Is It Time to Replace Your Running Shoes...or Time To Get an Evaluation?

Today's blog post is a tiny rant inspired by overhearing this conversation time and time again between runners...

"Yeah its about time for me to replace my shoes, my 'insert body part here'  has been acting up lately and 'insert symptoms here'. I definitely just need to get some new shoes."

While I concede the fact that slowly overtime the properties of your shoe will change and that will affect the kinetics or forces acting upon your body during activity. However, it is inane to think the real problem is your shoes. More likely is the fact that you probably have an underlying dysfunction that becomes sub-clinical with rapid change in kinetics (new shoes) that can allow the symptoms to alleviate.

Some people may argue that if this system isn't broke then don't fix it. If you have the money to constantly spend on shoes for every fabled 300-500 miles then maybe this is your thought process. On the other hand, what about the possibility that this potential dysfunction or running form issue could be detrimental in terms of potential performance. Even worse, this true dysfunction could eventually manifest into a much larger problem that isn't easily fixed with a new pair of shoes.

Want to know what the better solution is in my mind? Find yourself a clinician (athletic trainer, physical therapist, chiropractor, or doctor) that is experienced with runners, running biomechanics and assessing the entire body. We don't want to find somebody that is going to point out that your shoulder blades are dysfunctional (maybe...we do!?) but perhaps you have a dysfunctional hip or back issue that is manifesting itself as pain or injury at the foot or ankle? There is also the potential for somebody to suffer from a general medical issue that is not musculoskeletal related or potentially related to nutrition/lifestyle choices.

Do yourself, your running performance and your wallet a favor and refrain from buying tons of shoes and save up to get yourself a consultation with an expert clinician.  Don't just settle for anyone but ask around and find somebody that has some of the aforementioned qualifications.  That is my rant of the day!

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Book Review: Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention

Title:
Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention
Author: Jay Dicharry, MPT, SCS
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; 1 edition (August 1, 2012)
Pages: 290
Price: $10.67 (Paperback) or $7.99 (Kindle)
ISBN: 1620871599

Well, I've never formally written a review before let alone published one for people to read on a blog. The only reviewing I have done is given my opinion to others that would listen (or pretend to). However, I decided that this book was a great place to start. The quality of information and the way it was delivered has given me the motivation to make an attempt at writing this review. So...where do I begin?

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