Thursday June 3, 2010

New Shoes On !!

Seems a little strange , but the movement among the running community on the minimalist shoes has got me thinking back to my beginning of running.

10 years old at IPS #71. Back then elementary schools had track. I was a little guy and sucked at every event but the mile run.

Mega long distance back then, but I guess at 60 pounds I didn't have much too carry around.

Thru my elementary and high school days , and looking back on all of it , none of us were ever injured. But also back in those days in the 60's we ran or rode our bikes everywhere.

If you wanted to talk to your buddy you ran over to his house.

My first running shoes were Chuck Taylors, because my parents said you can wear them in gym class also . No big deal , we all had Chuck's and they were fine

Off to high school, for me Arlington HS was the equivalent of North Central to Carmel now days.

We had 5500 attending AHS so all sports were a cut sport , even Cross Country and Track.

I was still pretty small for high school, and got cut from cross country , only 12 on the team, but I kept running, I did wrestle in high school, little worked in that sport , 95lb class .

Our coach ran us a lot during practice, then track again cut from team but could still run with milers on the road workouts. I was pretty much always last but still ran.



Then with my job money, real running shoes. They were awesome , something under your feet. But if you notice these mid soles are very low to the ground. Miles increased and

never any problems.

Then big upgrade to Adidas SL72, an Olympic year shoe, they were even greater. Look though , still very low to the ground.

Then the store, Runners Forum 1978, a kid in a candy store. I now have at my disposal, the latest and greatest in the running market. Rep's throwing samples at you , WOW

Adidas Marathon Trainer, my kind of shoe. Next to no cushion, firm mid sole , Chuck's with tread.

You could not destroy this baby, 1000 miles easy. Again no heel lift or fancy cushion. Everyone pretty much ran in these, and no injury's to speak of other than overuse, not knowing when to rest

So this leads me back to now, I have always liked a firm low shoe, to much cushion my butt gets sore, to much lift my knees feel it.

The theory on minimal foot ware is legit. It surly won't work for all, but everyone was a kid running all over the place at one time , and the last thing you thought about was your tech shoes, you just ran.

So on my runs lately I have been using my Brooks Green Silence racing flats to train in. They feel like the old days , firm , my gait is very smooth, still a little cushy, but at 56 years old my parts feel great .

Don't know if I will go all the way in , like my buddy Doug and the Vibrum 5 finger shoes, but they will be in the store this fall, but right now less is best , and when I get to NYC you never know what the day will bring