Athletics: How To Run and Enjoy the Marathon - Fleet Feet: If the shoe fits, wear it

(A Practical Guide To The 26.2-Mile Journey) By James Raia
Web site: www.byjamesraia.com  
E-mail: James@ByJamesRaia.com

Runner's Web Editor's Note:
We will be running one chapter of this book on the Runner's Web each week for the next 15 weeks.

Introduction
How to Run & Enjoy The Marathon, a series of 15 self-help and service-oriented articles about running marathons - the proper shoes to running etiquette - is written by James Raia, a journalist and veteran marathon and ultramarathon runner in Sacramento, Calif. A contributor to many newspapers, news services, magazines and internet sites, Raia began to run long distances in 1983, the same year in which he completed his first marathon, the California International Marathon, in 4 hours, 12 minutes and 30 seconds.
How To Run & Enjoy The Marathon is based on the author's more than 20 years of writing about the sport -- its nuances, its elite athletes and the running masses.
Since he began training for his first marathon, running has become an integral component of the author's lifestyle. Raia has completed nearly than 70 marathons and ultramarathons, including several 50 milers and double marathons. His fastest marathon, 3:07:42, was run in 1990. A two-time finisher of the Boston Marathon, Raia for the past several years has completed many of his marathons in the 3:45 range.
Raia, 48, has traveled to more than a dozen countries on assignment for myriad publications, Runner's World to Modern Maturity, The New York Times to USA Today. He also writes syndicated cycling and running columns, publishes two electronic newsletters, Endurance Sports News and Tour de France Times, and is the author of The Tour Within The Tour de France, a travel/sports e-book about the prestigious cycling event. He lives in Sacramento, Calif., with Gretchen Gaither, a teacher and sculptor.

For additional information on his two free newsletters or his other e-book, visit the author's web site, www.byjamesraia.com or contact him via e-mail at RaiaRuns@aol.com.

Table Of Contents
1.Marathon No. 1: It's not all about pain
2. What Marathon? Plentiful choices abound
3. The Basics: Common sense for the masses
4. Marathoning For Dollars: Running is fitness on the cheap
5. Want To Finish: Join the club
6. Fleet Feet: If the shoe fits, wear it
7. Need Motivation? Take a break
8. Now Hear This: Just Say No To Headphones
9. Night Moves: Exercisers Need A Visible Presence
10. Women Marathoners: Running Safe Means Running Smart
11. Running vs. Walking: Marathoners Can Do Both
12. Runner's Creed: Share Thy Space
13. Marathon Time Limits: The race directors' dilemma
14. Marathon No. 1 (Revisited): Don't Forget The Little Things
15. Reference Guide: Where to Find Out More About The Marathon

This Issue - Chapter 6. Want To Finish: Join the club:

6. Fleet Feet: If the shoe fits, wear it

Like favorite courses or training partners, runners often remain loyal to shoe brands. But the running shoe industry has changed so drastically in recent years, it's wise to consider new brands and styles to help avoid injuries.

"There has been a major shift in brand loyalty," says J.D. Denton, a Northern California retailer and journalist who has been writing shoe reviews for more than a decade. "Part of it is that there are a lot of newer runners and runners coming back to the sport after years away. They're more open to trying new brands and not as locked into old habits."

Another major reason to consider a new brand is the frequency of style changes. Manufacturers used to keep styles in circulation for many years, but it's rare now to find styles today that remain on store shelves or available via mail orders or in the internet for more than one year.

"If you find a shoe you like, it might not be available the next time you look for the same pair," says Denton, owner of the Davis, Calif., location of the national Fleet Feet chain. "There's also a lot of fashion involved in the shoe industry these days. A lot of running shoes are being purchased by people who don't run."

Two of the most popular shoe brand names - Nike and Asics - provide two good examples of how the industry is changing. Nike once sold more than 50 percent of all running shoes, but its market share has substantially dropped.

According to Denton, Nike running shoe sales are leaning toward the fashion end of the industry, with styles sometimes changing within a one-year time frame. Asics, however, maintains many of its most popular shoe characteristics in new styles.

"Every time a company introduces a new style, it's going to alienate some long-time wearers and it's going to win over a few new customers," says Denton. "But in the case of Asics, it's one of the companies that has had success keeping its styles consistent over the years. But if it changes one characteristic, the shoe might no longer be the proper shoe for you."

Additionally, experienced runners should consider that their feet change in width and in other ways as they age. As such, one shoe brand that may have fit perfectly for years, may no longer be the proper shoe.

Perhaps another factor in the changes in the running shoe industry is an increased public awareness in the importance of proper footwear.

As stated in Running & FitNews, "As runners we know our first line of defense against overuse injuries is a good-quality, low-mileage running shoes."

The lead article in the monthly newsletter of the American Running Association (ARA) in Bethesda, Md., continues, "But it is not only our job to buy the right pair but also to replace them regularly and to check shoes for defects."

The article, written by Bruce Wilk, director of Orthopedic Rehabilitation Specialists in Miami, Fla., reiterates the basic but often overlooked function of running shoes.

"The main purpose behind a running shoe is to hold your foot stable and to provide shock absorption," writes Wilk. "Defective running shoes that don't hold your feet in a neutral position may accentuate preexisting biomechanical problems."

Finally, because of increased sales and changes styles, runners need to be more aware of the possibility of shoe defects.

One simple test is to place a new pair of shoes on a flat surface and hold the top of the shoe while rocking in it and out. Shoe should remain even and not roll.

The ARA recommends checking shoes throughout their entire "life," which should last 300-500 miles.

"Taking the time to inspect your shoes is a good habit that may help your risk of injury," comments ARA advisor Douglas Tumen, a podiatrist in Kingston, N.Y. "Although most shoe manufacturers do their best to uphold the highest levels of quality control, it is up to the runners to be the final inspector."

© Copyright 2003, James Raia

Posted with the permission of James Raia.

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