COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Running is thought to be an easy exercise to get into. After all, there's no equipment, you can do it anywhere and you can do it by yourself or with friends.
But there is one must when it comes to the sport: before you pound the pavement, you have to protect your feet. Just ask WIS executive producer Shana Till.
"I've had these sneakers for like 2 years," she said, pointing out her old footwear.
Two-year-old shoes are not the way to spring into running, according to Jordan Lybrand of Simply Running.
"Two years is too long, just because each shoe that we have is designed for a certain mileage or it's kind of like getting your oil changed," said Lybrand. "Most of our shoes are going to be anywhere from 300-400 miles or 6 to 8 months."
The longer you have your shoes, the more compressed they get which cuts down on the cushioning and stability.
Lybrand first checks Shana's stride, without shoes on. He watches to see if her foot rolls in or out.
"About 70 percent of the population does what's called overpronation, which is a lower to middle height arch and it's rolling inward," said Lybrand. "Supination is typically a higher arch and rolling outward on the outside."
Whether you pronate or supinate will determine the kind of shoe you need.
"You are in that 70 percent," said Lybrand to Till. "Your arch tends to collapse. You're like most people, you do start on the outside, but it is whether you come inward or you stay out and you actually come inward."
Another factor in buying the right running shoe is knowing that it will need to be a larger size than your street shoe.
"You don't want the shoe to fit like a glove, per se," said Lybrand. "When you get it, you are gonna swell up when you're out there pounding the pavement."
And be sure to not make your running shoe a universal shoe.
"Going out and logging the miles is great for a running shoe, but you know, if you're hiking, going to the grocery store, or all that other stuff, it doesn't have the time to spring back and provide all the stuff the shoe is designed for -- cushioning if you need stability, that sort of thing," said Lybrand.
Once Shana was fitted in the best shoe for her kind of foot, we took to the streets for a "test drive." We're calling the running plan I designed for her, "Zero to 5K." Zero because Shana was not a couch potato before. She does yoga and pilates, but she just had never tried to become a runner.
Lybrand's advice to Shana? Get out there.
"If you have to walk, walk. Just as long as you're getting out the door. You're never gonna run a 5K sitting down," said Lybrand.
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