what's wrong when I run?

[teacher6th]

I am 42 and have walked 3 miles every other day or so for about a year with no trouble at all. Last week I decided to give running a try on the high school track and walked for about 20 minutes before I ran (not real fast) for only about 1/2 a lap. I was fine. Two days later I ran about 3/4 lap and didn't feel anything until the next day when my right ankle really hurt! A couple of years ago I joined Curves for Women and the same thing happened when I ran in place on their platform. It was sore for a couple of weeks and I had to quit. I have really good intentions in that I want to step it up a level (from walking to running) but whenever I try my ankles (outside) are really painful. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? Thanks so much!

[mwpod]

Hi there,

you probably need a 'neutral' shoes, meaning no posting/support on the medial side of the shoes.

Check if your running group has a running coach, get him/her to assess your running style.

otherwise, visit a foot specialist.

good luck.

[mattw]

Here are a couple tests for you to try to figure out what is going on: First take an old pair of your walking/running shoes and turn them over and look at how the sole is worn. It should be evenly worn in the middle of the heel and across all five toes and the left and right shoes should look the same. If they are not like this you are not going heel-ball-toe the way your foot is designed to. The second test is to stand up with your shoes and socks off on a hard surface. Relax your arms and close your eyes. Think about where the weight is in your feet. It should be exactly even left to right, even between your heel and toes, and even from the inside to the outside of your feet. I'm guessing you are not even. So what do the results from both these tests tell you? Well that your posture is compromised. But it is easy to fix. Check out the book called "The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion" and do the exercises. They will restore your posture and with that your foot strike will improve and the problem will go away. Good luck.