This week I’ve been volunteering at the Jingle Bell Run’s packet pick-up, which was at the Fort Worth Running Company. Coach Jim and his son James run one of the best running stores around, and it was inevitable that I would seek one of them out to try gaining some insight on my current injury situation. Unlike previous days, I came prepared today—current shoes on, and previous pair in the car—all I needed was a lull in the packet pick-up.
After a very busy afternoon, I finally got a chance to talk to Coach Jim, about 15 minutes before we needed to leave to pick up the boys. Within a few minutes, Coach Jim had me in a pair of comfy neutral Nikes, and on their treadmill running while he videotaped my gait for a gait analysis. Within a couple of minutes he’d determined that I’m pretty much a neutral runner, with very little, if any inward roll. We then put the orthotics that I got recently into the Nikes, and I got back on the treadmill. With the orthotics in, there was no roll whatsoever, just really good alignment from my foot, all the way up. I’ll take that as a good sign.
Coach Jim then took a look at my current shoes, which are about 6 weeks old, and probably have 50 miles or less on them, and proclaimed them worn out. He asked how long I’d had them, and when I told him, he speculated that they’d probably sat on a shelf in a warehouse for quite a long time and that the material had deteriorated to the point of being worn out. They were basically not providing any cushioning, so my foot, ankle, leg, knee, etc. were absorbing the full impact of each step, and it was obvious that I needed some new shoes.
The Nikes felt pretty good, but I like to have some choices, so I asked what else they had, and and Coach Jim produced a pair of Saucony ProGrid Rides. These shoes felt really good, and just a tad wider than the Nikes. I asked Coach Jim which shoe he considered to be the better shoe, the Nike or Saucony, he said the Saucony. So that’s what I went with.
I am due for another 2 mile run tomorrow, and needless to say, I am looking forward to trying out these new shoes.