So, I've decided to get off my arse and do the couch to 5k.
I hate running. However in the absence of any time to get to a gym it makes a lot of sense.
So I need some running shoes. I've never had any proper ones in my life, so know nothing about them. What I do know is that any time I've tried running before it's been painful. Plus I've had knee and back problems in the past, so want to make sure I get some decent shoes.
I went to a running shop at the weekend, went on the treadmill, they filmed my feet and played it back. Girl gave me a lot of technical babble about one of my feet being straight and one slightly different and that I shoould go for something with a bit more support. Then brought me a load of different shoes to try. Tried a few but they didn't have my size so haven't got any yet.
So, runners out there, any tips for a total newb on what to get / look for??
Comments
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
I use a pair of Vivobarefoots, Vibram fivefingers are supposed to be very good too.
I shall allow you to research into barefoot running and shoes designed for it yourself though, up to you what you want to believe, and there are those who will argue both cases better than I ever could
Vintage v400mh mahogany topped dreadnought acoustic FS - £100
Well it did for me
Feedback
I've stopped counting how many marathons (and ultras!) I have run and have tried every brand of shoe out there. I even had a stint of running barefoot but thankfully never fell for the Vibram trap with those funny rubber toe sock things.
It sounds like you might over-pronate slightly (foot rolls in a bit too much) and you would benefit from a structured shoe. This just means that the inside of the shoe, usually the heel, has a counter or a harder built up piece to stop your foot rolling in. Structured shoes are also good if you are planning on running when you are tired (as opposed to just a trot around the block) as they help you prevent injury from over pronation.
Personally I used the Asics 21xx range (2170 are the last ones I have) and they are by far the most comfortable shoes I have owned. It makes a difference having proper shoes, you are less likely to come up with excuses for not running.
Gait analysis isn't an exact science and there is so much going on with the biomechanics of the foot while running that the best idea is to find a shoe that you like and that "feels" right. I changed from a structured to a neutral shoe for a 10km run and nearly crippled myself. My body definitely knew that it worked better in a structured shoe.
Within that the conventional wisdom is that people are either under-pronators, neutral, over-prontators or heavy over-pronators. (As TinLip says, how much your foot rolls from outside to inside as you land.) Shoes come in neutral (just cushioning), stability (with a harder post on the instep to control that) and motion control (stability, but more so), stability and motion control are intended for people who overprontate, neutral for cushioned or light overpronators. Never quite sure what under-pronators are meant to do, it's rarer though, I think insoles or stability are suggested. The other factor is the amount of cushioning, which is mainly down to how heavy you are. The most expensive shoes tend to be the ones with the most cushioning, if you're quite light they mightn't be for you.
That's the basic picture most people in shops doing gait analysis are using. I think it somewhat assumes a heel-landing jogging motion. Some are better at it than others and know the shoes better. I've often been recommended stability (and used to use 2100s), but found neutral actually suit me better, possibly as I'm a fairly forefoot runner.
But, you don't really know how this is all going to work out till you've done a bit of running! I'm not sure how well gait analysis (and this is a fancy term for looking at a video of your feet while wondering and deciding how much they roll) is going to work until you've been going a while and developed a style. Short distances and building up gradually you're not going to seriously injure yourself unless you try to push through pain (and I mean injury type pain, rather than the 'this is hard work' stuff). Think I started off with something fairly neutral like asics cumulus or stratus, then went 2000/2100 for a long time and then went back to neutral with less heel support. You should change shoes every 500 miles or so anyway, so what you start off with you don't have to stick to.
Unless you're super fashion concious, last season colour shoes are usually discounted quite a bit (I'm sporting some hideous yellow ones currently), and tweaks between models aren't always improvements.
Not for me.
Rugby = various broken parts (I won't bore you with the list, but there's been a few)
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
Feedback
If you're missing the gym try something like the plank or burpee challenges... I like running for CV but not doing stretches afterwards is responsilble for some of my back injury
http://30dayfitnesschallenges.com/30-day-plank-challenge/
I've no particular brnad allegiance, and have had most of the major makes, can't say any are better or worse, its all down to the particulary shoe at the time.
Also, it's often worth taking in you old pair with you, so that they can look at how you have worn them down.
Take proper advice, act on it. Simple really. Proper shoes make a huge difference in every way, runnin wise.