Marathoning in Racing Flats...

This is a snippet from an email chain. It's a good subject, so I felt it was worthy to post for future reference. The original question was from Ken Fandell, asking whether or not he should run the Chicago Marathon in Nike Zoom XC 2's.... an ultra-light weight racing flat.

Here was my response:

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The history of Rabbit's racing flats.........

Prior to last year, I was doing my marathons in the Nike Marathoner... good shoe. Not great - because I found that I was getting sore calves and/or tired feet late in the race. I think part of it had to do with the sole being slightly more stiff than typical racing shoes.

Boston '09 - I wore Lunar Racers... F*cking horrible. It went the complete opposite direction as the Marathoners. Not stiff, but ultra cushion AND a thick shoe. Absolutely stupid for a racing shoe. I have no idea how anyone ever considers them racing shoes (sorry Dan, Verdo and other fans).... They're like running on pillows. You lose all ability to "feel" the road, which is the beauty behind a racing flat. (Also, I firmly believe that the Lunars are what caused my shin splint that has persisted for the last 6 months - I ran for 2 months in the Lunar Trainers early this year and have been dealing with the side effects ever since.... it's just a come-and-go issue now that'll probably get cleared up with rest.)

(Years back, I did run a couple marathons in the Brooks ST Racers - I'd say they're a cross between the Marathoner and the Lunar Racers... slightly thicker than Marathoners w/ more support and cushion, but still light and you're able to feel the road.... I don't believe they've changed the shoe much since then. If you feel you absolutely need support, these could be good shoes. However, the argument is that during a "race", you shouldn't need support.)

Chicago '09 was the first time I ran a marathon in an uber-light flat... I used the Katanas (slightly more beefed up than the XC2). I had some big concerns leading into the race, thinking that they wouldn't have enough cushion. Hogwash!! They were great! No troubles at all. No calf flare up, no sore feet, no sore hips, nothing..... Added bonus is the grip on the bottom of the shoe. My only complaint was that they were just a little too narrow... but not a big enough deal to cause a problem. (Mind you, this was also still prior to me running significant amounts in flats).

London '10 - I wore the Nike XC2's - Awesome! Big improvement from the Katanas... better toe box and much lighter. No problems what so ever. I finished the race with my legs feeling better than any other marathon. I liked them so much, they're now my training shoe (along w/ 2008 version Adidas Adizero Adios Pro... which is actually my preferred flat, but I'm not allowed to race in them... they may have wrecked the newest Adidas version though). I'll be wearing XC2's again in NYC.

Conclusion: You'll be fine!!! You'll most likely feel even better wearing the flats. You'll definitely feel faster!!

As Jason said, you absolutely need to make sure you run a few times in them though. Make sure you've had at least a 10 mile run in them, if you intend on doing a marathon. Also, think light as a feather!! Don't go crushing your heel on the ground wearing them... Don't get sloppy. Stand tall, and use quick, light, strikes..... From my experience, the XC2's almost prevent you from getting too sloppy late in the race.

Probably WAAAY more information than you needed, but the whole point is - give it a shot. What is this, like you're 20th marathon? What do you have to lose? You're doing another in a month......
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Full Disclosure: I've officially given up on trainers. With the exception of 2 runs since August 15th, I've been running 100% of my runs in racing flats! I have to say, I feel great - I have had no ITB troubles, no knee troubles, no hip troubles, and it feels like my form has significantly improved. My strikes are quicker, lighter, and back is straighter. I feel totally comfortable running each and every run in my racing flats.
HOWEVER, I am still having calf troubles. This is very frustrating and confusing. My left calf just will not let go! It is a lingering issue that goes back years. The only thing that seems to help is Aleve, massage, and multiple days of rest. This most recent bout has come from 1) rolling up too quickly after a break (primarily at the beginning of the year and post London), and 2) rolling up in the wrong shoe (I ran in Lunar Trainers back in January and February). Until I can rest either during my taper or after NYC, then I'll just have to deal with it.