I picked up a new pair of running shoes the other day, some Asics Kayanos. This epic decision was based on the fact that it was the only shoe on the sale table in my size, and it was half price. But I also was looking to get a more supportive shoe because I have had a sore upper foot for months, and I felt like blaming my Hoka One Cliftons because the soreness was worse after I wore them on my long runs. (The length of the run being irrelevant to the soreness...) The Kayanos felt good and surrounded my foot well. So far a couple short runs have proved uneventful, which is good news. But I did notice that they felt heavier than I expected. So for a kick I decided to weigh all my various shoes. Indeed, the new Kayano was the heaviest, with one shoe weighing 12 1/4 ounces. I had six other running shoes in various stages of usage, and they varied from 11+ oz down to 7 1/2 ozs for my Saucony Virrata. Not really any surprises here but it was interesting that this shoe weighed almost twice as much as my lightest.

In the past I have trained in Saucony Kinvaras (8oz) but I think that might have led to plantar fascitis, so now I save the light shoes for races, or maybe track work. I wonder how many of you run most of your miles in lightweight shoes, and do you manage to avoid injury? Or are there some of you that stick to heavier shoes even for races? I like to have a variety, as the psychological benefit of putting on the light shoes for races is big. And I think one's average pace drops 5-10 seconds per mile for every ounce less in each shoe, given the same effort. That is my totally unproveable theory. Anyway, I've got a 5K this weekend. Assuming I don't blow out a knee or something, I expect to register for Rehoboth to do the Half. Which means more mileage the next couple months. In my heavy shoes. I picked up a new pair of running shoes the other day, some Asics Kayanos. At $110, the Saucony Ride 5 is the first shoe to win our Best Buy award that costs more than $100. Of course, this shouldn't come as a big surprise;

the costs of goods and services are rising. You feel the pinch at the gas pump, in the supermarket checkout lane, and at your local running store. Shoe manufacturers are feeling the squeeze, too. Record high oil prices caused a spike in the cost of raw materials and economic pressure in China has increased workers' wages. best shoes for everyday walkingBut rather than passing along exorbitant price hikes to runners, shoemakers have found ways to cut their own expenses. specialist running shoe shop johannesburgThe minimalist movement has coincided perfectly with this, allowing them to use less rubber on outsoles, and remove less important overlays and small molded components.best race walking shoes 2013

While the result of such changes is a lighter (more minimal) shoe, it also is one that's cheaper to build. Basically, you're paying a little bit more money for considerably less shoe. Well, in the last two years alone, the price you pay for an ounce of running shoe has risen by 24 percent. top rated running shoes flat feetHere's a look at the figures, based on shoes we've tested in the RW Shoe Lab.running shoes good for your knees In 2004, shoes we tested averaged $94.60 and weighed 12.6 ounces–that's $3.80 per ounce, per shoe. best running shoe for someone with bad kneesThrough 2010, the cost slowly rose at 2.3 percent per year, in line with global inflation rates, to $108.10. During the same time period, improvements in lightweight foam and upper materials resulted in an ounce of weight loss per shoe–the average shoe weighed 11.3 ounces.

But, since 2010, shoes rapidly shed weight (by means noted above) so that the average pair now costs $114.20 and each shoe weighs a mere 9.6 ounces. A look at the chart above shows the relationships between price and weight over time, including this steep increase in US Dollars per ounce. We've observed this trend toward significantly lighter footwear in both updated models and new debuts. Of the 67 updated models we tested in the last year (excluding trail shoes and racing flats), 72 percent shed weight, with the average drop at half an ounce. We tested 35 new models from August 2010 to July 2011 (what we'll call "2011"). The following year ("2012," the period from August 2011 to July 2012) we tested another 60 shoes making their debut. Compared with shoes introduced in 2011, new products launched in 2012 averaged 9.1 ounces–1.1 oz (11 percent) lighter, on average. This year's new shoes are also lower in profile (by an average of 4 mm), are 18 percent more flexible, and have 20 percent less cushioning than 2011's new models.

A common way of assessing optimum running weight is by “doubling the inches” of your height to get a ballpark figure on your best weight. However, the issue with this formula is it does not take into account one’s bone structure, natural muscle mass, and goals in the sport. With that stated, it is important to first complete a rudimentary test of your bone structure before calculating your optimum racing weight. Hold out your right hand in front on you. Using the index finger and thumb of your left hand, wrap these fingers around your right wrist. If the fingers touch but don’t overlap, you have a medium bone structure and/or musculature. If your fingers overlap, you have a small frame. If your fingers do not touch, you have a larger than average bone structure. Now, with you frame assessed in a general sense, let’s do some quick calculations using our “double the inches” formula as a baseline. Pretend we have a hypothetical runner who is 5’10 (that is 70 inches in height).

It does not matter if this runner is male or female, but females often weigh slightly less than males at the same height. If we “double the inches” for this runner as noted above, we come to 140lbs in weight. So, based on frame size, the following values would hold true. Note- This formula represents numbers that may be hard to attain for many people even after a period of weight loss. The figures above are geared towards athletic individuals who run regularly, compete recreationally or to a serious degree, and are looking to OPTIMIZE running performance. Once you have established an optimum running that works for you, we can look at how to manage that figure over the course of the year. This section will provide a realistic look at how to use training and diet to optimize running weight when it matters most “Sarah” will be our hypothetical model for this example. She is a medium framed competitive runner who races most frequently in the fall and spring.

In the winter and summer, she runs recreationally to stay fit. Sarah is training for a fall marathon this year. She is 5’6 inches tall, and her optimum running/racing weight is around 125lbs based on previous experience. In the summer, while training recreationally, Sarah likes to keep her weight around 130lbs as she can eat what she likes at this weight without counting calories or having to stress over training. When preparing for her fall marathon, her weight will gradually drop through training to her optimum 125lbs a week or two before the race (or even slightly less). This weight is hard to maintain for Sarah, but she knows she races best lean and light. Following her goal marathon, Sarah will want to quickly regain weight back up to her “normal” 130lbs. This will help her muscles recover from a season of training, protect her immune system, and allow her to train hard again in the spring. Even elite marathoners like Meb Keflezighi plan to gain weight after a marathon once they have achieved their racing weight for a few weeks prior to a big event.