What have your shoes done for you lately?

What have your shoes done for you lately?.
by Andrew Nelson for GetFit NYC
www.getfitnyc.com
Not about barefoot running exactly, but about minimalist footwear.

I have a triathlon client who is a good trail runner. We started her trail running to address some IT Band issues and a overly long stride. Well she found out that she likes trail running better than she likes road running, regularly finishing on the podium in trail races. However, since it is much more commitment to train for an XTERRA, road running is necessary for sport specificity as her tri’s are on the road. The problem comes with her aversion to the trail makeup: “I don’t like the feel of the rocks on my feet” she says.

“When you feel the ground You know when to pick up your foot.” Said her coach.
Let me say that I understand. I used to hate the feeling of my bare feet on the ground. I grew up in Georgia where it is very normal to run around barefoot as a child and I used to hate the feeling of sticks and roots under my feet, even sand between my toes. However, I have learned a thing or two regarding groundfeel and the compressive forces of gravity on the hips knees and lower back. Some of these things I learned the hard way. I have been injured. I have used shoes and orthotics to correct those problems rather that look at what I can do it about it in the gym. Some injuries can be addressed with some simple squats, box jumps or core work.

The feel of the ground and the action of gravity can make you simply plod along, passively running, often just to log X number of miles or calories. When you passively run you allow the body to become a victim of gravity rather than a willing and active participant. I will say about shoes that they can aid this. Your shoes can actually make you run worse, but the right shoe can also make you run better. Sometimes there is something wrong with your running form that does not show up at the foot strike. Watching your feet hit the ground and video capture from the knee down only tells one part of your running story. Standing on 1 leg and just holding your balance can tell quite a different story as running is both a balance and ballistic sport.

Some questions that you may want answered before you continue running with an injury or before you get injured:
Does your hip “drop” when your foot hits the ground?
What is your running cadence? How many times/minute does your foot hit the ground?
Is your stride length the same from left to right?
Are your hips tight/loose/weak?
What happens to your knees when you run?
Where does your foot go when it is in the air?
How stressful is your life?

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered that your shoes cannot answer for you. I am not against video analysis in a shoe store, I don’t sell shoes. I am for video analysis of a runner who is plagued with injuries or a runner who just wants to go faster. Hiring a coach and getting an assessment as to your readiness for running is a good idea. Some athletes should probably take it a little slower at the beginning, while another athlete may be holding back when they are ready to run.

Are you ready to run?

Gallery: Fairwheel Bikes Open Gallery In Portland, Oregon - BikeRadar

i hope you all know about Team WE Sports. You should check them out at www.teamwesports.com. It is a Women's Multi Sport Team. I coach the run program and my wife, a former Cat 2 bike racer, coaches the bike. With the help of Terry Kerrigan of Aperion for Life, coach to an international triathlon champion, we have established a great coaching program that is inclusive and has a strong community of athletes.

http://teamwesports.blogspot.com/

We Mountain Bike, road bike, road run, trail run and swim. Some of them race, some of them just enjoy the group exercising together.

Below is a picture of the bike used by Portland, Oregon based Pro Cyclo Cross Champion Sue Butler. She is not affiliate with team WE but we like to support all women athletes. And the bike looks really awesome.

Gallery: Fairwheel Bikes Open Gallery In Portland, Oregon - BikeRadar