In article said:Hello,
I'm 28 and trying to get back into running a bit. I ran track and cross country in high school,
but haven't run seriously since then. I've been into competitive cycling for a while. I want to
take up running in the (cycling) off season as a way to stay in shape and keep my workouts from
getting boring.
Though I'm a pretty light guy (5'9" 145lbs), I strike the ground pretty hard with my stride. Its
given me problems before in the past ie., strained knees, shin splints. I also have quite a bike
more leg muscle (from cycling) than I did when I was younger, which will probably add to my foot's
impact with the ground.
The fact remains that you're still really light, and the weight distribution should not result in a
heavier impact.
If you're hitting the ground hard at that weight, it's probably because you're overstriding -- that
is, you're taking long strides at a low rate instead of short strides at a high rate, => each stride
takes longer, => you're in the air for longer with each step => you land harder.
Try and take slightly shorter and lighter strides -- about 180 strides per minute is the optimal
stride rate for efficiency (this is a strong statement, but it's actually quite accurate -- well
trained runners use very close to this stride rate except in very short races)
Quoted message said:I've tried to smooth it out in the past, but its my natural stride. I try to avoid asphalt and
concrete if possible as it is less jarring.
Some soft surfaces have their own problems, especially unstable surfaces. Running on a soft unstable
surface is a bit like wearing a bad cushioning shoe.
Quoted message said:I also tend to over pronate a bit, but more so with my right foot than my left. So what's the
difference between a "stability" running shoe and a "motion control" running shoe? Which would be
appropriate for me?
Stability shoes are a sort of mild motion control shoe. Higher levels of overpronation => motion
control. People with moderate or no overpronation can wear stability shoes.
Quoted message said:When I was younger, I tried a few different brands of shoes. The best shoes I tried were Saucony
and New Balance. I tried Nikes and while they looked nice, they sucked. The support gave out
pretty quickly.
Brand doesn't matter as much as the actual model. Having said that, New Balance does make a number
of good stability shoes, and Nike doesn't.
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi pegasus.rutgers.edu~elflordOpen ↗
