I've been meaning to write this up a long time ago and now that I'm home for 6 weeks with Olivia, I've finally got a few minutes to try to catch up with some of the things that I've wanted to write about over the last couple of months. (I can't believe I just said that I actually have a few minutes!)
I tend to be quite a cheapskate, so one of the appealing notions of running was that I wouldn't need any additional equipment. I already had a pair of sneakers, t-shirts, and some shorts, so I was good to go. Or so I thought.
I began my training in earnest at the beginning of January. I was only running a maximum of 5 miles one day a week at this point (3 and 4 miles for the other days in the week), so I hadn't encountered any problems. Shortly into February, however, my feet started getting sore on my long days (6, 7, 8 miles). I knew I was in real trouble when I started developing blisters on my feet. Andrea had been telling me all along that I really should invest in a good pair of shoes, but I had been resisting that idea because of the cost (cheapskate, remember?). Finally, I realized that she was right and decided to give in.
I probably could have gone just about anywhere to buy a good pair of running shoes (Cleve's, SportChek, etc). Instead, Andrea convinced me that I should go into the Running Room. A friend of hers at work went there and had been raving about how informed the staff was and the various services they offer, such as running clinics. I knew I'd pay a premium for anything I'd buy there, but I decided to check it out. And boy, am I ever glad I did.
It was busy in the store when I got there (I was pretty surprised by that, actually), but while I was waiting, I noticed that all of the staff seemed to know all of the clientele. That was pretty reassuring, since that meant the store got a lot of repeat business.
Someone finally got to me. She took a look at my feet and asked "You've never been here before, have you?" I wasn't quite sure how she knew, but I acknowledged her assertation.
"Take off your shoes and roll up your pant legs."
As I complied, I noticed that everyone in the store was walking around in sock feet with their pant legs rolled up. So that's how she knew. :)
"Have you ever bought a good pair of shoes before?" she asked.
I looked at her and said, matter of factly, "I've never paid more than $30 for a pair of sneakers in my life."
She gave me a look that hinted that maybe I was just there to buy the shoes and had no intention of using them for training. "Well, you're going to pay a lot more than that today."
As I said, I'm really glad I went there. I had no idea that buying a pair of good running shoes was such a complicated process. I always thought that a shoe was a shoe was a shoe. Not so. Manufacturers make different types of shoes, based on foot structure and how you walk. I don't remember all of the details and I'm too lazy to look them up, but I was completely surprised.
The associate had me walk and run up and down the store so that she could see how I impacted the floor. "Aha! So that's why I needed to roll up my pants," I mused. It was kinda weird at first, but everyone else was doing it too, so it wasn't too bad.
After a few minutes of analyzing my walk and my feet, the associate went to the wall of shoes and selected a pair of Saucony Omni 4 shoes. I'd never even heard of them before. Amazingly enough, they were an absolute perfect fit. I'm really not sure if it was skill or luck, but I was impressed anyway (I'm willing to bet it was skill). Just for kicks, she brought me several other pairs of varying manufacturers and types to try, but none of them really fit. I opted for the first pair.
During the fitting, she eventually asked why I was looking for a good pair of shoes. I mentioned that I was training for the Bluenose Marathon. I think she was relieved that I planned on actually using the shoes for their intended purpose. I mentioned that I was getting blisters and she indicated that blisters are usually caused by improperly fitting shoes and improper socks. I tend to wear cotton socks, which tend to hold moisture. She immediately recommended that I buy a proper pair of running socks (mostly a polyester-like material that wicks moisture away). I really didn't know what I was doing, but I bought a pair anyway.
And so I continued my training. And lo and behold, the blisters went away and my feet stopped hurting, almost immediately. After only a couple of days, I was very glad that I paid about $140 for a pair of sneakers. I also tried wearing both the new socks and some of my old socks. I immediately noticed a difference. Again, I was so surprised. Eventually, I noticed that one particular bag of sports socks I got for Christmas worked really, really well (even better than the running socks I bought), so I've been sticking with those ever since.
As my training distances increased, my nipples began to start chafing. Like everything else I wear, most of my t-shirts were 100% cotton. Luckily I found a great tip on the web site where I found my training plan - the tip was to apply Vaseline to your nipples before running. What a huge difference. Instead of being rubbed almost to the point of bleeding, I suffered no problems at all, no matter what the distance. Eventually my wife bought me a proper running shirt (again, made of a wicking material) which has done wonders for me. Sometimes I finish a run and my shirt is actually dry!
So it turns out that my initial thoughts about running being a cheap hobby were completey incorrect. I've laid out $140 for shoes, $10 for socks, $40 for a running shirt, $20 for shorts, and $40 for a 2-bottle water carrier. Still cheaper than playing hockey, I guess. And had I not done it, I'd have given up on the training several months ago.
- Mike
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