The New Running Partner

Meet my new running partner, the ASICS GT-2140. My last partner, ASICS GEL-Foundation 7,  stayed with me way past its retirement age.  The soles were well worn.  The cushion no longer cushioned.  He saw me through my first marathon.  He ran with me during the ups and downs of my training.  However, my shoes and feet started telling me it’s time for the Foundation 7′s retirement.

My new shoes felt like pillows.  It was designed to have less support and slightly more cushion.  Less aches and pains met with me at the end of the training run.  Shoes, especially running shoes, need to be replaced often to prevent injury and allow for enjoyable physical movement. How often is often?  How does one find the right shoe?

Shoes need to be replaced every 300-500 miles and within a year of usage.  The exact time is shoes are different for each runner.  Every time we run, it takes a toll on the materials.  The soles wear out.  The cushion breaks down after each impact.  Weather beats on the shoe.  Different surfaces affect the wear and tear.  As a heavier guy running on concrete and asphalt, I should have replaced my shoes closer to the 300 mark about four months after my marathon.

I went through a few pairs of shoes before finding the right shoe that fits well.  I started out with buying Nike running shoes for a few years, switched over to Saucony, and finally settled into ASICS.  I’m still seeking the perfect fit but ASICS are super close. Nike running shoes are too narrow and my feet spilled over the edges.

I visited a local shoe store specializing in running shoes.  I sought them out for their selection and expertise.  I didn’t know what I was doing when I started.  They measured my foot and had me run in a neutral shoe so they know how my foot landed and pushed off.  They pulled a few brands out of their stock room for me to try on and ran back and forth to determine which shoe felt the best for my foot.  My feet loved the Brooks brand, ASICS brand, a couple of Saucony models.  Fit, NOT brand, is important.  Happy feet equals happy runs.  I’m still tweaking my shoe purchase to find the perfect show but I needed the expert advice to get close to it.

I’ll be keeping track of the mileage on my GT-2140 training shoe and the date I started wearing them.  New shoes are much cheaper than hip and knee replacements and much more enjoyable to experience.    What’s going to happen to my first pair of marathon shoes now that he’s retired?  He’s going into the closet to be later enshrined.   Finishing my first marathon was a special moment.