Getting started

Running and walking require very little equipment, that’s one aspect that makes this sport so great! To get started all you need is a pair of shoes. Picking the right shoe can be a daunting task, but it is extremely important, especially for beginners. Starting out you need good shoes to decrease the risk of injury and keep you on the exercise road. Do you need the latest most expensive running shoe that the high school salesman at your local big box store pushes in front of you? No. Do you want to start your training in those old grass strained basketball shoes that are 3 years old? Definitely not! Most running shoes costing over $50 should provide the basic features you need to protect you. Spending a little more money should provide for more durability and more quality. Does that mean the shoe that costs $140 twice as good as the shoe that costs $70? Probably not. You should buy running shoes, not cross-trainers nor walking shoes and use your running shoes only to train, not for shopping nor for mowing the grass. Remember, when you are buying shoes, that running shoes usually run ½ to 1 size smaller than dress shoes. So, if you wear a size 7 dress shoe, you will probably need a size 7 and ½ running shoe and maybe even a size 8. Also, remember during your long workouts, your feet may swell and it’s better to error with a shoe too big than a shoe too small. Don’t ever buy a shoe that feels a little tight! [A beginning runner came up to me once complaining of foot pain. He thought he was developing plantars fasciitis. I asked him how long he had worn his shoes and he stated about 1 month. I looked at his shoes that were obviously well worn, and stated that they looked older than that. He then informed me that they were new to him, his brother had worn them for 2 years, had purchased a new pair and gave them to him!]

Shoe Basics

When you run your foot naturally rotates downward and inward. This is called pronation and helps the foot absorb some of the force of running. If your foot rolls inward too much, it is called overpronation. If your foot doesn’t roll inward enough, it is called underpronation. About 25% of runners overpronate, 25% underpronate and the other lucky 50% have normal pronation or are considered neutral. To some degree pronation can be determined by the arch of the foot. Runners with flat feet are usually over pronators. Runners with high arches are usually underpronators. Normal arches are most likely to be neutral.

How do you determine your arch? A simple test is to wet your bare feet and step onto a dry flat surface. If the footprint is wide and has little curve on the inside of the print, you probably have a low arch, flat foot. If the footprint is very narrow in the middle and shows mostly the heel and ball of the foot, you probably have a high arch. The normal foot arch will show the full foot with a moderate curve.

A rule of thumb is that flat feet are overpronators and high arched feet are underpronators, but there are other factors, like bowed legs or being knock-kneed.

Overpronators need a shoe that keeps their feet from rolling in excessively. These shoes are called motion control shoes and usually have a straighter shape with a gray “footbridge” along the inner side of the shoe to control the excessive inward roll.

Underpronators don’t absorb the impact of running well and need a cushioned shoe. Underpronators do not need a motion control shoe! A motion control shoe will aggravate an underpronator’s problem.

Neutral runners do not need a motion control shoe either. Shoes for neutral runners are called neutral shoes and sometimes referred to as stability shoes.

Buying the right shoe is almost as important as starting your exercise program. It can be compared to building a house. If the footer of the house is incorrect, the rest of the house will not be stable. If your shoes are not fitting correct, you will eventually start having foot, knee and hip pain. A lot of beginners believe they just can’t run/walk because as soon as they start, they experience some injury, and the problem is they just don’t have the correct shoe fit. When in doubt check with a professional, a running oriented podiatrist or running oriented sports medicine doctor. Some runners/walkers need custom orthotics that fit into their shoe to correct their form. Non-custom orthotics can be purchased over the counter.

Watches

Everyone needs a running watch. If you don’t have a running watches how can you tell where you have gone and how fast it took you to get there? Really, you need a watch so you can time your workouts. This allows you to gauge your improvements. Running watches have a stopwatch mode that allows you to record your laps or miles. Timex and Casio are 2 brand names that make reliable running watches. Running watches can record anywhere from 8 laps to 200 laps. Expect to pay between $20-40 for a watch.

Typical Timex sports watch

Saucony brand shoes

Dress for the elements!

What to wear

If it was always 70 degrees it would be easy to decide what to wear. Unfortunately, not everybody lives in San Diego. The number 1 rule of dressing to run is to dress like it is 20 degrees warmer than the temperature. If its 80 degrees at the start of a run, it will feel like its 100 towards the end of a run. If its 20 degrees, dress like it is 40 degrees.

On long workouts and races, whether it is hot or cold your clothing closest to your skin should be made of a “wicking” material. Wicking materials are synthetic and allow moisture to move off of your skin to the outside of the material. Cotton has the tendency to stay wet once it gets wet. This makes it heavier it both the winter and the summer and colder in the winter. Some examples of “wicking” material are: coolmax and drifit. You can look at the label and it will probably have polypropylene and polyester listed. Shirts, shorts and socks are all available in these materials.

During cold weather, you should have a second layer that fits loosely. This layers responsibility is to insulate you by creating an air space. A running vest is a good idea and some of the fabrics include polartec and polyester fleece.

An outer layer can be worn in extreme cold, wind and rain and can be a protective shell or vest. Again, it should be loose fitting enabling it to be removed easily if you overheat. A zipper is nice so that if you start to get hot you can partially unzip it, without having to take it off. Gore-Tex is the most well known outer layer and is supposed to wick moisture away from the body and retain body heat. It is usually reserved for extreme cold, wet, windy weather. Nylon can also be used to block wind and rain.

In cold weather it is important to protect your hands, face and ears. A headband keeps your ears warm without overheating you. Gloves are a must for cold weather. Again, hats, headbands and gloves can be purchased in wicking material, although inexpensive cotton gloves and headbands work well.

For long workouts it is a good idea to also have wicking socks that are also seam-free and supposedly blister free. Again, coolmax leads the field here. For shorter workouts cotton socks work fine. Once you start doing long runs, it’s important to practice in what you intend to wear race day, that way you can find out if something is going to chaff or cause blisters.