Two days ago I posted commentary on an article by podiatrist Ian Griffiths that discussed why the term “overpronation” is inaccurately applied and should be banished as a blanket criterion for assigning shoes to runners. I did quite a bit of research on this topic while writing my book, and my overwhelming conclusion was that […]
Archives for September 2012
University of Richmond (my Alma mater) is Cutting it’s Track and Field Program: Support Them By Signing Their Petition
September 27, 2012 By 3 Comments
I was surprised to open up the Let’s Run homepage today and see the name of my undergraduate Alma mater featured front and center. Turns out the University of Richmond, which I attended from 1993-1997, is cutting their indoor and outdoor track and field programs and the men’s soccer program to make way for a […]
Saucony Mirage 3 Preview from Running Warehouse
September 26, 2012 By 3 Comments
Quick post to alert you to a preview of the Saucony Mirage 3 over at the Running Warehouse blog. I reviewed the original Saucony Mirage a few years back and found it to be a solid option as a transitional running shoe. Version 3 of the Mirage is a complete redesign that strips about an […]
Why the Term Overpronation Should be Banished: Great Article by Podiatrist Ian Griffiths
September 26, 2012 By 68 Comments
Question: Why do you wear pronation control shoes? Answer: Because someone at a shoe store told you that you need them, and they were told that you need them by a shoe company rep. The above Q&A basically describes my feelings on the topic of overpronation. You might think that you wear such shoes because […]
Nike Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against adidas Over Flyknit, Primeknit Similarity
September 25, 2012 By 10 Comments
A few weeks ago I got an email from adidas PR announcing the adidas Primeknit running shoe. Included in the email was a link to the following video: The Primeknit is clearly intended to capitalize on the buzz created by Nike’s release of the Nike Flyknit – both shoes are unique in that they sport […]
How to Measure Heel-Toe Drop in a Running Shoe
September 25, 2012 By 4 Comments
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post on how heel-toe drop (in reality, heel-forefoot drop) and foot length interact to determine the slope of the footbed in a shoe, I thought I’d put up a short post showing how exactly I measure heel-forefoot drop in running shoes. When I first wrote on this topic a few […]
Heel-Forefoot Drop, Foot Length, and Ramp Angle: How Shoes Alter the Orientation of Your Feet
September 23, 2012 By 16 Comments
Over two years ago I wrote a post on what exactly is meant by the phrase “heel-toe drop,” and that post remains one of the most frequently read on this blog. Put quite simply, drop is the difference in height between the base of the heel and the ball of the foot when standing in […]
Minimalist Kid’s Shoes: What My Children Wear
September 21, 2012 By 82 Comments
I get a lot of questions about minimalist footwear options for kids, and it’s a topic that I’m very passionate about. I feel strongly that kids should be in shoes that respect natural foot shape and allow for normal function and development. With that in mind, I thought it might be worthwhile to write a […]
an athlete’s body: Introducing Physical Therapist Jay Dicharry’s New Blog
September 19, 2012 By 8 Comments
One of the featured “characters” in my book is physical therapist Jay Dicharry. I first met Jay about a year-and-a-half ago at a running injury workshop, and we’ve since become friends and have done some mutual consulting for shoe companies. When it comes to understanding shoe function and the causes of running injuries, Jay is […]
On Running Shoe Wear and Outsole Durability
September 18, 2012 By 48 Comments
Shoe wear patterns fascinate me. At the end of each run, I have the habit of taking my shoes off and scrutinizing my sole wear patterns to see if anything interesting pops up. I may look a bit odd walking down my street barefoot while staring at the soles of my shoes, but at this […]
Saucony Grid Type A5 Running Shoe Review: A Phenomenal Racing Flat!
September 17, 2012 By 94 Comments
I think I’m in love. It’s pretty rare for me to put more than 50 miles on a single shoe in one month given the number of reviews that I’m working on at any given time, but since mid-August I’ve run almost exclusively in two shoes: the adidas Gazelle and the Saucony Grid Type A5. […]
What does a VO2max test look like?
September 16, 2012 By 2 Comments
In my previous post I described my experience of undergoing a VO2max test at the University of New Hampshire. One of the students conducting the study just sent me a photo from during the test (see below) – I get to run a 5K on an indoor track with that get-up on this coming week! […]
My VO2max Test Results: Running to Exhaustion!
September 14, 2012 By 15 Comments
This afternoon I completed my first ever VO2max test. The test is something I’ve taught about in my Exercise Physiology class, but until today I’d never actually done one myself, so it was with a great deal of excitement that I drove the hour from my campus to the exercise physiology lab at the University […]
New Balance MO80 and WO80 Trail Shoe Preview on Running Warehouse Blog
September 11, 2012 By 18 Comments
I’m a big fan of the New Balance MT10 and New Balance MT00 trail shoes (I’m also currently testing out the NB MT20v2, and like it a lot), but have found that they lack protection necessary for running on some of the chunky gravel trails near my house. The MT110 was a potential solution, but […]
Race Report: Friendly Kitchen 5K
September 10, 2012 By 7 Comments
It’s been a long time since I’ve written a race report, the main reason being that I simply have not run that many races in the past two years. My last race was back in April of this year, a 5K in which I ran a time of 19:20. Given my lack of consistent training […]
