Getting Frustrated

Not with my running...

With trying to find a bloody pair of shoes that fits properly and does not cause me and discomfort or pain..
I always like how "they" say running is virtually a "cheap" form of exercise. All you need is a pair of runners. But what they don't tell you is the money you spend trying to find that golden pair of runners. I've been out shopping for runners since I began my journey about 8 weeks ago. I bought a single pair, not knowing anything about what I should be looking for in a shoe. Problem #1... Not finding out what fits my feet.
The first pair was returned within a few days. Too narrow.
Second Pair actually worked and these are still the shoes I am currently using..only these were beginning to give me a huge callous on the right foot, outer edge. After "suffering" for about 6 weeks with these, I finally asked for help and found that I was likely in the wrong shoe. So this time, I decided to hit the Running Room on the advice of some friends, to at least get an assessment of how my feet run, so I know what kind of a shoe I need.

The woman at the RR was fabulous with me. She put me through their little assessment, which took all of a minute or two, and found that I have a neutral foot.. But my shoe was designed for someone who pronates. So no wonder I was developing a callous and having troubles walking around after a run. She showed me the wear on my soles, showing that I was stepping down on the outer sides of my feet, something I had never been shown before.
So being a "Neutral" I apparently have a lot more options for basic footwear. Except I have a wider foot, which then narrows me back down to not a whole lot of options. Go figure eh. So finding a shoe is still not a lot of fun.
We started trying on shoes to see what at least fit my wider foot. Pair #3 actually became a Men's shoe because they have a wider foot base than women's shoes. So maybe this was the answer I needed. So I took these new shoes to the gym and hit the tread. Downside to new shoes?? I can't go outside I run. At least on this particular ay, it was miserable outside anyways. This run is blogged about on my last entry. My day did not work out very well at all..

So yesterday was trip #2 back to the RR and lucky for me, the same girl is working. So I tell her about the issue with #3, the balls of my feet felt like they were on fire.. So now I need something that might have a bit more cushioning in the front of the shoe.

I leave the store after 30 mins with #4.. and of course $40 more than my last pair.  I headed right for the gym for my next run and to give the shoes a trial. While running, I hit about the ten minute mark and was starting to feel some "burning" on the balls of my feet again.. Great. Another shoe not working out. But by the time I hit 15 minutes in my run, this burning went away and things seemed fine. So maybe we have a possible winner???

Yeah, not so much luck there either.

For my last 10 minutes of running, my right foot was rubbing against the insole arch area, which after I was done, realized I had given myself the beginnings of a blister. ARGH!!!!
So #4 was a bust.. even though the fit worked, and I actually managed my full 28 mins on them without other issues.


Today I decided to try Sport Chek again and see what I could find, knowing now what kind of shoe I was looking for. The guy working the area was a HUGE help. He showed me how to spot a "Cushioning" shoe on the shelf, what to avoid looking at in terms of support shoes, and walked me through a few pairs that should be decent for my wider foot. I think I spent 45 minutes in the store with him, and believe it or not, two toddlers who were actually quite decent. I tried on about 6 pairs of shoes, about all I could handle with kids in tow, and managed to find two that seemed relatively decent enough to at least purchase and try out. Thankfully SC has a Buy one Get one Half off right now, otherwise it would have been just one.. Least I can return one or both without hassle!

So now I have pairs #5 and #6 in my room waiting for another gym day. Huge downside for tomorrows run is deciding whether to go to the gym and try a new pair out, or take my old ones that cause some discomfort but at least go outside to run.. 15 degrees in march is really hard to pass up!

So when its all said and done, Running is cheap... unless you have 3 pairs of shoes waiting to be decided if they can be worn or not, gas running the car around the place finding said shoes, $$ for snacks and entertainment for toddlers to keep from melting down, and of course the price of my sanity for this new hobby of mine!


For the love of Pete, let one of these pairs work out!!