Its all in the shoes.......

So as you all may know......Ive have been suffering from a bumm knee. It has been bothering me since the end of July, after I stupidly upped my milege alot in one week. I took some time off and started back a few weeks later but it still bothered me. I was getting really depressed because I wasnt sure if I would be able to run this half marathon that is coming up in November. I was really close to hanging up my running shoes and saying goodbye to them forever.

A few weeks ago...Loren and I went into Wasatch Running so he could get a new pair of shoes for the St George Marathon. His feet and heel were bothering him, so we decided to just bite the bullet and pay for a really good pair. While I was there, I was looking at all the cute shoes(ofcourse I look at style first) and was picking out the ones in my mind that I would get if I was getting shoes. I watched this sales associate help Loren fit his feet for shoes and was really impressed with the whole process. He took alot of time with him, making sure he got the right one for his foot type. During this process, this guy started asking me if I ran as well. I proceeded to tell him about my knee issues. He asked me what shoes I was running in and how long I had them. He told me right off, that my knee problem stemmed from my shoes.

So heres the issue......When I buy shoes....I usually go to Big 5 and pick out the cutest cheapest pair I can find. It is always about style first and then if they are comfy great...Ill buy them. The last ones I purchased, were Saucony(not a bad brand) but they werent top of the line and they were only 30 bucks. I always love a good deal. The problem was, that my insole fell out of one and I had put alot of miles on them already. After little thought, I told him I was interested in getting fitted as well. He watched me walk bear footed and noticed that my feet roll inwards as I walk. So he pulled out a couple different pairs to choose from that had a strong post in the arch. They werent the ones I intially thought were cute and he had to convince me that the ones I liked wouldnt help my knee problem. After I tried on the Asics, I was happy. They were still cute.

I also asked the guy about getting a knee brace. He told me that if I still had pain in a few weeks to come back.....but that he didnt think I would have to. He told me that he thought the shoes would really help. So guess what! He was right. I havent had knee pain at all. It was way worth paying more for good shoes. ($135 but worth every penny)

So.... I learned alot throught this process. I know what shoes to buy for myself and I know that I need to replace them every 300-500 miles. I happily started training for my half Marathon and I feel like I am going to be able to physically do this. I cant tell you how happy I am.