I have been hearing so much about the Hoka’s and I definitely suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) I was determined to try them out.
I recently met Will again at a running seminar for CLAN and we talked a little about the shoes and the benefits for the stage of my training. I am currently 11 or so weeks out from D-Day (Stirling Marathon 29/4/18) and the mileage is starting to increase.
I am so cautious about overloading and during the seminar Will spoke about the types of shoe that benefit different surfaces and also the expiry time of the cushioning on certain shoes. This was a really informative talk, discussing why cushioning on longer runs is better as the pace is slower and alters contact with ground requiring the added protection.
Furthermore, racing flats (or reduced drop from heel to toe) are often lighter and beneficial for faster shorter races as there is more likely to be a faster cadence (steps per minute) and on the fore-foot more where you don’t require the same heel cushioning.
So I met Will, down at Run4It to get my Hoka’s…. and after trying them on I was gutted they didn’t fit. I wanted my feet to get into them but they just wouldn’t. My feet are a size 7/7.5 but wide. I tried the Clifton 4 but the smallest in stock was 8 (I even tried the women’s 7.5but the width of my feet meant that they would have been too tight!)
We then looked at what was working. The Brooks ghost 10. The new colour and material were very attractive, but we opted to go for the Launch 5 with a firmer mid-sole but still the cushioning for longer distances.
I went onto the treadmill to look at my form. I was very surprised with what I looked like on the treadmill. You never know what you look like until you see it.
[wpvideo UIQcWUwM ]
After watching and I then trying the Brooks Levitate (my large toe went over the cushioned sole and felt uncomfortable), we stuck with the Launch 5 to give a training adaptation and a lighter shoe more inline with my running style.
Again this whole experience has taught me that having the chance to try out the shoe, discuss training goals, see/feel/run in the shoe is so important for reducing injury risk.
Thanks to Will and the Run4It staff for their time and knowledge…. I didn’t get my Hoka’s but glad I didn’t try to force my feet into something that didn’t fit.
Run4It hold many evening where you can try the shoes before you buy. This includes an upcoming trail run with Innov-8… I would recommend their service and these evenings very highly.
Thanks for reading.
Run Long and Prosper
James
