Did you know that you should not wear your running shoes while you are strength training? It’s a common mistake that runners make, and here’s what to wear instead!
A couple years ago, I was doing a pretty intense weight lifting program (80 Day Obsession) and also training for a half marathon. I was pushing myself hard and feeling amazing.
And then….pain in my knee.
I had never been injured (besides when I sprained my ankle running in the dark) so I was immediately very freaked out. I did everything I could, which included going to a Sports Physical Therapist.
One of the things that I will never forget is that the PT asked me what kind of shoes I was wearing to weight train. I told him that I was wearing my old running shoes.
Apparently this is a mistake!!!
He told me to switch to a cross training shoe. He also told me to foam roll the heck out of my inner thigh and within 2 weeks, the knee pain was gone!!
Yesterday in our half marathon training chat group (as part of Best Run Year Ever), this topic came up. It turned out, most of the women in the group were also wearing running shoes, or even worse, OLD worn out worn out running shoes to cross train.
Why You Shouldn’t Wear Running Shoes to Strength Train
To sum it up:
Running shoes are designed to propel you forward. The surface is unstable which inhibits your power output & increases your risk of injury.
Strength training shoes are designed to keep your feet stable to the ground with a rigid sole.
Strength Training Shoe Recommendations
I’ve been wearing Nike Metcons for the last 3 years. However, since reading Kara Goucher’s book, The Longest Race, I decided to stop using Nike products. So, I’ve been doing research on which shoes I’ll switch to. I’ve settled on the Reebok Nano X2 – it has really good reviews (and compares to the Metcon in construction) and is a lower price point too! One shoe that came up a lot in my research was the Nobull Womens Trainer. And these New Balance FuelCell shoes come in a lot of fun colors!
I know …it’s another investment. But the good news is, your cross trainers last longer than your running shoes.
Curious to know if you’ve been making this mistake too?
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