Shoes from hell

Upon reading that initial entry and seeing where it ended, I felt I needed to vent on the shoe bidness! Everyone told me how vital it was to be properly fit at a proper running store. So I did just that, headed down to THE running store in my area. This was in September 2009. I prepared myself for not being taken seriously, because I did NOT look like a runner. I was more like the Stay-Puff Marshmellow Man and so when I approached the salesman, I outted myself immediately, stating something to the effect of, "Hey, I know I don't look like a runner, but I'm trying. Can you help me?"

He seemed pretty friendly, had me take off my shoes and sized me. I told him I had my old shoes in the car and asked if he needed to see them and he said, "Nah." Then he told me that it looked as if I had high arches. Hmmm, there was this little twinge in my gut that told me this wasn't right. I was 38 years old and had NEVAH been told I had high arches, but whatev, he was the running dude so he knows what he's doing, right?

He put me in the Nike Moto and asked what I thought. They didn't feel awful, but they didn't feel great either. "Maybe that was just the way it goes with running shoes," I guessed, so I shelled out the 100 clams and headed off.

By late March of 2010, I'd logged nearly 300 miles in the shoes and was battling ongoing hip problems that began in November of 2009. Given that I'd suffered a case of hip bursitis in the fall of 1990, I figured it was something that I simply had to suck up and deal with. Unfortunately by early April it was becoming unbearable and I wasn't able to run. Thinking my shoes were tanked, I returned to the running store to buy new shoes and told the salesman (a different one this time) what I'd worn and about my previous visit and he looked a little surprised about the high arches but shrugged his shoulders and fetched a pair of Saucony Pro Grids (since I told him I'd like to try something new).

The hip problem didn't improve and I was quickly beginning to worry about running the Christie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon that was slated for May 1. After seeing my doctor and being referred to an osteopath who referred me to physical therapy, I started getting ultrasound therapy in April, but it was too late. I had to take a knee at Illinois. =(

When I resumed training in May, I was feeling good about the physical therapy and the exercises they'd given me. But in June, when marathon training began for Chicago 10.10.10, the hip issue reared its ugly head and I was back in physical therapy! Through all of this, several running friends questioned me about my shoes, but I assured them I'd been fitted! (The growing gnaw at my gut was that this reknowned running store had F'ed me!)

By early July, I couldn't take the questions from others and in my head so thanks to a Daily Mile friend, it was suggested I visit The Shoe Shack in Dubuque, Iowa. First, they drilled me on my current running as well as my goals then they asked to see my current running shoes (thankfully I was wearing them) so they could judge the tread wear. Then a print of my foot was taken and I was shown that I have MEDIUM arches (medium does not = high). Finally, it was determined that I needed stability plus shoes due to my arches and the amount of mileage I was putting in each week. I left with pairs of Asics Kayanos and Brooks Dyads.

Within the week, the hip pain was GONE!

Moral of the story? Listen to your GUT (and the voices of running friends)!