Running Shoe Tips

Remember my post about the Sgt. Glen Martinez Memorial 5K? It's next weekend! Well, I've got to say, my training has been going really well! I have osteoarthritis in my knees, so I have to be careful. I've already had surgery on my right knee once because my cartilage is in such bad shape that my bone chipped, and it's something I'd rather not have again. So, I thought maybe I'd share some little tips about how I've been training. My AWESOME sister-in-law, Kathy, (who is just about to run a half marathon this weekend) has been training me. I'm TOTALLY not claiming to be a pro, these are just a few things I've learned so far!

A HUUUUUGE thing for me has been my shoes.

{Shoe Love}

There is actually a lot you have to look at when finding the perfect pair of running shoes. People run differently. Basically, it's all about how your foot hits and rolls when you run. It's called Pronation.



The way you pronate will be crucial to picking the kind of shoes you need. Shoes have different ratings for stability and cushioning. A great place to figure out how you pronate is to read THIS article at RunnersWorld.com.

Also, it's VERY important to find what kind of arch your foot has.

To do this, you will need to take a wet test. Click HERE to find out how easy it is to do!

My feet and pronation are classified as "normal" so, I needed a pair of shoes with stability ratings and cushioning ratings at about the same level. I found my pair of Asics GEL Cumulus at Sports Authority, and I am absolutely IN LOVE with them. I feel like I'm running on clouds. The shoes I had before made my knees hurt and my feet cramp...it was miserable! I had NO idea how important shoes are! They were even on sale, from $100 down to $70. Woo-hooo! OH! And at Sports Authority, they have these spiffy little stations where they use heat sensitivity (like mood rings) to see what kind of arches you have. You just take off your shoes, stand on the little board for about 10 seconds, and when you get off you leave footprints. AWESOME, HUH!?!

So anyway...there is my little tidbit for the day on running shoes.

And, for an update, I can now run over 3 miles without dying. (FYI, I only made it a quarter mile on my first run!) So, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it. :)