Last week I posted the results of a study published in a conference proceedings back in 2003 that addressed the question of whether runners’ self-assessment of their degree of pronation was accurate or not (i.e., do they know if they overpronate). Their conclusion was that most runners have very poor knowledge of how much they […]
Archives for 2012
Do Runner’s Know Their Arch Height and Amount of Pronation, and Does it Matter?: Study #2
October 2, 2012 By 11 Comments
Runblogger’s Blogroll
October 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Update 7/9/2013 – The blogroll that resided here recently died when Google Reader was formally shut down. I am currently working on a new solution – stay tuned!
Race Recap: New PR at the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon!
October 1, 2012 By 24 Comments
One of my most vivid memories from high school was having to complete the 3-mile run in under 21 minutes on the track to make the varsity soccer team. I did it, but just barely (it hurt!), and I can remember teammates puking after they crossed the finish-line. I’m way more competitive with myself than […]
Running Changes Lives: Louise Cunningham’s Story
October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
One of the things that I absolutely love about writing this blog is meeting people through it who have changed their lives by starting to run. Louise Cunningham is one such person. I met Louise (or Weez) this summer at a running workshop that I co-hosted here in Concord, NH – she drove all the […]
Do Runners Really Know How Much They Pronate?
September 27, 2012 By 19 Comments
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 […]
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 […]
The Honorable Clan of the Long-Distance Runner: Great Article by Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch
I’d like to alert you to an excellent article on running in the New York Times. Written by Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch, the article takes a somewhat philosophical look at what it means to be a runner, and why recent events in the running world such as Kip Litton’s cheating and Paul Ryan’s exaggerated […]