Rotation

Here's a runner doing it right - she's rotating her shoes, logging the miles, and switching up the brands and models. When you snoop in the closet of a multiple time BQ'er and running coach, you find things like this.
Here's a runner doing it right - she's rotating her shoes, logging the miles, and switching up the brands and models. When you snoop in the closet of a multiple time BQ'er and running coach, you find things like this.

Rotation

Rotating is important. You have to do it when you swim in order to swim fast and efficiently. You need to do it in a pace line while riding or racing, otherwise you will be a slacker. But did you know you also need rotation in running?

People that wear nice clothing will tell you that you should never wear an item two days in a row. It is important to let the fabric rest. While I have a few nice suits and cashmere sweaters, the odds of me wearing them two days in a row are pretty small, so this isn’t much of an issue for me. For many of my friends, the idea of not wearing something two days in a row is laughable, but then I don’t think Old Navy qualifies as nice clothing.

Just like a wool suit needs to rest and regain its shape, so too do your running shoes. The EVA foam rubber that makes up the cushioning of your running shoes deforms when you run. For an analogy, think of a memory-foam mattress: even though you get up the bed still has a depression where your weight was distributed.

If you buy a new pair of shoes, the first run in them won’t deform them much, but subsequent runs will deform the shoes to the point that you begin to lose cushioning and shape. By allowing your shoes to rest at least one day between runs, and longer between long runs, you will insure that the shoes are functioning as they are supposed to.

For many of you, this is going to mean at least 2 pairs of shoes that you will rotate. Now before you start to complain about another $100 pair of running shoes, let me explain why this will not only save your body, but also save you money as well.

Rotating your shoes will expand their lifespan. Shoes wear out because they lose their cushioning. They lose their cushioning because, again, the EVA breaks down. By rotating your shoes and allowing them to rest between uses, you will be nicer to the EVA, and it will last longer. Shoes lasting longer means replacing them less frequently, which SAVES YOU MONEY!!! (only those of you from Houston will get that).

Another way this will save you money is by not expecting one pair of shoes to meet every need. How many of you, upon training for you first marathon, had a pair of shoes that you loved…right up until that first 10 or 12-mile run? Probably most of you. And what do most people do? Why they throw those shoes out because they don’t work anymore! That’s just silly – those shoes were great until that long run. So keep them, use them, and work them into the rotation for your shorter runs.

My sportscare guru, Dr. Maloy at Spring Valley Spine & Sports, cautioned me against running in old shoes. Okay, not really. The truth is she made fun of me for running in old shoes and getting shin splints. Worn-out shoes are a great way to get hurt, so do yourself a favor and treat yourself, your wallet, and your shoes right by rotating them, and retiring them before they wear out. By having a newer pair in your rotation you’ll be able to tell when a shoe’s time has come – it won’t feel as good as the other pair(s). Plus, your chance of injury is reduced because even if you keep a pair a little too long, you’ll only be running in them a few days a week, instead of constantly.

Let me encourage you to have different types of shoes in your rotation. While you can have, say, 3 pairs of Brooks Ghost, why not have a Ghost, a Launch, and a Green Silence? Distance shoe, tempo shoe, and 5k/track shoe.

One final note – long distance races should be done in fairly new shoes. Why? Again the EVA – it’s most resilient when it’s new. 26.2 miles on a pair of shoes with 25 miles on them is going to feel a whole lot different than a pair with 125 miles on them. Whatever your favorite distance shoe is, buy a new pair a few weeks before the race. Break them in with about 25 miles of running, then save them for race day.

Steen Rose is the owner and Head Coach of Athletes On Track and an Elite Coach for Training Bible Coaching. He has been competing in cycling and multisport events for 16 years with 13 state titles and 3 national medals to his name. He has been coaching since 2003 and works with all ages and abilities of athletes locally, nationally, and abroad. He can be reached at srose@trainingbible.com

 

9 commentaires
    1. Il y a une règle d’or qui existe, chacun a sa partie de vérifié et chacun a ses intérêts. Tout cela pour dire qu’il vaut mieux écouter et en tirer ses conclusions qu’absorber tout ce les personnes influentes disent. D’ailleurs, les discours sur le minimalisme ont assez changé.

      Et comme l’a signalé Daniel Rioux, certaines études étaient financées par Vibram.

      1. Je voudrais quand même ajouter une nuance: ce n’est pas parce que les études sur les five fingers sont financées par vibram que c’est prouvé que les chaussures diminuent le risque de blessure. Je sais que ce n’est pas cela que tu voulais dire Alexandre, mais je désirais quand même l’ajouter. Je suis encore sceptique sur l’utilité d’une chaussure pour diminuer le risque de blessure. Encore plus sceptique par rapport aux types de chaussures (stability/motion control/neutre). Quant à la rotation, je ne suis pas certain non plus, étant donné que je ne suis pas certain que courir avec une chaussure coussinée diminue le risque de blessures…

        1. Salut Daniel, en fait ce que je voulais dire c’est qu’il y a beaucoup de choses qui sont écrites sur le web parce qu’on veut te vendre quelques choses en arrières. Et en ce qui concerne le web, plus tu écris sur un sujet plus le monde te donne du crédit, Des fois, c’est justifié et des fois c’est non justifié.

          Exemple parfait, plus tu ecriveras sur le gatorade, plus le monde pensera que c’est la seule facon de se nourir quand on fait des exercices…

          Ce que je sais, c’est que beaucoup de personnes croivent qu’en changeant leurs chaussures, tout va se guérir. Quick fix never works. Il y a une utilisation de la naïveté parce que le monde ne veulent pas aller plus profondément dans les connaissances. Et c’est d’ailleurs cela que nos blogs sont lus.

          Ce que je veux dire par Vibram, c’est que c’est vendu comme LA solution… désolé mais aucun elite ne court avec cela. Pourquoi? parce qu’ils ont développés une technique de l’économie. Les vibrams, c’est l’art de limiter l’extension arrière de la jambe dans la poussée.

          DÉSOLÉ, mais je n’ai jamais vu quelqu’un en vibram courir (sans retenu). Jogger oui.

          Des chaussures ultra minimalistes déplacent la charge de l’avant de la jambe à l’arriere de la jambe. Certains répondent mieux que d’autres…

          L’affaire de l’hauteur du talon, cela continue a faire du sens parce que tes appuies dépendent de ta vitesse. Cela a été prouvé qu’un marathonien peut commencer sur l’avant du pied et finir sur l’arrière avec la fatigue.

          Aussi, je peux t assurer que des Mo Farah, Ritz, s’entraine en vromeo pour leur longue sortie.

          1. Salut Alex, j’ai compris le message, j’arrête de parler de gatorade 😉 Je voudrais pas devenir un pseudo-expert. En passant, j’aimerais bien avoir ton avis sur ce sujet si jamais t’as 2 minutes, tu peux répondre ici ou sur mon blog, je pense que tu es pas mal informé sur le sujet.
            Au niveau Vibram, je ne peux pas être plus d’accord que c’est vendu comme LA solution pour TOUT, ce que je déplore. C’est vrai qu’il y a pas d’élites en vibram, mais il y en a eu des pieds-nus… Le point sur lequel je ne suis toujours pas certain, c’est que les chaussures préviennent les blessures. Je sais que quelques études sur cela se prépare. Certainement que les résultats seront limités et peut-être pas extrapolables, mais quand même je suis curieux. Une entre autres en VFF, Nike Free et Nike Pegasus. Ça va être du bonbon!

          2. Daniel, c’est un bon point. Mais je ne crois pas que c’est la chaussure qui fait ta technique. Si ta chaussure change effectivement tes appuies plus en avant ou plus en arrière, alors oui, on peut dire qu’une chaussure te blessera plus qu’une autre tout simplement parce que la chargera changera et sollicitera des muscles trop sollicités ou pas assez développés.

            Tu devrais faire une recherche sur Benno Nigg.

            http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/12/2011-review-science-of-sport-call-for.html

            Let me digress and state my view on that question, since I didn’t get to state it at UKSEM! I believe that EVERYONE can benefit from some barefoot running. That is, I think that barefoot running is, at worst, a good training modality that may have benefit for running performance, even when wearing shoes. We know from research and simple experience that there are significant differences in muscle activation and loading patterns when running barefoot, and these are all potentially favourable, even if barefoot running is used only as a training method. In fact, I’d go so far as to encourage all runners to try barefoot running, even if it is only during a warm-up or cool-down, or once a week for a short time.

  1. Obviously does not apply to Vibrams, and I am not intending to advocate for or against minimalism. If you wear shoes with cushioning, you should understand the proper care and use of the shoe.

    As a coach and consultant one should be able to speak to athletes across a range, not just one narrow subset. So of you like minimalist shoes, are running well and are injury free – great. But if you are part of the majority of runners in more traditional footwear, this is how you should use it.