Day 262 = Gym + Running Shoes

This morning was my gym workout with Regan, and we are still seeing results. I can't wait for my family and friends to see me when I fly to Arkansas tomorrow to see them all for Thanksgiving.

I promised an entry about running shoes, so here it is in bullet points.

• Get fitted by a professional. Go to a reputable running store if you can. People at Foot Locker or Academy may be helpful but may not be trained to fit you for proper running shoes. You will want to know if you overpronate or underpronate; if you have a high or low arch; if you have a narrow foot (the two latter you probably already know).
• Take the wet test. You can do this before you get fitted. If anything, it will give you more insight on a personal level for when you set about buying your shoes. Runner's World has a good article here. In fact, Runner's World has a lot of great stuff to say about buying running shoes.
• Don't fall in love with the aesthetics or price. You might think the pink or blue shoe is a lot cuter than the gray one, but the gray one might fit. If the right shoe for you is the fugliest one in the store and costs more than your budget, get the shoe. Trust me. I went shopping for running shoes with my mom and she kept trying to steer me to some cute shoes and I had to explain to her that is not what I'm here for.
• When you find your shoe or a few choices, hold it up and bend it. If it bends in the toe, then it's a good shoe. If it bends in the middle then it's a problem. I'm not sure why, but this was a tip from a coach. And common sense says that your foot bends at the toe so the shoe should bend there, too.
• Get a size bigger. I wear a size 7 in every other shoe I own. But for running shoes (I'm wearing Brooks Glycerin now), I wear an 8.5. In Asics, I wear an 8. It depends on the shoe. But you want room in the toe box. When you're standing up, see if you can fit your thumb width between the tip of your big toe and the end of the shoe. If so, then it's big enough.
• Choose your socks wisely. I don't recommend thick or thin; it's totally a preference. Personally, I wear normal terrycloth running socks. I tried the thin dryfit socks on a run and my feet have never hated me more. Find socks you like and wear them forever.
• Get orthotics if you need them. I bought orthotics in the summer of 2006. I recently had them updated in February 2009. They cost about $400 from a podiatrist, and they are custom made for my feet. Both are unique because my feet are not identical.
• Trade out your shoes. Like you might run every other run in one pair and then offset the other runs with another pair. This lets your shoes last longer and I think that because the shoes stay newer longer then it allows for a more comfortable run. Just my speculation, though.

That's all I can think of now. My favorite brands are Brooks and Asics, and it's OK to wear both and trade out brands. I used to wear Mizuno, and I wore Saucony for my first half marathon. I'm by no means a shoe expert, but I hope my experience can help. It's amazing how many people do not give that much thought to their shoes when shoes are the most critical piece of equipment for runners!