The Strength of Running

I have this friend, Jason, who's fighting his own battle with his weight. He and I were emailing back and forth the other night and he admitted he has to interrupt his running by walking. My answer: do it!

As a faithful reader of Runner's World magazine, I religiously subscribe to the teachings of former Olympic marathoner and coach Jeff Galloway. For years, Galloway has taught his trainees to add walking to their long training runs. He advocates walking as a means to extend runs without injury. Walking uses different muscles than running so it allows your legs to rest while increasing the duration of your runs. I tried it and it works. Don't believe me? Go check out Jeff Galloway's web site and subscribe to his free newsletter: www.jeffgalloway.com

When I talk to guys like Jason, it really inspires me to want to help out and share what I've learned. For example, he and I were deep in discussion the other night over what running shoe he should buy. That's right up my alley. I have tried a lot of shoes in the last 11 years of running and have opinions on many styles and brands. The one thing I have discovered is there's not a perfect running shoe for everyone. What works for me may not work for a guy of my similar weight. Jason's a big guy and I'm proud he's taking up running. He needs a well-constructed, quality shoe that will support his frame. But, he also needed to adhere to a budget so he couldn't afford to break the bank purchasing a good shoe. I'm 6'1", go 244 lbs, and usually spend anywhere from $75 on up for my shoes. I recommend many of the Asics models, particularly the Gel-Kayano, Nimbus, and Cumulus series. New Balance makes some good shoes for bigger runners, as does Nike. Just be careful when looking at Nike as they tend to run a bit narrow.

Big guys need stability, which can add weight to a shoe. I don't like heavy shoes, although I'm running in one right now, the New Balance 992. It is a classic, stability shoe with no bells and whistles. My shoe is the old suede gray and it's not fancy at all, but it works for me. I also ordered a pair of Asics Gel-Kayano 14 shoes and I haven't been disappointed in them at all. For any runner, it's trial and error. Just like our favorite restaurant, we have to find something that works for us and, in the words of the old Texas Longhorns coach Darrell Royal, "dance with them that brung us."

One piece of advice and this is just from my own personal experience--stay away from the Nike Shox series. They are not made for serious running, especially for larger runners. If you notice, they seldom get any notice from the Runner's World shoe review. In fact, I can't remember ever seeing them reviewed in the magazine. They will hurt your feet if you're a big runner.

Here's a few recommendations for running shoes for bigger guys (190 lbs-250 lbs):

Higher end price, but worth it, in my opinion:
Asics Gel-Kayano 14
Asics Gel Nimbus
New Balance 992
Nike Zoom Vomero

Mid-price:
Asics Gel 1120
Brooks Adrenaline
Nike Air Pegasus

Oh, and I've gotten to where I won't buy retail ever again. I found a great place on-line to buy running shoes. Check this site out and tell me if it isn't worth every penny:
www.holabirdsports.com

The Asics Gel-Kayano 14 sells in my city for an average of $135. I got them at Holabird Sports for $105 with shipping and handling included, no tax. I saved more than $45. The New Balance 992 sells for $107 at Holabird which is far less than retail. I don't think you'll be sorry you ordered from them. I got my Kayanos in about 4 days.

Hey, I hope some of this helps you. Find what works for you and keep doing it. Try walking with your running and see what happens. If you discover a great workout, share it here. And if you find great deals on running shoes, pass that along to the rest of us.

Good luck, God bless, and happy running!




TFR