Sunday, October 27, 2013

Preparing for the Run for a Cure Africa: A Little Advice on the Shoes



For professional and seasoned runners, a lot goes into selecting a pair of running shoes. The 2 major areas of focus are: the foot arch and the stride pattern. But I'm not really going to go into these details today because they are a little technical. However, consider reading this post on selecting the right running shoes to talk a little more about the technical details. Today, I will just give you a few tips that you should implement on when to get your shoes, and how to cater to them.

When do I get my shoes?
So the race is only about 2 weeks away now, and you still don't have your shoes? It is not a great idea to buy and break in running shoes too close to a race. Get them as soon as possible so you have some time to run in them, see how they feel, and let your legs and feet get used to the change. Typically, it is recommended to get them about a month before the race.

How do I clean my shoes?
If you want the shoes to look good for the big race, do not soak them in water or throw them in a washing machine. That makes the shoe wear out faster. Take a sponge and mild cleaning agent, and manually clean the shoes. If they do somehow get wet, put some paper inside them while you dry them to absorb the moisture.

What size of shoes should I get?
I know it sounds strange, but there is a regular shoe size and a running shoe size. When you try your shoes out, make sure your toes don't hit the front of the shoes, so give them a little room to breathe. Also, go shoe shopping towards the end of the day when your feet have swollen up so they are at their maximum size.

Should I buy new running shoes?
Typically, runners change their shoes about every 500km or 300 miles (depending on how often and how many miles you run). For many recreational runners, that may equate to about every 6 months. But if you don't run that often, and don't anticipate running that many miles each time, I would advice you to change your shoes sometime between 6 months and a year. To protect your joints, it is important to change your shoes frequently as the padding wears off after a while.

Remember that you need to perform well, but you also need to protect your body so make sure you are thinking through your decisions carefully!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

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