Saturday, February 22, 2014

I Will Never Stray Again

Pete thinks my toe/foot freak outs may be partially due to the fact that I have very high arches in my feet.  I looked up good running shoes for high arches and the first result were the Adidas Supernova Glide 5s.  This is very interesting because these are the last pair of shoes I wore before I started having issues.  After the Baltimore Marathon, I switched to the Adidas Adizero Bostons to experiment with a lighter shoe.  This also happened to be a flatter shoe.  And this is around the time my toes started cramping.  Aha!  I already exceeded 500 miles since the last time I bought new sneakers in November so I didn't feel too guilty about shopping for them.  I found a pair of the Supernova Glide 5s in a color I liked on the First to the Finish web site.  The shoes are few and far between because the Glide 6s are already on the market.  From what I've read, the Glide 6s are almost a completely different shoe than the 5s.  I didn't want to take another chance, so I purchased the 5s at $115.  There was supposed to be free shipping and 25% off at checkout.  Of course when my transaction was complete, the discounts didn't show up.  I sent an email to the company.  I hope they refund my credit card.  I will keep the shoes regardless (shhh, don't tell them) because I am desperate to get back to comfortable running.

Today I ran 8 miles with 8x100m strides.  I finished in 1:08:40, an 8:34 pace.  During the run, I noticed that when I felt my toes cramping in my left foot, I started landing on the ball of my foot instead of my heel.  This exacerbated the problem.  I made a conscious effort to land on my heel which prevented the cramping from getting worse (duh!).  This, along with my new shoes, will hopefully put an end to this issue.

I took my resting heart rate this morning in bed, which apparently is the best time to check.  You are supposed to do it when you are the most relaxed after a good night's sleep, still in bed, and not awoken by an alarm.  When I checked before, it was in the middle of the afternoon.  Even though both my little girls were bouncing around and on top of me this morning, I was still able to get a 48.  I'm happy with that.

Come to Mama, little ones!

Did switching shoes ever have a positive or negative impact on your running?  



6 comments:

  1. High arches need more support and cushioning so I think you are on the right track. Hmmm, I seem to remember someone commenting about the possibility that your toe problem was shoe related...

    Runner's World had a post this week supporting the efficiency of heel striking so maybe you are better off with that approach. I think you'll be very happy with the Glides.

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  2. I have crazy high arches as well. I eventually left the Adidas Supernovas and switched to Mizuno Wave Riders. Loved those so much better and never had pain with them. All my stupid Achilles issues not getting better and the PT guy telling me that models and feet do change over time made me seek out a new sneaker. I switched to The Brooks Ghost Riders and they have a very wide toe box. I am very happy with those if you decide on another brand.
    Theresa V

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    1. I think too much room in the toes is part of the problem for me. Why did you leave Adidas for Mizuno? I feel like there are too many sneakers out there. It gets confusing. I'm all for simplicity.

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  3. I'm hoping this works for you!
    48?? You're an athlete! Plus, having your darlings in bed with you, knowing all is well is also good medicine!

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    1. I have changed shoes and it has helped. Recently podiatrist sold me on foam roller for leg muscles to help with feet.

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  4. I left the Adidas because my feet were getting numb and my knees always hurt. My first time out in the Mizunos and I had no pain whatsoever. With my achilles injury and then all the changes made to the Wave Rider, I decided to try the Brooks which always came up as a great show for high arches. In addition the new show, I have to now wear heel inserts because I get plantar fasciitis in my right foot which is likely related to the achilles issues (or vice versa).

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