Blogocentric Formulations

A cure at last!

I'm shocked, awed... and a little embarrassed today. After years and years and years of trouble, I've finally figured out what's wrong with me! Well, wrong with my feet, anyway.

When I was younger - we're talking a good decade ago - I was quite the recreational athlete. For someone who was never really that into sports since the "Little League Debacle" of my youth, I prided myself on my athleticism, most notably my six years of martial arts (stopping just shy of a black belt)... and my personal best of running a mile in 5 minutes, 30 seconds flat.

Since then, however, I've only ever intermittently exercised, thanks in no small part to an incredible amount of pain I feel in my leg muscles and joints whenever I run for an extended period of time (or even a short time over several days). I've seen three doctors over the past ten years, all of whom gave me the the same advice, more or less. I have weak joints, the stresses of running are too much for my body to handle, etc. etc. etc. My last consult even told me that I shouldn't be doing anything more strenuous than walking. (Keep in mind that although they may be fast-approaching, I still have to reach my 30s).

After one last go at it these past few weeks (with the pain in my legs returning), I was about to give up the idea that I'd ever be able to run again... which pretty much meant saying goodbye to my "bucket list" item of running a marathon at some point in my life.

And then earlier today I was on the internet, doing some research on running just to see what kind of information is out there, and I came across a ton of information on pronation, which is the foot's orientation when you walk, run, step, etc. Apparently there are "normal" pronators, who run perfectly... they land on the heel, then roll through to the toes with the body's weight evenly balanced in the center of the foot. But there are also "over-pronators", who land on the heel, then roll through to the toes with the body's weight on the inside of the foot, putting the body's weight entirely on the big toe side. And lastly, there are "under-pronators", who land on the heel, then roll through to the toes with the body's weight on the outside of the foot, putting the body's weight entirely on the pinky toe side. I'm a pretty severe under-pronator, and with over- or under-pronators, the risk is that the imbalance of weight causes injuries in the form of ankle problems (check), shin strain (check), sore foot ligaments and muscles (check), and joint pain (check). And how does one diagnose this problem? Surely there must be some medical testing or, at the very least, a certified physical trainer to watch the way you run? No, all you really have to do is pick up a pair of old running shoes and look at the wear pattern on the soles. Is one side more worn than the other? Well, then there you go.

So now that I've been diagnosed, what's this miracle cure? The one that I discovered on a blog after three doctors told me I should just give up on trying to run and living a mildly-active lifestyle? NEW SHOES. That's it. I just need to buy better shoes with more cushioning and support, so that the shock of my foot hitting the pavement is absorbed by the foam, gel, air, etc. in the shoe and not transferred up along my foot, ankle and leg.

Which means I may not be able to go for the athletic shoes on sale for $29.95 anymore... but by shelling out an extra fifty bucks or so could make all the difference in the world, and could mean that I can actually run again, pain free, for the first time in more than ten years.

So I'm off... to order some new running shoes and to fire my doctor. I gotta get training for that marathon!