Following my recent blister incident at Aberfeldy, I figure it about time I got myself a new pair of gutties. (I know Ciro, you are a big fan of barefoot running, but I have too many races in the next 2 months to contemplate a direct transition and I will not be doing that over winter in Glasgow)
Anyway, digression to my brother aside, I popped the old runners in the car and after work popped into Run 4 It in the Tiso outdoor centre in Townhead. My last 2 pairs of running shoes were out of there & both times I'd got a decent service, getting the gait analysis & working my way through multiple pairs until we found a pair that felt right. Today though was different. Today I was served by Don.
After a brief chat explaining the blister, age of the shoes, what type of races I do, and him talking about running ultra marathons, he got me up on the treadmill in my old shoes to do a gait analysis. After talking through many of the dodgy biomechanical things I'm doing (inc. toes pointing off to the outside and knee & achilies not in line) he then started to point out what was run with my shoes (my feet are too narrow so my feet slide about in them quite a bit, so in actual fact my arch was sliding into the arch support which was causing the blister). Next I was asked about what my running style is like & what I want to do with it, so I explained about my ITB problems & how I was moving into a faster cadence to promote a front foot strike. At this point he basically told me that he wasn't going to sell me a pair of shoes today, then took me round to show me the range of Innov8 off road running shoes that have been designed with less & less heel support & a more and more minimalist sole, so that as you move into better technique and as your body has adapted you can change your shoes to adapt with a reduced risk of injury to yourself. SInce this process takes months to years this way, and I'm fully intending to be changing mys shoes regularly as I train for Roth, I have no problem with this.
We then had a 30 minute conversation abou the different brands and the designs they've got to promote more natural movement in the foot before he got a pair of runners with a very thin sole (Innovate have a grading of 0 to 4 on the heel thickness & this was a 1 - he recomends a 3 or a 4 to start off on) and sent me down to run round the wee rock path they have in the middle of the store.
Wow. These felt amazing! I was excited to be wearing & running in them. Light as a feather on the feet but hugged them perfectly so there was no slip sliding about, and running in them I could feel speed begging to be unleashed from my legs so much more than before. THe only issue being with the massively reduced heel cushioning, I was right out on the ball of my feet & it was really tugging at the lower calf muscle (while the change in style has helped massively helped the ITB problems, it has put extra load onto the calves which are still getting stretched & strengthened). Sure I could take a pair of these and slowly build up my strength & technique, but I'm better off getting the right ones (plus I don't think Don would've actually sold them to me). So yeah, I'm going back in on Saturday to talk through the assorted options & we're going to find the shoe that works best for me & where I want to go, even if we have to go order it in.
Today I went to buy a pair of shoes & instead got a lesson & a whole new look at running and an idea of I can take myself, and it feels good :)
Todays blog is brought to you by the song Call the Ships to Port by Covenant - Industrial Dance with a wicked beat
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