Thursday 12 March 2009

A bit more about... shoes

Like most people, I started running wearing my (only) trainers – not running ones. As my distances went up, I found that at 3km, my toes went numb – and at 5km, I was getting blisters on the inside of my arches. So after my first Race for Life, I went to a proper running store, discovered that I overpronate, and was bought my first running shoes as a birthday present – no more blisters!

The right kind of shoes can increase comfort levels – making your run more pleasant. They can also help to prevent injury.

There are 3 types of running gait:
· Normal: your heel rolls a little when it hits the ground. Look for “stability” shoes.
· Overpronating: your heel rolls excessively when it hits the ground. Look for “motion control” shoes that can help to control this.
· Supinated/Underpronating: your heel doesn’t roll enough when it hits the ground. Look for “cushioned” or “neutral” shoes with lots of flexibility to encourage your heels to roll more.

Specialist running store staff will be able to check your gait for you on a treadmill in store, looking at your worn trainers or by simply watching you run a little! Try to visit at a quiet trading time so you get plenty of attention.

Wet Footprint Test
This article on the Runners World website explains how you can work out what kind of running gait you have – from looking at wet footprints – but I still recommend going to a specialist store.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=481

Women-specific trainers are designed for narrower feet – as we tend to have narrower feet than men.

Break you new shoes in gently. It will be a couple of runs before they reach maximum comfort. Replace your shoes after approx 100miles of running.

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