The new year is here and for many it means making fitness goals. One of my own goals has been to get back into running. I used to run quite a bit, I even did the Dopey Challenge in Walt Disney World. Unfortunately my passion for this blog and business has taken my focus off of fitness a bit.
Learning to Run
It was when my daughter Lizzy joined her school cross country team that reinspired me. I noticed that she was enjoying the sport, and I was proud of her for it. I also remembered what it was like to enjoy the simple exercise of tying on some shoes and heading out the door. Perhaps with some great tunes playing too.
One of my main concerns for Lizzy when she started running was about getting good running shoes. Since I’ve been running for a while, I know how much of a difference shoes can make when you run. I experienced some pretty bad runner’s knee once due to some worn shoes and rolling my foot while striding.
Luckily I reached out to Brooks, a local Seattle company, and worked with them to help team us both up with some great shoes, and share the experience with you. As I’ve said, I’ve had running shoes before, both self-picked and running store fitted, but the free Run Signature system at Brooks is awesome.
Choosing the Right Running Shoe
Run Signature at Brooks uses technology to help evaluate your running and fit you with the best shoe possible. The system is perfect for all stages of runners. Families who have kids getting into running will appreciate knowing you’re fitting your kids with shoes for their running habits. Beginning runners will probably be more apt to stick with the sport if you’re running comfortably. And seasoned runners could use an evaluation to make sure your stride hasn’t changed.
Run Signature Running Evaluation at the Brooks Trailhead Seattle store
The process starts by having you fill out a small questionnaire that helps define what kind of runner you are. Then sensors are placed on your legs and shoe. Next you head to the treadmill where you do some squats and a short run. An iPad program reads the sensors and builds your running stride profile.
If you don’t know much about running shoes, there are typically neutral and support (stability) shoes. Support shoes have extra strength in the inner arch to help with runners who roll their feet when running. Turns out thanks to Run Signature we found that Lizzy needed support shoes. If we would have just bought neutral shoes off the shelf, which is what I wear, she could have ended up injured.
Our Results
The whole process probably only took us about 20 minutes. After we had our Run Signature results shown visually on the iPad screen we were ready to try on shoes. The Brooks employee looked at our results and brought us both a few shoes that would be a good fit for our running plans and our stride results. For me, I ended up with the Glycerin 14, a cushioning neutral shoe. Lizzy ended up with the Ravenna 7, a supportive shoe.
I’m really impressed with the whole system, and highly recommend it. Getting the right running shoe is such an important part of healthy running. For families who have kids getting into running sports, the Run Signature process offered free of charge by Brooks is very helpful.
