I ended my laziness and went for a good long run at a quick pace. I think the sun gave me energy. 
A friend of mine wants to go to Joshua Tree park in a couple weekends, so I checked my calendar to see if I could make it. I was surprised to see that I signed myself up for a 10k in golden gate park on that Saturday! Time to start training!
Pronation is an inward motion of the foot during a footstrike. Pronating is a normal occurrence, up to an angle of about 15%. At higher or lower angles, corrective running shoes can help to prevent injury.
When I started reading about pronation, I found it helpful to compare running and walking movements to better understand pronation.
Walking:
When walking, the foot strikes the ground with the leg in a nearly vertical line coming down from the hip. The foot rolls with little sideways rotation, in a heel to toe movement.
Running:
While running the legs point at an inward angle, touching the ground closer to the mid-line of the body. This causes the feet to strike the ground with the outer edge of the heel and foot. The movement progresses along the outer edge of the foot, and the foot begins to roll inward. By the time the ball of the foot engages with the ground, the foot has rotated inwardly so that it is placed evenly on the ground in preparation for pushing off.
That, in a nutshell, is pronation!
I normally run 4 miles everyday, but today I was totally lazy. With all the reading I’ve been doing about running and training for races, I feel inspired to try some new runs and put more variety into my weekly routine.
I decided that I would like to run a half marathon in February, so I’m getting ready to think about how to train for it. I’ve never trained for a race before, so it is all new to me.
I s’pose the first step is not being lazy! Tomorrow, it is time to get serious!
Done with your wet footprint test? Now it’s time to determine what your foot print says about your arch height. This will help you find running shoes that fit properly.
Compare the images below with your footprint. Then read the description of the shoe type you should look for below.
Flat Arch:
Normal Arch:
High Arch:
Click to learn about pronation.
Flat Arch & Running shoes
Got Flat Feet? Flat feet tend to roll to far inwards, known as overpronating. When shopping for running shoes, look for styles that say “stability”, “support” or “motion control”. These shoe designs reduce pronation using dual-density midsoles and supportive “posts”. Stability shoes are a good remedy for small to medium amounts of pronation, while motion control designs are good for severe overpronators.
Normal Arch & Running shoes
Runners with normal arches can wear a variety of running shoes, but good arch support will be beneficial.
High Arch & Running shoes
High arches tend to cause the opposite problem of overpronation, known as supination or underpronation. This condition is corrected using cushioned running shoes.
Ever stop to look at your footprints at the pool or when you get out of the shower? If not, take a look next time, or better yet, conduct your very own wet footprint test.
Why should you care about your footprints? Because your bare footprint gives you valuable clues about your arch height, and which running shoes will fit you properly. Your foot’s arch height determines whether you should wear supportive running shoes, cushioned running shoes or something in between.
All you need is a damp cloth and a thick piece of paper. Dab your bare foot with the damp cloth until it is wet enough that it will leave a print on the paper. Then step on the paper, and voila! You have a wet footprint. If you want to make a more permanent footprint, just outline the watery edge of your footprint with a pen. Alternatively, you can trace your foot using a pencil and skip the water. Just make sure to slide the pencil underneath your arch so that you get an outline of your footprint, not just your foots shadow.
Here is my foot:
Wet Footprint:
Traced Footprint
As you can see, my arches a pretty close to normal.
Running is so basic, but I’ve been astonished at the amount of information and the quantity of facets involved in it.
I got two books from the library about running: Daniel’s Running Formula by Jack Daniels (he’s a coach, no relation to whiskey). The other is Run with the Champions by Marc Bloom.
Both books are packed with information that I’ll share with my reactions as I find it.
I’ve also been reading about running shoes and what sort of shoes different people need. I want to write a post about pronation and human running gate and how it affects shoe buying.
I’ve got loads of other ideas for potential articles:
All you need for this test is a mirror and your own tootsies! Compare your RIGHT foot to the images below:
Normal Pronator:
Overpronator:
Under Pronator:
You can determine your pronation by looking at the wear marks on the shoes you have been running in. You’ll need an older pair that are well worn.
In my research, I’ve found two ways you can determine your pronation by observing your worn running shoes.
Method One
Set the shoes on a flat surface where you have clear view of the back of the shoes (I used the floor…now I’m dusty from laying down to get a good view… I’d recommend using a table). You are interested in the soles of the shoes at the heel. What to look for:
Normal pronator: The shoes will not lean in either direction.
Overpronator: The shoes will lean toward the inside edge.
Under pronator: The shoes will lean toward the outside edge.
Be cautious with this method of determining pronation–I just took a look at four different pairs of my shoes. Two of them are perfectly straight, and two of them are tilted somewhat inward. It looks to me like the construction of the shoe can have a lot to do with the way it looks from the back.
Method Two
Take a look at the bottoms of an old pair of running shoes. The wear patterns on the sole can be helpful clues in determining how you pronate.
Normal pronator: The shoes will have even wear across the width of the heels and toes.
Overpronator: The shoes will have wear marks along the outer edge of the heel and the inner edge of the toe.
Under pronator: The shoes will have wear marks along the outer edge of both the heel and the toe.
When I tried looking at my own shoes, I had a hard time reading them. I think the best method for determining your pronation is the wet footprint test. However, looking at your shoes is a good backup method.
There are two other methods for determining your pronation prescription:
Wet Footprint Test
Ankle Angle Mirror Test
Watch other runners carefully next time you go out for a run. Don’t look at their faces, look at their feet. If you look close enough, you’ll see a rainbow of running variety.
I spent today’s run watching which part of the foot people land on, whether they over pronate, and whether their feet point straight ahead or to the side. Some toes point in, some point out. Some knees bow together, some are straight up and down. Some people kick up their heels so far that they almost kick their own behinds .
No wonder it is rare to find that perfect pair of running shoes.
I never closely scrutinized other runners’ form. Researching for this blog has heightened my awareness of the importance of form, and for the first time I’m realizing that I can work on changing my running form, improving it.
If beauty is simplicity, running is a beautiful sport
At least in terms of the required equipment: A pair of good running shoes. That’s all we need!
It sounds simple, and it is, once you find that perfect pair. That illusive combination of support, footbed shape, comfort and style is rare.
We’ve all experienced the excitement of finding the perfect pair or running shoes. When you find them, you just know.
I hope that this blog will help runners to find their own perfect pair of running shoes.
I am excited to learn from all the other bloggers out there, and to teach everything I’ve learned about running in the past eight years.
Welcome to my blog!
–Shoe Running
