[yorkshire-girl]

Hi all,

I hope nobody minds that I have started a new thread to ask a few questions. I've been scanning the threads on here for a little while and thought I'd take the leap and ask for some advice.I am a complete novice runner although have done lots of running on treadmills over the past 3 years. I am now starting to make the transition to the great outdoors, which is considerably harder!

I went to Ironbridge runners in Exeter today to get some new trainers as mine are about 3 years old and came away with some Saucony Grid Stabil MC 5 (if that means anything to anyone...). The lady in the shop said I over pronate and these are supportive. The thing that confuses me is that in an ordinary shoe I am a size 6 and in my current trainers (Etonic) I am a 6 1/2 and yet when she fitted me she said I should be wearing a 7 1/2 for running. They have at least a half inch clear at the front and there seems to be quite a bit of room at the side of my foot at the front. I ran on the treadmill in the shop and they seemed fine but will they stretch and be baggy once I've worn them a few times - they cost £70 and I really can't afford for them not to last. Is it normal for trainers to be so much bigger than normal shoes???

The other question is should I buy a heart rate monitor as she said I was running too fast and my strides were too big also that I should run at a pace that is comfortable. I didn't know whether I should get used to running before buying one or whether this will just start bad habits.

I've entered the race for life in July as an initial goal and intend to run all of it but just want to make sure I'm doing everything right!

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

YG

 

[cheriton]

Hi all,

I hope nobody minds that I have started a new thread to ask a few questions. I've been scanning the threads on here for a little while and thought I'd take the leap and ask for some advice.I am a complete novice runner although have done lots of running on treadmills over the past 3 years. I am now starting to make the transition to the great outdoors, which is considerably harder!

I went to Ironbridge runners in Exeter today to get some new trainers as mine are about 3 years old and came away with some Saucony Grid Stabil MC 5 (if that means anything to anyone...). The lady in the shop said I over pronate and these are supportive. The thing that confuses me is that in an ordinary shoe I am a size 6 and in my current trainers (Etonic) I am a 6 1/2 and yet when she fitted me she said I should be wearing a 7 1/2 for running. They have at least a half inch clear at the front and there seems to be quite a bit of room at the side of my foot at the front. I ran on the treadmill in the shop and they seemed fine but will they stretch and be baggy once I've worn them a few times - they cost £70 and I really can't afford for them not to last. Is it normal for trainers to be so much bigger than normal shoes???

The other question is should I buy a heart rate monitor as she said I was running too fast and my strides were too big also that I should run at a pace that is comfortable. I didn't know whether I should get used to running before buying one or whether this will just start bad habits.

I've entered the race for life in July as an initial goal and intend to run all of it but just want to make sure I'm doing everything right!

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

YG

Welcome to the forum yg! you wont be sorry about making the transition to outdoors, well done for that Saucony which i run in btw <always need a bigger size they are built on a smaller last < and as you run your feet swell a whole shoe size <especially if you wearsocks< because you still want room fOR them and your little toes>
That's also a reason you should try normal shoes on in the afternoon!

Personally i wouldn't bother with a hrm .but it's up to you.
do you notice the same stride when you run outside? If not i wouldn't worry, the thing is this, running is all about pacing yourself .
you've already started to run so that's fantastic It'll be harder once you get outside, wind, undulations, surfaces etc but so much more enjoyable than a treadie.

The aim is on a run, to be able to run and still be able to hold a conversation without gasping it out .

AS YOU VARY YOUR TRAINING THIS RULE DOESN'T APPLY TO SAY FARTLEK OR SPRINTS ,INTERVALS, HILL WORK ETC . BUT DONT WORY ABOUT THAT YET.

A gradual increase in your weekly runs is the way to avoid injury ie not too much too soon

There are a number of peeps on here doing the race fr life i think theres a thread somewhere . and btw 99% of women overpronate .

take it easy
Cheriton

Most importantly of all enjoy your running good luck with it anyquestions ask away .

and a warm welcome to this forum

 

[yorkshire-girl]

Thank you Cheriton for the warm welcome and for your advice.

I feel reassured to know that Saucony are smaller - I felt like crusty the clown when she got size 7 1/2 trainers out of the box :embarrassed:

I'll certainly take your advice just to run consistently and build slowly and I'll have a look for the race for life thread.

Thanks again.

YG

 

[LEECE]

Welcome to the forum Yorkshire, i am lisa and been running continuous for 7 months now.

I run in Saucony too and my running shoes are bigger also, just dont do what my partner did and put them in washing machine as they shrink

But i did manage to get another pair out of him then :d

As for HRM (from a beginners view) I prefer not to wear one, you know within yourself if your pushing too much, when i wore mine i found i focused too much on it and not my running or breathing.

Welcome again :d

 

[richardsimkiss]

Howdy yorkshire girl... welcome to the forum! Don't feel at all bad about starting a new thread for your questions, that's the whole point of this forum, and it's always nice for other people to read about peoples questions and answers without having to dig them out from already existing (and perhaps unrelated) topics!

Cheritons advice is spot on... generally you'll know if you're pushing too hard. For a steady run you should be able to hold conversation - even if it means running at the same pace you'd normally walk. lol.

In terms of shoe fitment... try not to worry about the numbers, running shoes will normally be a size (ish) bigger than your everyday shoe, most important thing is to make sure your toes aren't touching/pressing on the end or top of the shoe as it may lead to black toenails n discomfort - on teh other hand of course it's important to get a shoe that fits you nicely and that your foot isn't just loose and sliding around inside!

 

[Katten]

Welcome to the forum

Many runners swear by HRMs, I only have a very el cheapo one myself (about £25 I think), but it is handy. Basically it means you can tell how hard your body is working at any particular time, which can vary for any number of reasons, so sticking to a good heart rate means you don't over-exert yourself, and know when you can push further.

Running shoes are meant to be big, with plenty of space at the front. The important thing is that they feel comfy. Your sauconys should be good for about 400 miles or so :d

Have Ironbridge Runners done up their changing room yet, or is it still the teensy alcove next to the office?

Anyway, best of luck with your Race for Life, let us know how you get on!

 

[yorkshire-girl]

Thank you all for the great advice. I'm going running tonight so fingers crossed that my new trainers will do the job. I think I'll try and get into a decent running pattern/feel relaxed etc then invest in a HRM at a later stage to actually train.

Thanks again,

YG

 

[Dave]

I think it`s all been covered YG.

So all I can say is.............................. and