One thing I like about running is that it's pretty darn basic, right? One foot in front of the other? Recall that when I went to the physical therapist about my foot injury, she put the root cause as weakness in the middle of my foot.
Weakness? B...b....but, I run and stuff! Whaddyamean, "weakness"?
So, geek that I am, I looked a little further into the situation. I sent myself to school. The school known as Google/YouTube school. I studied running and feet and injury in general. I studied shoes. I watched super slo-mo videos of Kenyans...
I'm not going to go all tutorial on here, this isn't a running blog. But I'll do a sort of review. (No, not a review of THAT product!)
Based on what I learned at google school, I went shopping over the weekend and got new running shoes
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| new shoo |
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| Old shoo |
Note the differences. On the left we have a meaty, thick-soled, heavy-heeled, stabilizing shoe. On the right, the lightweight, flexible, low-profile shoe. This morning, I ran in the latter.
I intended to do the 7-mile loop I'd been using for my reprogramming. Especially since I had new shoes that made my feet do more of the work, and since I was changing my foot strike, I didn't want to overdo. But omigosh, they felt so good that when I got to the turnaround point, I just didn't want to turn around.
Mouse Town beckoned to me from beyond! Recall that Mouse Town is an undeveloped area along a favorite running route. A happy Preble Jumping Mouse community has been discovered there, and it is now designated as "habitat", thus no development. There are, however, some beaten down running trails. I haven't visited Mouse Town since the spring.
And what a lovely time it was in Mouse Town. The sun just rising, the birds eating bugs, the undisturbed Preble Mice probably making more Preble Mice... and me.
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| love. these. shooz. . |
22 comments:
Aww man! I was happy with my new meaty, thick-soled, stabilizing shoe til you came along with high accolades for the lightweight, flexible, low-profile shoe. It's great finding shoes that make you feel good when you run, isn't it? My legs feel so much better with my new ones, but I can only do 4-5 miles. Maybe with newer ones like you described, I can do 7 too!
Do they handle pot holes well? :)
I'll take your word for it. If you're happy, I'm happy, but I'm not going running with you. Love your "lost". Totally in agreement with you about Hansel and Gretel. Gotta wonder about the adults who came up with these stories!
Less is better. I learned that with parkour. Minimal shoes have now consumed my every thought (actually true). I love shoes.
I used to think that running was about getting the right support from the shoe. But no, it's about running form (hence the videos of Kenyans, etc...). The meaty, thick-soled, stabilizing shoes hinder proper form, apparently. My lightweight, flexible, low-profile shoes went 8.5 miles together - to include my frolic through Mouse Town and all its potholes. Who knew mice made potholes?
I'm happy you're happy that I'm happy. And Hansel and Gretel - I know, right?
Yes, the parkourians(?) are certainly part of the minimalist movement, for good reason! Funny how minimal shoes can be so pricey.
Well this is encouraging. I recently bought a new pair of shoes for running and they are similar to your new ones! So I guess I'm doing the right thing by not wearing meaty shoes.
P.S. Thanks for the reminder about heat and humidity not being our friends. I was wondering why I felt less strong, less capable in the heat/humidity and just chalked it up to inexperience.
Have you read the book Born to Run? It's about just that... that stabilizing shoes hinder your form. 'Course those guys run barefoot, but it's the same principal. I gotta wait a while, but I'm definitely trying those the next go 'round.
Traceurs are practitioners of parkour. and yes, they are quite pricey. Unfortunately.
Google is a godsend for people like me who only like to research certain things. I graduated college before the Internet became so widely available--and I remember having to go to the library to research subjects I really didn't want to research.
Yet I shouldn't dismiss the library entirely. Sooner or later, the Internet is going to crash. All technology crashes, eventually, and the Internet is no exception. It may not happen for a century, but I am reasonably certain it will crash. And the libraries are going to be in mass confusion--because they no longer have hard-copy card catalogues to back up the reference information on their computers.
Nice shooz. I'm with SR300, I thought you needed those high techy, stabilized, gell-filled, over pronation shooz to run better. Now you are telling me I should be using something that looks like the old Reebok CL100s I used to wear many, many moons ago? I may have to explore that concept on my next pair.
Aha, you're a natural! And yes, do be careful in that humid heat. I know you get the frigid winters too, but the right combination of hot and humid can literally suck the life out of a person.
There was no internet when I was in college either. It's weird to think about now. In some ways, it might have been more difficult just because the internet can be such a fire hose of information. There is so much more to weed through than when we just had books at the library.
We do seem to be going in circles, don't we? I just hope that acid washed jeans and big hair don't make comebacks.
I've not read that book, but I checked it out on Amazon, and yes - it talks about the same stuff I learned at google school!
Coincidentally, I've been thinking that I need some education on running, too. Been thinking I need to pull a book from my shelf, The Complete Book of Running by James Fixx, given to me by my stepfather who has run many a marathon, and read it. The copyright on the book is 1977. I wonder if its contents are still valid? But, as you said, I can go go Google School. :)
I thought I was being whimpy - running with maximum effort at 6:30 a.m., in serious humidity, and ending 2 1/2 miles later to begin the faucet of sweat.
Thanks for doing the research on the shoes. I'll pay more attention when my purchase time comes again.
May they serve you well!
I keep hearing great things about minimalist shoes, but I have been advised to wait until the technology improves before buying them for myself because I have orthotics. They have done extensive studies on normal feet only.
And glow in the dark laces too. What more could you ask for? :D
Smart. People with a preexisting foot issue shouldn't jump on the minimalist bandwagon too hastily. I learned that at google school too :)
Funny you mention that! I hadn't really noticed the laces when I bought them, but when I went out to run, the sun wasn't up yet and the glow-in-the-darkness was pretty loud. I thought of you right away!
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