Try’em Out Tuesday – Specialty running store edition

First, thank you all for your heartfelt comments and sympathy from the previous post! The glass guy is coming out to fix the window today and i am praying that it wont rain since the garage is full of crap wonderful gems.

Now I know not all of you are runners or enjoy running and I am trying really hard not to bombard this blog with runner posts but even if you aren’t a runner stay with me because this store was off the hook and you have to hear about it :)

I was in dire need of new shoes since the ones I got in December when i came out to Cali already have 277 miles on them and my older pair was way over the limit. Since i am having problems with a tendon in my ankle and I already know i have weird feet, i decided it would be best to get fit correctly for running shoes and shell out the money. I am usually pretty cheap when it come to buying running shoes (I know hubs, I know) but now that i am running a lot more I am seeing the need for quality shoes that fit my exact needs!

So since there is a complete lack of specialty running stores in Bako, one of my bestest friend’s and I headed up to Valencia on Saturday to Runners Lane (a fabulous yet almost hole in the strip mall specialty running store). The drive there was going pretty smoothly (thanks friend for driving since i’m a gimp) until the last 30 minutes when we hit some serious rain and since people don’t know how to drive in the rain some equally serious accidents (end rant here). We were hoping that the rain would work to our advantage..i.e. not many people there, but we were wrong! Since the actual building was pretty small it ended up being packed with people.

However, I was supper impressed with their customer service and was helped right away! I was a little nervous thought when the kid guy who was helping me looked like he was in High school, but i soon was won over and impressed by his ginormous amount of running knowledge (yeah i should be so quick to judge the teens these day and i think he was prob in College or something)!

I had come prepared (or over-prepared) with my last two pairs of running shoes in tow so he could see how i wear and tear them. My feet were measured (and when he didn’t even flinch at my totally weird feet and gross purple nails i knew he was okay in my book), shoes were brought out, problem areas were talked about, and i was in runners heaven!

The coolest part was the Gait Analysis. For those of you like me who didn’t know what that was exactly here is a rundown:

They measure your feet and then you step on a treadmill with a video camera set to tape how you are running. From this the image of you running is projected on a computer screen and they are able to see exactly what your foot does naturally and what type of shoe would work best. You want your ankle and calf to be in a straight line. Then every time you try on a different pair you jump back on the treadmill and they compare how your straight you stay in each pair to see which one works best. it is also a great way to get to try out a shoe before you buy it!

P.S. if you want to learn more about how it works go here: http://www.runnerslane.com/video_motion_gait_analysis.php

I knew that i over-pronated (where my ankles roll in I run on the inside of my foot). It was so neat to be able to see it in person and see how just by wearing a shoe with more support my ankle and calf became straight and a lot less pressure landed on my problem tendon! I also learned that I point my toes out to the side (yes i run semi bow-legged) and so by fixing that with the shoes my running is now more efficient b/c i am exerting my energy forward and not outward!

I found my perfect pair of new shoes that I am loving so far!! So what did I end up with..

My new fab shoes are Brooks Womens Adrenaline GTS 10

Love them!!

Why? Well here is the description straight from the Brooks website:

“Woo Hoo! Runner's World gave the GTS 10 its "Best Update" award in the Winter 2010 Shoe Guide in its December 2009 issue, on newsstands Nov. 4, 2009.
Always the leader, the Adrenaline™ GTS 10 has left the pack even further behind. The fit? Never better. The support? Perfection. As the legend hits double digits with its tenth iteration, the shoe is more dialed-in than ever. Now with a plush Profile Sockliner to sweeten the feel.” (courtesy of brooksrunning.com) 

The have worked great so far and I have had a lot less pain in my ankle..yay!! A+ for brooks shoes :) And price wise they weren’t as bad as I would have thought (about $100).

Oh and i also learned that if i buy my running shoes in a 9.5 instead of a 9 then my toe nails might live to see a few more years :)

I also left there with some other goodies:

b/c apparently my newest chafing problem is due to my increasing distance and not because my legs are getting bigger (according to the clerk who gave me a really weird look when i said i thought it was do to my growing thighs!)

Feetures Original No Show Socks..so comfy!

Nike dry fit armwarmers so now i can look like a cool runner and stay warm!

We had such a blast and it was really neat to be able to learn more about how i personally run and what my specific needs are! Even if you don’t run or exercise a lot I would totally recommend getting fitted at least once so that you know what kind of support you need for you individual feet (because believe me they can seem like they are from two totally different people!).

Oh and then of course since we drove all that way we had to go to Whole foods (insert yummy food and products now) and then eat a wonderful linner (lunch and dinner) at Claim Jumper (insert double yummy food here)  :)

So in the end Specialty running stores are totally worth all they hype!