Running is a passion - 5

Let's talk about pronation. When we run, we land on our heel first and then roll in the toe. The angle at which we roll from heel to toe is what defines Pronation. The general idea is, when the feet come in contact with the ground, it should be angled (15 degrees) properly to evenly support our body weight. Some people will be under or over pronators.

If the impact is concentrated on a smaller area of the foot (< 15 degree angle) , it is called under pronation. Typically, people with high arches tend to be under pronators. If the impact is concentrated more on one side of the feet (>15 degree angle), it is called over pronation. Typically, people with low arches (flat feet) tend to be over pronators. Over and under pronators will have problems with ankle and knee in the long term.

If you are a normal pronator (examine your arch), regular shoes will work for the 5K training. When you go over 10K, you should get running shoes for stability. If you have a high arch or flat feet, you need running shoes right away to avoid injury in the long term. There is a good shop in Naperville downtown called "Naperville Running Company". They will let you run on a tread mill and video graph your running. They will replay it back to you several times in slow motion to understand your pronation. All the sales people are runners themselves. They will give you a great deal of advise. If you are a over or under pronator, they will recommend shoes with reinforcements and enhanced cushions on the inside or the outside (depending on your pronation). The shop even has a small race track to run and try different shoes. Shoes typically cost $130 to $150 in such places. Brooks, Asics, Mizuno are considered top brands. I have Asics regular stability shoes (I am a normal pronator - lucky me!).