Yesterday I was scheduled for my first physical therapy appointment in well over a week. When you pretty much travel every week, it is hard to work in 2-3 days of physical therapy. The appointment went well. So well in fact that I was told I could do a couple of runs. Woo-hoo! One caveat. I was told to get a new pair of shoes and to make sure I was wearing the right ones. No problem, I said, I will go to Fleet Feet today!
I have always been told I need a support shoe. So that is what I have always used. Obviously. But I figured I would let Fleet Feet do their thing and verify that I need a support shoe. It just so happens that the Mizuno "Run With Us" Mobile Tech Lab (this link also has the schedule if you are interested to see if they are coming to your town) was at Fleet Feet yesterday...one day only. Tell me that isn't fortuitous! I was the first one there so I was able to get in and out pretty quick. They went through a number of positions to determine what shoe type is right for me. They looked at foot rotation, foot strike while running, flexibility in the upper ankle joint, static leg axis, and dynamic leg axis. This was accomplished with both a computer aided "Precision Fit" station as well as the experienced technician watching as I walked.
So here is what I found out: First, my left foot is a half shoe size smaller than my right. Good to know, I guess. But more importantly, I found out that I don't need a support shoe. I am Neutral! NEUTRAL! I have been running in the wrong shoes for years. Don't think it really bothered me in the past because before December, I never went over 3 miles in a single run. One guess as to why my knee is all jacked up? So they let me lace up a pair of neutrals and go out for a run. I ran for 5 minutes and it felt wonderful.
As soon as I got home, I went to Running Warehouse and bought me a pair of Saucony ProGrid Ride. They will be here on Friday. And of course, plug time: Fleet Feet had this pair of shoes for $90. Running Warehouse price: $71.95 with free 2-day shipping. If you are not ordering through Running Warehouse yet, you should be.
On top of all of this great news, I got a free Mizuno technical T just for coming out. There is another store in OKC that is hosting the lab this evening so we are going out there so the wifey can go through the process. And finally, since I no longer need my Brooks, I found someone else that can wear them.
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| From 2008-08-22 Piper and my Running Shoes (and other stuff) |
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