Odds & Ends

Treadmill paces: This website has a chart to convert mile pace to a treadmill speed. For example, a 6:54 mile is 8.7 mph on a treadmill. 

Spikes: 

• Beginners don't necessarily need, or even benefit from wearing spikes. Feel free to discuss it with me anytime. 

• When you buy spikes, be certain they are distance (or cross country or "XC") spikes. You DO NOT want to run in sprint spikes. Distance spikes have more of a heel. 

• My favorite spikes are the Hoka Crescendo XC. They are a few years old though and can be hard to find. They have a very significant heel that feels more like sneakers than other spikes. This allows you to run more normally, using the same muscles you train everyday. 

• We can do SOME track workouts in our spikes but not all. Most spikes put too much strain on your achilles, calf, and lower leg to train in a lot. It's better to have the support of your normal training shoes every day. 

• There are the new "super shoe" spikes with a carbon-fiber plate. These are new within the last few years and the science is mixed if they are good for everyone or even helpful for all runners. They also are much more expensive, can be tougher on the body, and wear out faster than traditional spikes. I'm not against them, but they are NOT necessary for success. 

• For track season, we will use 1/4 inch replacement spikes in our spikes. In cross country we usually use 3/8 inch. 

Running Shoes:
Here are some "best practices" when it comes to running shoes. 

• It is important to have proper running shoes, not just any sports sneaker. Buy them at a running store where someone with running knowledge can fit you for good shoes. Appalachian Running Company in Altoona and Rapid Transit Sports in State College are best. Rapid Transit will give you a 10% discount if you tell them you are on a team. 

• Once you go to a running store and are fitted for a good pair of shoes that are right for you, you can buy subsequent pairs of that same shoe online for cheaper. If you find a really good price, buy more than one pair for the future. 

• It is bad to run on dead shoes, so make a note of when you start a new pair of shoes and keep track of how many miles you have run in your shoes. Generally, 500 is the maximum you should run in a pair of shoes. A good rule of thumb is when you wear through the rubber outsole on the heel, it is time for new shoes. If you are running on the foam of the shoe, your shoes are dead. 

• In the very least, almost everyone should buy a new pair of shoes each season, for cross country and track. Winter and Summer are good times to get new shoes. 

Christmas List: Here are some items that you can ask for as holiday gifts:
Arm band for your phone - Find one that fits your phone AND your arm
Waist band for your phone
Winter running hat
Running hood, or "balaclava"
Balance disc
Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS watch -  Or another GPS watch. Or  a non-GPS running watch like a Timex Ironman.
Stretching bands
Running gloves  - I  recommend having one pair of  heavy gloves and one pair of light gloves.
Running log - Or you can pick from any 2025 daily planner
Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games
Road ID
Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World
Skratch electrolyte powder
Yak Trax - For running on snowy/icy roads

Podcast: "The Real Science of Sport Podcast" episode: Chepng'etich's Marathon World Record Analysis: Too Good to be True? -- This is a really good discussion of the new marathon WR and a great look at "super shoes" and how they continue to change the sport. 

Good Books: 

• The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb - Nonfiction account of three men in the 1950s seeking to be the first person to break the four-minute mile barrier.

• The Track in the Forest: The Creation of the Legendary 1968 US Olympic Team by Bob Burns 

• Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. - THE novel about distance running.

• Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook by Nancy Clark - A great, extensive, but understandable resource about nutrition for athletes.