UKC

Hey i just was wondering what is more important good running technique or wearing so proper running insoles? Probably its a best idea to do both but which one should i do first was gonna buy some running insoles first or should i practice my run first what do you say?

Thanks

oh yeah i was planning on buying these running insoles too just so you know

is this a good purchase... not got the money for custom insoles (im just starting out running too so im not expert on things)

http://nuovahealth.co.uk/shop/plantar-fasciitis-arch-support-insoles

In reply to mikio:

The best start is properly understanding if you need insoles, do you suffer from pf?

In reply to The New NickB:

Just run.

In reply to The New NickB:

Seconded. I do wear orthotics, (as opposed to off the shelf thingies like mikio has linked to). However that's due to actual alignment problems. Probably the worst thing a new runner could do is start messing about with custom insoles and fancy shoes.

In reply to mikio: Agree - these are a distant priority beyond suitable shoes. What exactly are you planning to do with your running style?

In reply to mikio: Running style comes up a lot, some people will tell you "you can't change your running style" which is rubbish. I used to get painful knees fixed it with insoles, then read a book called "born to run". I ditched the insoles, changed my style to a forefoot strike from a heel strike and now can run any distance I like without painful knees.

If it aint broke don't fix it.

And don't buy arch support insoles unless they are fixing a particular problem. If you think about a bridge, if you support the arch in an imperfect way it will fall down, your foot isn't that different. The arch is part of your natural suspension system of your foot, it's a brilliant design when you think about it.

In reply to mikio:

Neither. What you really need is compression clothing in shiny colours .

In reply to ablackett:
I used to run fine, with the occasional injury. Then I read born to run, tried running in more minimalist shoes... and came down with sciatica, and had a hell of a job getting running again. Apparently in my case the cushioning was useful.

In reply to mikio:

you want to get a gait analysis done, if your gait is over/under pronating then insoles/shoes with a stability bar could help. if you land on your heel then insoles/shoes with gel shock absorption could help, if you're just starting out then changing your running style might be the answer depending on what you're starting from, if you start running with great technique you could run in converse and be fine

best to get someone who knows their stuff to watch you in slo-mo.

hope that helps, oh and running on grass/beach/anything but pavement is much better for your joints but i guess you knew that already

In reply to mikio: I think he must suffer from brittle knees...

In reply to Nutkey:

Before I went down the physio/orthotics route I too read 'Born to Run' and it's inspring story. Completely knackered my achilles by following it's advice...

I have legs of slightly different lengths, enough to cause problems.

I was having problems with just walking. Insoles seem to have sorted all that out now.

In reply to Beckyi:

The key words being "knows their stuff" - a shop assistant with a treadmill-cam can do more harm than good (to your bank balance as well as your body).

Personally I'd steer clear of 'specialist' chains with orange and black logos...

In reply to Ridge:
Completely knackered my achilles by following it's advice...

I can see how that could happen. I had 2 years of achilles pain during my 'transition' the physio said it was just a transition thing, change of use type pain. It went away and now its fine. I can see though how the increased stress on the achiles could cause problems. But I also think that if the change to your running technique is made slowly enough it is the right way to go.

You might need some specialist advice if that is the way you are going to go, but I would suggest starting with a few 100m, and building up to whatever feels confortable. I'm no specialist though.

In reply to ablackett:

A two year transition with lots of injury problems to a style of running that someone may not be bio mechanically suited to, yep that sounds great.

In reply to Ridge:

Which advice? The book might be inspirational to some people and I find it an entertaining story (little more), but what it is definitely lacking is advice on running style and how to transition. It only ever talks about the danger of high heeled running shoes.
Eric Orton, the coach mentioned in the book, has just released his own book on his training approach and is an interesting guide on how to achieve what he considers good running form. At least it's a structured approach that does not just tell you to run in sandals.
Mat Fitzgerald's excellent books also have bits on running form (and many more interesting aspects on running).

In reply to Ridge: In reply to Ridge:
>

Its a fictional book.. after Micoh died the truth came out in a few papers.. Micah was not a proponent of barefoot running..

In reply to The New NickB:


I sort of agree with this statement, although I do believe there are some aspects to running form that are universal, such as running with a higher cadence than most beginners and developing a decent knee drive. The problem with all this barefoot boom in my opinion is that people think taking off the shoes will sort out everything, but they still spend 8 hours day sat in a chair and don't do any of the other "conditioning activities" our barefoot ancestors used to do.

In reply to IainRUK:

I would have loved to see Micah finish his own book. That would have been a good read. One of the Tarahumara runners mentioned in the book turned up at a race here in Spain recently. He was interviewed in Spanish and seemed considerably fed up with the hype from the book and people's interest in his shoes and food, although I do suppose he was pleased that it allowed him to travel around the world.

In reply to StefanB:

I am a big fan of Matt Fitzgerald and he is very neutral on barefoot/minimalist, basically it may be right for someone, but it isn't a catch all solution, makes sense to me. I think generally form improves with miles run, my form certainly improved when I built up to 70 miles a week.

In reply to The New NickB:

Yes. I think a new runner should first get the fitness up, before worrying about form. SOme things sort themselves out, other might need a bit focus, like in my case cadence.