Sunday, July 31, 2011

Change my running form or keep buying shoes?

So, I am relatively new to running.  I started running on November 1, 2010 as an attempt to lose weight.  I ran/walked my first mile in 16 minutes or so.  I thought I was going to die.  I have drastically improved since, suffering no persistent pain, discomfort, or injury.  I have had a little muscle pain at times due to over exertion, but that has been relatively rare for me.  I started running in a pair of Adidas I bought on sale at Kohl's department store.  They were on sale, so I made the purchase.  Soon after, I educated myself on shoes and went to a real running store and purchased a pair of Newtons.  Subsequent shoes have been an additional pair of Newtons, Saucony, and Montrail.  I cannot seem to get decent mileage out of any of my shoes.  The running store advised me my running form is wrong.  That comment leads me to my question.

If I have been running for nine months, with no pain, discomfort, or injury due to running form, can it be bad?!  I got almost 300 miles from my first pair of Newtons, which were the Motus.  I got almost 200 miles out if my Newton Sir Isaacs.  My Saucony Kinvara 2's are still holding up, but I don't think they are going to last very long because they are very soft.  I have been running trails in Montrail Mountain Masochists and have high hopes for better mileage out of them.  They are a little heavy, but seem to take the mileage better than the other shoes I have tried.  I often run them on the streets, as well as the trails.

I have lost over 50 pounds running.  I am still a fairly heavy guy at 186 pounds.  I have often wondered if my weight, combined with an uneducated choice in soft, light running shoes, is the reason for the short lifespan of my shoes.  I have a hard time believing that my form is wrong if I've been running this way with no problems at all.  I am considering accepting the fact that I will just have to spend money often on shoes that will not last very long.  As I am averaging 40 miles or so per week, that will be a new pair every two months based on the lifespans of my previous shoes.  I have started trying different styles and brands to figure out which work best for me and hope to find a shoe that gives me a great run and has a longer lifespan.

So, after all this ranting, my questions remain unanswered.  Hopefully, the answer will come in time.

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