Are these okay for cross country races? I have blanks which I could insert.
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/zoom-victory-2-unisex-track-spike/pid-656555/pgid-656554
Are these okay for cross country races? I have blanks which I could insert.
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/zoom-victory-2-unisex-track-spike/pid-656555/pgid-656554
If you are injury prone then it is definately not a good idea. Even if not, the spike does not have enough cushioning for anything off of the track, ad the 5k is all ready at the top of it's range as it is a middle distance spike. Blanks won't make a difference at all. Get proper xc spikes, they will be much better suited for the terrains you will be on. If you cannot get some, only wear those spikes if you have not had injury im the last year, and maybe you might be able to get away with it. Although, if you have ever had a calf injury, don't wear those spikes. Even if you have been healthy your entire career, it will be a better idea to wear xc spikes, flats, or even trainers. By wearing those you are taking an unnecessary risk to your running career. Hope this helped.
It has nothing to do with cushioning. No spikes have much in the way of cushioning, and because XC is on dirt anyway, you don't need it. The problem with the Victories for XC is that they put you on your toes too much for longer races. You can ignore the way they're built and just try to have a normal distance stride, but it'll feel a bit weird. Matumbos would work just fine on some courses, but they don't have enough traction over the full length of the sole for many courses, and they lack lateral stability.
Regarding blanks only, the victories can badly slip around on the TRACK if you don't bother with the spikes, there is no way they will hold up on an XC course.