Chasing Seconds, One Carbon Plate at a Time
If you're a runner, you know the drill. It starts innocently enough, one pair of trusty trainers, maybe a seam sealed jacket, and a handful of socks. Then, slowly, insidiously, it begins. The gear graveyard takes root. For me, a corner of my garage has become a testament to questionable spending habits, unwavering optimism, and a deep-seated belief that the next pair of shoes holds the secret to unlocking my true potential. And yes, it definitely smells! Perhaps called “Obsession”, a subtle bouquet of past triumphs and the lingering scent of opportunities almost seized.
Siren Song of the Carbon Plate
My particular infatuation? Nike's carbon-plated running shoes. It's a compulsion, really. Like a magpie to something shiny, I've been drawn to every iteration, every subtle tweak, every new colourway and every new upper. I've owned 16 different pairs of these marvels, each promising to shave precious seconds off my time and propel me to glory.
My deepest dive into this fascination began in mid-2017. The whispers of the original Nike Vaporfly 4% were starting to become a roar. This was it, the shoe that would change everything. I remember it vividly! I was perched uncomfortably on a tiny plastic chair at my kid's primary school concert, pretending to be utterly captivated by, what I think was, a recorder ensemble. But my real focus? My phone, tucked secretly and silently under my jacket, poised to hit "purchase" the second those Vaporflys dropped online. The tension was palpable, the Nike countdown clock ticked down. My finger hovered, and then, as the order finally processed, I let out an audible sigh of relief. A sigh so loud it drew a sharp, withering glance from my wife. Let's just say she wasn't as thrilled about my technological triumph as I was.
The Quest for "Pop" and the Spike Plate Conspiracy
After a couple of races in each new pair, a familiar anxiety would creep in. Had the shoe lost its "pop"? Could that ZoomX foam possibly still be as bouncy and responsive after 50+ kilometres? For the next big race, surely I needed a fresh pair. A new pair for new PBs, new medals, new bragging rights. The money flowed freely (to my wife’s despair), all in pursuit of those elusive seconds.
And when a pair's racing days were done, they weren't banished to a bin or the dark corners of the wardrobe. Oh no. They earned a promotion, to workout shoes. K-Park tempos, Makara Loops, Steady Bays! They continued to serve, albeit with slightly less spring in their step. Eventually, even their workout days concluded, and they were officially retired. But part with them? Never. My original pair of Vaporflys (still, in my humble opinion, the greatest shoe ever created), takes pride of place on a shelf, a silent monument to peak performance. Well, almost.
My obsession with gaining any advantage led me and my friend Nick Horspool down some truly bizarre rabbit holes. We'd read an article about how US triathlete Gwen Jorgensen had used a custom-made Nike Vaporfly 4% with a spike plate for a 10,000m race in 2018. This was a Nike engineered, not available to the public, revelation to help her Achilles issues, combining the Vaporfly's responsive cushioning with track spikes. Normal people would be amazed at the ingenuity. Nick and I? We were very deep in this, seriously debating how we might be able to somehow put a spike plate on the bottom of our Vaporflys. We had visions of custom adhesives, tiny screws, and elaborate measurements. I was running measuring tapes over my Nike Victory and Matombo track spikes, determined to find a match. That’s how deep the quest for speed, and the belief in the magic of gear, took us. Thank goodness common sense (and a lack of precision engineering skills) eventually prevailed!
A Coach's Perspective
My garage, now a shrine to 16 different pairs of Nike carbon-plated marvels, isn't just a testament to a personal obsession, it's a living laboratory. Years of chasing that elusive "pop" and those precious seconds taught me far more than just how to click "buy" super quickly at a primary school concert. It forced me to understand the nuances of foam, the mechanics of a plate, and how these revolutionary designs actually translate to performance on the road.
This deep, hands-on (and financially significant) education now forms a cornerstone of how I coach. When any runner speaks with me, bewildered by the endless shoe options or convinced a particular model is the answer, I don't just recommend the latest trend. Instead, I leverage my own exhaustive experience to help them understand what makes a shoe right for them. We delve into factors like foot strike, arch support, drop, and planned usage, cutting through the marketing noise to find footwear that genuinely complements their running form and goals. My obsession has become their informed choice, ensuring they invest wisely in shoes that truly support their journey, rather than just accumulating their own "gear graveyard" in a quest for perceived speed.