New Shoes Part 1

Running injuries were a big problem for me 2 years ago. Seemed like I couldn't go more than a few weeks without one problem or another sidelining me for a while. Last year I really committed to staying injury free by incorporating strength work, stretching, foam rolling, and being very cautious about adding run volume gradually. It worked out well - I managed to avoid any real injuries all of last season and keep my training/racing on track.

However, over the past few months I've gradually been developing some pain in my left foot. Pain/numbness along the medial side of my big toe, but also some pain along my sesamoids. I've also noticed that I have limited dorsiflexion in my left big toe compared to my right. The left toe also seems to be angling in a little - not really a bunion yet but heading in that direction.

In looking for ways to treat this problem I found CorrectToes, which helps your toes splay out and can treat a variety of conditions (including all of my complaints in the left foot). The place to get them locally is SoleFit, which among other things does gait analysis. I've done the Retul fit on the bike, and have had my swim stroke analyzed using underwater video, so it seemed logical for me to try something similar with my run. Indeed, given that the run has been where virtually all of my injuries have occurred, a proper gait analysis probably should have been the first thing I did.

So I picked up the CorrectToes and made an appointment to get my running assessed. It's too early to say whether the CorrectToes are having any real effect, but they haven't been causing any discomfort, so we'll see.

As for the gait analysis, it started with an interview with Neil about my background, history of injuries, and what my training looked like. We then did a series of tests around strength, flexibility, etc. and Neil looked at my shoes (I brought in both my ready-to-retire trainers and my newer racing flats) to see what they could tell us about my running style. Afterwards, I ran on the treadmill in both shoes with video from the front, back, and side.
Based on the initial assessment (wear pattern on my trainers, flexibility issues, and injury history - particularly my torn hip flexor) I could already tell what some of the issues were and the root cause of my toe pain. The video evidence confirmed this - I overpronate in my left foot, and tend to overstride. My feet are landing too far in front of me, but they aren't extended far enough behind me. On top of this, turns out I'm a heel striker. I thought for sure I was a midfoot striker but the video was pretty clear on that. Shortening up my stride, upping my cadence, and working flexibility in my hips and calves/ankles will go a long way towards improving my efficiency and reducing the risk of injury I have. Incorporating barefoot running and doing a dynamic warmup before all runs (not just speedwork) would also help.

So I left with a list of stretches and warmups I should be doing, and things to work on in terms of my run form. What I was most interested in, however, was new shoe recommendations. I knew the trainers were due to be replaced, and I wanted to make sure I was getting the right shoe. Interestingly enough, the video showed my running form was much better in my racing flats (NB1400) than the trainers. So we knew I should be in something pretty light without being too cushy. The overpronation thing also showed I should have some mild stability control built into the shoe. Neil gave me a list of 5 shoes that would work, so next up is to go and try some on, buy a few different pairs and go back to SoleFit for another video session to see what works best.

Now it's off to Sports4 to pick up some shoes.