Like many runners, I decided to treat myself to some new shoes for Christmas. I'm at the start of marathon training, and I last bought a new pair nearly three years ago. For a long time I've been wearing Brooks Addictions. I overpronate and they worked well for a while. Lately, and it may be because of running in old shoes, I have found them less comfortable. So I found myself walking out of the Jog Shop in Brighton with a pair of Mizunos, to wit Wave Alchemy 10s. I liked the feel of them in the shop, and ran in them for the first time today.
My eye was caught by the legend on the sole promising 'gender engineering'. Before panic ensues, let me assure readers that I am still entire, as one says of horses. It seems to be all about the pelvis. The wider hips of women runners mean they tend to need a different shoe to their heavier, narrower-hipped male comrades. A quick and not very thorough look at PubMed for some evidence to back this up found these papers:
Wunderlich RE, Cavanagh PR.
Gender differences in adult foot shape: implications for shoe design.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Apr;33(4):605-11.
So, thoroughly gender engineered, I set forth on a run to try out the shoes, of a mile warm-up, three fast miles, with quarter-mile recoveries, and a mile cool-down. My route, over Hawks Brow, and along Seaford front, took in paved roads and paths, grass and shingle. The shoes felt good, though I'm not sure they'd be comfortable for a long run just yet.
Time: 1:00:14
Distance: 5.75
Pace: 10:23
First fast mile: 9:27
Second fast mile: 10:28
Third fast mile: 9:53
