Running Shoes Part Two: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days

#12 Running Shoes Part Two

SNAPSHOT

Running shoes questions for kids, injuries, outside of running, and for the serious runners.

DIGGING DEEPER

KIDS RUNNING

What if my kids like to run in Crocs?

Yes, my ten-year-old headed to track practice in Crocs one day.  I didn’t mind too much, as I want her to grow strong foot and ankle muscles.  However, once she moves to running on the roads and for more than a mile, I want her in a more traditional running shoe, for safety and to reduce the shock of a high number of foot strikes on hard ground.

When should I buy running shoes for my child?

I remember my first pair of "real" running shoes boughten at the Fort Collins running shoe store for my 9th grade cross country team season. They were so white and cushiony.  My dad actually expected those shoes to last me for a few years, not the 3-6 months life span that happened. I knew the $60 (in 1994) was not in his tight budget but he was so kind to splurge for me. I can remember everything about that visit to the store. 

When your child is running consistently, either daily or on a running team, they need shoes dedicated to running only.  Be sensitive to comfort and not so much to cost, within reason, when selecting shoes. Help the runner to understand that the look of the shoes will not matter, leave the trendy styles and colors for regular shoes. Running shoes should look like running shoes.  Replace them every 6 months and check often to see if they are too small.  

When the runner is standing, there should be half a thumbnail space in front between foot and tip of the shoe.  Watch our for growth spurts and get right to the store.  However, don't buy shoes that are two sizes too big, trying to save money.  Falling and being injured from running in misfitted shoes will not be worth the money you were hoping to save.

Why should I NOT give my kids spikes at a young age?

Spikes allow the body to grip the ground and increase the force from of your foot and calf.  Children's muscles may not be ready to have the force that spikes create on the calves.  Let them get the benefit of spikes once they are over 12 years of age.  When you do introduce spikes into training and racing, do it gradually and with caution. 

FOOT INJURY

What if you battle with Plantar Fasciitis?

I feel your pain and sorrow.  After two long bouts of PF, I have found the keys to keeping me on my feet and adding up the miles.  Each of us is unique and will benefit from different solutions.  The best way to get back to running and stay running when battling PF is to try all the tricks and see which ones your body responds well with.  

It seems there are 100 ways to prevent or heal PF. After going through them all, these are my personal solutions: "foam" roll the bottom of my feet, foam roll and stretch calves, deep tissue massage calves, Fit Flop shoes and sandals (90% of my shoe wearing), custom orthotics during every run and race, being aware that I am susceptible to PF. These are my keys to happy feet.  You will have your own set of solutions. 

OUTSIDE OF RUNNING

Why should I ONLY use my running shoes for running and NOT my strength class at the Y?

Your feet make a pattern in the shoes.  Each activity that you do with your shoes on makes different patterns. Your running shoes need to keep your running pattern in them so that you have optimal support while running.  Let your used running shoes be your go to for your favorite Y strength class. Wearing your running shoes for other activities can lead to injury.

What type of shoes to wear when not running?

NOT flat unsupportive FLIP FLOPS!  Please select your regular shoes carefully.  Your choices will impact your training and injuries, your feet and calves could suffer. Invest in high quality supportive shoes that will last many years.  

I personally like the brands Born and Fit Flops.  Each season I buy one pair that is more trendy and wear them a majority of the time.  This winter I loved my black Mary Janes.  Last summer by black glitter sandals were perfect for the pool or an evening out.  Or my brown leather heels, low and high black boots, and brown clogs fill in all my other ensembles. If you love wearing flip flops in the summer, check out the Fit-flop flip flops that are so pretty and supportive you could wear them on your flight across the country.

FOR THE SERIOUS RUNNERS

What are spikes or flats?

In high school, I raced in spikes when on the mud filled cross-country courses.  More often now I race in flats since I am on roads.  Flats are lightweight shoes that can really impact your 5K finish time.  Since they are lighter weight than your regular training shoes it takes less energy to move the leg forward resulting in a greater race speed. Spikes are light weight shoes with metal spikes that protrude out of the sole, creating more grip.

I suggest flats for runners that are trying to break the 21-minute or faster 5K mark.  For runners finishing after the 21-minute mark, focus on other more important elements that can affect your finish time.

Flats and spikes should be replaced after about 1 year or about 75 racing miles.  

I also use flats when doing speed work on the track. They allow me to flex my foot more and get a better push off before my foot leaves the ground. In addition, my flats get me psychologically ready to race.

After my race warm-up, I slip on my flats on and am ready to race.

I caution runners when using them for 1/2 marathon and above distance races. Unless your body is accustomed to the lower amount of support and lower heel drop, the shoes could cause added stress while racing the long distances.

What running socks to wear?

May I introduce you to the socks that I want to wear even when not running.  I love them!! My favorite are Feetures Ultra-thin running socks.  I have many and have given many to others.  They come in a pair that has one sock shaped for your left foot and other another sock for your right foot.  They make my feet happy!  

Also some runners like a warmer wool sock in the winter and a thinner sock in the summer to reduce blisters.

What should I do with wet running shoes?

Newspaper!  Stuff the inside of your wet shoes with newspaper.  Twenty-four hours later pull out the wet newspaper and your shoes will be dry!

SOLUTION

Happy Feet, Fast Feet!

This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Runners Need Sleep: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days

#10 Runners Need Sleep

SNAPSHOT

I need SLEEP. You NEED sleep. Runners need sleep.

DIGGING DEEPER

The more miles, the more sleep I need. The more intensity while covering the miles, the more I need sleep.

I sleep at minimum 8 hours a night, if not running. If regularly training at 30-40 miles a week, I require 9 hours. When I am running over 50 miles a week, 10 hours is a must.

At bedtime, my completely dark bedroom is 55-60 degrees, with a white noise machine drowning out any extra night time noises. I wear a heavy duty eye mask and use lots of pillows. An alarm is set on my phone about once a week, to reduce the risk of arriving late for a training run. My phone’s notifications are set on Do Not Disturb until 8 am. And my family knows to not wake me.

I am the odd one. I know. I learned young that the amount and quality of sleep I acquire is unusual.

In high school, I didn’t wake a minute too early. No time for beauty prepping, I was a natural girl with my attention focused on being a healthy, faster runner.

In college, I would close the textbooks in time for 8-9 hours of sleep.

While raising babies, I suffered. And suffered. Four times over. I rank sleepless nights up there with toilet training and parking lots as my top three reasons I am not doing that again.

Overtraining was not the reason for a deep slump in race performance in my 30’s, it was the late nights up trying to complete my long list of tasks before the next day piled on more. Who was I kidding, I couldn’t do everything and be there for everyone. My low hours of sleep resulted in under-recovery, setting me up for failure.

Unlike what seems to be the norm of 6 hours of sleep a night, I CAN NOT OPERATE on only 6 hours. I will be a mess. I get sick within 1 or 2 nights. I get angry and frustrated. It is not pretty.

Waking up before 6am is reserved for only absolutely necessary situations. I mean really necessary.

I once attempted to become a coffee drinker, it was to reduce my chocolate intake (I know, funny haha). I failed within a week. Turns out a cup of coffee in the early morning keeps my eyelids wide open at midnight.

So this full night of sleep thing is a must. NO chance to escape the wrath of less sleep. I HAVE TO SLEEP.

I used to hide my need for sleep, thinking that it made me look lazy. If I remarked about only getting 8 hours of sleep and not my last needed 9th hour, the princess and pea tale echoed through heads. Ashamed, I would worry that I was not strong enough to conquer tiredness. What kind of supermom, superwoman am I that I need so much more sleep than others?

Many lessons later and a book filled with research, I see I am not so odd. I am actually healthy because of my dedication to sleep. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD, Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Human Sleep Science, lays out the science behind sleep and the body. This is must read for everyone. I will say it again. Please read this book! In fact, it is so important to me that it is apart of my son’s biology curriculum. You spend a quarter to a third of your life sleeping, know why your body demands it.

Here are a few of my takeaways from this book. Please don’t stop learning about sleep after reading the following quotes and my list for you. The book explains the research so well and it can change your life and your running. Become an expert sleeper!

Quotes from Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker PhD:

“Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer.”

“Too little sleep swells concentration of a hormone that makes you feel hungry while suppressing a companion hormone that otherwise signals food satisfaction.”

“Tragically, one person dies in a traffic accident every hour in the United States due to a fatigue-related error. It is disquieting to learn that vehicular accidents caused by drowsy driving exceed those caused by alcohol and drugs combined.”

“There does not seem to be one major organ within the body, or process within the brain, that isn’t optimally enhanced by sleep (and DETRIMENTALLY impaired when we don’t get enough).”

From a study in Edina, Minnesota in which the school’s start time was changed to about one hour later in the morning, the high school students yielded a higher SAT score, “investing in delaying school start times-allowing students more sleep and better alignment with their unchangeable biological rhythms- returned a net SAT profit of 212 points.” Sleep equals better brain function and memory. Not just for teens but for ALL AGES.

“When your children finally reach their mid-twenties and your car insurance premium drops, you can thank sleep for the savings.”

My list for you:

• SAY NO to Caffeine. If you can’t, then realize you have an addiction to take care of.

• SERIOUSLY stop using your computer and phone after 7 pm. Change your routines in order to accomplish this.

• Wake up without an alarm clock, if you can’t do that on most mornings, you are NOT getting enough sleep.

• Stop using the MAKEUP SLEEP method. It doesn’t work. You can’t makeup sleep!

• Driving while not getting enough routine night sleep hours is VERY DANGEROUS.

• The first hour and last hour of your sleep are very important. Cutting one hour off is so much worse than you realize. Each hour of your sleep has a purpose. Your brain completes certain tasks each hour, each one vital.

• Californians in the Western Time Zone have it much easier when it comes to tempting TV shows (like football games) that are broadcasted earlier in their day versus the Easter Time Zone that requires you to stay up way past your bedtime in order to see the final play or scene.

• Let your children and teens sleep.

• Sleep is not just for the growing years, it is vital for your health also.

• Know the basics of sleep, NREM, REM, circadian rhythm, melatonin, sleep pressure (one of my new favorite terms to express my feeling of tiredness)

• If you take a sleep aid or melatonin to fall asleep, you need to read this book to understand the choice you are making.

• All these choices affect you as a runner and person. Choose to train as a well-rested runner.

• FYI - This book is available in audio format also!

  
  This list is long and can feel overwhelming, however, the first step in change is knowledge. Request the book from your local library or download an audio version (the author actually prefers for you to listen to it while falling asleep) and understand more about your brain and sleep.

Take one step at a time progressing towards being a healthy, knowledgeable sleeper. Prioritize sleep and turn in early (for you) tonight, it just might change your life tomorrow.

SOLUTION

If you think that you can sleep only 6 hours and that be enough, think again…..

This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Additional Link to Teens and Sleep Article

Runner's Amazon Book List

SNAPSHOT

Booklover Runner

DIGGING DEEPER

My Amazon Book List— Those that I have highlighted, referenced, and devoured!

Ok, check it out. See which ones you want as Christmas presents, to find at your library, or to add to your audiobook collection.

My favorite categories of items are BOOKS, BAGS, and BASKETS. Oddly, they all start with the letter B, but they are my candy. I know what I love about books: well written, only as long as they need to be, insightful, and eye appealing.

So I searched though my bookshelves, Audible app, amazon ordered list and picked out my recommendations. These are the books that have survived the test of time or are new favorites.

Podcast interviews, the library bookshelf, and favorite authors are the many ways that a title will first get my attention. Often I request books from my library regional system and preview it to find if it is worth the time and money investment to purchase.

If it passes the test, I choose if audio or print format will be the best way to consume its contents.

Some printed books I highlight like crazy as a form of interactive learning.

Others are more for reference material. A conversation with a friend can cause me to research a deeper reason for my answer or intuition.

The audiobooks are often helpful for busy driving days and to share with my family through the audible app.

You may note that my list does not contain just running books. We are whole people with diversity within our bodies and minds. The interplay of different parts shapes us in unique ways. Growing ourselves as a whole being and not just in one facet will generate good health.

SOLUTION

A good book will take you away and return you changed.

Cross Country Running Coach Decal Window Clings

STORE OPEN

After searching online unsuccessfully for a car window cling to thank my son's high school running coaches, I took it into my own hands; designing and ordering my own original decals. Carefully I selecting a decal type that LEAVES NO RESIDUE and can be seen on shaded car windows. Currently, I have ONLY TWO extra up for grabs! Plus considering adding more options in colors, designs, and words. Any feedback or orders welcome!

ORDER HERE

Give feedback and make custom requests HERE!

The intersection of family and running

SNAPSHOT

When you have more than one love, creativity and flexibility will help you find a way to continue investing in your loves. 

DIGGING DEEPER

Map My Run author Ashley Lauretta interviewed me on the topic of running with your family.  And boy do I have experience in this dance.  As the kids are one by one reaching their teenage years, I am seeing the benefits of the strategies that I used. They all enjoy running and have a healthy relationship with the sport. 

One of my sons is in love with running and joins in with his running team at 6:15 AM on summer mornings!  Another son sees its value and adds in runs when training for his other sports. And oh how my heart melts when the middle two take off for their own running adventure together. 

My daughter will encourage me to get out and start my runs and even run alongside me for the first 3 miles.

Now my husband, his support is in listening to my nonstop talking about running and racing and coaching.  He may not take a step with me on the trails but he sure will have my eggs ready when I return from my Saturday morning run.

My philosophy has been to model and give them chances to participate but never to guilt trip or force them. My joy spreads.

Check out Lauretta's and a past Adirondack article for the how-tos of entwining your loves of family and running.

4 Tactics to Run as a Family on Map My Run website

Passing on the Joy of Running in the Adirondack Sports Magazine

SOLUTION

Model and have patience. They will come around.