Posted: March 29, 2005

Science of Sport: "Ask Owen" Weekly Feature

Ask Owen Q and A Index

Visitors are invited to submit training questions for exercise physiologist Owen Anderson, Ph. D. to answer in a weekly column.

Owen currently writes a weekly column for the Runner's Web.

Questions can be emailed to Owen via Form Mail.

Each week, Owen will pick the most interesting question(s) and publish his answer(s) on the Runner's Web.

I am training to qualify for Boston at the Ottawa Marathon in May. I am doing well in time and distant training. I do have one problem though. I get really sore feet. I wear the Saucony Hurricanes for pronation. I am wondering if I should spend more money on a shoe and go to the Asics which are about $200.00.

I have already purchased gel inserts which helped a bit but I still have the problem. My feet feel bruised when I am finished running 25km or 29 km. The soreness is in the heels and the foot bed.

At first I thought it was because the shoe was still cold from the weather and so didn't provide the cushioning?

Vy
Waterloo, ON

Answer:

Hi Vy,

Many thanks for your question; it was good to hear from you. I would not recommend spending more money on shoes. There is no evidence to support the idea that more-costly shoes provide better support for the feet and ankles and therefore less of the discomfort you are describing, compared with more-reasonable (?) brogans. In fact, the relevant research has actually linked higher-priced shoes with an increased risk of getting hurt.

Instead of changing shoes, it would make sense to look at two factors:

(1) Have you optimized the strength of the muscles in your feet - and the muscles which control your feet? Soreness in the foot bed, for example, is often a sign of weak shin muscles (when weak, they fail to control the downward acceleration of the foot after heel strike properly). To upgrade your feet, I would recommend carrying out exercises such as toe pulls and toe walking with opposite-ankle dorsiflexion several times a week. For your shin muscles, wall shin raises and one-leg heel hopping would be appropriate (if you are like many runners, you will probably discover that your shin muscles are quite weak functionally). Strengthening your shins literally "takes a load" off your feet.

(2) Are you carrying out too many long runs? If you are conducting 25 - to 29-K runs nearly every weekend, you are significantly increasing your risk of injury. Your feet may simply never be getting a chance to recover fully before being confronted with yet-another long run. A 25- to 29-K run every third weekend (but of course not during the four weeks before Ottawa), with shorter, higher-quality sessions substituting for the 25- to 29-baggers, would be kind to your feet and better for your overall fitness (yes, even your marathon fitness).

The cold weather could have a slight impact on shoe cushioning, but your neuromuscular system adapts readily to such changes - so that the impact forces felt by the feet do not change very much. My best guess is that your foot soreness is related to not-yet-optimal strength and/or "excessive" amounts of long running.

Very kindest regards,

Owen Anderson, Ph. D.

www.RRNews.com

About Owen Anderson
Owen Anderson, Ph.D., is the editor and founder of Running Research News and the author of the books Lactate Lift-Off (http://www.rrnews.com) and Great Workouts for Popular Races (http://www.runningresearchnews.com). An exercise physiologist and training expert, Anderson coaches and offers training camps for runners. He's based in Lansing, Michigan. To learn more about Owen and his work, please visit www.rrnews.com

Running Research News is a monthly newsletter which keeps sports-active people up-to-date on the latest information about training, sports nutrition, and sports medicine. RRN publishes practical, timely new material which improves workouts, prevents injuries, and heightens overall fitness.