Run-Down Forums

[Fry the Sailor]

The other day I bought a new pair of X-country spikes. I looked at several spikes that I really liked, but could not take for some dumb reason.

Nike makes very nice aggressive spikes. I looked for something lightweight, so I looked at the Kennedy and the Miler. Miler hit me too hard in the acchilles, but I loved how it kept me on my toes. Kennedy had a nice overall feel, but prodded me in the underside of my foot. I don't like the waffle; It hits my acchiles almost like the miler, has a little too much arch for me, and I thought they were a little to heavy for my liking.

I finally decided to buy the Mizuno Wave Kaze. Very lightweight, very comfy. But not as aggressive as I would like them, but the "shoe guy" at my local running store highly reccomended them to me. Can I make a spike more aggressive? Any hints for staying on those toes?

Also, is there any particular pattern of spikes on my spike plate I should use for a particular race?

[Dan]

I've never worn XC-specific spikes, just waffle racers and some old track spikes with a fairly flexible midsole.

Depending on the layout of your spike plate, I would advise against having a spike in the middle of the ball of the foot, or if you're putting long spikes in for a muddy course, leave that middle one short. With the rockiness and rough stuff (including pavement) of many XC courses, that middle spike is inviting rock bruises. I've had a number of athletes do away with the middle spike for track use and their feet are a lot happier as a result. As long as you've got the inner and outer midfoot spikes, the middle one isn't likely to be doing much of anything.

I don't know any tricks to make a pair of spikes more aggressive... The keys are how stiff the midfoot is, how elevated the heel is, how light it is, and how well it grips the length of your foot. Not many of those can be changed, if any. Your best bet is to just focus on building calf strength so you're comfortable running in a more aggressive position, thus maximizing the traction of the spike plate on landing and push-off.

Dan
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[Fry the Sailor]

Since my last race was "just a scrimmage". I decided to experiment with my spike lay out
My spikes were laid out like this:
Left foot

---------H
------H
------------H

--------H Q


-------------H

Right foot

--------Q
-----------H
-----H

-------Q Q


------------H



Thats something like the way the spike is laid out. Which spike should I take out then?

[Dan]

I have no idea what that chart represents... What are the H's and Q's? Length of the dashes? Is that vertically or horizontally oriented?

Dan
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[Fry the Sailor]

Take a look here:
http://www.mizunousa.com/equipment.nsf/AllProduct/2E69F0A5F3D357B9852570370071F774?opendocument
that is the spike I'm wearing. Just so you can get a better idea of what the plate looks like.

[Fry the Sailor]

H=half inch spike
Q=quarter inch spike

[Dan]

Ah...

I'd go same length on the outer 5 and put a blank in the middle one.

Dan
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