Sunday Runday: Something's A-foot

I was out on a run on Friday when I started getting some tightness in my shins.  It was strange because I haven't had any problems with that the entire pregnancy.  And then I realized - maybe it's my shoes?  Because I haven't done a weekday run in my Vibrams in at least a month.  And they certainly felt tighter.

In general, any running complaints I have I usually blame on my shoes.  It's a fairly good guess.  The majority of running injuries come from wearing the wrong shoes.  Shoes are a runner's primary investment, the most expensive part of the hobby. 

When I started running more than just a couple miles here or there, I got fitted for shoes at one of the big name running shops.  "Fitted" means they had me run on a treadmill and evaluated my gait.  I tend to under-pronate, but only slightly, so a "neutral" shoe works best for me.  They put me in a pair of New Balances and sent me on my way.

It was the first time I'd ever been in pain running.  My knee started hurting before I hit the first mile.  Those shoes went right back to the shop and I requested a neutral Nike, since I'd been running in those since the dawn of time.  My one bad experience has made it difficult for me to switch brands!  I know most runners love Mizunos, Brookes, and Hokas, but I stick with what I know.

So lately I've been wearing my Nikes on all my weekend runs and I think I'm going to have to start packing them in my workday run bag.  I'm hopeful that once my feet return to their pre-pregnacy state I'll be able to switch back to the Vibrams during the week - they're so much easier to pack!