The most important piece of fitness equipment

Hey there!

I love this time of year. By about now, most people have built a great base of cardio fitness and are now
looking to do something with it. From January ‘til about May, folks all over are looking at things like 5K
races, triathlons and maybe even their first half marathon, to personify being in the best shape of their
lives. Super beginner marathoner John “The Penguin” Bingham from Runner’s World magazine says it
best: “Nothing personifies an active lifestyle like toeing up to the starting line at a marathon.”

As a coach, one of the most fulfilling aspects of working with new athletes is helping them to visualize their
fitness goals, and then empowering them with the information and support they need to achieve them.
The rules of progression, periodization and recovery all play out in predictable ways, from athlete to
athlete, time and again.

It really is fascinating. The human body can achieve literally anything, when loaded appropriately. With the
right information, anyone can achieve anything they believe that they can achieve. I have witnessed this
personally, spending years training beginners, as well as my own training experience, in my going from
overweight social worker to marathoner and Ironman Triathlete.

Similarly, when you spend any amount of time in this industry you also see the same mistakes time and
again. Like people not incorporating rest into their workouts, doing the “more is better” thing. People not
prioritizing sleep and stress management, while expecting their bodies to perform consistently. However,
for my money, probably the worst mistake of all (and thus the basis for this article) is people wearing
really old and improper footwear.

Footwear can be improper? Yes. Now, I am not talking about the obvious, such as showing up to the gym
in Tevas (yikes). Or, wearing high-heeled boots while biking on a beach cruiser (wait, that’s me).

No. I am talking about when people embark upon any kind of running in anything but running shoes. To be
clear: not just any running shoes, like the ones you found at the mall that match your outfit. Not the ones
that barely fit, but were on sale at Big 5. Or the discount wholesale stores. Or, (gulp) the ones that they
sold you at the co-op and you bought just because you get a dividend…

No. I am ranting about the very best investment you can make in your whole entire physical well being;
and thus, your knees, hips, and even your back: real running shoes that you bought at a real running
store from people trained by podiatrists. Yes. Years of training athletes and training myself, and seeing
countless chiropractors and physical therapists and massage professionals…have taught me one fitness
truth. Like Lieutenant Dan Taylor told Forrest Gump, “Protect your feet!” It is the best place to start.

Anyone who is taking their treadmill from walking to even, sporadic, slow bouts of jogging should consider
investing in the appropriate footwear. Anyone with any amount of knee pain during walking would do well
to consider the same.

People with back pain, hip pain, or just an aversion to ballistic impact to their joints, should consider
enlisting the professional help that is available. Runners and would-be, wanna-be, sometimes-on (and
sometimes-off) runners can all benefit from appropriate footwear fitting.

What is the big deal? Well, for starters, take off one of your sneakers. Does it have a solid, one color
bottom to it? The sole of the shoe is inflexible and sturdy? This shoe is probably a cross trainer, a court
shoe, or a walking shoe. These are awesome shoes for weight training, playing court sports, riding
stationary bikes, shopping, and hiking. A running shoe first of all, will have a very flexible sole that
purposely bends and flexes with each step, thus rendering it impossible for court sports and riding the
stationary bike and hiking; all activities which require the solid transfer of power from muscles to the
activity with solid impact.

Next, look at the shoe in your hand. Where is it worn out most? Set the pair on your desk and look at it
from behind. Are the inner heels worn out? What about the outer perimeter? You are looking to see if you
pronate or supinate. These are verbs. If you turn (the sole of the foot) outward so that the inner edge of
the foot bears the weight when standing you pronate. If you run on the outer edges, you supinate. Most
people do a little of either, and it is amenable with the proper footwear. Pronators get a little extra
support in the inner arches and supinators get a thicker, denser part of the shoe along the outer edge.

The difference can be amazing, when you run in the right shoe. Remember, running is a functional activity
that Mother Nature totally designed you to perform, but the ballistic nature of the activity can be murder
on your joints. The knee, for example, is a hinge joint, meaning that it wants to flex and extend in one
plane of motion: forward. But women, and men with hip issues, often impact this hinge joint at an angle,
thus putting strain on the compact space of the joint capsule. Any inflammation here can interfere with the
gliding motion of your patella (kneecap) in its track, causing pain.

Now that you know why you need to hit the running store to get proper footwear, how do you know you
are in the right place? The hallmark of a great running store is the presence of treadmills. A good running
store puts you on a treadmill and has you run in several pairs of shoes, to see what kind of motion control
you need, if any. Neutral shoes are available too, so don’t worry if you have a nice, even gait. I have seen
neutral runners train in shoes designed for motion control and the result is not pretty. (Trust me, it can
mess up your hips and even give you knee pain!)

One more thing: good running stores are staffed by runners. Ask your fit specialist what they are training
for! Don’t be inhibited, or shy. These folks love to get new runners out there on the road.

And wait, there is more. Most of the shoe insoles (that part that comes out…the sole of the shoe) that
come in the shoes are not cushy enough. Look for a product called Super feet, or Sole. These are not
orthotics (special inserts that come from the podiatrist), but are a wonderful cushion that again, protect
the knees, hips, back, ankles and spine from the impact of running. Ask your running store footwear
specialist what kind you need, if any. It is well worth the extra money to take the steps toward feeling
awesome for the long haul.

Expect to pay more for good running shoes. Take care of them! Only wear them for running. You will want
to replace them every 500 miles, too, since the cushioning wears out. If you run 3 times a week for 30
minutes, that is every four months or so. (Proper footwear costs extra, but so does knee replacement,
right?)

Now that you are empowered with the good information, get out there and accomplish anything you can
visualize! For inspiration, read blogs from Kinetix community members who took the plunge and
accomplished their events, starting out from square one too! Kelly Barnard, Diana Otis, Evan Day, Steve
Glenn, and countless others in the community are all athletes who, when outfitted with the proper shoes, went on to greatness!


Have fun!

Be well!

Coach Danielle