Forums > General Running > Good running shoe for a bigger neutral runner
Hey all, I'm about 5'10 and my weight fluctuates between 190-198. I'm running a little over 20 miles a week and my LRS put me in a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS11, I also run in ASICS Gel foundation 9's, so for the last 2 months I've been running in these two different shoes and now I'm developing Plantar Fasciitis. So I'm looking for some shoe suggestions, anyone got any good advice? Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I have low arches - I AM NOT flat footed!!! Also neutral runner.
Stephen.
Change your thoughts and you change your world. Norman Vincent Peale
Believe you can and you're halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt
Shoes may be a portion of the problem (or not) behind the PF but it is very likely that they are not the majority of the cause or the majority of the solution.
Look up PF on the internet and find all the various things you should be doing for it. Running shoes are probably low on the list, what shoes you wear as soon as you wake up in the morning are much higher (along with a bunch of other things.)
Giddyup.
I have no specific thoughts, but I will throw a few things out there.
You are a neutral runner... meaning you do not excessively pronate. Perhaps you pronate normally, and perhaps you underpronate. I'm assuming you know this because someone who knows watched you run and probably also looked at the bottoms of your shoes. Note that lots of low-arch people are not neutral, but some are.
Gel Foundation is considered a motion control shoe. It has a whole bunch of structure designed to correct (might not be the best word) moderate-to-severe over-pronation.
Adrenaline is considered a stability shoe. It has some structure designed to correct (might not be the best word) some-to-moderate over-pronation.
If you are a neutral runner, I kind of wonder why you have foundations and even how the running store landed you on adrenalines. Though they worked with you and I didn't, and perhaps there's a good reason. A larger neutral runner would be considering a neutral shoe like mizuno creation.
Does this have anything to do with your PF? Dunno. How long have you been running?
Anyway, what the previous post said is goodness... I'm just a little confused regarding the shoes you are running in. Especially the foundations. But again, 195ish pounds and low arched does not usually match up with neutral. Sometimes, though!
Ultima tastes like failure.
I've been running off and on for 3 years, steadily for the last year. I was MUCH heavier when I started and was told I should run in a motion control shoe because of my weight (267lb), well the weight started coming off (198lb as of today) and I'd like to run in a lighter shoe. I do not have flat feet, I overpronate mildly, and running in the shoes that I have now is making my feet and knees hurt ( the shoes are only a couple of months old), so I'm looking for an alternative to the types of shoes that I have been previously running in. I run between 3-5 times a week, one 10k, one 5k, one 5 miler, and I take my dog out for a 2.5 miler two nights a week. Except for the "dog runs" I run in the morning. I also log between 40 - 60 miles a week on a Road Bike, but that doesn't cause me any foot/knee pain. In late January I noticed heel pain upon rising from bed, so I bought new shoes (the Brooks) after a month I was still having pain so I bought the ASICS, and I'm still having pain so I thought maybe I was running in 'too much' shoe. Thoughts?
Follow the white rabbit
I realize shoes are very personal. However, I'm a big guy and love the Brooks Ghost 3. YMMV.
Hope you can find something that works for you.
Go to a running shop and try a few on, run on the treadmill in the store - or outside if they'll let you. Take the ones that feel most comfortable.
OK, I had my gait looked at and was told that I mildly overpronate, so the shoes that I'm currently using are right for me. Seems like the PF may be caused by calves being tight, time to learn some stretches to fix that. Now I have a new question.... Can I use a neutral running shoe if I use an insole/orthotic to correct my overpronation?
You could, but why not go for more support in the post and ditch the orthotic? The language of shoes is more universal (bigbunny says "Brooks Ghost" and we have a picture of what he's referring to). But if you rely on an orthotic from a particular podiatrist, you are tied to her/him and you are dependent on her/him for your needs.
Impact& sport adventurer
I am 6'2" and 190 lbs (with annual fluctuations from 185-200). I am also a neutral runner. I also have very tight calves generally, and I get PF when my mileage goes up too quickly.
I have used orthodics/insoles and made my PF worse. I used to use Adrenalines at the wrong advice of a running store.
I now use Nike Pegusus (lighter trainer), Vomero (heavy trainer), Nike Free and Vibram 5-fingers.
I find my PF is minimized or non-existant when I use the foam roller on my calves 2-3x/week and do a run a week in both my Nike Frees (8-12km speed session) and Vibrams (4-6km easy).
I wouldn't "stretch" calf muscles too much.
PBs: 1 mile - 4:59 (2008) 5k - 17:34 (2011) 10k - 37:40 (2011 in Blenheim Half), 21k - 1:21:32 (2011 Blenheim) 42.2k - 2:59:24 (NYC 2011), Ironman - 10:28:43 (2010 Hawaii)
2011 Goals: Olympic Tri - 2h05min (2h09min), 5k: 17:30 (17:34) 10k: 37:00 (did not attempt), 21km: 1:21:00 (1:21:32), 42.2: 2:59:59 (2:59:24)
@tahlgren; where can I find these "foam rollers" that you mentioned?
I was just wondering that as well. I keep hearing about these foam rollers. Guess I better go Google it.
Use a tennis ball and roll it under your arches.
2012 Goals:
5k = sub 22:00
10k = sub 45:00
HM = sub 1:40:00
Run = 2000 miles
Bike = 3000 miles
Swim = 130 miles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH7K2BZz1G8&feature=related
that should do it. PF be gone! (haven't had it since I stopped using adrenalines)
and yes, a tennis ball (or even baseball, field hockey ball, or rolling pin) can be rolled directly on the pf to treat symptoms. long term I think the "barefoot" running and foam roller on the calves helps too.
Low arched bigger runners can indeed be neutral! For years I was told by doctors and LRS employees that I needed a stability shoe primarily based on being low arched and what we would consider a larger runner. After many pairs of various stability shoes and ongoing overuse injuries I went to a store that had an in house gait "specialist" that had been recommended by another runner. She took about a minute to realize I was in the completely wrong type of shoe, declared me neutral, and put me in some Brooks Dyad (at the time the 5 model was out). I'm currently on my fourth pair of this line of shoe with the current model being the Dyad 6. I've consistently been able to put 400 miles on each pair, and have had no overuse injury since making the switch and have been able to increase my base mileage to 30/week. I was 5'11 190ish, now down to about 178. Dyad's were never on my radar and no matter what foot profile you enter on any online shoe finder they will never be recommended
OK, I bought a foam roller today at Walmart for about $15 bucks. When I go home a did a few of the "exercises" that came with the roller, that thing really works, my legs feel so much better now. Best money I ever spent on something that looks like a useless piece of foam.
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