In July 2014, one of our varsity athletes sent me the above photo with a note, ‘hey coach, I went shoe shopping, look what I have–great new shoes and new socks too!’ This may seem silly to you, but that note and that photo made me so happy and as I look at the photo I am still happy today! Why does this photo make me so happy?
- This athlete listened to her coaches talk about how new shoes will keep you from being injured! It’s always a good idea to get new shoes at the start of summer running (many athletes are going to run between 200 and 400 miles over the next eight weeks, and shoes typically have a life of 250-400 miles per pair, so you probably need a new pair of shoes to get you through the summer). (You also need to get another pair before the season starts as your summer shoes will be end-of-life!)
- This athlete was clearly into her running! She was very, very excited by her new shoes and the comfy new socks (even though both would be very dusty from Fremont Older trails within a week!).
- And she wanted to share her excitement with her coach!
There are many good running stores near by–lots of our runners have gone to Running Revolution in Campbell and Runner’s Mind in Los Altos (who visited us at the track in February), Athletic Performance in Willow Glen has been a sponsor of the SCVAL meet and does a really good job (and there is an excellent place for ice cream and frozen yogurt right across the street, Willow Glen Creamery), and also Athletic Performance in Los Gatos sponsored SCVAL this last season and has fit many of our athletes. PLEASE go to a running store, not a general purpose sporting goods store (if they are selling canoes, don’t buy shoes) or on-line. You need to be fitted for your shoes!
The people at the shoe store will help you find the shoe that is right for you. You can tell them that your coach recommends that you get a basic trainer that is as neutral as possible for your stride (I can explain what that means, or the running store person can also; if the person is confused then you probably should find someone else to fit you), and that your coach prefers you to avoid minimalist shoes. Other than that, please trust the shoe expert. There is a more detailed post on shoe shopping here.
Go get some shoes! Bring a teammate too and then grab some ice cream or a slice of pizza…and take your shoes out for a spin!
