Author: Agata

I have a lot of running shoes, don’t I? I included a couple of pairs that are not mine, too… But there is one thing those have in common: almost all of them are meant for long distance road running.

I wrote a whole post on choosing the right running shoes for you, but in all honesty, it was mostly about long distance road running. Now it’s time to talk about shoe types. The first thing you need to ask yourself is where you plan on running. And yes, the true answer is that there is a chance you will need more than one pair of running shoes (but for the love of all that is holly, keep the number of your shoes under control). As it is, even if you are always repeat the same type of a run, you should not use the same running shoes multiple days in the row. Shoes need at least one day off in between use in order to rest up and fully dry. The second question is about a sub-group. So here they are.

Sprint shoes (spikes)

Those are the light, small-looking shoes, frequently with spikes under your toes. They are stiffer than most other shoes and are meant to help you stay on your toes and push off as hard as possible, but they have less cushioning. Name of the game with them is maximum force and nothing else. Over longer distances and for every day running, they may lead to injuries, as they have little support or cushioning. There are variations within this type, based on distance you are running. You may want to train your sprints in them or use them for races, but they won’t be good for when you are putting in your daily miles.

Trail shoes

It’s all in the name: they are meant for running on trails and everything about their design is meant to help you on stay safe and injury-free on a trail. They tend to be heavier and built with durability in mind, to compensate for and protect from the difficult terrain. The soles are thick with deep tread patterns for traction. Historically, they used to be a lot like hiking boots, but fortunately for all the runners who enjoy trails, progress has been made in design and now you can actually run in them. Trail shoes will give you the best results on trails, but they won’t give you great speeds on dirt on a road.

Long distance race shoes

They have a few things in common with spikes. They are small and light. Unfortunately, they do that at the expense of stability and cushioning. In a sport where every ounce matters, they may help you have a better time at the finish line. However, they won’t give much protection to your feet and the rest of your body. That makes them a bad idea for daily mileage. Personally, I prefer to have support from my stability shoes and some cushioning in the soles, so my knees won’t be killing me (ok, not killing as much) after a race. But if you are after serious times, they can help on the race day.

Road running shoes

These are the shoes I am most comfortable with! These are your high mileage, every day shoes that will help you stay injury-free during your daily runs (or as long-term side effects of all the miles you run). There are three types of running shoes

Cushioning

These shoes are frequently recommended for underpronators, who tend to have high arches. They don’t provide much support, since supinators (aka underpronators) don’t need extra. However, they need shock to be dispersed towards mid-sole and out-sole. I have known a lot of people who shift towards cushioning shoes as they age, as they become more concerned about impact on their joints. However, I am one of the people who went the opposite way.

Somehow, at some point, I switched to cushioned running shoes. I don’t remember when or how that happened, but I can honestly tell you: that was a bad idea. Not because the shoes were bad. They were lovely and I still enjoy my last pair of cushioned shoes for walking around. However, they were the wrong choice for me. I have pretty flat feet and I tend to overpronate. Cushioning shoes did not provide me with sufficient support and I ended up developing a foot injury. Once I switched to more rigid shoes (fortunately, it was winter, so my winter hiking boots worked for this), the injury cleared up quickly. So this is a cautionary tale: choose proper type of shoes for your feet!

Stability

This is where I currently am at and it works. Stability shoes are meant for people who have neutral pronation or small over pronation. They are more cushioned than motion control, but also provide support for your ankle. For me, it’s the optimal mix and the shape of the insole is most comfortable for me while running. I wouldn’t tell anybody they are the best type of a shoe for long distance running because that assumes that I know how you run. I have seen plenty of people with severe overpronation for whom the top priority is keeping their ankle in the right place. On the other hand, for people with very high arch, distributing force of impact over larger portion of foot and softening it is the focus.

Motion Control

Ah, yes, shoes for people with flat feet… I have never enjoyed these, as I find them simply uncomfortable. This is definitely very personal feeling and I wouldn’t want anybody else to be prejudiced against them. They are amazing in correcting overpronation and have been life saver for many people with flat feet. I grew up in Poland and for many years, there was mandatory military service for men. Flat feet combined with severe overpronation were actually on a list of medical conditions that would exempt one from service, as the rate of injury was very high in that group. That came to an end with development of motion control shoes – flat-footed overpronators stopped constantly having foot and ankle problems and were able to serve. So yes, motion control shoes are very much important for those who need them. And if you are one of them, you will be able to see it. Just grab a pair of shoes you wear a lot and take a good look. If they are all broken into the inside, you should definitely get motion control shoes. Their stiffness will save you from preventable injuries.

Meb advised me to do my non-speed workout on trails rather than paved surfaces and that led me to thinking about merits of each option available for running surface: trail, track, treadmill and road. Every option has its benefits and there are times when they are more appropriate.

Trail

This is where Meb recommends doing most of your runs. Ironically, it’s for the same reason I have seen being given as a con for trail running. The surface is softer and ever-changing, requiring you to spend more energy on running and, therefore, causing you to run slower. I agree with Meb’s take on this: if you are training for a race, make the training harder. It will make the race feel easier and lead you to being faster. The other part of running on a trail is that you have to adjust your steps to the surface. All of this will make your legs stronger and force you to pay attention to your stride.

A commonly cited benefit of trail running is that the surface is softer, decreasing the jarring of your knees and helping avoid injuries. However, I always found it easy to step wrong and hurt myself. Strength exercises tend to help with it, but always make sure you can see where you are running. Trails are probably not ideal for running when it’s dark.

A huge benefit of trail running: usually the views are better! Although around me, people tend to run on a dirt path along the W&OD Trail (shared use paved trail), so I get the same view when I run and bike. But yes, you get to interact with nature more. Personally, I enjoy seeing wild animals. That reminds me: it’s spring, so babies should be coming out soon! I only look at them and every now and then, I will take a picture. Please don’t bother wild life. You are in their home! (also: don’t litter! I am looking at all of you who throw out/drop wrappers from their energy bars and gels wherever you ate them).

Personal experience on with the trails… Not a fan… I guess I should say that a lot depends on what trail you are talking about. One of my friends has told me that for all the years he has been running without knee injuries, running on sand did it for him – his knees hurt for weeks afterwords! On the other hand, it is one intense workout and you will build up muscle really fast. Warning: make sure to run both ways on the beach in the same place, so you don’t create muscle imbalance. My issue with trails comes from running on a path along the bluffs in central California. It’s an amazing place to run! I am sure you can already sense a ‘but’. Well, it’s totally wild with some serious dips. As I got older, it started to impact my spine and got my back to hurt. I was pretty upset because I loved the trail. I also have landed a few times in big mud puddles. Half a problem if I just landed in them, rather than slid into them… (yeah, I had some socks that went from white to brown permanently 😉) But even with that, I do love an occasional run on a beautiful trail. It usually comes with cleaner air, too!

Track

There are two types of track: the synthetic springy ones and asphalt ones. I took a picture at an elementary school by my house and they had the latter kind. The former is what we usually see in track & field competitions. Synthetic track is softer and is easier on your joints, so if that’s a concern for you, this is a wise choice. However, keep in mind that they won’t do as much for your strength. Asphalt tracks are better for strength, but it will be taxing on your joints.

What running around track is best for: tempo and interval workouts. The surface is flat and straight, usually with easy to see markers of some sort for distances (or you can draw them with a piece of chalk). A warning I have been seeing for running around the track is that you are always told to run counter-clockwise and that can lead to muscle imbalances, since you keep turning left. Personal feeling on the subject: I usually train at ungodly hours in the morning, so there is little to no competition on the track. I can run in whichever direction I please.

Nice thing about running around the track: you don’t have to carry all your stuff. You can just leave it in one spot and grab it whenever you need it or once you are done. On the other hand: and you think treadmill is boring??? On a treadmill, I can at least turn on tv or something. Here, I’m just running in (not so big) circles. You can probably guess how I feel about track…

Treadmill

I don’t think there is a piece of gym equipment than a treadmill. Apparently some people refer to it as ‘dreadmill’. However, like everything else, it has its uses. For one thing, there are days when running outside is not an option. A couple of examples from my ‘back yard’: when the ground is covered with ice (definitely safer than slipping around) or when a monsoon hits (extreme winds, pouring rain and thunder – not exactly safe). There are also some parts of the world where being outside is not the safest idea, especially for a petite woman like myself.

So those were obvious reasons for running on a treadmill that have nothing to do with how your body reacts to the surface you are running on. I have heard many times that running on a treadmill is bad for your joints. Comes to find out it’s actually easier on your joints because the surface is cushioned. Not that it means you won’t hurt yourself. Running in a straight line at a repetitive pattern can lead to muscle and bone overuse injuries.

I have read that there is an interesting side effect that occasionally happens to people who run on treadmills: shorter stride. I actually know from experience that using treadmill for all of my runs makes me slower and less efficient runner. Research shows that running on a machine is easier and they suggest 1% to 5% incline to compensate for energy savings. And have I mentioned possibility for boredom? You are staring at a fixed point the whole time.

A double-edged sword of a treadmill: you can always get off of it. It’s good when you are coming back from injury or are concerned that something will get wrong. On the road, you still have to get home. It’s nice when you get hurt or sick, but it also lowers your incentives to push through tough times. Speaking of tough times: intervals on a treadmill… Yeah, those can be intense. The machine will force you to really go full out for the whole time and it’s great. It does translate into improving your time on the road. And you can always push emergency stop button or jump off if you must. So I guess that while treadmill is not great for mileage, it is great for intense speed work.

I have a feeling a few people enjoy this part: my personal experiences with running on a treadmill. First of all: treadmill is how I hurt my hip – I literally fell off of one. Yes, falling on a treadmill is an actual risk you need to take into consideration. It can happen when you accidentally step on the immobile part or trip over your own feet. Yes, you can trip on a road, too. But the road is not going to keep moving and throw you off! Another funny thing that happened to me while running on a treadmill: bruises on my wrists. How, you ask? Well, because the way treadmills at my gym are constructed, there is a hard edge exactly in the way of my arms when I run. Not cool… It took me a while to figure out this one, too. I have a personal problem with treadmills, especially when I do intervals on them: my leg I have injured before VT marathon seems to be bothered by that pounding. I avoid doing that to my body. Personal admission: I also tend to be tempted (and sometimes lose) to grab onto the treadmill, so I don’t fall off. A positive thought on treadmills: I enjoy watching sci-fi movies when I’m on one. Don’t ask me how it works, but I can run forever with a good sci-fi movie/show playing in front of me (feel free to judge me for it, but it works for me).

Friend’s input: a friend with severe pollen allergies said that treadmill is also a life-saver during allergy season. I don’t really suffer from those, but I can see how hiding in an air-conditioned gym from pollen would be a good idea.

Road

I will I could was able to come up with a nice synonym that starts with T 😉

First of all: anybody who thinks that paved trails in my area are ‘flat surfaces’ is seriously mistaken. There are potholes, like on the streets – I live in the area where water freezes in the winter and blows out holes in asphalt. Spring rains wash ground underneath, causing cave-ins and depressions. And then there are tree roots breaking the pavement everywhere. So no, it’s not a perfectly flat surface, thank you very much.

The con of the paved road is as you may expect by now: it’s hard on your joints because you are hitting hard surfaces. On the other hand, it’s easier to keep your stride steady, as road is flatter and the ‘terrain’ (like holes and uneven parts) is easier to see ahead of time. I am pretty lucky in that I have paved trails I occasionally refer to as ‘the road’ and I enjoy running on those. It’s easy running and pretty safe. They even have water fountains, public bathrooms and rest stops on them! However, they come with a serious con: other people. And I’m not talking about others running along. Or even bikers zooming by. I’m talking about a group of people wandering around, taking the whole road and not responding to people yelling at them that they are trying to pass. Or a kid learning how to bike and swerving around (I don’t hold this one against anybody – they are learning and I am happy for them. But they can run you over every now and then, so they are worth mentioning). For those of you who run on actual roads with cars, the con called ‘cars’ or ‘traffic’ is an obvious one. Please be careful! Let’s not forget the annoyance of stopping on crosswalks, either. Some places, running on a road looks more like intervals!

Despite my long explanation of cons of running on the road, I love mine. For many people, roads mean cars and danger, but not for me. I can just get into my zone and trudge along. This surface gives some of the best results (other than setting a high speed on treadmill, but that’s not the same thing, is it?) though, since it is hard and you get the most out of each step.

Conclusion

As you have probably realized from my other posts, I tend to answer questions ‘it depends’. I know that when I search for pros and cons of running on a road, I get flooded with advice to run on a trail. But if you are running your 20 miles and it’s a relatively new thing for you, you might be safer sticking to a paved surface that will be less exhausting and you will have a lower chance of taking a wrong step. A trail is great for putting in some mileage while getting less impact on your joints. Track is awesome for your speed work. Treadmills can be your back-up plan when things go wrong. You may also have personal reasons to favor one over the other. At the end of the day, the most important decision you make is to lace up those shoes and go for a run!

PS

As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed at lunch today, I saw an article on the issue of treadmills. Fascinate read! Apparently the 1% incline rule (advice to use 1% incline to mimic outdoor conditions) is not as universal as we thought. I would recommend you to read up on it here.

Let me start with: total fan girl moment!

A consultant I have been working with sent me an email a couple of weeks ago saying: ‘you mentioned you love running. We are hosting an event with Meb Keflezighi talking. Would you be interested in coming?’ Of course I was! I also got to invite one of my coworkers who is training for her first marathon. I am glad I picked her – of all people I know, I don’t think I could have found somebody else who would appreciate this event as much as she did. We had our fan girl moments together!

We got there early and Laura just laughed because when Meb walked in, I totally made a little ‘oh!’ sound 😆. When we managed to get to him and introduce ourselves, he looked at me and said that my name sounded familiar. Maybe he was just being nice, but it made me sooooo happy! I told him where we met. It was at Vermont City Marathon expo and he agreed to take a picture with me and signed a card for me despite being due to depart. He didn’t know it at the time, but it was my birthday. It was the best present I could have asked for!

I hope everybody gets to hear Meb talk or reads his books. Until today, I didn’t realize that he was one of those poor starving children in Eritrea. His family managed to move to Italy and later to the US. It’s amazing how much his family was focused on bettering themselves! His parents were pushing all of the children to get education first and foremost. So much hard work! Without a doubt, Meb was born with a gift, but he did work very hard for his success. He stressed the need for the proper diet to fuel running. He recalled being in college and eating way too much. Fixing the diet led to Meb’s results improving tremendously. It definitely made me think of some of my rather questionable food choices… I enjoyed hearing him talk about mental work that goes into endurance running. I don’t think most people realize how much of your mental fortitude goes into endurance sports. I frequently hear others (those who don’t do marathons, triathlons and such) focus on the physical training. However, it’s only one side of the story. In some ways, I think that reviewing your own motives is at least as important as hitting the pavement. You will have a crisis. And you will need to know why you are doing it. That’s the only way to get through those tough miles.

When I got to chat to Meb alone, he gave me an interesting piece of advice: practice as much of your running as you can on trails. It is harder, but then when you run a street race, it feels easier and you are faster. I guess I will be working on finding ways to run on trails around here. I have been getting spoiled: there is an abundance of paved roads around here. According to Meb, he limited his training on roads and track to speed work. Interestingly, I have been doing my speed work on the paths around my house, so they included a lot of hills. I will be rethinking some of my running training now!

I will definitely be reading his books and working harder on my training than I have before! I actually got an email from the consultant who invited me to the event the following day and he said he is now thinking about running a marathon. I applaud him and I will support him. I hope he does!

And a fabulous moment from the end of the event: I went to get his book autographed and when he saw me, he said ‘hi, Agata!’ I think it will take some time for the excitement to wear off! 🤩