Comments on Cranky Fitness: Ask Cranky Fitness: running shoes & exercise break...

Awesome, ya...proof for my mother that she can't u...

2009-09-26T16:35:51.824-04:00

Awesome, ya...proof for my mother that she can't use em till they fall apart. I have used Nike 5.0's for awhile now. Love em...but i switch back and forth depending upon the demand. Working (pedometered at 16 miles avg) really makes me change my shoes often. I have 3-4 at all times, and when a pair hurts my feet they go bye bye.

The of course, I also have to consider the running...

2009-09-23T09:13:34.494-04:00

The of course, I also have to consider the running group I'm in...where if you wear shoes that look the least bit new, you and the person who brought you to the group have to drink beer out of your shoes (after you've run in them). Definitely encourages old sneakers.

When your shoes are so worn down you can't use the...

2009-09-22T22:14:29.813-04:00

When your shoes are so worn down you can't use them any more, donate them! Nike will rip the shoes up and use the rubber bottom part to create rubberized tracks and playgrounds. Nice, springy surface to run or play on :)
http://www.crankyfitness.com/2008/07/give-back-to-track-jack.html

I can totally relate to shoe separation anxiety. ...

2009-09-22T21:03:21.341-04:00

I can totally relate to shoe separation anxiety. I once wore a pair until the soles literally fell off...I don't recommend it!

I just was writing a post about how my seemingly f...

2009-09-22T20:11:52.849-04:00

I just was writing a post about how my seemingly fabulous workout buddy is not such a great workout buddy.
Shoes. EEk. I should probably get some worthwhile workout shoes, huh? Instead of the $25 on sale ones? Shameful. Just shameful :) Thanks for the tips!

FUNNY!!! Shoes, I try them on every time I buy.. ...

2009-09-22T17:18:37.448-04:00

FUNNY!!!

Shoes, I try them on every time I buy.. the same ones I am wearing & others. Feet change as we age so.. I have flat, wide feet with bunions that keep getting worse as time goes on so I have found I can't even wear the same shoes twice in a row for a "buying shoes" time. I try them on & luckily there is a treadmill wear I buy mine. Also, I go to Road Runners Sports & if you join, they offer a 60 day return policy. Important & worth the money to me as my feet are hard to fit! They also offer % off on anything you but if you join!

As for your working out partner.. very important you have the same goals & compatible. If not, you both will suffer & especially you with your workouts.

Relatives... I just delete. I have senior ones in Florida that I get stuff from all the time. Unless it is life threatening, I just let them be.. they enjoy it!

I'm a racquetball player and find shoes look good ...

2009-09-22T16:26:48.839-04:00

I'm a racquetball player and find shoes look good well after they are toast for athletics and pads/inserts are not any help in extending their life. Even more true in direction changing (cutting) sports. Yet, I'm too cheap to throw them out. I use them off the court after putting new pads in them (to get the sweat out of them) for casual knock around use only.

The first time I bought fancy running shoes, I wen...

2009-09-22T16:20:37.800-04:00

The first time I bought fancy running shoes, I went to a fancy running store so they could watch me run and snicker -- um, so they could see what type of shoes I needed.

Then, after that place closed down, I took my old running shoes in with me when I went to REI so that the saleswoman could see how I ran by what areas were most worn down.

I don't think I'm ready to go barenekkid running, but I can see how that would be helpful. I went hiking last weekend, and spent a lot of time scrambling over tree roots and around other obstacles. Afterwards, the rest of my leg muscles were fine, but the muscles around my ankle were complaining a bit about the unusual demands placed on them.

Merry, The whole running barefoot thing definitel...

2009-09-22T16:09:43.024-04:00

Merry,

The whole running barefoot thing definitely has benefits. Or running with shoes with very little support. Basically, the shoes we wear tend to have so much support that they don't let our feet and ankles work at all, which leads to a lot of ankle and knee injuries. When you wear shoes that have very little support, it forces your foot and ankle muscles to work for it and you build up the ability to use those shoes (or not shoes).

However (and big red flag here), you should never just slap on those shoes and go for a five mile run. You have to ease into them...five minutes here, then ten, then fifteen, and so on. Otherwise your feet will kill you and you'll wonder what Leth was thinking when she recommended those shoes.

That said, I don't use them any more. I had a foot injury a couple years ago (plantar fasciitis) and used the Nike Frees for a while, but when I kicked up my workouts this year, my foot started to hurt a bit more, so I went back to supportive shoes. I get new shoes once a year or so, but I always have 2-3 pairs of shoes (one for home (1-2 a week), one for work (1-2 a week), one for a different gym (2 times a week). So it gets spread out.

And if you haven't already (or if it's been a few ...

2009-09-22T15:31:45.175-04:00

And if you haven't already (or if it's been a few years), please seriously consider going to a specialized running store to have someone who knows what they're doing check your feet and your gait and recommend shoes that are good for you. Yeah, this might cost more, but believe me it is so very worth it.

As it turned out, my feet are flatter than I thought and I'm a much worse overpronator than I thought, and I'd been running in the completely wrong type of shoes for my feet for oh, about four straight months, no f'n wonder I had shin splints (which are clearing up nicely, thank you!)

Spam the spammers? Oooh, sneaky. I like it. Charl...

2009-09-22T15:26:36.362-04:00

Spam the spammers? Oooh, sneaky. I like it.

Charlotte's comment about people running barefoot brings up something that's always confused me. Logically, if you need new shoes when your feet start to hurt, then running barefoot should make your feet hurt even worse than running in old shoes. So why is it becoming popular?

When my shins start aching I know it's time to rep...

2009-09-22T13:45:54.293-04:00

When my shins start aching I know it's time to replace my running shoes. That's normally 200-250 miles. I run mostly on asphalt with some cement and a little dirt. If I continue running when they're worn out my hips start to hurt too.

When you reply to a spam email with Snopes.com, do a "reply-all" and maybe everyone else on the list will also start complaining to your spammer about all the junk they're receiving. If nothing else, maybe the spammer's inbox will be so full of complaints that they'll forget to forward some of the crap they usually forward.

"under the heading of whining..." Thanks for maki...

2009-09-22T13:23:15.458-04:00

"under the heading of whining..."

Thanks for making me laugh!

I think it's time to replace your shoes when your ...

2009-09-22T12:00:44.907-04:00

I think it's time to replace your shoes when your joints start hurting on your runs. It usually takes me a couple of runs of thinking, "Hmmm, that run really sucked. My hips really hurt. I wonder if I've reached my running limit." before it dawns on me that Tada! Time to replace the running shoes!

And the frequency you need to replace them depends on your weight, running style, and running surface. I'm not very heavy, but I run on pavement a lot and seem to pound my feet into the ground when I run so I tend to have to replace them every 250-300 miles.

I don't run that often but we do sometimes at the ...

2009-09-22T10:42:39.425-04:00

I don't run that often but we do sometimes at the gym, My sneakers were fine until about a year into them and then my feet started killing me, when I went to buy new sneakers they too said about 500 miles, which I suppose for me, was about a year. But man those new sneakers cost me 104 bucks. OUCH!

I always wonder about the shoes...I've actually co...

2009-09-22T10:36:00.787-04:00

I always wonder about the shoes...I've actually come to the point where I think I need a new pair. Well lahdedah. I've never run a pair of shoes out before :)

It may be wrong but I always comfort myself about ...

2009-09-22T09:15:10.974-04:00

It may be wrong but I always comfort myself about waiting to replace expensive running shoes by remembering that a lot of the current research has been showing that the LESS cushioning and support you have, the better it is for your feet and your stride. There's a reason that barefoot running is really taking off, lol!

In Florida, it's the wet of it all that breaks dow...

2009-09-22T08:47:25.573-04:00

In Florida, it's the wet of it all that breaks down the shoes! My best advise on running continues to be stay off hard surfaces, use well cushioned shoes.

PS The work verification was OUTIPONG! You making those up as a sideline, Merry?

Love this post! LOL! As for shoes, if you start tr...

2009-09-22T08:38:34.724-04:00

Love this post! LOL! As for shoes, if you start tracking your "training" on a website like mapmyrun.com it will actually tally the miles on your shoes for you and let you know when it's time to replace. Also, take them into your local running store and the sales staff will be able to assess how much damage has been done to them and whether or not you should keep on running in them.

I always ignore those figures about shoe replaceme...

2009-09-22T08:01:21.745-04:00

I always ignore those figures about shoe replacement... and I have crappy knees so there's really no excuse for wearing my shoes to death. But I hate shopping!

And I tend to delete many of those mass emails unread, unless they include amusing pictures suitable for a slacker with a short attention span.

I finally did start sending my father the Snopes o...

2009-09-22T07:30:17.681-04:00

I finally did start sending my father the Snopes or TruthorFiction.com links on all of those crazy emails he would forward.

Haven't gotten any of those from him lately, but he still sends me email when it is business (family or formal).

So, some people can take hints.

As for running shoes, no real rule, I just replace my shoes when my feet start to hurt, or I can afford to, whichever comes first.

huh. I seriously hadnt thought about the fact that...

2009-09-22T06:12:32.495-04:00

huh. I seriously hadnt thought about the fact that if I do keep running/marathon training Ill need to perhaps keep track of my mileage and replace my shoes at a certain point!
(it must mention that somewhere in the 8000 books I have about marathon training--yes?)
when I wear shoes for weights it can be all about the aesthetics!

look at YOU all helping me out and stuff.

thank you,

Miz.

"Polygons" cracked me up...I love the way you writ...

2009-09-22T05:43:09.407-04:00

"Polygons" cracked me up...I love the way you write, Merry!

On replacing the running shoes, I wonder if a heavier person should replace them sooner than a thinner person? I'll have shoes that look fine from the outside, but don't feel good anymore and I swear it's because my extra weight breaks them down faster.

500 miles sounds like a good guideline, DD. Not su...

2009-09-22T01:23:33.981-04:00

500 miles sounds like a good guideline, DD. Not sure if human-slugs always keep track of their mileage -- sometimes they're surprised at how far they've gone :)

My guideline to replacing running shoes - after 50...

2009-09-22T01:10:43.981-04:00

My guideline to replacing running shoes - after 500 miles. (Probably after fewer miles for those of us in the "clydsedale division") They may look fine but need to be replaced.