Over the past year I have spent an embarrassing amount of money on running shoes. In my mind, I felt like the cost was well worth it. I would go to the store, try on every shoe in the place and leave each time with a big smile on my face and bag in hand. (New running shoes make me happier than a woodpecker in a lumber yard!!) It wasn’t until recently did it come to my attention that I had been doing it all wrong. The first red flag should have been going through three pairs of Nike’s in less than 6 months. Even with all the miles I’ve logged, that’s not a normal shoe turnover rate. Another red flag…. Pain. I kept thinking I had blown the support in my shoes, which was causing my foot and ankle to hurt. But that stubborn voice in the back of my head kept saying no pain, no gain. So determined, I would keep on keepin on.
Now let me tell you about the happy end to this story…. I discovered a business by the name of The Run Around. If you are anywhere close to Joplin, MO and have any desire to walk or run as your main source of exercise, no wait, if you ever plan on lacing up a pair of tennis shoes for anyreason… check this place out! They provide the epitome of customer service. They took the time to listen to what I was into, had my try on multiple styles of shoes and run on a treadmill that recorded my stride, measured my foot and helped me find the most perfect fitting shoe. I have to admit I thought I already knew what there was to know about running shoes. Turns out I knew nothing at all =) First of all I had been squeezing my foot into a shoe that was entirely too small. All this time I thought that shoes need to be snug, tight, to ‘support’ my ankles. Instead this was causing bunions and the pain I had mentioned earlier. The correct shoe needs to have lots of room inside for my foot to not feel constricted. I loved how they took the time to show me the recording of how my legs/ankles looks while I was running. I could see firsthand the trouble areas I needed to work on. The shoe expert (I’ll refrain from calling him a salesman, because that word is attached to negativity and he was absolutely the opposite!) helped me understand the different muscles I need to strengthen and adjustments I need to make in my running life. It was truly a breath of fresh air to go into a business and feel like my satisfaction was top priority.
You probably might think this kind of service racks up a pretty big price tag. Nope! I didn’t pay any more for these shoes that are basically custom fit for ME than I would at any other athletic shoe retailer. I can’t say enough good things about this company! I am forever devoted to buying my shoes there the rest of my life =) When I think about the damage I’ve probably already done to my knees and ankles by running in the wrong shoes, it makes me a little gloomy. After all, I run to promote longevity, I want to live a long, healthy life. But what good is living a long time if it hurts to walk?? The right shoe is the most important piece of attire you can put on your body to run. I was a little stubborn, and sometimes justified buying the cheap ones. But if you’re hurting, you’re not going to want to keep going. And the only way to see changes is to keep going. Check. Them. Out! You won’t be disappointed =) In other news, it’s SPRING!!!! Hope you’re getting out there and enjoying that sunshine!!
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