Buying the right running shoe is half the battle in making sure you are training properly for a marathon. And with so many options to choose from... in this department it's really necessary to have a professional coach or runner assess your foot and tell you which direction to go in. Any specialty running store, with trained runners will help you do this...
I went to Future Track Running Center where runner and track coach Gloria Rios walked me through the process of picking a great shoe for your foot. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour... depending on your issues.
She said the basics of deciding on a shoe include:
1. Support (depending on your arch structure)
2. Width
3. Length
And of course, taking the shoe for a test drive in the store is a must! Don't be afraid to kick up your heels.
Rios says quality kicks range anywhere from $90 to $130. And it is important to turn in the old for the new at the appropriate time to maximize your running. Women should purchase new shoes every 400-600 miles during training... and men, because of weight difference, should get new shoes every 300-400 miles. To calculate the time, just figure out how much you run each week, and divide accordingly.
(TIP: Write the date and month on the heel of your new shoe upon purchase to accurately track how long you have been hitting the pavement.)
Watch Gloria as she describes Running Shoe 101!!
A first time marathoner's guide to training and finishing 26.2
Disclaimer
So for those of you who don't know, I recently completed my first marathon last Sunday in Big Sur, CA.
I have followed all my research found in this blog post and it served me well since I had a great time and got my medal.
But as the blinding pain began creeping through my knees around mile 23, and the finish line seemed days away, I began to ponder other things I could complete in the 5 hours it took me to finish.
1. Fly to New York, or anywhere else on the east coast
2. Watch a double feature (with popcorn)
3. sleep
4. not run
5. Catch up on a Rock of Love marathon (a different kind of marathon, but a marathon nevertheless)
6. Do Windsor Pilates tapes 6 times
7. Make a dress out of curtains
8. Watch a Top Model marathon... what am I saying.... that's at least 10 hours
9. Braised a lamb shank
10. created 26.2 google pages for my online final
So if any of these other options are appealing, don't feel bad. In hindsight, I might have chosen the latter too. But I would obviously be way LESS awesome.
I have followed all my research found in this blog post and it served me well since I had a great time and got my medal.
But as the blinding pain began creeping through my knees around mile 23, and the finish line seemed days away, I began to ponder other things I could complete in the 5 hours it took me to finish.
1. Fly to New York, or anywhere else on the east coast
2. Watch a double feature (with popcorn)
3. sleep
4. not run
5. Catch up on a Rock of Love marathon (a different kind of marathon, but a marathon nevertheless)
6. Do Windsor Pilates tapes 6 times
7. Make a dress out of curtains
8. Watch a Top Model marathon... what am I saying.... that's at least 10 hours
9. Braised a lamb shank
10. created 26.2 google pages for my online final
So if any of these other options are appealing, don't feel bad. In hindsight, I might have chosen the latter too. But I would obviously be way LESS awesome.
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