I was only signed up for a couple more 5Ks between then and the half in December, so I started using ACTIVE's 5K to 10K app&circledR: to help me bridge the gap. Everything was fine at first, but when I started doing longer runs (around five miles) my left knee would be really sore the next day. And my feet would get really hot while I was running. Granted, I was running in the Texas summer heat, so all of me was hot, but my feet would get uncomfortably hot.
So before my next 5K, I got my hands on a pair of actual running shoes — Nike Zoom Pegasus 32s, to be precise. The Pegasus is a neutral stride shoe, which I figured would be fine for me since I don't have strong opinions (boom, #dadjoke).
Between switching to those shoes and rocking some athletic socks that weren't made of 100-percent cotton, my feet felt like they were prancing naked through a breezy meadow with baby animals. God bless ventilation. I also shaved just over two minutes off my 5K time. Not saying it was all the shoes, but they certainly didn't hurt the cause.
But when I got back to my training, I was still dealing with some nagging knee pain after long runs. So I decided to go to a running specialty store to have my gait analyzed. Lots of running stores offer this service for free, with the idea being the customer will want to act on the recommendation right then and there, and the store gets a sale out of it.
More: Fall's Funkiest, Flashiest Footwear
Some places record you running and have your stride analyzed by a computer, while others have "Shoe Whisperers" — people who can watch you run for 30 seconds and know exactly what you need. I went to Luke's Locker in Dallas and met with one of these Shoe Whisperers (What up, Duncan!).
As you may have seen in the video on page one, Duncan watched me walk about 20 feet, watched me run about 20 feet and had me try on a couple of shoes (and broke me down psychologically). Then, presto, he gave me his recommendation.
Turns out I'm a pronator (and all this time I thought I was just an amateur-nator — boom, #dadjoke). Duncan said I should try out a stability shoe. So, I started running in a pair of Nike LunarGlide 7s.
And then the game changed, folks. Not only did my knee stop hurting after long runs, but my legs were generally less fatigued after every workout. Of course, I'd like to believe this is just a result of my obviously scientifically advanced body evolving to the demands of my training, but the timing points to the shoes being the difference-maker.
That's not to say you have to go out and buy a fancy, expensive shoe to run. If you're just running for general fitness — or even training for a 5K — a generic athletic shoe may get the job done. But if you start to notice a consistent pain after running (or foolhardily decide to take on a half marathon) you may want to consider investing in a shoe that's a little more tailored to your body's needs. It's certainly helped me out so far.
Up next I'll be testing out some wireless headphones to see if the cost is worth cutting the cord. So keep an eye out for that one. In the meantime, if you guys have any questions about my experiences so far or the gait analysis process, let me know in the comments section below and I'll try not to give a dumb answer. Otherwise, see you on the next run.
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