Thursday, September 06, 2007

Podiatrist

I finally visited the podiatrist. I have:
  • High arches
  • Tight calves
  • Hips that rotate out, but not in (More pronounced on the right)
  • Feet that turn in
  • All sorts of funny angles in my foot bones
Other than that ...

The Dr. says I am anything but an overpronator, and, while my extreme motion control setup (Brooks Beasts w/ Superfeet insoles) has worked to this point, I need more cushioning or I will hurt myself. Also, the fasciitus isn't getting any better.

He switched me to a more cushioning insole, and in two weeks will cast me for orthotics. He wants me to try a more cushioning shoe that has a last that turns in like my feet. This will require some experimentation. He also said I may need one setup for speed work and another for distance.

Yesterday I did a speedwork/tempo combo (8 miles) in the Beasts with the Spenko Cross-Trainer insoles. It helped with the pounding, but the fasciitus wasn't too happy later. As I was on mile 7 I finally realized something about my "over-pronation": My right knee was rotated out maybe 25 degrees on impact, but my foot wasn't rotated out at all. This unnatural position caused my foot to roll inwards, and I actually pushed off of the inside of my right foot. This caused the appearance of over-pronation.

How much of this can I change, and how much do I just have to compensate for?

No comments: