A couple of shoe questions for runners

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Happyoceangirl
Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I hope this is the right place for this question. I started running with the Cto5K program last July - and have continued to run between 3-5 times a week, an average of 3-4 miles at a time. Today I just did 5 miles!!!! :bigsmile:

The bulk of my running has been outdoors - but last week we got a treadmill and I've been using it. I've noticed that suddenly - my feet are aching. I'm not sure if it's a) just time for new shoes (the ones I'm using were purchased in December) or if b) it's due to the treadmill vs. outdoor difference.

Are there different kinds of shoes for different running surfaces? Tips for transitioning from outdoor to treadmill successfully? Any recommendations would be helpful....

Thanks!:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • cviertha
    cviertha Posts: 32
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    My doctor (a former collegiate runner) told me to replace my shoes every 450 miles. It sounds like you may need new shoes. Congrats on the great progress! I am also wanting to do the C25K program to start running. :flowerforyou:
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    Yep- I agree that you probably need to replace your shoes. Depending on many factors (the conditions you run on, your stride, etc.) you may even need to replace them sooner- I replace mine every 250 because I can just tell that I need new ones- I get strange aches and pains that I've never felt before. As soon as I get new shoes, I'm as good as new! Hope that helps :flowerforyou:
  • funfor5
    funfor5 Posts: 41 Member
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    Yes I agree - I think you need new shoes... Congrats on keeping up with the running. It's tough to transition to the treadmill after being used to outside, but is sure is nice to have it there anytime you want to go for a run no matter the weather!

    I do find on my treadmill that it is more comforable to always have a little bit of incline, I never have it at 0 - that seems to help my feet and simulates outside a bit better as no road or trail is flat - lol!

    Good luck!
  • Happyoceangirl
    Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
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    Thanks everyone - on the conservative side they have at least 250 on them... so, this may be the answer to the problem.
    I noticed last time too - the shoes were fine, all was good and then all of a sudden I noticed problems. This is probably the same thing. (Just relatively "new" to the process - so trying to see if that's really all it is.)

    Thanks for the tip about the incline on the treadmill - I'll try that too.
  • DJH510
    DJH510 Posts: 114 Member
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    Transitioning from outdoors to treadmill or vice versa is harder for some than for others. Personally, I find it harder maintaining the same speed on a treadmill than i do outside - it's to do with subtle differences in stride rate when running on a treadmill, and motivational factors! I guess treadmills are just more mentally tiring. Don't bother adding incline on the treadmill for the sake of 'realism', yes there are hills outside but there are also flats and downhills, so running flat on a treadmill should be fine.
  • Happyoceangirl
    Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
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    Transitioning from outdoors to treadmill or vice versa is harder for some than for others. Personally, I find it harder maintaining the same speed on a treadmill than i do outside - it's to do with subtle differences in stride rate when running on a treadmill, and motivational factors! I guess treadmills are just more mentally tiring. Don't bother adding incline on the treadmill for the sake of 'realism', yes there are hills outside but there are also flats and downhills, so running flat on a treadmill should be fine.

    I would agree -with the treadmills being more mentally tiring. Especially because where I live there's a lot of nice scenery to check out. However, it's been rainy and gray for over a week now and I'm so grateful to have another option.

    Thanks for the advice everyone -I got new shoes yesterday - and will try them out today. Hopefully this is what I needed. :)

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