buy proper running shoes

Well not really, but I did find myself a bit nervous going into a proper running shop (that said, leaving the house was effort enough!). The assistant was lovely, though, not laughing at me one bit for being entirely the wrong shape for anything sports-related, and asked how many miles I run (none), was I training for a 10K (hah!), rather than assuming what was true: I’m a newbie!

She had me stand bare-footed, walk then walk rather fast on the treadmill, and announced that I was a medium to high over pronator (and explained exactly what that was). She then had me try on four pairs of trainers, tried hard to find me something in the sale, and was happy to let me convince myself (I know, I’m a mug!) that the more expensive, high-support ones were best (nothing at all to do with them being blue – the second-best pair were the same price… and maroon). She then gave me my 10% JS discount even though I couldn’t find my membership card :)

So. Shiny, new, properly ‘fitted’ running shoes. Bought a new sports bra last week. Soon I might actually have to go near a gym LOL!

This is the first step in connection with my run the Race for Life goal…

I started running in january. I was very enthusiastic and committed the cardinal sin of buying very expensive trainers without proper advice, cue months of running being scarred that my right leg was gonna explode from all the pressure building up in it! Anyway, fast forward to today where I went to the proper running shop, and ran on the treadmill so the guy could check out my style and what I needed. Turns out I don’t need a stability shoe, my arches are high enough already. So finally some decent trainers, and a great run this afternoon to try them out!

I actually went past the shop today (I even get 10% off!) on the bus, and was kind of tempted to get off and finally make good on this goal! However, since I haven’t been near a gym in 3 months (and that was for pilates!), it felt a bit premature! (and my knee/ankle wouldn’t much have enjoyed the treadmill demo, given the protestations at walking!).

However, I’ve reached the conclusion that waiting for the goal/’transformation’/whatever before getting the gear is not the way to go: as with the skirts debate recently, I think sometimes you just have to commit yourself from the get go. I will buy the shoes, soon – although I will wait ‘til I’ve been back once, methinks. And then, every time I feel like skipping, those £50+ trainers can remind me that I am committed, and I do want to do this!

_{Likewise, I fully intend to buy a skirt, make myself wear skirts until I’m comfortable, and use it to remind myself that the new me is a body-confident woman who’s allowed to wear nice, even girly, clothes. And shoes! :) It’s all connected}

plus
Oh yeah – AND I’m off for a proper, sports-bra fitting at the end of the week. Between that and shoes – definitely need to reach that 5K!

View them here.

I tried about 6 or 7 different pairs on, and these definitely felt the most comfortable. Such a difference from my old trainers, too! I’m just wearing them around the flat today to get used to them (I needed some moderate support), and will probably take them for a spin in the morning.

The people in the running shop were extremely helpful – I can’t decide if it’s a good or bad thing that it’s a 25 minutes bus ride away. It would be good if it was closer, but then I might just spend lots of money on other bits and pieces that I don’t really need but make me feel more “professional”. I can be such a sucker for that kind of thing, although I’m a lot better now than I used to be.

That’s what running in my new shoes feels like! It’s ace! At the advice of a woman from my Freecycle group, this afternoon I went down to Northern Runner and was guided through the fitting process by an extremely helpful and knowledgeable young man. I told him about my knee troubles, and my tight calves, and while I was there I remembered that as a child I’d had to wear these plasticy moulds in my shoes because the chiropodist reckoned my feet rolled inwards when I walked. This condemned me to several years of chunky and unfashionable shoes and thus years of social rejection, but that’s another story about which I am bitter and will no doubt whine about another time.

Aaaaanyway, I told him about that as well, and he got me to stand barefoot in front of him, lift up my dress, ooer, and bend my knees, then turn around and show him from the back, too. It turns out that I am a moderate pronator, or something, which means that I roll my feet in a bit when I run, and I need a sturdy bit on the inner arch of my shoe to cushion the shock from hitting the ground. It’s the lack of cushioning in my current shoes that’s shocked my knees and made them hurt (and my predilection for skyscraper heels doesn’t help but, dammit, even a shortarse needs to feel sexy). He tried me with three types of shoe, and as their treadmill was out of action took me out the back of the shop so I could run up and down the delivery bay to see which felt best.

Interestingly, he also told me to stop using my knee support – it will be doing the job that my muscles should be doing, and therefore make the muscles weaker, which kind of makes sense but scares me a little bit. Instead of knee supports I should just ice my knees each night to bring down any inflammation. I’m gonna give it a go – he was quite adamant about it, and he definitely knew his stuff.

In the end I settled on these: Saucony Omni Grid 5, in a size 6, weirdly, which is a size bigger than I usually wear. They were £80, which is a lot of money but pretty much what I expected, and worth it if they save my knees and improve my form. They’re sooo springy and comfy, and I feel like a proper athlete in them – even just in the short sprint in the delivery bay I could tell the difference. I just can’t wait to go for a proper run in them.

Shoe Science came thru. Even delivered early. I only went in yesterday morning, and the correct size arrived for me this morning. What service! Anyway, I just tried them out. The salesgirl in the store suggested I run about half of the usual distance I run for in them, as I need to get used to the different shoes. They certainly are more comfortable than my last “running” shoes, and my legs don’t hurt now either. Top. If you’re interested, they are the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6. Blue and silver. Not that nasty yellow and silver.

Back from my shoe shopping excursion. My mate Kurt said I should go down to Shoe Science and get fitted for a pair of shoes. It’s quite interesting how they fit you. They have this camera and a DVD recorder, and a little running track. You run up and down the track 3 times, and they record your legs running. Then you watch the video, and check out the ankle movement. They then can choose a shoe that will correct your ankle roll. The theory is that the shoes you get from there will be biomechanically correct, and they will lower the chance of injury.
Anyway, I found some shoes that corrected my ankle roll, and they didn’t have the perfect size for me. They are ordering them in, so on Tuesday (or perhaps even Monday afternoon) I’ll have some new running shoes that no longer hurt me.

I’ve started running again. I only have cross trainers, and if I go on any sort of run longer than about 30 minutes, I get a lot of pain in my knees and ankles. I also broke my foot about 7 years ago, and this injury twinges a little if I run for too long. I also have a mate who is a sports scientist at the university of auckland, and he believes the cause of my pain is running on the roads in my crosstrainers. I am going to get some proper running shoes.

The new shoes have helped immensely in preventing shin-splints.