Saturday, January 5, 2013

My quest to find the right running shoe. *UPDATE*

This is me, wearing my brand new running shoes. I am VERY happy. About  two months ago, I wrote about how I was trying to find the right shoe, but I wanted to find a deal. Well, I realized that when it comes to running, there are no deals. Running is something that takes time to get used to, and in order to do so, you need a shoe (at least beginners who hated to run before) to help.

I have tried to start running for a very long time...since I started college, really. But, every time I get going, I get so frustrated because my back, hips, and knees begin to ache, terribly. The last time I started to run was back in April, and it went alright for about 2-3 months. I started to run ` 4-7 miles per week, and if that would go well, then I would try to bump it up each week. I really wanted to be ready to do a mini marathon by the end of the year, but early August hit me with another plan: severe sciatica.

I started to see a chiropractor, Dr. Kostidis, and he really changed my life. I saw him every other week for about a month or two, and my pain was gone. My life had changed!!! I wasn't hobbling around in pain, and I was able to begin working out again. He told me that I needed monthly visits to keep me aligned, so I have been sticking to that. He also advised me to stay away from running for about 3 months after I was pain free so that any residual recovery in my hips could happen. He also told me I needed a good running shoe.

So, I gave my body time to heal. I started my hunt for a better running shoe, and after saving up enough money to afford the price range that would benefit me, I finally bought some. This time though, I didn't head to Finish Line, or jump online--well, I lied. I did go online and investigate the ones I liked/thought were good. I also asked my FB friends to help me decide. You know what the majority of them said? GO GET PROPERLY FITTED. So, that is what I did today.

I went to a lovely, local store called  Extra Mile Fitness Co. There, I was nicely greeted by the owner, Todd, who sat me down, looked at my feet, my stride, and my entire body and decided what I needed. He matched me up with a pair of AMAZING lime green and purple New Balance 860 v3. They are like cushions of air, with beautiful coloring and a shapely design. They are not too gaudy, nor do they make my foot look terrible. I LOVE THEM.



My drop pattern, or so I'm told, is called late pronation--meaning I don't over pronate as much, but I do pronate at the end of my stride (?). I am told to start taking smaller steps so that I can get more out of each step, rather than taking more out of me, making it harder to run. This guy, seriously, was awesome. He knew his stuff. He wanted to tell me about it, too!! It was amazing. I think I will start to go running with them once per week, if I get the courage up!!

Another thing he told me was that running takes a little bit of time before it starts to feel good. He actually said 45 DAYS. Holy smokes. But, at least it is something to start working on and by the time those  45 days are up, I will be 45 days closer to summer, and more favorable outdoor weather.

Well, here's my post for today, and it's dedicated to the awesome Extra Mile Fitness Co. THANK YOU!!!

<3 Amelia

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