Many people run, yes? Yes. Me? No. I don't run. Ever. I am not a runner. At all. No. Not me.
In high school, I played field hockey. Yes, this required running. However, because I had a big stick in my hands and was chasing a small ball around a large field in a short plaid skirt, I didn't think about the running. I thought about getting the ball past the big bad goalie.
Throughout the four years of high school field hockey, I wore a brace on my knee, because of knee pain when running. This was/is not uncommon. I even saw a doctor who told me that surgery was really my best option. I declined this option, realizing that I wasn't going to be making a career of field hockey or be recruited to play field hockey for a D-1 school. I stuck to wearing the brace and taking a lot of advil before practices and games.
Now, several years after high school has ended, so has my field hockey "career" and I use the term career very loosely there. Since then, I don't think I've run. Seriously. I don't run. I always blamed it on my knees, more specifically my right knee.
This weekend, I had lunch with a few lady friends and the conversation turned to new sneakers and running. One mentioned that when picking out her new sneakers recently, the sales guy asked her to run around the store. I asked why, and she said that by doing that, he could tell what sort of runner she was and what sneakers would be best for her.
Maybe my problem all these years were bad sneakers! Maybe it's not my knee(s) after all, and I was just wearing poor footwear. Ironically, my aunt used to work for Nike, so I got free Nikes for years, but she worked in the office, having nothing to do with the actual sneakers.
Maybe I should go and find this place and do a run around, and have the sales guy tell me which sneaks might be best for me. Then I could buy some cute running shorts. Then maybe you'd want to go for a run with me.
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7 comments:
I highly, highly recommend doing this! (aka getting a custom fitting) I was afraid I would get scammed by the sales guy, but no, the pair I loved best was NOT the most expensive and he did not try to push me in that direction. They made an immediate difference in not just my running, but anything I did at the gym!
I'm not a runner either, but I wish I was and maybe someday I will be.
Ha I'm not sure buying running shoes will make you love running, but it's worth a shot. Definitely great free exercise. I'll run with you :)
Another good thing to do before buying shoes is to find out if you overpronate, underpronate or have normal feet. Wet your foot, then step on a dry paper towel. If you can barely see an arch, you're an overpronater and need shoes with good arch support. If you have a very high arch, look for a shoe that is "cut out" in the arch area. If your arch looks pretty normal and even, you will be fine with a running shoe with adequate arch support.
I was a D-1 runner and learned the hard way which kind of arch I have! A good fitting shoe truly can make all the difference in the world.
A lot of general body pain is wearing the wrong shoes. When I started wearing Crocs my back pain subsided. It was amazing :)
Yes, definitely go get a pair fitted for you! Fleet Feet in AdMo is great, or if you want to trek out to the 'burbs, I LOVE Potomac River Running near the Virginia Square station on the Orange line.
You can also bring a pair of old sneakers when you go to buy new ones. A good sales person can look at the way the old ones have worn down and tell you how you run. Good shoes make ALL the difference.
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