New shoes!

Sorry for the radio silence... has been a bit hectic round these parts with work deadlines and visiting siblings. Yes, that does mean that my training is perhaps not progresssing as well as I thought it would be - BUT, I have managed to get some new running shoes/trainers/sneakers - whatever you like to call them.

I decided that it would be a good idea to go to one of those fancy running shops and get my running gait videoed in order to choose the best possible shoe for me. So one rainy Sunday I headed to Runner’s Need (part of Snow+Rock). I had to wait a bit as a couple were both buying new shoes and the assistant was having them try on quite a few different pairs, including the videotaped testing.

Immediately I was pleased to see that the camera is only at feet hitting treadmill level. I had been a bit concerned about how much of my rear view was going to get projected onto a screen…

The couple finally departed, happy with their purchases and it was my turn… I told the guy that I would like to stick with Asics if possible, and that I believe my feet tends to roll inwards when I run. He fixed me with a “sure they do” gaze and said patiently “well, I get everyone into a pair of neutral shoes first so we can see the problems onscreen” and promptly handed me a white, silver and bright blue pair of Asics.

He then checked I had used a treadmill before (thankfully, I have) and off I went… This is when I realised one of the problems with this kind of thing. When people are looking at you, you tend to really focus on making sure you’re doing things properly – or at least I do. Speech therapists who see kids with minor impediments often report that they suddenly don’t have it anymore when they’re really concentrating on reading to them (I know this is true, it happened to me when I was a kid). When I first saw a chiropractor who analysed my posture, I realised I was standing better than I usually do. And funnily enough, whenever I am keeping a food diary – my eating habits improve!

Same with this treadmill. I concentrated on a mid-foot strike and off I went. After 30 seconds, the assistant called me down and I had a look at my running style on the screen. The thing that struck me first was that my left foot crosses over in front of me when I take a step. Perhaps that’s over-exaggerating it, but it does illuminate the reason why I sometimes ankle tap myself when running. Then, more surprisingly, my feet did not roll inwards at all – they were perfectly straight. The assistant explained that it’s probably that even in their neutral shoes, Asics give enough support to correct what must be a minor problem.

So that was it. There was no need for me to try on any more shoes. I felt a bit gypped to be honest. All I need is a neutral shoe? I could’ve just bought a pair off the shelf if I’d known! I’m sure it would’ve been cheaper. These very bright and shiny trainers set me back £115. A high price, but I’m ever optimistic that they’ll be totally worth it.

I must admit I felt a little less confidence in this after the assistant whom I had trusted my ENTIRE HALF-MARATHON EXPERIENCE to (it is all down to the shoes, don’t you know?) then started telling me about the GCSE History exam he had the next day… mmm, that’s what I get for shopping on a Sunday I spose and he really did seem quite knowledgeable. About shoes, I mean. I didn’t quiz him on his grasp of Tudor England.

I’ve had the shoes for a couple of weeks now. And they’re good. I do feel more bouncy on them and I’m not getting as much knee pain as before. I’m still getting slightly numb toes sometimes, which is normal for new shoes so I’ve just got to start running more often (for other reasons too!). These ones are definitely more snug over the top of the foot that my last ones. And they’re for running in only – when I walking in them it’s a bit tight around my Achilles. So they’re certainly different from my trusty pair that I guess I’m going to have to throw out now…

My boss bought a new pair not long after me and got the exact same shoe. She swears she didn’t realise, but surely I’m setting the trend for white, blue and silver trainers? Luckily we’re different sizes, but that didn’t stop her taking them out for a run one lunchtime by mistake…

The shoes probably didn’t mind. Best action they’ve seen in their lives so far! Oops. I am a bad shoe mummy. I really am going to step up my distances shortly.

I am still running to and from work most days. That’s 2 miles each way. So I’m getting there! Next time I’ll tell you about racing the bus home…

14 weeks and two days to go!

Big thanks to Tanya R and Paulie T-L who have both donated since the last blog. Awesome stuff! Much appreciated by me and Refuge UK. http://www.refuge.org.uk/

Donate here: http://www.justgiving.com/Kate-Hamlin