Waffle racer.

You can kind of see them here….

But it’s now an antique and sits on my shelf in my running shrine.  I’d buy 1000 more pairs if I could.  For me, those babies were magic.  (Can you tell I’m still bitter?)

But alas I’ve also found a few pairs that are good as well (which happen to be Nike as well).

The Nike lunar spiders are very light (5.4) ounces and I wear them for anything.  1 mile race.  Check.  Half marathon.  Check.  They are great shoes and if you are looking for a fast and speedy light weight shoe I highly recommend them.   There isn’t much to say because they have little support and do what they need to do.

Next up are my lunar spikes.  This is actually one of the only female shoes I own.  I actually prefer to run in male shoes because there are more choices and I have decently sized feet.  Anyways-my brother got these for me last year when I was going into cross country season and you wear spikes for that sort of thing.  Unless you run a lot of short trail races, I don’t think these are necessary.

The first race I ever ran in them…also the most muddy

Finally, my cross training shoe (the nike free).  This started as a running shoe but upon running a few miles in it, I realized it didn’t have enough support for the mileage I wanted to do in them.  The bottom of my foot would get so sore if I was running in them.  So now I just elliptical/walk the dog…whatever in them and they are fabulous for that.

Question for you: 

What type of shoes do you workout in?

Are they any shoes you wish they still sold? 

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Published by Hollie

Posts are written and maintained by Hollie. I'm just runner who is blogging her way through internet life. If you see me in the real world, you might be dreaming. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email me at fueledbyLOLZ@gmail.com

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20 Comments

  1. I run in either Asics Gel-Kayano’s or Brooks PureCadence. If on trails, I’ll run in my Brooks Cascadia’s. That’s a bummer about your favorite Nike…that would annoy me if I could no longer get the pair that work really well for me…at least you’ve found a close second pair though. Happy running.

  2. So do you race in different shoes than you train in? I guess I just have not done that since high school track. I run in the same shoes I train in

  4. I don’t race fast and I’m cheap so I run in the same shoes I train in, but I could see you wearing different ones since you run cross country for your college. I’m glad to see someone wearing lightweight shoes for a half though, I was thinking I might need more supportive ones for a half but after reading this I’m gonna try my 10 miler in my lightweight shoes tomorrow and see how that goes.

    1. Have you ran a longer distance in them? I had to work up to those shoes in a half and just started running halves in them this year. If you haven’t done at least 7-8m, I wouldn’t recommend it. But then again, you never know either!

      1. I think I’m gonna build up to it. They’re not super lightweight, but I think they would be okay for a 7-8 miler. Not sure about a half yet but we’ll see, my half isn’t until November so I have plenty of time to break in new shoes anyway.

    2. For sure! A lot of people can def get away with jumping into a new pair of shoes and race, I’m not one of them…I’ll injure myself so quickly. I worked up to them. I normally do all my tempos in my racing flats (ranging from 5-8m) and then all my races. It also depends on the terrain type-if it’s cement (versus grass) then I would do even more to get used to it!

  5. My choices are more limited due to 1) My “special needs” feet, and; 2) I’m too heavy for shoes that are built for little guys. So I run in Nike Lunar Eclipse shoes, about the only thing that fits my custom orthotics, funky flat feet, and is still Stability Plus. I am still trying to find a trail shoe that works…

  7. This is such a timely post – I am in such a dilemma because I used to race in Nike Pegasus shoes, which are not race-specific but very light. However I have to train with orthotics in the Asics Nimbus (i.e the world’s heaviest shoe…) because my stupid hypermobile joints need to be fixed in place with cement. I need so much structure and support but racing in them is like running with bricks on my feet – I’m at the stage now where I really want to go all-out during 13.1s but I’m scared of racing in lightweight shoes and ending up with a DNF.

    It’s great that you have all of your options sorted for training and racing – I’ve never actually run in a proper racing shoe. Knowing my luck my ankles would both break or something 😛

    xxx

  8. Haha this is awkies I have ALL of those shoes even the lunar spiders in black, although didn’t get to wear them for my xc season so they are still un-worn… you have great taste in shoes btw haha… although my spikes are bright yellow and purple/ purple laces, but my nike frees are also the same! 🙂 Although I have almost unworn mine already, looking at purple next hehe… also was looking at the lunarglide 4 to get when I make my ‘come back’ to running as it’s also got a bit of support which my physio suggested I may need. Anyway, glad I have met another person that clearly loves Nike like me! I also LOVE the Nike Pro shorts/ bras/ singlets hehe I could go on! Hope you have an awesome weekend! 🙂

    1. Thanks! I’m glad someone is basically my nike twin! They don’t sell the waffle racers that I liked at all anymore (even RW). They changed designs slightly but enough that they didn’t fit my feet right! 🙁

      1. Yay… we are special hehe… Oh I know what you mean though as I really liked the Luneracer then they changed it and same with the Lunarspider, although I still love it, my first pair I got when I first started running in 2009 they were AMAZING… then I got another pair which were pink and it was so weird as it was like it was a complete different shoe I was like “what’s with that”… wasn’t a happy chappy, but the new black ones seem similar to first yellow pair I seriously can’t wait to test them out in a race hehe… have to wait a while, but I am sure it will be worth it! 🙂 Anyway ramble about Nikes over for now haha, oh dear I am a worry! 😀

  10. I loooove racing in spikes. I’ve never used flats before for road races but it’s definitely something I would try in the future. I’d like to transition into lighter training shoes but for now i’ve got my big ol’ brooks glycerin

  11. I started running in my Vibram’s, but nothing over 4miles. Now I run in Asics..and they are fine. I don’t LOVEE them, but they work. I am still a newbie to real running shoes so maybe someday I will find a pair I cannot live without!

  12. I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one who had trouble running in the Nike Free’s. I did a 9 miler and my foot… OW. I just use them on campus to walk to class, etc.

  14. I’m that weird kid that wears vibrams. 🙂 I also have Merrell barefoot shoes and spikeless racers. I train in the same shoes I race in, buuut that’s because I don’t think I could go any lighter in racers. I’ve run 20 miles in my spikeless racers, so super minimal just works for me I guess. 🙂

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