It's not about the shoes

Last summer I read Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run.  After reading about barefoot/minimalist running and its benefits, I bought some minimal shoes, and gradually started using them in my training.  I loved running in them.  They were lightweight and felt natural to run in. I looked forward to the days when I was training in them, and dreaded training in my old, bulky traditional running shoes. My form got better, my paces got faster, and I was hooked on those Saucony Kinvaras. They made me a better and faster runner.

I wore them in my first and second triathlon, and started training for my next half marathon in them. But as my long run mileage increased, so did a burning pain in my left ankle. I tried the usual remedies, rest, ice and elevation, but it just wasn't getting any better.  So I made the dreaded trip to see my Orthopedist.  The diagnosis was posterior tibal tendonitis and treatment meant several weeks in a boot, and absolutley no running, swimming or biking.  For the second year in a row, I had to drop out of  White Rock, and my off season began earlier than planned. After I rested and rehabbed my ankle, I was told to get some new running shoes, with a good amount of cushion and support, and to give up the idea of minmalist running.  I wasn't looking forward to switching back to what I considered my old "slow" shoes, and dissapointed that had to give up training in my "fast" shoes. For Christmas, I got some Nike Lunareclipse+.

And instantly loved them.  My paces improved, my form stayed good, and I ran my fastest 5K ever in them. I had mistakenly believed that my improvement in the fall was because of my shoes. But, shoes don't make a runner better or faster. What makes a runner better and faster is the time and effort that goes into training. Dedication and drive. That's what makes me run better and faster.

In my new shoes.