The Shoes

My running shoes, pictured above, are the Brooks Ariel 7 . Let me tell you how they became my running shoes:

Once upon a time (okay, a year ago during another period of motivation), I went to Performance Footwear in Tempe and had Footstrike Analysis done. They put me on a treadmill and took a video of me running. They replayed the video in slow motion and examined the position that my ankle was in as it struck the treadmill. I was told that I was a severe overpronator (seen below).

Over pronation means that my ankle rolls IN as I step. This can be offset somewhat by wearing a stability control shoe, helping prevent some of the inward role.
Evidently, another way that you can test your feet if you don't have a fancy running store nearby, is to analyze your arch type. Here is a video that gives directions on how to do the simple test.

Overpronation is generally thought to occur in people with a flat arch (left).

When I did the brown paper test, my arch looked like the normal (middle) arch, so I don't know if maybe my arch is normal and the tendons in my ankle are loose or what else could explain the discrepancy.

I am hoping that there is more harm in NOT wearing a stability control shoe if you are an overpronator than in wearing one if you aren't.

I've never worn Brooks running shoes before. They seem to have really good arch support and a big enough toe box to keep my toes comfortable. Ashley said she's worn several pairs of Brooks too! That made me feel a lot better because if they got her through her training, they might get me through mine too!

Here's the Runner's World review of the Brooks Ariel. It DOES say that it's for someone with "pancake flat" feet, but I'll see how it goes. I don't have any specific concerns or complaints about my running shoes currently. If my right calf/ankle/foot ache doesn't go away soon, I may try switching to a different pair of shoes just to make sure that they aren't somehow causing my continued problem.

The experts at the running store recommended buying the shoes in a size 1/2 to a whole size bigger than I normally buy shoes. I think this was awesome advice because I can tell how much my feet expand with exertion. I usually wear size 8.5 sometimes 9. I bought Size 9.5 in these.

Lastly, I found something funny on the Runner's World site. Evidently, there is a very specific way you should TIE your shoes to ensure they stay tied while running. 50% of you may be tying your shoes wrong. Eek, and I thought I mastered this in kindergarten. Here is a video on how to correctly tie your shoes for running. Luckily, after reviewing, I've been doing it right all along.

For something so simple like running, there sure are a lot of rules if you take the time to research.