Three Simple Categories of Shoes to Remember

Running shoes can be classified into three simply categories.  The difference between the categories is decided by their intended performance.  The three types of shoes you will see when at the store to get your shoes are neutral running shoes, stability running shoes, and motion control running shoes. See any similarities here?  Think back to the three foot types I wrote about in the past. 

          The neutral running shoe is the most common type to be found and will inevitably have the most options in most any store.  It is best suited for the supinator or the neutral foot type, yea I know you didn’t see that coming did you? In this category the primary performance focus is cushioning.  These shoes are also referred to as neutral cushion trainers as well.  Cushion in these models will have a very wide range of feel underfoot.  There will be the super plush, pillow soft trainers. Then right next to it will be a firm snappy responsive cushion shoe.  Which types you get all depend on personal preference.  Almost everyone likes some sort of responsiveness to their shoes though and this is a feature you can ensure while still getting a good shoe that you feel comfortable in over the long haul by following a couple simple rules of thumb.  In neutral running shoes the higher your weight the firmer the shoe you’ll want to cushion your running.  While the lighter your frame the softer the shoe you can get away with without losing responsiveness.

            The middle of the ground shoe and second most common yet the most widely needed by the general public is the stability/support running shoe.  The support shoe is best suited for the mild to moderate pronator, or the neutral foot type looking for a little more support from their shoe.  The support in these shoes is most commonly supplied through a dual density midsole insert placed on the medial aspect of the shoe usually under the arch and heel.  In the photo above it is the grey foam.  The level of support is adjusted by the density and amount of this foam added to the shoe and fine tuned by how far forward or back the foam sits.  This style shoe does still supply just as much cushion as the neutral shoe’s but it focuses on support and is more likely to sacrifice cushion for support.  Just like the neutral shoes the support you need is personal preference.  It is however very closely related to pronation in that the more you pronate the more support you will need to attain the goal neutral gait.

            The final style of shoe you’ll run into is much less common, usually only being two or three models available in a store.  The motion control shoe supplies maximum stability and support.  This shoe is best suited for those with severe pronation or ankle instability.  They are built up for maximum support with much more dual density foam and usually some sort of internal structure which supplies additional support.  The dual density midsole will usually wrap entirely around the medial and lateral aspects of the shoes heel.  When in comes to motion control shoes many times a shoe this beefed up can be avoided with a custom foot orthotics in a mild to moderate support shoe.  This is a great option for anyone looking to get away from the confines of the motion control category.  If not, like I said this type of shoe is always limited on selection so try all the models you can and listen to your body for the best fit.

            This finally concludes my complete overview of running shoes.  As always I hope everyone gets something out of this and lets me know any questions or critiques they may have. 

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Hope everyone had fun and active weekends

Matt V.

Mveiga86@gmail.com

Running Shoes Inside and Out

When we walk into a shoe store we are confronted with a myriad of options and usually don’t know where to start.  In reading my previous blog post I hope everyone was able to take something away that will help point you in the right direction and narrow the options to some extent.  In this segment I will break down the inner workings of running shoes on the market today.

From the ground up running shoes can be broken into four distinct parts. The first part of a shoe is the outer sole which is the rubber on the bottom of the shoe that supplies traction.  The outer sole can be made up of a combination of materials from most common in carbon rubber & blown rubber to more advanced specialty materials designed by shoe companies for their specific purposes.

                The outer sole is then attached to the midsole next which is the foam that supplies the impact protection/cushioning.  Originally EVA foam was the go to material for all companies.  Now almost every company has their own specialty midsole material. The midsole also contain two other common features found on many shoes but not all.  These are a crash pad on the heel made of SRC (slow rebound cushioning), and a propulsion pad in the fore foot made of HRC (high rebound cushioning) I won’t go into detail but each company also has their own technology specific to their shoes.  Some common one’s everyone has heard of are Nike Air Max, Asics-Gel, and Mizuno Wave Plates etc.  Though flashy and touted to be the best you can get, all these technologies do the exact same thing. Supply Cushion. Which is best is personal preference in that what works for one most likely won’t for the next person.  The big question is whether you prefer soft plush cushion or firm responsive cushion. Just remember, listen to your feet and not the flashy marketing or pushy sales rep. and you’ll have the most success.  Obviously the midsole play’s the biggest role in the shoe’s performance and is the biggest factor in comfort. 

                The next piece to the puzzle is the most important to most people .  It can affect the fit quit a bit but that is a company to company fit difference and not a model to model difference in a specific brands line. Some brand do have drastic differences in their uppers though for the most part this isn't the case.  What I mean by this is that each company will have a different fit.  The different models in a single company’s line of shoe’s will all have very similar upper fits.  There are a few technologies you can find in the upper but not many.  Off the top of my head the big three I can think of are the Arch Lock by Saucony, A Symmetric lacing system by Asics, and Fly Wire technology by Nike.  The technology in the upper plays a big role in the shoe as it is what holds your foot over and on the sole while moving. It protects you from the elements or breaths really well on hot day.  In general it plays a big role in the overall comfort of the shoe.  Of course the most important part is how they look right?  In my opinion your best bet is holding off on looks for fit, but hey sometimes we can get lucky and find that awesome looking shoe that fits like a glove.  Just don’t expect it every time since fashion and running shoes are two things that haven’t joined each others company just yet.

                The last piece of the puzzle is the insole.  For the most part they are very basic, a thin strip of foam to give a tiny bit more comfort and cushioning.  The insole also plays a role in the arch support of the shoe as they are built up to supply more arch or made flat to give a smaller arch.  I told you they where simple. There are some over the counter insoles which can be bought separately and are more advance but those are for another post.  I hope everyone has learned quite a bit about the structure of running shoes through this blog.  I will have one more post on the shoes and then move on.  After so much information it makes more sense to write up a small piece on the three categories of running shoes to finish it off instead of packing it into this post.

As usually feel free to email me with any questions and comment with your opinions.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Happy running

Matt

Mveiga86@gmail.com

Getting the Right Shoes for the Job

With all the gadgets and gizmos available to use while working out now a days there is still one thing I see everyone from beginner to advanced overlooking, their shoes.  We see it all the time and have probably all done it at least once.  We begin getting soreness in our legs, hips, or lower backs that over time progresses to a consistent annoying pain every time we workout.  We begin to analyze everything we do while working out to find the root of the problem while the answer is right in front of us.  You only feel the aching while working out, but not during your everyday life.  You’ve been able to do the same workouts you do now with no issues. The pain subsides when not working out.  Well the answer may be your sneakers.

When it comes to sneakers there are so many options its no wonder we don’t know where to start. We go to the big box stores and are confronted with a wall of shoes so big we don’t know where to start.  There is tennis, basketball, cross training, running, casual, aerobic shoe’s and so on.  The best way to narrow down what you need is to look at what activities you’re going to be wearing the sneakers for.  Specifically the movements you will be making.  For example a running shoe is great for walking, running, elliptical and some light weight lifting.  Basically anything that involves strait line movements with minimal lateral movement.  Running shoes aren’t built to support your foot from rolling side to side off the sole of the shoe.  The support given by a running shoe is to support the foot from the impact being applied to it from the ground.  Like wise a cross training or basketball shoe is going to supply plenty of lateral stability to hold the foot over the sole of the shoe but less cushioning than a walking or running specific shoe.  In general getting the right shoe for the job can have a huge impact on how comfortable you are while working out.  Don’t get me wrong though we are working out it is going to be strenuous and cause us to be uncomfortable at times so a shoe won’t change that.  They can help to drastically improve your comfort though.  Just don’t expect them to make you run faster and jump higher, unless you have a pair of PF Flyers hidden away.

Keep an eye out for additional segments on what shoes to get.  Since the big focus on this blog is endurance training I will narrow my focus to just running and cross training shoes.  Next up I will breakdown the actual inner working of sneakers and the technology now being built into them.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Happy Running and Training

Matt

Foot Type, Foot Strike and How it Affects You

Foot Type, Foot Strike and How it Affects You

                Instead of writing about the types of shoes available today and what to look for I decided it would be much more beneficial to go over foot types, and the foot strikes associated with them. 

When it comes to feet there are two factors that play a pivotal role.  The first of the two is your foot type.  This is the factor which most everyone has heard of.  Foot type can be classified into three categories: Normal or neutral arch, high arch, and flat foot or low arch. 

Of these three foot types by far the most common today is a low to flat arch.  The height of the arch is determined by the plantar fascia.  A more elastic plantar fascia will result in a higher arch while a more lax one will usually result in a flat foot.  So how does your arch height affect you while running? 

The simple answer to this question is PRONATION.  Many may have heard of this before, it is usually the thing the sales people at the big box stores categorize as either fix it or your foot will fall off or they have no idea what it is. Yes excessive pronation isn’t a great thing it places excessive rotational torque/stress on the lower leg and can lead to a slew of overuse injuries. Some pronation is also a very normal and necessary thing in the gait cycle though.  Everyone has some form of pronation as it is the foot and ankles mechanism to absorb the impact when the foot strikes the ground. Pronation is broken down into three categories and directly correlates with the three foot types. Pronation is classified as: neutral pronation, overpronation, and underpronation (more commonly referred to as supination.)

In the neutral pronator the Achilles tends to stand straight up and down with a 0˚ curvature medially or laterally.  In the overpronator the foot is angled medially or to the inside of the foot with a high˚ of medial curvature.  Last but not least is the supinator which I’m sure you have figured out by now is angled laterally or to the outside of the foot with a high˚ of lateral curvature.  The picture below is a great example of each foot type.

Next up is foot strike.  This is the way that your foot strikes the ground.  Once again this is broken down into three categories just as arch type and pronation.  Foot strike is classified into heel striker (the most common), Fore foot strike/ toe runners, and midfoot strikers (by far the least common).  I won’t go into to much detail about foot strike since it can be a very complicated subject and can lead to many issues if one tries to manipulate their foot strike.  It is possible to change your foot strike but it’s something that takes a long time and a keen eye to make sure it doesn’t cause serious injury.  There is also a lot of controversy about which foot strike is better with the sudden boom of barefoot running.  This is a subject that has intrigued me quiet a bit.  For years heel striking was always said to be how we should run and walk yet the top runners barely have their heels touch the ground while running and seem to be doing fine.  I personally midfoot strike and have never had an issue and after over a decade of running have only had one major injury which I needed to take time off for.  With that said I do feel the terrain and situation dictates our foot strike to some extent.  While running downhill we naturally heel strike, leaning back and loading the heel is how we slow forward momentum.  A good thing to remember is heel = brakes.  While on flat or technical terrain many will switch to a more midfoot strike, midfoot = cruise control. Then when running up hill or sprinting we go to our toes, toe/forefoot = accelerator.

                With each foot type we see a much different shock applied to the body.  In the heel striker more shock is seen in every step.  Striking heal first causes a straight line from the foot to the lower back and a perfect path for that shock to follow up to your pelvis and lower back. In a midfoot or forefoot striker this shock can be seen to be greatly decreased by a smoother transition through the gait.  That’s all I will say about this as it really is not something anyone should worry too much about till you get to the upper levels of training.  The images below are great examples of the differences between a heal strike and forefoot strike with the impacts associated with them.

Now that you know the different arch types and pronation types its time to find out what category you fall into.  This can be done by a simple wet test.  In the wet test you step into water then on a sheet of paper. Looking at the print left behind you can determine your arch type and the pronation type most likely correlating with your arch type.  The wet test is only a glimpse of how your foot is reacting while running.  For the best results I recommend going to a reputable physical therapist, movement specialist or running specialty store where they will analyze your stride for you and determine the best shoe for you. All good specialty stores will do this. Some will do it automatically others you may have to ask for them to assess your stride.

Here’s a great description of the wet test process for anyone who would like to try.

www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/take-wet-test-learn-your-foot-type 

I hope after reading this everyone has a little better understanding of the role the foot and ankle play in our running.  Any questions which may come up feel free to post in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Endurance = Strength= Speed

Happy Running

Matt

Setting Appropriate Goals to Get Started

So the time has come. You have decided to get into shape and become that lean mean calorie burning sex appeal machine that you know you have inside. Well unfortunately I have to tell you to stop right there.  Before jumping head first into a fitness program it’s important to have the proper goals to get the job done.  The goals you set will have the biggest impact on your outcome.  So what is considered an appropriate goal?  First I’ll tell you the number one goal in history that has caused the majority of the public to fail in their fitness attempts. 

“I want to lose weight and get back to the weight I was in (insert said period here)”

Yes losing weight is the number one goal for most people, and it is not so much a bad goal as much as to general.  With a broad goal such as this it makes it way to easy to get frustrated and in the end drop your fitness program.  Shedding pounds is a combination of lifestyle choices.  The only truly effective diet out there is a healthy combination of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. What is a good goal to set for the beginner? Easy, make them short term and achievable.  Something that can be accomplished with a little hard work within an eight week period is perfect. Such as

“I’d like to be able to run for 20 minutes without walking by (xxxx)”

“I’d like to exercise for 30 minutes five days a week by (xxxx)”

“I’d like to be able to do 30 push-ups by (xxxx)”

These are just some simple but very effective goals which can be achieved reasonably easy for the beginner.  You’ll notice a few similarities with each of these goals.  First they all have a very specific objective stated: run for 20 minutes, exercise for 30 minutes five days, 30 push-ups. They all also have a set time that you hope to reach this goal.  By doing this you hold yourself to your goal and see a realistic definitive out come.  Setting short term goals like these will lead you to your ultimate goal much quicker and with less frustration then trying to hit it out of the park every time you exercise.

So everyone get out there, set some basic goals and achieve them.  Just remember to big a goal will have you frustrated real fast and ultimately make wanting to exercise very difficult.  The more fun you have achieving your goals the more likely fitness will become a life long habit for you so go have some fun getting into shape.

As a side note, be sure to align your goals to be attainable with the fitness level your at right now, not the fitness level you hope to be at three months from now.  Setting goals beyond your capabilities is a guaranteed way to get frustrated.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Good luck with your goals
Matt

Loon Mountain Race

This weekend I participated in the final mountain race in the New England series that I’ll be doing this year.  The Loon mountain race is by far the most difficult race of the entire series, it is flat out brutal.  When registering the course map that was displayed on a screen said there was a 26% average grade from what I remember and it definitely felt like that.  The real kicker in this race though is the infamous upper walking boss which boasts a ridiculous 40% grade over 1000 meter.  Did I mention this course is brutal? Typically the race drops down again after the boss and then climbs up to the gondola for the finish.  This year due to the race being the women’s US mountain team qualifier the race finished at the top of upper walking boss. 

On the women’s side the race was stacked with some super tough ladies vying for the coveted team spots.  They race went out quick for them and they hammered up the mountain.  From the start though the team seemed to be some what decided, at least from what I could tell from the photos. A huge congratulation’s to the four women who made the team this year.  Morgan Arritola, Melody Fairchild, Brandy Erholtz, and Stevie Kremer.

Going into the race I wasn’t nervous but intimidated after reading the course description on the race website.  Add to that that the past week of training was basically nothing with a 10 mile day Tuesday, 7.5 on Friday, and 5 on Sunday.  Definitely not the kind of week that builds confidence that you’ll race well.  With that in mind I just went for it.  The race went out stupid fast with people blasting away out of the dirt parking lot the race started in to the start of the climbing.  Once the course started climbing it there were really only 3 spots that didn’t climb.  After the half mile there was a mellow down hill then around mile 3 there was a flattish single digit grade section, and finally as you pass the gondola there was a super steep downhill that mellowed out as carried us to the start of the boss.  Other than these sections it was climbing the whole 5 brutal miles up hill. Up to mile 3 I was feeling great in this race spreading my energy well.  After that it all ended the final 2 miles absolutely destroyed me.  Mile 4 was hard climbing up grassy ski slopes.  The start of five had that brutal drop off from the gondola and the downhill stretch which sufficiently beat up my legs before making the turn onto the walking boss.  Not having seen the upper walking boss before the moment all I could muster was “holy sh@#”.  Then the climb began.  1000 meters of power hiking and attempting to run up a wall.  When I finally finished it was official this WAS the hardest race I have ever run.  With that said I can’t complain about the outcome.  With a pitiful week of training prior to the race and no experience on an all up hill race I mustered out a 15^th place finish in sub 50min.  Would I have preferred a faster time? You bet, but I’ll take what I can, and come back next year much better prepared for the series as a whole with much more climbing in my training. 

This was another great race in the series with great organization and tons of prizes and raffle for all the participants. The amount of stuff being given away after the race was amazing with a Gopro hero 2 being raffled off, and then local food, tee shirts, hats, trail running books, gift certificates, water bottles and probably many other items being given away through race number drawings.  I came in 15^th and walked away from this race with a Scott water bottle as an entry gift, then got drawn in a give away receiving a t- shirt, reusable metal water bottle, and a free pair of Scott running shoes of my pick which I can’t wait to test out.  All in all this was a great last race for my New England mountain series.  There is still Ascutney left so if you interested sign up and try it out.

www.endurancestrengthspeed.blogspot.com

www.acidoticracing.com/LMR.html

www.club.penguincycles.com/AscutneyRun.pdf

Cranmore Hill Climb Recap

The most recent race I’ve run as part of the USATF Mountain series was the Cranmore Hill Climb.  This race was my first introduction to mountain racing last year and though it destroyed me, I also fell in love with the challenge of these races the second I crossed the line in 2011.  Aside from the awesome all around atmosphere that comes with this race the course changes a little every year to keep it interesting.  In 2011 it was a 3 loop course covering the same loop 3 times.  This year’s race was two completely separate loops the first was one of the 2011 loops while the second was a brutal ascent up to the top of the mountain.  As said the organizers of this race know how to put on an awesome race.  Registration is quick and easy.  Everyone is super friendly and the atmosphere is amazing.  This year the race featured Italian runner Marco De Gasperi the 6 time world mountain running champion who was the clear race favorite on this day. 

The gun went off sending us on our way and as expected Gasperi and Kevin Tilton an extremely fast local runner took off.  I went out a little quick coming through the first lap in 6^th place but was being closely followed by Dave Dunham.  Dunham and I have gone back and forth with him getting me at Sleepy Hollow and myself beating him at Wachusett.  Today I knew he had the edge since he can climb like nobodies business.  I held him of for about a quarter of the second major climb until he came roaring by.  It took everything I had to try and keep him in my sites on this long climb but he managed to slowly pull away.  The final big climb up to the top really killed me which allowed Dunham to get out of reach on the downhill but with a decent lead on the runner behind me I knew as long as I held my place to the top I could hold my place on the downhill.  A quick loop around a barrel at the top and a quick look at the view while doing so brought a little life back into me.  So down I went. All I had to do was just lay on the gas down while being careful not to take any huge falls that would take me out of it and all would be well.  Shortly later I was crossing the finish line.  The second loops climbing absolutely destroyed me in this race.  It was super steep to the top and one of the photographers who directed me half way up at a fork when I almost went the wrong direction said it best “Either way sucks!”  He was right in a super fun kind of way.

The race was a blast there was an awesome gathering as usual after the race for the awards.  As expected Marco De Gasperi took the win with the top New England guys close behind.  To top off a good day I managed to take first for my age group.  To celebrate it was off to Moat mountain brewery for burgers and suds before the ride home.  This is a race I love because one it absolutely kicks my a#@ and two because it was my introduction to this new obsession of mine to run up big hills.  Next up is the Loon mountain race which I am very nervous for because it is 5 miles all up hill, hopefully a recent 10 mile loop up and over Mt. Chocorua will help me out to not suffer to bad.  All you New England trail runners if your looking for some fun there are two races left in the series with Loon and Ascutney mountain challenge which I will unfortunately not be able to attend.

www.whitemountainmilers.com/cranmore

www.whitemountainmilers.com

www.usatfne.org/trail