Why Local Running Stores Are the Best Choice

Most of us are tempted to go to our nearest Big 5, Sporting Goods, Kohl's.....even Payless to buy our running shoes. Why is this a good idea? Because they are cheap. Why is this a bad idea? Because you are not going to get the quality that you need as a runner. Cheap shoes are okay. I bought a $40 pair once. But they lasted me only about 2 months and I could immediately tell the difference in quality. However, the shoes I spend $80-$100 on last me 5-6 months. They cost twice as much, but they last more than twice as long. You do the math...its worth the expense.

That being said, I am a strong advocate for local running stores. The employees are almost always highly trained and very experienced runners. They will watch your gait and fit you with the shoe best for your running style. They know so much about the different kinds of shoes and what the differences are between them all. They can help you decide if you want a really light shoe or if you want more cushion. They can help you overcome that "but this shoe is prettier" mentality.

Not only are local running stores good for helping you find the right shoe, they offer a myriad of stuff you won't find at the big name retailers. They will offer things like running clubs,  fun local runs, and running seminars.

My local go-to running store is Runner's Corner. The staff is professional, friendly and so incredibly helpful. Every single employee is a competitive and knowledgeable runner. They know their stuff. I trust them completely to help me find the best shoe for me. I am so impressed with their staff because they aren't salesy or pushy. They aren't there to make you buy the most expensive shoe. They are there to help you find the shoe that is going to make you love running. The employees make you feel cared about as an individual and not just as a customer.

Runner's Corner---Personalized shoe fitting and analysis with an emphasis on prevention, technique, strengthening, and independence... running gear of every imaginable type! www.runnerscornerutah.com

Runner's Corner also has a large running club called the Sojourners. This club is awesome. They have a few different "teams" that allow any level of runner to participate. They have their elite running team that trains like crazy and wins races and they also have their fun running team for anyone who wants to join. Many of the local running stores will have some sort of club or team. The Sojourners is fun because they usually meet at least once a week for group runs. This helps you get to know your area and to discover new runs. You will meet other runners and be motivated. It is fun running with groups and having friends to chat with. Any runner is welcome no matter your skill level. If you are anywhere within 40 minutes of the Sojourners it is definitely worth the effort to make it to their group runs.

The other thing I love about Runner's Corner is their seminars. They invite well known runners, coaches, nutritionists, etc. to speak. The seminars are fun and informative.

Hawk Harper, owner of Runner's Corner is one of the nicest and most generous people I have ever met. He runs his store the same way. You know you can trust them. He gives generously to the running community through his service, time and knowledge. You will not find a more genuine running store owner.



Visit Runner's Corner on Facebook, at their website and in Orem to check out their awesome stuff and amazing staff. 

Check back on the blog tomorrow for a FREE GIVEAWAY of some sweet running gear from Runner's Corner!!

How to Choose the Right Running Shoes

Choosing the right running shoe can be daunting. There's so many choices, so many different types....how do you know which one will be best? And should you fork out the money for a really nice shoe or will the ones at Big 5 work just as well?

Every person's body is different, and I can't tell you a simple formula to find the exact shoe you will like best. But I hope to give a few good tips that will make buying your next pair of shoes a little easier.

First off, you have to put looks aside. I know it is hard not to choose the first shoe that you think looks the cutest...but you have to. Running shoes aren't about being cute. Its about maximizing your training and keeping your body healthy.

Secondly, you need to determine what kind of runner you are. Do you over-pronate, under-pronate or are you neutral? Do you have low, medium or high arches? I believe the best way to find this out is to go to your local running specialty store and have them watch you run and help you there. You don't have to let them convince you what shoes to buy, but it is very helpful to have a "professional" talk to you. I personally don't really believe in the benefits of buying a shoe that is designed specifically for under or over-pronators. I am more an advocate of the minimalist movement. But, that is my opinion and you should not go off just what I tell you.

Thirdly, try on a bunch of different shoes. Run around in them. Don't settle for the first pair you find. And try not to settle for the cheapest one (hard, I know). The shoe you run in is so important in avoiding injuries and making you stronger. Don't settle.

I personally believe that the cheap end shoes that you will find at Big 5, Kohl's, Shopko.....they aren't the same. I bought a pair of cheap Adidas that I thought I would like and they were fine, I did like them. But they only lasted me about 6-7 weeks before I was needing new shoes. When I spend the money to get nice shoes they usually last me about 3-5 months.

Also, the thing that has helped me the most in choosing a shoe like, is to read the reviews. Google search the shoe you are looking for, or go to the brand's website (i.e. Nike, Adidas, Saucony, etc.) and read all the reviews you can on the shoe(s) you are looking at. Doing this I think has yet to find me a pair of shoes I don't like. Remember to take the reviews with a grain of salt, some people are going to hate the shoe and some will love it no matter what. But try and find the overall message from people and find the reviews from people that are closest to your running ability. Most people will at least briefly say what kind of runner they are (weekend 2-miler or avid runner...you know).

My favorite websites for reviews are roadrunnersports.com and http://shoescience.co.uk/

 I do recommend going into a running store to find what size shoe fits you best (all brands and styles fit differently). It is really beneficial to have someone help fit you to a shoe and bring you out some that you might like. But I generally find that I can find much better deals online. So find the shoe you want, and then go home and price compare so you don't have to spend a thousand dollars every time you need new shoes. I recommend being prepared to spend anywhere from $60 to $120 for a good pair of shoes. I personally have never spent more than $90 on shoes, but I do a lot of price comparing and shopping around. Also, Road Runner Sports has good deals a lot and if you become a member of their VIP program you get way good deals. 


My favorite shoes right now are the Nike Lunar Glide, Nike Lunar Elite, Saucony Hattori and the Saucony Kinvara. These are all pretty neutral shoes and the Saucony's are both minimalist (meaning as light as possible with little cushioning.....think "barefoot"). I also really like Adidas, but I don't remember the styles I have worn. Oh and the other thing I like about all these shoes is that they come in a TON of different colors so you can have a cute running shoe too :)


Good luck on your next search. Feel free to leave any more tips you use when buying shoes!

Runners Say What?! Guide to Deciphering the Running Jargon

Yo dawg, I gotcha flipsyde fo'shizzle brotha from anotha motha don't get all up in my grill yo

Does talking to a bunch of runners ever sound like a bunch of crazy jargon and you are lost after you hear PR? Well here's a list of the most common running terms and what they mean. No need to feel left out anymore! Now you'll fit right in with those running nerds

PR: Personal record, also PB, personal best. This is a runner's best time ever at any given distance

Pronation: an inward roll of your foot during a running stride

Over-pronate: your foot rolls over to the inside too far during a stride. This can lead to injuries such as ITBS (defined later). You can tell if you over-pronate by excessive wear on the inside part of the forefoot on the bottom of your shoes

Under-pronate: lack of sufficient inward motion of the foot

Gait: your running form, how your legs move; includes stride length, pronation, and form

Easy/Recovery run: a run done at a slow enough pace that you can easily carry on a conversation, used to get in mileage but let your body recover; note: this is not a walking super easy pace, you still need to increase your heart rate

Distance run: a run to get in miles, this is the in-between an easy run and a tempo run pace

Tempo: a run that is at a "comfortably hard" pace; a challenging, but manageable pace; generally around 20-40 minutes, but length can vary. Most tempo runs consist of a 10-15min warm-up, the tempo, and a 10-15min cool down. Tempo runs build speed and teach your body to run at a certain pace

Fartlek: a Swedish word meaning "speed play"; bursts of speed during a distance run; i.e. run hard to the next telephone pole, jog to the big tree, then hard again to the mailbox, etc.; fartleks can be any speed and distance, they are great for beginning runners who want to do some speed work and for experienced runners alike

Intervals/Repeats: training in which fast repeats of a certain distance (anywhere from 100m-1600m/1 mile) are done a set amount of times; written as 4x800 (four 800m repeats)

Ladder: an interval workout of increasing interval lengths; for example 200m-400m-600m-800m. (Note, running intervals are most generally measure in meters or kilometers so when someone says "I ran a 400" they mean they ran 400 meters. I will from here on out refer to interval lengths in this way)

Step-downs: doing a certain interval length, getting progressively faster. for example, say you are doing 10-200s, you start out at 42, next one at 40, next at 39, etc.

Splits:

Negative splits: similar to step-downs, but usually longer distances, or referring to a race, it means that your splits got faster (mile 1 at 7:05, mile 2 at 6:50, etc.)

Strides: Short, fast but controlled runs (usually between 50m-200m); designed to improve turnover and work on form

Warm-up: a period before your run designed to increase your heart rate slowly and "warm-up" your muscles for activity; prevents injuries; includes slow jogging and dynamic stretches

Cool-down: a period after your run designed to slowly decrease your heart rate and keep your muscles from tensing up; includes walking and static stretching

Cross-training: activities such as swimming or cycling that are used to increase conditioning and injury prevention for running or as a means of adding variety to workout schedule; any exercise activity other than running 

Static stretching: stretching that is done to gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position; the kind of stretching most commonly done; to be done AFTER your workout (contrary to popular belief, but I will do that rant another day)

Dynamic stretching: stretches that are done with movement; consists of controlled leg and arm swings that gently take you to the limits of your range of motion; i.e. butt-kickers, high knees, carioca, etc.

Max Heart Rate: the highest number of contractions your heart can make in one minute; the simplest way to determine your heart rate max is 220-your age=HR max

VO2 Max: the maximal amount of oxygen that a person can extract from the atmosphere, send to the body's tissues, and use to produce energy (estimate your VO2 max here)

XC: stands for cross-country

Cross-country: distance running, races are not held on the track or the road, common places include parks and golf-courses

Runner's trots: when you've gotta go.....or more technically, gastrointestinal problems encountered while on a run

Stress fracture: a hairline crack in the bone that causes a lot of pain and can lead to more serious injury if not treated (usually treated with rest)

Bummies: you know you've seen these, best way to describe them is they are like a swimsuit bottom or underwear that women race in

Rabbit: someone who goes out with the intention of setting a fast pace in a race, but usually drops out after a pre-determined distance
10% rule: a general rule that you increase your mileage by a maximum of about 10% per week

Road Kill: the people you pass during a run or race. Its run to count them and brag to people at the end how many "road kill" you had

Common race distances:

    5k= 3.1 miles

    10k= 6.2 miles

    Half-marathon= approximately 21k= 13.1 miles

    Marathon= approximately 42k=26.2 miles

    Ultra-marathon= any distance longer than a marathon

Next time you are with a bunch of runners, whip out a few of these terms and you will be able to fit right in! Let me know if I missed any that you would like to see!

I must give due credit to the resources I used beside my own brain:
     http://www.howtobefit.com/glossary-of-running.htm
     http://www.hillrunner.com/jim2/id205.html
     http://www.valleyforgestriders.com/training_corner/running_terminology.htm
     http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/stretching-and-flexibility.html