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5 Replies Last post: Feb 22, 2007 1:27 PM by Roll041  
Click to view rcvrcv's profile Expert 49 posts since
Mar 8, 2006
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Feb 9, 2007 12:38 PM

Pain/Shoe question - another one?!

OK, I'm only posting this because it might be a twist on these two topics that have been posted repeatedly! Here goes! I run about 40 miles a week and have some soreness in the calves and knees that's not serious but enough to interrupt sometimes, and it moves around a little. Sometimes it's generalized. Let's say for the purposes of this that it's not a specific injury (yet) just because it moves around, and it comes and goes. Now! I am a neutral to under-pronator. I think this because I can look at the wear on retired shoes and it's along the lateral portion for the whole shoe. I discovered this about 2 years ago after being put in motion control shoes, etc. by various "runners" who work at running shoe stores, and haven't had a major injury since. However, at the same time, I finallly moved to a good mid- to slight forefoot strike and easily hold 180 cadence. I went into a store, again, one of those with "runners" the other day and the runner told me I over pronate. I showed him my worn shoes and asked how that could be be, at which point he shrugged as expected. My question now. I am developing a hypothesis that maybe this chronic lower leg pain IS due to overpronation - after all, one of the "runners" in one of the stores said they could see a slight whipping inward when they watched me. Any help here? Specifically, could it, after all this, be over pronation and I should try a pair of stability shoes? Also specifically, could I have this lateral wear pattern if it's overpronation - to me, that's the one thing I've been hanging on when getting the ****-shoot over versus under pronation advice from so called experts. Ugh. Thanks in advance. The risk of course is that if I am indeed neutral to under pronation and I add a stability shoe, I'm probably looking at a stress fracture before long, which is what I DID get before my switch two years ago. Or maybe my forefoot strike will make it OK - sorry to be so long here - but that's actually a parallel question - perhaps my switch to neutral shoes was mistakenly credited with no more injuries when it was just the footstrike adjustment?
Click to view GearGuy081's profile Pro 63 posts since
Jan 15, 2007
1. Feb 9, 2007 1:34 PM in response to: rcvrcv
Re: Pain/Shoe question - another one?!
My only comment is this....

Sometimes (but not at my store), sales personnel will watch a person WALK and diagnose their gait (which may indeed be correct), but when the person starts running, the gait totally changes.

I have seen this happen, but RARELY. One time, it was totally driving me nuts. The girl (high school XC runner) walked totally neutral, but when she ran, she was a serious overpronator. I almost had her in a Ariel (although we settled on something a little less drastic).

Are they watching you run in addition to watching you walk?
Click to view Tchuck's profile Legend 554 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
3. Feb 10, 2007 11:31 PM in response to: rcvrcv
Re: Pain/Shoe question - another one?!
If it is just in outer heal you could be over pronating but if along the whole part of your shoe on outside, you are supinating and need a cushioned/neutral shoe.

Be sure you do a lot of calf stretching and front shin strength work.

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Click to view subarry's profile Pro 62 posts since
Feb 18, 2004
4. Feb 12, 2007 10:37 AM in response to: rcvrcv
Re: Pain/Shoe question - another one?!
i agree with chuck - you seem to be a supinator because of how you have actually worn down your shoes.

Stay with the neutral shoe but try different brands. At the store I go to they often look at the overall foot and try to put you in a shoe with a wider foot box (Asics or Brooks)or you may have a narrow heel (addidas)

When I was having foot problems, the physical therapists mentioned that I (a neutral runner but pigeioned toed when I walk) should stay with shoe makers that use a "straight lasted" platform to build their shoes. They mentioned Asics and Brooks.
Click to view Roll041's profile Amateur 39 posts since
May 17, 2006
5. Feb 22, 2007 1:27 PM in response to: rcvrcv
Re: Pain/Shoe question - another one?!
How old are your shoes? Most shoes you will be lucky to get 300 miles out of them. If you are running 40 miles a week, you will get around 2 months out of them. Some people can get up to 500 miles, but after that, shoes really diminish fast.

If you haven't really changed anything drastic in your training and aches and pains start to crop up, it's usually your shoes not absorbing the shock anymore.

And also you can't really tell if you are really an under-pronater just by the wear on your shoes. Most people hit the outside of their feet when they hit the ground, what's important to check for is what happens AFTER your foot hits the ground and your weight gets over your foot. That is when overpronation or under pronation occurs.

With that being said though, if your shoes are that worn down, you probably have just ran too many miles in them. Just get new shoes and I bet your problems go away.