"It's Gotta Be the Shoes..."

Do you remember the commercials from the 80s for Nike - "Mars Blackmon here with Michael Jordan..."

It was Spike Lee asking Jordan if he was so talented because of his shoes. If you want a blast from the past, click here.

After going through some REALLY painful runs, I decided to go talk to the experts: Run On!

If you're a runner (or walker), shoes make all of the difference in your training. One thing I used to do (before running) was to just buy the shoes that I thought looked the coolest. Sure, I'd try them on... but I'd try on the ones that I liked first.

At Run On, or any other running store, they offer free fittings. What this means is you bring in your current shoes and show them the wear/tear... then they'll have you walk in front of them so they can observe your gait. Recognizing a person's movement can help determine the proper shoe for the expert.

Yesterday, I did just that. After speaking about my current injuries, the running specialist asked to see how I moved... which, she determined, I should shoot for a "neutral" shoe. She brought out several, including the latest version of the shoe I had been running on, but it was the first one that really did the trick.

It felt incredible! I was really apprehensive about changing from a Brooks to an Asics. I have been running on Brooks shoes for the past several years. However, this Asics Nimbus 10 felt amazing... not only did it have the cushion and support, but it also felt extremely light.

She also told me that maybe I'm having all of these injuries because my current shoes have lost all of their shock absorption. She said a person probably doesn't notice this when they're running a lot on the treadmill... but when they hit the pavement, the pounding takes it's toll. Makes sense to me...

So today was the test... I hit the "road" with my new shoes, a new shirt, and even a new song on my iPod. I was pumped!

The first 2 miles were painful... It's very hard to describe, but it feels like I'm running on a broken leg. After that, it started to loosen up a bit. By mile 3, I was cruising. And at 4, it hit me that if I push a little harder, maybe I'll beat the 40 minute mark!

Which... drumroll... is what exactly happened! I ran 4 miles in 39:25, a 9:51 pace. Not bad for someone who is injured! I really wanted to do well, and I actually shattered any pace I've ever had... Now I know I won't be able to keep that up in the OKC Marathon, but at least it felt good to run wild today!

It's gotta be the shoes... :-)