When I got fitted a year+ ago, when I was first getting into running, I had a fairly decent degree of overpronation. (There is something weird about talking about this in a internet blog - - it feels like chatting at a cocktail party about a colonoscopy. Not that I'm stopping, mind you.) So, my last three pairs of shoes have been motion control (specifically the Nike Structure Triax 10/11). I have liked them, but they've always felt a little hard and a little clunky, and just not easy to run in. Neutral shoes were cool, fast, hip. Motion control shoes are for the guy struggling along at the back of the pack. Yes, I know there's no basis in reality for that comment, but it's my blog. My feeling was though, if they are preventing me from having pain though, I'll take it. Then I had a setback in December with Runner's knee/tendonitis, and also got a custom insole (which sounds better than orthotic . . . because between 'orthotic' and 'motion control', I felt like my next step was a walker and a hospital gown flapping in the breeze).
So, I'm back in business and running again. Because of the knee, because I think too much anyway, I pay way too much attention to how things are feeling from the knees on down. Yes, while I'm running, I'm thinking about how my feet are striking the ground, how well I'm rolling from back to front, am I heel-striking vs midsole striking, kicking up in back, etc, etc. Well, lately, it just hasn't felt right; it felt like I was on the outside of my feet much more than I should be. Now, when I got my insole, the doc said that maybe I should look at other shoes. I was getting close to my half marathon though and didn't want to change anything. Maybe what he said just stuck in my head and I imagined the whole bit about the outside of my foot, but I'll humor myself and pretend that I really am THAT in touch with my stride.
So, today, race over with, I went in and said, "Am I wearing the right shoes?" We went through the whole thing again with the treadmill etc. and the answer was pretty clearly, 'no'. Even without the insole, my overpronation was all but gone. It was actually a little freaky. Anyway, she said that between the insole and the motion control shoes, I was probably being forced too far out, which could aggravate my knee, my IT band, my hips. . . (I TOLD YOU!!! It's so much fun writing in hindsight.)
Quick comment regarding where I went. West Stride is a fairly new running store in Atlanta. Jenny (who may choose to spell her name differently than I have) spent a ton of time with me going over the mechanics of my stride, discussing how the motion control shoes affect it, how the orthotics affect it, and ways to continue to develop strength and prevent injury. She went through the strengths and weaknesses of the various shoes, and her personal experiences with them as well. If she is any indication, this is going to become a store with a very large, very loyal following.
So, I now have a new pair of shoes, which compared to the Triax, feel like they are made of clouds, feathers, and trampoline springs. I can't wait to go for a run tomorrow.
"Don't forget the break in period though . .."
"What? I didn't hear you."
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