Question:
I thnk my running shoes are contributing
to pain Here's my deal:
36 yr old
athlete, 5'9, 185. Baseball player.
Was a boxer 15 years ago and did
alot of running work in my training.
Back then, I ran a lot of 10k's
(best time 42 minutes) and developed
a liking for running.
A couple
of years ago, I picked it up again,
started running some 5k's, then
last year the pain came, mostly
in the knees. I ran a 5k in June
with family and friends, went the
1st mile at 8 minutes, then the
throbbing pains in both shins stopped
me dead. I walked/jogged the rest
of the way and finished in 36 humiliating
minutes.
I have run no more than a mile or
two on a treadmill since then. I
want to hit the road again and want
the best shoes for my ailments.
What do I need? I am currently using
New Blance 701's with maybe 150
miles on them, but these have to
go.
Should I
aim for the most cushioning I can
find? Speed is not a concern, pain-free
running is. I am doing wieght training
for the splints and the knees, but
the calf/shin area still throbs
in the treadmill.
Answer:
There are two types of shinsplints.
Anterior
shinsplints (pain in the front of
the bone) are normally caused by
training, i.e., too much, too soon.
Do toe raises to increase strength
of the shin area. Run on soft surfaces
like tracks or trails, or a treadmill.
Run less and increase much less
than 10% per week. Do not try to
run fast for a while.
Medial shinslints
(pain on the inside or back of the
bone--toward the heel) are normally
caused by improper pronation control
in your shoes. This is not necessarily
too little control in the shoes;
It can be excessive pronation control
in the shoes (it was for me). Go
to a real running store and have
them help with shoe choice. Look
at the wear pattern on the bottom
of the shoes (this doesn't work
if you walk as well as run in them).
Wear on the outside edge (only)
means you need less pronation control
(move away from motion control and
toward cushioned) or you have splayed
feet (you need to work on running
style. Wear on the outside of the
heel AND the inside of the forefoot
means you need more pronation control
(move away from cushioned and toward
motion control).
The fact
that you have shin and knee pain
would suggest that your shoes are
not right for your biomechanics,
but these can also be caused by
heel-striking: the solution could
be do change your running form.
Look up Ozzie's stuff about GAPO
(do a search on google) and think
about moving away from heel striking
if you do this.
If you have
room in your shoes, you can increase
cushioning noticeably by inserting
a flat Spenco insole under your
present insoles. This will redce
shoe support, however, so be cautious.
You can do much better in your choice
of shoes. NB701's are not even running
shoes: An agressive multi-activity
shoe designed to meet the performance
needs of the outdoor sports enthusiast.
