new running shoes. the placebo affect?
 

i had buyer's remorse. i got fleeced at the running shoe store yesterday. my boss, and avid runner suggested that i get better shoes to prevent injury. he said to go to a running shoe store and get fitted. i followed his advice. they had all this tech scanner technology..had me running on a treadmill and filmed me. the playback in slow-mo was pretty cool. i run pretty goofy. one foot points outwards, the other stays straight. all this scan business, was "free". but the inserts the system produced...very NOT FREE! i wish they were more upfront with the costs. i bought them anyways. they felt great in the shoe. i got the shoes they suggested for a heavy, beginning runner. stability galore.

well, i logged 3 miles yesterday evening..and ran another 3 this morning. my legs and feet are not in pain...knees..also painfree. i notice immediately, i ran smoother. much more quietly. my old shoes, i was a stomper. i could hear my heavy footsteps. clomp clomp clomp!! i also got dry-fit socks. whoa!! winner winner chicken dinner!! the socks were amazing.

i am running more than i ever had in my life. i like it. takes up relatively little time. unlike a long bike ride. with the short daylight, it is working for me.

you guys just buy shoes off the shelf? i think i will mail order my next stuff..and just move the inserts around.

I've been tempted to go full-out, as friends rave about the clinic/custom-fit experience, but really, I've gotten by with just watching my form and changing my shoes regularly. I'm also passing on the whole barefoot craze.

I'd say it sounds like it's working for you, since you are noticing actual differences & enjoying it more. So don't worry about it and consider it money well spent. It may have cost a bit, but you don't buy running shoes every week. In the long run your body may thank you for it. Have fun.

I don't think your imagining it. Good gear helps in any sport.

Buying the correct shoes and inserts is a really cheap insurance to having a good time, running properly, preventing muscle aches and injury. Ultimately, you spent far less getting the right stuff than you did on a mod or two for your car.

Think about how much money people spend on hobbies like snowmobiling, boating, flying...etc

Getting properly fitted running shoes is a must - buying shoes at a shop that does not cater to runners is not a wise choice... assuming that one is serious (at least a little bit serious) about running. We shop at Fleet Feet for our running attire and the last pair of shoes we bought were just before Christmas. As soon as we arrived in the store, our salesperson (all of Huntsville's, AL Fleet Feet's salespeople are avid runners) told us that we were going to be part of their Christmas commercial and asked if that was okay. We spent 1:15 minutes getting fitted (trying on neutral shoes and running on a treadmill so that your gait can be analyzed) then trying on several other shoes to find the optimal fit for our running styles. That amount of time is typical doe to the criticality of finding the perfect shoe based on the way one runs. The commercial went great and I contacted the television station to get a copy of this so we could sent it to my wife's family in the UP in Michigan.

I did buy my first set of cold-running attire (jacket, thermal top, cap, and pants) and I, too, noticed that my time decreased significantly. My 'new' running shoes are already 20% used up (this is in accordance to the 500-mile replacement guidelines). Surprisingly, my running shoes (Mizino Wave Inspire 9) were no cheaper online than what we paid at Fleet Feet. We will continue to shop at a true runner's store for the critical component of running shoes. I wear off-the-shelf orthotics (I wear Super Feet) and these have proved well over the last thousand miles or so - our Fleet Feet store states that they will not use a foot scanner for the fitting of orthotics. Surprisingly, while grocery shopping last night, we ran into our salesperson that waited on us.

Seems a lot cheaper than treating an injury. Go forth and run young man!

If you're wearing the shoes and enjoying them, they are worth the $...

thanks..i am surprised i am actually enjoying myself.

i never realized running gives you plenty of alone time to think about things..i've worked out work problems on the local trails. fun.

my doctor is pretty happy about it also.

I used to wear Asics Kayanos, thinking they were the best for larger runners and, well, they must be good because they're so expensive. I went to buy some more at a serious runner's store and the salesman told me I was totally wrong is sticking with them. He put me through the motions, told me I needed the Asics Gel-Nimbus, which were cheaper, and he was right. Made a huge difference. I usually got new shoes every 300-350 miles.

From what the OP describes, I would not be a bit surprised if young Mr Vash has a limb length discrepancy

I have seen pretty amazing improvements from custom orthotics, or even something as simple as a heel lift. If they are taking a scan of your foot and making a custom insert or shoe, they probably need to be licensed.

The right shoe can be huge.

I did the same thing you did. Use the NewBalance 1080's now and the 1064's before that. The fitting and review process totally helped and now I can walk/run without lower back pain.

Timely thread, I've been debating doing the same, I'm running Rim2Rim2Rim in the Grand Canyon in May, worried about foot/ankle/knee issues.

I only buy shoes at Fleet Feet. No custom insoles, but very well trained sales people that watch you run, measure you up well and recommend shoes based on your fitness and mileage level as well as your intended terrain.

I had made the mistake of buying shoes online, just a size smaller than what I ran in great for a year. I got a nasty bunion injury out of it. Not going to happen again. $100 for a pair of shoes may sound like a lot, but I'd probably pay $10k if I didn't have that bone spur to deal with now, even after the darn thing healed off.

One thing I'd like to comment on is your mileage. You can't run 3 miles every day starting out. You need to have AT LEAST 1 day breaks between runs to avoid over-use injuries, usually soft tissue-stuff like tendonitis. I would recommend you run 1.5 miles every 2 days and have one long run of 3 miles a week. Consider signing up for a 5k charity race in late spring and start training for it with a beginner's training schedule. A mild schedule you can follow will both motivate you and prevent injury from running a random schedule.

Final note on running shoes is that you should own more than one pair. I own 2-3 pairs at a time that I switch around. It helps with muscles not seeing the exact same thing a million times in a row. Same goes for terrain. I mix it up between hills, street, trails and treadmill, makes it much easier to prevent over-use injuries.

Keep us posted on your progress! Maybe a 5k race goal on the fitness challenge?

G

Okay, one more thing on running. Go to a form class, showing you how to run. Everyone thinks running is something you don't have to learn. Negative. Running a certain form will prevent injury. It mainly is about a high cadence (steps per minute) and a mid-foot strike.

Here is a very good program.
Welcome to Good Form Running

Later,

George

Nothing is more important in running than a proper fitting shoe. I have been in the same series of Mizunos since evo 1 or the shoe, I just bought evo 16... it took me 10 years to find the right shoe for me...... I log 36-45 ish miles a week for the last 15 years with distances every 2 weeks over half marathon. Have run full marathons as well. Had one minor short lived IT band issue in the 25 years I have been running. I attribute this lack of injury to proper shoes.......

And yes, what George says, make sure you know how to run :)

Cheers

You actually have time to think when running? I am usually suffering so bad that I can't think straight. This thread can't come at the better time. The though of running for 30 minutes after my little kids are asleep will be great for my little heart. Riding is limited to daylight near the end of the day due to day light savings. I have flat feet and suffered greatly from running x-country in high school for two years. The insoles are the ones doing the job of making happy feet for you? I am curious about how it will work with custom orthotics from my foot dr. Hope you don't mind my asking, are the insoles under or over $100? By the way, I don't really running.

Heel lift? A little sliver that bring up my heels under the insoles? I had those in my hiking boots in my youth sold to me by the people at REI. It made a huge difference. My foot doctor just had me on a pair of his orthotics but I still have tired feet near the end of the day (no running just regular walking and standing). Do you think I should start running with the custom orthotics from my foot doc or go with the people at the running store?

Running is the only quiet time, thinking time I get in a day..... Helps my brain immensly....

i've been running for a few months already. in the beginning..a mile was a killer. just stretching and starting out of my house, i was huffing and puffing by the end of the block. things are looking up. thanks G!

riding my bike and having some cardio health made the start easier. but running is much different than pedaling a bike. you can coast on a bike..:)

i cant wait to test the new lungs and legs this weekend in the mountains of AZ. going at it again with a heavy pack on my back. love it.