forever darkness said:a few questions regarding cross country running:
* what's the difference between running shoes and cross country
running shoes?
Cross country shoes are very different from trainers. They are more similar
to track spikes. Track spikes are extremely light shoes with a very curved
last, a very low heel, and most importantly, a plastic "spike
plate where several spikes are mounted. The spikes are usually removable and
can be screwed in/removed with a spike wrench. The combination of the plastic
bottom and the metal spikes works fine on tracks, but provides very poor
traction on some surfaces. Also, because these shoes are extremely light,
they aren't very durable. This is where cross country spikes come in. These
are like track spikes, but they have a hard rubber "waffle" outsole over the
spike plate, to provide better traction on a variety of surfaces. The spikes
on these shoes are often quite a bit longer, and they are often made out of
more durable (but heavier) material than track spikes.
You can also get "spikeless" cross country shoes. These are good if the course
includes a lot of running on surfaces where the spikes are a nuisance (e.g.
pavement)
Quoted message said:* is there any risks associated with wearing regular running shoes for
cross country instead of proper x-country shoes?
Well, it's risky to the shoes. I've run in trainers over a rough dirt road,
and stones kept getting caught between the flex grooves. The trainers weren't
really durable enough for the rough dirt roads and trails I was running on.
Quoted message said:* what are the potential hazards of x-country running versus street
running?
I don't know. You could get attacked by a mountain lion or a bear, I suppose,
as opposed to getting attacked by a drunk driver or a gang of punks.
Quoted message said:* any online resources that you might suggest for someone just
starting in x-country running?
If you're looking at shoes, start looking at eastbay.com
Some examples of XC spikes:
Asics 15-50 spike
Asics Attack spike (This is a female version of the 15-50 spike)
Nike womens Jana XC (again a female-specific model)
XC flats (no spikes)
Asics 15-50 flat
Nike zoom waffle racer
Asics Attack flat
Nike womens waffle jana
Nike Kennedy XC
Track spikes: too many to mention, but here's a start:
Nike womens zoom Jana
Nike zoom Kennedy
Nike eldoret
Nike zoom miler
....
you can find these on eastbay just by punching in the general terms into
the search box (e.g. track spikes, etc). You can also search for discounted
items there(e.g. search for "clearance track spikes"😉
Quoted message said:and finally...
* i saw some shoes at the story that were listed for x-country as well
as "track and field" running. they were *extremely* light, to the
point that they weighed almost nothing.
They're racing shoes. They're supposed to be light. If it weren't for the
relatively heavy materials they use in them (hard rubber outsole, and often,
stiff uppers), they would be as light as track spikes.
Quoted message said:i vaguely remember reading
somewhere that really light shoes aren't adviseable. is this correct?
For running a short race (5k or less), you should wear a light shoe.
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/