Runners please advise me!
Replies
-
Wow. Getting shoes is upper middle class?
Roll over Karl Marx...
(I grew up on a rough as *kitten* council estate. It may surprise you to discover some of us working class oiks even had trainers. :-D )
(And another parenthesis: who suggested *buying* multiple shoes? Hone reading skills.... )0 -
Because "corrective" running shoes may cause or exacerbate form deficiencies. That's why people believe that highly cushioned running shoes may be damaging or at least not beneficial. I don't think this is the appropriate place to start this discussion but since the question was asked (disingenuously?) I feel that someone should respond.
Here is a video of what I mean. This is not supposed to be some kind of irrefutable proof that corrective shoes are bad; it's just a small clip that should illustrate what I mean when I say that a runner's form may be damaged by the use of cushioned shoes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9itkEkcQ8WM
It seems like every time someone says they're sore the first response on here is to get analyzed and buy (several?) new shoes. Running is so terribly upper-middle class...
And just for the record I wear shoes...
"Running is so terribly upper-middle class..." I don't think that's very fair. At "normal people" (say under 200 miles a month) mileage you can wear the same pair of shoes for 6 months or more; and they usually cost between $100-$150 a pair. Shoes are really the only serious investment you need for the sport. Name me another sport you can participate in at $25 month (on the very outside). Sure you *can* spend a lot more, but even with a full complement of fashion and gadgets you'd be hard pressed to spend more than $1000 a year on gear. That won't even get you a halfway decent bike, let alone gadgets for it or clothes to wear riding it.
I'll agree that there is an argument for corrective shoes exacerbating gait problems, but I think at this point most of the research leans towards them doing more good than harm. Ignoring the whole argument for the moment though, it seems likely that the OP was completely unaware of the importance of gait or unique running fit requirements when she selected her shoes. While there might be some argument that wearing shoes designed to correct over pronation is not great when you have over pronation, they're *certainly* bad if you actually under pronate and had no idea when you bought the shoes that such words even exist.
The fact is that most running shoes out there right now, especially the one sold at big box stores, are designed for some specific gait. While there might be some argument for minimalist shoes, she probably doesn't have those. She most likely has main stream running shoes designed to work for some specific gait, and if she has the wrong ones it's worse than either minimalist non-correcting shoes or correcting shoes that at least work with her instead of against her.0 -
lol... Hey if you can come up with some good points on why running is not an upper-middle class activity I would love to hear them. I'm generally on that side of the discussion. However, I don't think comparing it to cycling (or, god forbid, triathlons) is a good place to start (What's next? Golf? Polo?). I suppose the difference is that those sports require a large investment whereas running doesn't, but people often spend a lot on gear anyways. And $1000 a year on a sport is a lot...
And hey, new shoes aren't always a bad idea. I just think people give that advice too readily. I think it would suck if I was a newer runner and every time I asked for advice someone told me to buy new shoes.
P.S. Someone did talk about buying several new shoes, I didn't make that up.0 -
Thankyou everyone for your replies and helpful suggestions.
I did as many of you suggested and went to a running shop and had my gait analysed on a treadmill, which was fine apparently. I did get some shoes a size bigger, and this seems to have sorted the toe pain problem. However, I still got pain in my left leg when running on the treadmill earlier in new shoes. :sad:
I'm hoping this will resolve itself, have only been running for 5 weeks after all. Bound to be some aches and pains, just weird that it is only left leg?
maybe I am more dominant on one side than the other? the shop guy did say that my right side seemed stronger and my left was a bit stiff when running.
Anyway, thankyou all again for your help.
0 -
I think the answer here lies in the fact that you are new to running. People have been buying running shoes for decades without gait analysis so I wouldnt look at that as the solution.
Your shoes should be comfortable, although like any shoes there may be some breaking in required. Most of us have a bias to one side that may explain why you only get pain on one side - who knows. Stick with the plan but dont push through any bad pain and you will likely be ok.
A person should NEVER have to "break in" running shoes. It is SO important to get fitted for running shoes and make sure you're wearing the correct ones! I wasn't and I was in constant pain when I ran. I loved running but the pain made me want to stop. Once I got my gait analyzed and found the proper shoes I was fine.
To the OP: GET A GAIT ANALYSIS AND GET PROPER SHOES!! Also they should be 1/2 a size bigger than what you normally wear.0 -
I have started doing couch to 5k, and have bought trainers in my normal shoes size (3). I have been getting pain in my left leg and toes, although the right foot and leg is fine. I read recently that you should buy running shoes a size bigger than your normal shoes. Do you think this is the reason for my pain? If so, why only one leg/ foot? Any advice? Thankyou....x
My running store fitted me with a 1/2 size bigger than my normal shoes. But it could also be your gait, stride.0 -
Breaking-in shoes - My road shoes initially caused a little hot spot behind the ball of my foot - they dont now. My off road shoes initially rubbed a little on the side of my ankle - they dont now - maybe it;s me that's changing but that's the kind of breaking in that I am talking about.
In other words, no need to head back to the shop just because they arent 100% the first few times you use them.
A lot of people on this forum are new to running and will get the attendant aches and pains of doing something they are not used to doing. When they ask for advice too many people on here are too quick to point to the shoes as the cause. It might be a possible cause but hey if I started weight lifting yesterday and complained about sore arms today - what would you tell me?0 -
madmickie - I don't see how your sore arms would be relevant to a conversation about shoes.... Not really much of an analogy, is it?
To the OP - glad you got the toe sorted out. So at least some of the discomfort sounds like it was shoe linked.
It's possible the leg pain is the ordinary ache of new running. It's also possible that, if your toes were scrunched up, that's been messing with your movement and caused a bit of strain. I'd give it a little time to see how you settle now. If the pain gets worse, if it gets bad enough to make you feel you can't run through it, then it's important to have another think.
I also get more of particular aches down one side or the other - that's not unusual. Our bodies are assymetrical, so it makes sense that our pain might also be a bit lopsided.0 -
meerkat - I can't help you if you can't see the relevance. I am glad you agree with me otherwise though.0
-
meerkat - I can't help you if you can't see the relevance. I am glad you agree with me otherwise though.
Ah yes. It's me that's too thick to follow the link, obviously. :-D It's a wonder I make it through the day, really.
I don't think I *did* agree with you. But hey, not helping the OP labouring that point.0 -
Breaking-in shoes - My road shoes initially caused a little hot spot behind the ball of my foot - they dont now. My off road shoes initially rubbed a little on the side of my ankle - they dont now - maybe it;s me that's changing but that's the kind of breaking in that I am talking about.
In other words, no need to head back to the shop just because they arent 100% the first few times you use them.
A lot of people on this forum are new to running and will get the attendant aches and pains of doing something they are not used to doing. When they ask for advice too many people on here are too quick to point to the shoes as the cause. It might be a possible cause but hey if I started weight lifting yesterday and complained about sore arms today - what would you tell me?
If she said she was sore that'd be one thing. She was having toe pain and shin pain. Both of those indicate specific problems that can be easily traced to fit and type of shoe. She's been doing this for long enough that the shoes shouldn't have needed breaking in, and she's doing a program gentle enough that she shouldn't be over training. Shoes are an obvious first step. Moreover they appear to have helped.
I agree that always jumping to shoes is a mistake, and sore muscles are part of the game; but the symptoms she listed and information she gave indicated shoe problems. At least as a first and easy to perform first step. 40 Years ago when my father went through Basic Training, they wore combat boots to run. Every man of them had shin splints, and some had worse problems. 15 years ago when I went we wore properly fitted running shoes, almost no one had any running injuries. Getting a gait analysis is a quick and relatively inexpensive first step to get started in running. It's good starting advice. The injury that never happened in the first place is better than the injury successfully treated.
OP, glad your toes stopped hurting. I agree with meercat, it's likely that the rest will sort itself in the next week or so. For immediate relief try RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Rest doesn't mean you have to stop completely unless you want to. Just take it easy for a few days and ice and elevate the leg when you're at home in front of the TV or whatever. If it gets any worse or doesn't go away after a bit, you may wish to talk to a doctor.0 -
Where are you running? Treadmill only? I've been having a dull ache in my inner left calf for months. Even took a break from running for a month to see if it would heal and it came back once I started running again. I was googling it, trying to find a reason and came across something that mentioned pains on left side because of running on the road facing traffic which is what I was doing. The next time I ran I noticed how big the slope was in my neighborhood. Starting running on the sidewalks and the pain hasn't gotten worst but still there slightly only while running. I also carry my two year old on my left hip a lot. Anyway I just recently started going to a chiropractor again for this pain because I want to be rid of it completely since I'm starting to train for a half. I think he does some type of acupressure too and really dug into my calf and found a trigger point (hurt so bad!). I make mess what he said completely up but I think he said he said it's my inner calf muscle that runs along/attached to my shin (that probably why sometimes I thought the pain was in my shin but not shin splints). He worked on it and I was sore for 2 days but today I barely noticed pain on my run. Don't know how many sessions I need with him but I hope he found the problem!
Also I spent a lot of time on you tube trying to learn running techniques. I run with a mid foot strike and planning on taking a chi-running workshop.
Sorry so long! Good luck!Thankyou everyone for your replies and helpful suggestions.
I did as many of you suggested and went to a running shop and had my gait analysed on a treadmill, which was fine apparently. I did get some shoes a size bigger, and this seems to have sorted the toe pain problem. However, I still got pain in my left leg when running on the treadmill earlier in new shoes. :sad:
I'm hoping this will resolve itself, have only been running for 5 weeks after all. Bound to be some aches and pains, just weird that it is only left leg?
maybe I am more dominant on one side than the other? the shop guy did say that my right side seemed stronger and my left was a bit stiff when running.
Anyway, thankyou all again for your help.0 -
Sorry, one more thing. Also i was told my core is weak and my left hip is weaker than my right. I was told i need to work on my core with more planks and bridge poses.
Just wanted to give suggestions that didn't have anything to do with your shoes, although yes I think your shoes are too small.0 -
Entrem, are you experiencing the pain on treadmill, outside, or both? I ask because I sometimes experience some pain in my left leg when I run on treadmill but never when outside. I use the same shoes when doing both.
Most likely, in my case, it's a gait issue having to do with treadmill running.
I ran last night on a treadmil for the first time in ages. I also experienced knee pain that I don't usually feel after running outside! I'll have to watch my gait on my next indoor run.0 -
Calm your pants dgrndancer - all I'm saying is that people are too quick to blame shoes these days when there is a more obvious cause and many other possibilites.
A biomechanical assessment would only be indicated if the OP continued to present with pain over time. If an assessment is indicated then it should be done by a qualified person to get useful results and may indeed cost some $$. Advice from the same place that is selling you shoes is hardly independent.
Also, please re-read what I have written. I have never suggested that the cause of her problems was that her shoes may just need breaking-in.
Dear OP - keep running!0 -
Mickie the shoes were too small. You probably need to stop banging on about it now - especially in such a patronising tone.0
-
Shin splints by any chance? I used to road run every other day, bought new shoes that were obvioulsy not suitable & developed painful shin splints! Was that bad I had to give up running all together. One leg worse than the other!! Not much you can do for shin splints other than rest & ice..once you have them you're pretty much stuck with them. I have since bought new, more suitable shoes & am able to run occasionally if I run on grass track. Good luck0
-
The pain on one side may sort itself out with more training - you've been running a very short time. Slow down or shorten your runs for a while and concentrate on your form. There are some excellent videos on form on youtube (just search "good running form").
Are you running on a track or on a road? If so, switch directions on the track or road so that you work both sides evenly. I used to run on a track and overworked one side, but running half my laps clockwise and half counter-clockwise fixed that right up. Road camber can cause you to work your sides unevenly.
Ice and stretch the sore side. Maybe take a few days off and cross train if it is bothering you. If it gets worse or the pain causes you to change your gait - consider seeing a physio who works with runners.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions