Born to Run

Ever since I can remember, I've loved to run. I never did it competitively. Just for fun. In high school I remember sitting in class staring at the clock, willing it to move faster just so that I could go home and go for a run. This continued throughout university and into my first few years in the working world. About 6 years ago though, I had a string of injuries and running stopped being fun. After some failed attempts at fixing my issues, I pretty much stopped running altogether.

I can't say enough about this
book.  It made me fall in
love with running again.  

Two years ago, while buying some books online, Kobo suggested I read this book, Born to Run. The short of the long is that I read it, loved it, and started running again. In future I also hoped to change my running style from heel-strike running to fore-foot running - a more natural and efficient way of running which the book strongly promotes.

Fast forward a year. I'd toyed around with changing my running style but it never stuck. However, having signed up for the Ironman I figured, if there's ever been a time to really try to learn how to run more efficiently, this is it. So ... I headed out to buy some new kicks - something that would be more conducive to fore-foot running.

At the shoe store, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. The salesperson took one look at my motion-control shoes, complete with arch supports and shook her head. "I just don't see how you can safely move from those, to these [minimalist shoes]," she stated frankly. I was not to be deterred though so, thinking that the first place to start would be to talk to someone about my arch supports (as I questioned how much I really needed them), I asked for a reco and she sent me to Solefit Orthotics. And I am ever so thankful for that reco. 

At SoleFit, I learned that my motion control shoes + orthotics were overcorrecting my foot. I also learned that I likely don't need orthotics (Note: this comes from someone who sells orthotics!). Lastly, but most importantly I was shown - via some cool video analysis (see below) - the mechanics behind heel-strike running and fore-foot running so that I could really understand why the latter is so much more efficient, as well as how to do it properly. 

It truly was an eye-opening experience and has made me even more excited about getting out there and pounding the pavement again.

Video analysis of my running initially
(heel-strike) and after I got new shoes
 (transitioning to mid-foot running).