If The Shoe Fits

The biggest reason for becoming educated as a runner is to ensure long term health so that we can enjoy this form of exercise into our old age. There are SO many injuries that can arise from improper running form and the point is always to get healthy not hurt.IMG950020 (2)

When giving thought to any possible negative  effects running could have, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was how can we protect our feet?

For me the perfect shoe was the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15 because of the perfect combination of substantial support and premium cushioning for a dependable and unbelievably smooth ride when on all types of surface.  A lot went into finding the perfect shoe, and now I’ll bring you through the important process.

To find out how important the correct shoe can be I decided to ask an expert, someone who could give us the facts, and who better to do that than the owner of The Charlotte Running Company Donny Forsyth.   I made a visit and have to say the service  I got was way above average, just a few minutes in I was already happy that I made the choice to make the visit.  As a fitness trainer there were certain questions I wanted to be asked and Donny delivered on all of them.  He asked the important questions, did I have any health issues or injuries, did I have experience running, and was I running for a particular reason.

I informed him that I was unfamiliar in a lot of areas of running and that I was going to train for a half marathon that is being held in six weeks.  He replied, “six weeks, half marathon, really?”

Lol, yup, you got it, no time to waste!20141104_120950 (2)

What we did next was the most impressive part for me. We discussed a few important factors to consider when finding the correct shoe.   He set me up on  a treadmill that had a camera placed behind it, so that he could see how my foot was landing and if there was any serious pronating or supinating.  I asked what this assessment would cost and he answered ‘nothing at all, we do this for all of our customers”.

We continued and compared my stride from one shoe to another on a split screen until we came to the conclusion that my foot did pronate slightly and this would be the key factor in determining what type of shoe would be best for my foot.

20141104_130611 (2)

 

Then came the fun part,  trying on about a half dozen different pairs looking to find what I found to be the most comfortable.  We tried on sneakers from a few different manufacturers, we covered what the differences were, how each one was manufactured with a specific purpose.  All these years, I just picked out a shoe, never thinking about the differences between the foam and gel and how it affects our foot and posture.

20141104_130551 (2)

 

There were two points made that I believe are important for all of us to know.

The first point is knowing what your foot is doing, does it pronate or supinate?  More importantly does in overpronate,  or oversupinate.  If it does than the condition can lead to Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis, Shin Splints, Hip Pain, Lower Back Pain as well as other ailments that can certainly make or break your running career.

Second what I found interesting and want you to keep in mind is that when getting your running sneaker you may want to consider getting a half size larger than your normal size.   As we run our feet will swell, so if our shoe starts tight in the beginning of the run we’re sure to have some serious discomfort within just a few miles.

So step one in becoming a runner is making sure we know about the most important part of running anatomy the feet.  Protect the feet because we use them all day everyday and if you’re running in shoes that are going to hurt your physical abilities then its just not worth it.  Don’t risk the chance of injury, definitely go and see a running specialist, if you’re in Charlotte go visit one of The Charlotte Running Companies four locations, you can see their website and locations by clicking here.

As mentioned earlier The Shoe That Fits, is this beauty. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15.  Some key product points that differentiate this shoe from all others on the market are:

  •  BioMoGo DNA midsole cushioning adapts to every unique step (This is an amazing technology by Brooks_
  •  Full-length Segmented Crash Pad customizes heel-to-toe transition for a seamless ride
  •  No-sew overlays provide a close-to-foot comfortable fit

These sneakers can be found for only $120 at www.brooksrunning.com, a very affordable price considering they’ll keep you  healthy!

Not only were they the perfect fit, but the color combo’s are great too, but hey, we’re wearing these to be healthy not fashionable!

Fashion comes on our next blog post when we speak to friend and fitness blogger Lucy Parker Randall.  She’s got some really great information for all of us on what we want to consider when choosing our running clothing as well as some cool insight into the latest technologies in fashion!

What type of sneakers do you prefer, what have your experiences been, have you ever seen your stride on the big screen?

I want to hear from you, help me on this journey of becoming a healthy educated runner!

{ 0 comments… add one }

Leave a Comment