Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Running: The Stuff - The necessities
The only real necessity is adopting running as a hobby is to get a good pair of shoes. What you are looking for in a pair of shoes is something sturdy, comfortable, and that fits your foot.
Sturdy shoes are shoes that will hold up under the mileage and the pounding that you are going to give them. Shoes generally only have a lifetime of six months (even if you don't run in them) or five hundred miles before they need to be retired to lawn mowing shoes.
Comfortable shoes have enough cushion to alleviate some of the pounding that you are doing on your feet. They should not have anything inside the shoe that rubs your foot the wrong way. Comfortable shoes also allow your feet to breathe and wick away moisture. Believe me, you don't want to be hauling around a marathon's worth of foot sweat on the big day.
Fit is just as important as comfort. When you are evaluating fit, you need to feel how the shoe works with your foot. Does your heel slip out of the back as you stride? Does the shoe pinch anywhere on your foot? Is the shoe wide enough or too wide? Does the shoe support the arch of your foot? It's important that you get help with this part of the experience.
In terms of places to go for shoes, I'd recommend a specialty store like Fleet Feet or the Running Center over a chain store. The specialty stores have salespeople who are there to get you a good pair of shoes. They have the knowledge of what shoes fit what kinds of feet and can help evaluate how you run. With the frequency that runners come in for new shoes, they are more apt to sell you the pair of shoes that you'll enjoy over the most expensive pair, because if you like them you'll come back. A good pair of shoes will run you somewhere between $80-$110.
Sturdy shoes are shoes that will hold up under the mileage and the pounding that you are going to give them. Shoes generally only have a lifetime of six months (even if you don't run in them) or five hundred miles before they need to be retired to lawn mowing shoes.
Comfortable shoes have enough cushion to alleviate some of the pounding that you are doing on your feet. They should not have anything inside the shoe that rubs your foot the wrong way. Comfortable shoes also allow your feet to breathe and wick away moisture. Believe me, you don't want to be hauling around a marathon's worth of foot sweat on the big day.
Fit is just as important as comfort. When you are evaluating fit, you need to feel how the shoe works with your foot. Does your heel slip out of the back as you stride? Does the shoe pinch anywhere on your foot? Is the shoe wide enough or too wide? Does the shoe support the arch of your foot? It's important that you get help with this part of the experience.
In terms of places to go for shoes, I'd recommend a specialty store like Fleet Feet or the Running Center over a chain store. The specialty stores have salespeople who are there to get you a good pair of shoes. They have the knowledge of what shoes fit what kinds of feet and can help evaluate how you run. With the frequency that runners come in for new shoes, they are more apt to sell you the pair of shoes that you'll enjoy over the most expensive pair, because if you like them you'll come back. A good pair of shoes will run you somewhere between $80-$110.
# posted by mypetrock : 5:52 PM
