Running Tip #1- Shoes

My new Nike Air Icarus (feel like slippers)

I think because I do a lot of events and activities, I get asked for my advice quite a bit so I thought that I could start writing some of my best 'secrets' down. These are not gospel and I am not a professional but I am experienced and when I can I do try to back it up with research.

I firmly believe that the two most important items for running that you will are good shoes and a good sports bra (women only of course!). I will get on my soapbox in another post about why I think that sports bras are so important and how shocked I am at the amount of girls and women not wearing them.

Good running shoes don’t necessarily have to be expensive despite what people say. You just need them to fit properly and be comfortable. If your shoes are too small, you risk your toenails falling off which is no good in the summer time! You should have a thumb’s width from the end of your shoes and it is advised you go up a half-size to accommodate the forward motion of running. They tell you to replace your shoes every 300 to 400 miles. I always forget to track how much I run in my shoes so I usually use my feet as my guide. If you start to get blisters or any other pains, it might be time to get some new shoes. With places such as Sports Direct, you can get the expensive shoes you want at a lower price.

After watching the BBC’s Panorama report on ‘The Truth About Sports Products’, I am reluctant to provide any suggestions of the fitting of shoes based on if you overpronate or are flat footed. I have high arches and find that I do like my cushioned shoes.  If you are working out or running and feel that your toes go numb, you might want to relace your shoes by skipping a hole like in the picture above (right shoe). I find that my arches are so high that the laces cut off the blood supply to my toes and therefore they go numb. 

I like lightweight shoes. The ones in the picture are amazing! I need new ones because I was starting to get blisters. I needed some cushioned ones for my every day and long distance runs. I have really light weight purple ones that I call my ‘magic’ shoes because I am super fast in them. I wear these for my 5k, 10k and half marathons. I have tried them for my really long runs to see if they would be suitable for my marathon but I just don’t think that there is enough cushioning for that distance. But if you don’t try these things you don’t know!

The best advice when it comes to running shoes is wear what makes you comfortable.