My analysis, however, along with the entire business model around which specialty running shoe stores are based, might be fundamentally flawed.

In fact, according to a report on the NYTimes.com Well blog, running shoe advice given by everyone within the industry – from medical professionals like podiatrists and physical therapists to coaches and marketers – is almost entirely based on unscientific findings.

When scientific method is applied to examine whether running shoes serve their essential purpose – to prevent injury – studies consistently show no difference between “proper” and “improper” shoes.

Over the course of three large studies, the most recent of which was published last month in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers found almost no correlation at all between wearing the proper running shoes and avoiding injury. Injury rates were high among all the runners, but they were highest among the soldiers who had received shoes designed specifically for their foot types. If anything, wearing the “right” shoes for their particular foot shape had increased trainees’ chances of being hurt.

Among the concepts the studies debunk are whether pronation is an inherent injury risk. Pronation, the inward rolling motion of feet and lower legs upon striking the surface (caused by collapsing arches) is a distinguishing factor for determining what the “right” shoe is for runners.

The majority of runners pronate to some extent, which is why moderate stability shoes like Asics 2150 and Brooks Adrenaline, are the most oft-purchased shoes in any specialty running shoe.

But there’s a biological reason humans naturally pronate. To sustain the high impact that running has on the body, pronation naturally dissipates shock over a larger surface area of your foot, rather than being concentrated in one part.

Although it looks physically traumatic to the body, when viewed in slow motion, there aren’t much conclusive findings to connect pronation to an increased injury risk. Meaning, the in-store gait analysis process that specialty running promote so heavily would be based on little more than a marketing ploy.

There are a couple caveats to consider before you throw out your $100 running shoes and convert to barefoot running, however.

First of all, the NYTimes.com article doesn’t specify what kinds of shoes the subjects used in the studies. Are they all high-end shoes, in which the only variable is functional category (neutral vs. stability vs. motion control)? There’s a big difference between high-end shoes, which cost between $85 – $140, and low-end pairs, which usually cost less than $50 and fall apart within a month of heavy use. It’s likely that a noticeable difference would emerge if the sample size compared shoes by price rather than functionality. In which case there would still be merit to purchasing high-end running shoes, albeit less merit in the gait analysis process.

Secondly, any running store staffer who tells you that shoes will exclusively prevent an injury is either ignorant or lying. It would be an easy sale, telling customers what they want to hear,  that their injury is as quick a fix as buying new running shoes.

Unfortunately, like training itself, injury prevention requires a holistic approach. Stretching and strengthening exercises, which build up flexibility and support in the muscles, ligaments and tendons that running stresses the  most, are essential. So are regular massages, if you can afford them. If you can’t, pick up a cheap substitute, like a foam roller, a rolling stick or one of Trigger Points special density rollers.

Above all, don’t go into the shoe-buying process without your own information and perspective. Try on shoes in all of the functional categories, not just the ones your sales associate recommends. Try to feel the difference between the shoes and ask your associate what their purposes are. And remember that the best fitting shoe in the store will likely be the best fit for your training, regardless of whether it is the one subscribed to you.

Image by Peti (Deuxmont) Morgan via Flickr

Across the country temperatures are heating up and along the Eastern Seaboard the highs are predicted to top 100 this week. Common sense tells us that an ice cream cone and an air-conditioned room seem like a better idea than an outdoor run, but the fact is many fall marathon training plans have already begun. If you have a gym membership (and can survive the treadmill), that might be your best option, but what if you can’t run inside? It IS possible to run outside this summer, without collapsing from heatstroke. Read on for my “beat the heat” running tips!

• If you can swing it, an early morning or evening jaunt will spare you from mid-day sun and the day’s hottest temperatures. And in many places, the sun doesn’t set until nearly 9pm, so you can still fit in a post-work run in the daylight.
• Wear as little as possible – my summer running uniform is simply a sports bra, shorts, running shoes, and socks. I might not have abs of steele, but the 90 degree temperatures help me to get over any doubts about running shirtless.
• Plan your route around water stops – I like to run in Central Park because there is a plentitude of public drinking fountains. If you can’t locate water fountains, bring some cash for a mid-run icy cold Gatorade stop or seek out your neighbor’s sprinklers. And if you see a cool and refreshing swimming pool? Take a dip! I won’t tell.
• Adjust your pace. When the heat and humidity are high, plan on running at least 1 minute per mile slower than usual.
• Hydrate in advance. Rather than chugging a bunch of water or Gatorade minutes before a run (hello sloshy stomach…), drink slowly and steadily throughout the day. Increase your fluid and electrolyte intake until your urine is clear.

As is the case with any extreme weather running – be careful! Tell someone where you’re going/when you’ll be back and if you start to feel dizzy or sick, stop and take a break. Happy and safe summer running!

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Every seasoned runner knows the benefits of intervals - increased V02 max, higher calorie burn, and one of the most efficient ways to improve speed. Interval workouts are often the staple of training plans from milers to marathoners, but how do you know if your workout is well, working for you? Different coaches recommend different interval lengths, paces, and recovery times. However, a new approach based on self-perception has recently been heralded as the most effective. 

Andrew Edwards, a former track star and exercise physiologist, recently published a paper in the Journal of Pyschophysiology entitled “Self-pacing in interval training: A teleoanticpatory approach”. Edwards’ study divided track runners into three groups – Group A completed 5 x 1000m @ 90% effort and then recovered until there heart rate returned to 13- bpm. Group B completed the workout and then recovered for the same amount of time as it took to run the 1,000m (~3:18) and Group C ran the workout and then rested until they felt recovered enough to run at 90% effort. The results showed that Group A had not recovered enough and subsequently slowed on the later intervals. Groups B and C were both able to finish the workout at expected times, however the runners that recovered “by feel” (Group C) actually took less recovery time, thus completing a more efficient workout.

The take-away from this study? Adjusting your workout to how you feel can help you to become a better, more attuned runner. Depending on the weather, the amount of sleep you’ve been getting, and your training schedule you may need more or less recovery during your workouts.

Happy Running!

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The other day I was reading the latest issue of Running Times and came across an article about the connection between our daily routines and running form. Pete Pfitzinger, co-author of Advanced Marathoning and current cube monkey made the following statement about sitting at a desk from 9-5: “the hamstrings become short and weak and the core muscles do not have to work as you lean back in your chair”. Competitive runner and coach Pete Magill agrees “It plays murder on our hips, and can also cause illiotibial band syndrome” Anything we do for a long time strains certain muscles, and they’re going to go into spasm.”

How many of us commute to work, sit for 8+ hours at a desk, commute home, and then head out the door for a run? A sedentary lifestyle is a fact of life for many office workers and unless your employer is willing to shell out for a treadmill desk, you’re going to need a plan of action. If you sit for long periods at a time, it may be better for you to run in the morning. If you must run after work, make sure to thoroughly warm-up before attempting to pick up the pace. Whenever I schedule evening speed sessions, I make sure to start out with a few minutes of walking and a gradual 2 mile warm-up. Running fast with tight hips and hamstrings is an injury waiting to happen! In additon to jogging, you can also reverse some of your desk job’s damage by completing a dynamic warm-up. Runner’s World recently published a quick 7-minute routine that combines stretching and strength training. No matter how strapped for time you may be, skipping that extra mile in favor of a few minutes of prevention will be well worth it. Even if you only have a minute or two – some dynamic stretches (think leg swings, skips, etc) can get your blood flowing and loosen up muscles. I try to add a little bit of moment whenever I can – lunch breaks, while waiting for the elevator, in the ladies room, etc. Every little bit counts!

Frequent breaks and stretching are well and good, but you also need to focus on the root of the problem – muscle strain and poor posture while at the desk. Avoid added neck strain by positioning your computor monitor at eye level and scoot in your chair so you can read without jutting out your chin or hunching over. Plant your feet firmly on the floor, engage your ab muscles, and press your shoulders into the back of your chair. I also like to keep a tennis ball handy – it works wonders for massaging out tense back muscles. Unless you’re an elite, you probably only have 1-2 hours a day to to train, don’t let the 8 (or more!) hours you spend at work jeopordize that next PR. Happy Running!

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Indeed, without the constraints of teammates and opponents and field specifications that limit other sports, the only thing a runner truly needs to “play” is a good pair of high-end running shoes. They are a reliable training partner to prevent injuries and endure for hundreds of miles.

When seen through this scope, $100 doesn’t seem so steep to pay for a pair, but just because a shoe is displayed at a specialty running store doesn’t mean it’s automatically okay for you. All first-time or beginner runners should, first and foremost, get fitted for a shoe with proper gait analysis, which most stores offer for free. In addition to this however, there are several misconceptions customers have during the shoe-buying process. Since working at the New York Running Company, a specialty running store in Manhattan, I’ve observed customer buying habits, spoken to a bunch of shoe tech reps and taken notes. Here is a list of five indispensible misconceptions that buyers should be aware of of before purchasing their shoes.

1. Beware of Brand Loyalty

The running boom has resulted in fierce competition among athletic brands for the money of affluent participants. This is a benefit to all runners, however, because it has forced companies that want to have a legitimate stake in the market to invest heavily in research and development. The result is the largest variety of high quality running brands ever available to runners.

And here’s the thing: With only a few exceptions, they’re all making very, very good products. Customers ask me all the time ‘What’s the best running shoe?’ as if there’s just one shoe we pull from the shelf with a wink and crooked smile. In fact there are literally dozens and each brand delivers a host of good shoes. I’ve personally trained in nearly all of them and been satisfied each time.

The bottomline is, there’s no reason to get hung up on trying on shoes from only one brand or refusing to try on shoes from another brand. Doing that will only limit your ability to make an informed purchasing decision.

2. Beware of gimmicks

Just because it’s a running shoe store doesn’t mean that it exclusively carries shoes ideal for running. They are a business first  and foremost with an interest in making a profit. To an extent stores account for styles and trends that the masses desire.

Every couple of months, a brand comes out with an odd-looking shoe and markets it to runners. The current shoe to fit that mold is the Reebok Zig Tech, which became a viral marketing sensation when Chuck Liddell and Chad Ochocinco were “caught” working out naked in them.

(Although it’s somewhat obvious that these were carefully placed spots filmed with the athletes’ approval, it didn’t stop mainstreamers from covering it like legitimate news….to the extent that naked athletes is news at all.)

Anyway, the Zig claims to absorb impact by spreading out shock over the length of the shoe’s sole, which resembles a tumultuous day of company stocks on Wall Street. Unfortunately it lacked any and all support for even the mildest pronators and proved to be just a bad shoe to log miles in.

Before the Zigs, there were (and still are, really) the Nike Shox, which were a case study in how far Nike had ventured from their legacy as a running brand. The initial Shox, which were elevated in the heel by four spring-like columns and nothing else, were marketed directly to runners as a high performance training shoe. Serious runners soon found that they were borderline defective, falling apart within in the first month of use. Worse, many runners began complaining of an array of painful running injuries.

Point is, if you see a new, different-looking running shoe being advertised to the masses on national television, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a good shoe. In fact, you should probably stay away altogether.

3. Beware of price

Logic follows that the higher the price of a product is, the better quality it should be than one that costs less, right? Actually, that couldn’t be further from the truth for running shoes. The most expensive shoe at New York Running Company, the Asics Gel-Kinsei ($180), is also one of the last I’d recommend for a serious runner. While legitimately good shoes like the Asics Kayano and Mizuno Nirvana run as high as $140, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a “better” shoe for you.

For one, all shoes are built for a specific kind of foot and arch shape, as well as for the physiological functions they make in association with the rest of your body.

The best-selling shoes, year-in and year-out, are the ones in the $90-$110. In our store that includes the Asics 2150 ($100) and Brooks Adrenaline ($100). They are beloved not because they have a crapload of cushion or support, or even because they cost less. Rather, they’re built around a last that wraps well and simply fit’s the foot well. The comment I always hear from customers when they try these shoes are “I don’t know how to explain it, but it just feels like it fits my foot.” .

4. Beware of Out-of-box comfort

A recent trend for neutral shoes, which are shoes for high-arched runners who don’t overpronate and tend to strike on the midfoot, are building up the sole with lots of soft cushioned foam/gel/air, etc. It creates a feel that, upon trying on for the first time, is irresistibly comfortable.

Unfortunately softness isn’t necessarily a positive for running. For one thing, some runners who pronate need firmer foams under them, specifically at the heel where most runners strike upon landing. For another thing, cushioning isn’t a lightweight material. More minimal neutral shoes (which are also cheaper) are going to be lighter weight, and more flexible. For performance purposes, it’s beneficial to feel the surface beneath you. The soft pillowy effect that max cushion provides makes you feel like you’re running on, well, pillows. Soft, sinking, energy-absorbing pillows.

A couple of shoes in particular that have ton of cushioning are the Asics Nimbus and Nike Vomero. While neither are necessarily bad – in fact, they’re quite good for the neutral runner that genuinely prefers more cushion – they can feel so good out of the box that they mislead a runner into thinking it’s the best fitting shoe.

5. Beware of vanity

This sort misconception almost speaks for itself, but in the vanity-driven world of New York City, you’d be surprised at how many legitimate runners refuse to try a pair of shoes because it’s not the right color or style.

Look, running shoes aren’t ideal for walking around the Meatpacking District on a Saturday night, but they’re fine for Central Park on a Tuesday evening. Although shoe designers continue to tweak colors and styles to appeal to larger audiences, even they understand it’s a relatively futile effort: For every person who likes their shoe white, there’s another who wants pink and another who wants blue and another who wants black. So if you’re a fashion-conscious person in life, make this the one aspect in which you give in to health over image.

Image by magpiebride via Flickr

A recent NY Times article touts the benefits of pickle juice in alleviating muscle cramps. According to a study published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Pickle juice “relieved a cramp 45 percent faster” than drinking no fluids and about 37 percent faster than water. In the study, athletes were asked to cycle until slightly dehydrated and then received an electrical stimulation to induce a cramp in their big toe. On average the cramps lasted about 2.5 minutes, but when the subjects sipped on pickle juice the cramps were shortened to less than 1.5 minutes.

So what exactly is alleviating the cramp? Sodium? Water? Perhaps neither. Another study indicated that since the same amount of electrical stimulation was needed to induce cramps in fully hydrated and de-hydrated muscles, water and sodium levels were not the main cause of the painful contractions. Instead, researchers postulated that muscle fatigue is the main instigator of cramps. “Certain mechanisms within muscles have been found, in animal and limited human studies to start misfiring when a muscle is extremely tired.”  Researchers  suspect that the vinegar in the pickle juice is the main player in counteracting this muscle malfunction.

While you may not be able to stomach the thought of replacing your Gatorade with pickle juice, it couldn’t hurt to keep a jar of dills on hand. And if you don’t like pickles, other foods that contain vinegar include balsamic vinegar-based salad dressing and coleslaw made with vinegar instead of mayo.

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Sophomores Maddie Meyers and Lukas Verzbicas, inaugural Jim Ryun Dream Mile Champs

- Lukas Verzbicas, for leading start-to-finish in the inaugural Jim Ryun High School Dream Mile (4:04.38); Maddie Meyers, for leading only for the last 50m to win the girls race (4:41.93). Both were the fastest high school times this year. Here’ my recap on MileSplit.

- Welcome to the blogosphere, Nicole Blood.

- According to NYTimes, adidas Grand Prix was more of a loser than a winner.

- Running while pregnant!

Olympians Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe jog with Radcliffe's daughter in Mini 10K

- 20-year old Kenyan Linet Masai dropped the hammer on the fourth mile to coast to victory at the NYRR Mini 10K.

- Did you hear? They’re pregnant! In covering the Mini 10K, NYT’s Liz Robbins couldn’t resist. Can’t blame her.

- Nice Letsrun recap of adidas Grand Prix meet from Tim Loh. More of him, please.

- Big winners at NCAA Championships: Double champs Andrew Wheating (800m/1500m), Lisa Koll (5,000m/10,000m) Texas A&M (Men’s/Women’s titles), Blessing Okagbare (100m/Long Jump), Ryan Whiting (Shot put/Discus), Queen Harrison (100 hurdles/400 hurdles), Porscha Lucas (200/4×100m), Jeff Demps (100/4×100m)

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Photo of the weekend: Oregon's Wheating, Acosta and Centrowitz sweep the 1500m final [TrackPhoto.com

- John Korir and James Carney, in that order, in some 10K road race I only heard of this morning but seems like a big one in the midwest (east coast media bias – guilty).

Bolt, avoiding eye contact by all means necessary

Usain Bolt!!

The 100m world record holder bummed out everyone when he withdrew from this meet last month  because of a leg injury. Then Tyson Gay scratched and all the hype was gone from one of the meet’s most exciting events.

Well, Bolt made an appearance after all.

Gotta say though. He’s clearly crossed over from a media-friendly track and field athlete to an overly-cautious, all-out international super star. He spent more time on his phone than making eye contact, although he did abide when asked for an autograph or to pose for a picture.

Here’s how my first exclusive interview went with the fastest man in the history of the world.

Me: “Usain, how’s the leg?”

Bolt: [no answer]

Me: [repeats] “Usain, how’s the leg?”

Bolt: [looks at me and nods head]

Me: “Usain, does the crowd even know you’re out yet? They’re pretty quiet.”

Bolt: [looks at me and shakes his head]

There was also an awkward moment when Allyson Felix walked right by him without noticing him. He turned his head and look interested in something other than his phone for the first time all day. Alas, she was being interviewed.

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Not quite the same effect as the in-person view

There’s still nothing like watching a race with a pace truck view, but NYRR tried to bring the next best thing to anyone willing to wake up before 9am on a weekend and open their web browser. The future is here!

Unfortunately, the future has not yet invested in hi-def online video. The race was streamed live on NYRR.org and called by announcer Toni Reavis, but resolution was really, really low, making it impossible to make out even the most obvious details.

For what it’s worth, I was able to tell the difference between Kim Smith and the rest of the field.

Oh yes, the results: Linet Masai won in 30:48, something like the 2^nd or 4^th fastest time in race history (I heard both). She dropped the hammer at the halfway point of the NYC Mini 10K in the Harlem Hills sections. She ran a 5:07 mile up that long, steep climb and gapped the pack chasing her. Masai, only 20-years old, is also the reigning World Champion in the 10,000m. Lornah Kiplagat took control of the race for the first 5K, pushing the pack through a 9:54 two-mile and 15:11 5K but it became apparent pretty soon after that there was only one contender.

The pregnant Kara Goucher scratched at the last minute and held the finish-line tape. The pregnant Paula Radcliffe did run, however.

By the way, get ready for four more months of Radcliffe and Goucher pregnancy talk, especially since they share the same due date in September. This story line is a dream for publicists and media alike.

Check out all results here.

Ryun first achieved fame as the first high school athlete to run a sub-4 mile. His time of 3:51.1 stood as an American record for for 14 years and as a World Record for 8 years. He won a silver medal in the 1968 Olympics. He achieved fame again as a five-term U.S. Congressman, serving from 1997-2007.

Running Shorts: Why is this race being organized and why are you involved in it?

Jim Ryun: I think this race gives us an opportunity to take high school miling to a new level. I appreciate the fact that adidas has been willing to come in and bring the best high school milers and put them on the same track at the same time. In my day you had an event called the Golden West Invitational, which was just for seniors, but now you’re having an event where it allows anybody at any age, based upon time more than anything else, to come in and run against the best there is in the United States.

RS: What are your thoughts in how this race will go out? How will the runners be helped to get as close to 4-flat as possible?

JR: They’re going to have some help. There will be somebody in there helping the pace for the first half mile. I think most of them are thinking 2:00-2:01. It’s a great setup from there because most of them can handle that. And that’s when the race really begins.

RS: Have you talked to any of the runners? What kinds of things have you talked about?

JR: We talked a little bit about what they should do when they go out there. I emphasized to them the great story from Hoosiers, when the coach goes out and measures how high the basketball goal is, and how far the free throw line is and it’s just like it was at home. And so I mentioned to them, the track’s still the same size. You’re going to have a lot more people there, but remember that you’ve run all these races. Keeping your focus going up to that starting line is very important. But I think most of them are ready.

RS: What’s the biggest difference between high school running when you broke 4 minutes and today?

JR: There wasn’t as large a gap between high school running and open running. Now, that gap has become larger so it’s a lot more difficult for the high school runner to attach himself to the open runners and hang on to them, so to speak. When I was running, for example, my first time under four minutes, I was the eight person in and I ran 3:59.00. The winning time was 3:57 or 3:56. In an open race today you wouldn’t be able to find that close a gap. You’d find the time is so much faster that it’s difficult for the high school runner to make that gap jump.

RS: Are high school runners today training smarter?

JR: One thing that’s changed is today there is more science behind running. In my day, back in the 60s and 70s, we were flying by the seat of our pants, trying to figure out what to do. My coach, Coach [Bob] Timmons, had taken some practical things he learned in swimming and applied them to running, but there wasn’t a lot of science to it.

So yes, we did over train, but I will say this about the over training: It gave you a great deal of – I don’t know how to describe it any other way – feel for running. Today a lot of times athletes will do something because science tells them that. It doesn’t necessarily have a feel for when they’re really rested or when they’re really tired. So there is a smarter runner in once sense and yet the same thing remains true: it still takes a lot of work to get there.

RS: What kind of training did you do in high school to ‘get there’?

JR: When I first started my sophomore year, I hadn’t done any running at all. I went from 0 to 60 and got shin splints along the way. Those first few months were pretty painful. A lot of my work was done on the track. On a five-day week we were on the track four of those days, which in a sense is overtraining, but we had good success with it.

For a workout, we usually did quarter mile repeats every Wednesday in cross country season, starting at 16 and going to an overly abundant number of 40, thenbacking down at the end of the season to maybe 20 or so.

RS: Forty….?

JR: ..times a quarter, right. It took a long time do that. Those are some of the workouts that people look at and say ‘How’d you do that?’ Well, everybody did that. It wasn’t just me. By the time I graduated from high school it was not unusual to put 100+miles a week in.

RS: Do you think that kind of overtraining shortened your career in any way?

JR: I don’t think it affected it negatively in that sense at all. Bob Schul [1964 5000m Olympic gold medalist] made an observation about my training which I thought was true and is still true today. He said ‘As long as Jim continues to see improvements and has the rewards, it doesn’t matter how much work he does. And while it looks like he might be overtraining, as long as he has those rewards, that’s justification for it.” And I think that’s the one thing that helps along the way. Yes, we did overtrain but at the same time we had great rewards to go along with it.

RS: What else are you involved in with the running community?

JR: We’ve been doing our running camps for 38 years. You can go to our web site, which is RyunRunning.com. We have two camps – one in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, one in Fort Collins. Now we have some of the finest coaches coming in. Jack Daniels comes in to help us. Bill Lundberg, who’s the head coach at Hillsdale College. We’ve had young runners like Ryan Hall who came in high school. His wife has come too.

RS: Have you ever had any interest in ever doing any coaching for a big time high school or college running program?

JR: I never really had an interest in it. I said years ago there are two things I’d never be involved in: politics and coaching. And here I served in Congress for 10 years and all I do is coach during camp. I never thought I’d be serving in Congress, but an experience goes back to when I was in high school and running against the Soviet Union and the communist countries. And I’d come back and I’d see the great country we had, thinking maybe someday I could be involved in helping out, never thinking I’d serve in Congress. It was a great honor, a great privilege to be there for 10 years.