best foot forward...

For the past couple months I have been training for a half marathon in May.  I was a little hesitant to sign up for this because I have had some foot problems in the past when I start running longer distances.

Starting in 2007 I began having difficulty running any distance over 2-3 miles.  It was quite frustrating because I couldn't figure out anything to help.

I tried taking time off and resting.  I attempted to do more cross training.  I tried various types of shoes.  I gave both over the counter and custom orthotics a try, but nothing seemed to allow me to make it past that 3 mile mark comfortably.

Over this period of time, I have been able to complete various Adventure Races, but only because I was constantly switching between running, hiking, biking and canoeing.  Even so, on prolonged run sections I would still have foot pain.

Last fall I got the book Born to Run for my Birthday, which explores the current trend of barefoot running.

While I did not jump into the whole barefoot running, I did make some biomechanical changes to my gait and running form.  I have been focusing on using more of a midfoot to forefoot strike with each step.

In my opinion, the results of this simple change have been phenomenal. I have not had a single episode of foot pain since October, and have been able to run up to 12-13 miles without any problem.  Additionally, I have noticed virtually no feeling of fatigue the day following my runs.

On a little bit of a side note, I have been running in the same shoes for the past 3 years.  They have easily over 1000 miles on them.   The older they get, the better my feet and legs feel during and after runs.

General consensus on replacement of running shoes is in the neighborhood of every 350-550 miles.   I am beginning to think more and more that this is a marketing ploy to sell more shoes.

I will actually be purchasing a new pair of running shoes soon, but that is because the tread on the bottom has worn off, and I am now running on the foam of the sole.

I am not trying to say that everyone needs to replace running shoes every 4 years.  Every runner is different and has different needs depending on form and technique.  I have obviously not conducted any randomized, double-blinded clinical trials to test this theory,  just sharing my own success with a small biomechanical change.