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| I Just Did It |
In April I did the unimaginable and joined
a gym. No really, I did, with running machines and everything. There’s even a
sweaty weights room where scantily clad men stare at themselves in mirrors.
It’s a real gym, honest!
My reasons for joining the gym? I had a
few, first of all, I hurt my knees two years ago and they’ve never really
gotten any better. A patella injury it makes a heck of a lot of noise, creaks
and groans like an old door. I swear I spent about a year in general horror
that they might just fall off or snap. At the same time I had grumbly back pain
which I’d gone to the doctor about, the physiotherapist about, the chiropractor
about and the acupuncturist about. The result? No difference at all.
This April I decided enough was enough, I
was going to get a trainer who specialised in treating injuries and I was going
to train myself better. So I did, my knees now don’t hurt at all. I’m so much
less stressed about them, the only time they hurt is if I don’t do enough exercise.
My back has gotten a lot better, it turns out my core wasn’t worth a damn and
was the cause of all my grief. So I’ve been working on that as well.
I lift a lot of free weights, developing my
muscle tone to thrash off the fat and strengthen myself up, I also do a lot of
cardio to increase my fitness. It’s been an education and although I’m not
there yet I feel like I’m at least getting stronger, I don't want to be thin, I want to be strong.
Recently I got contacted by SportsShoes.com to
ask if I’d like to try out a pair of their Nike Free running shoes. I hadn’t
heard of Nike Free but I’m at the gym 4 times a week so I was convinced I’d be
able to give them a proper test. I selected the super bright red with orange
laces and am blown away by how gorgeous they look. I’ve never really worried
about how I look in the gym, mainly because I usually am focused on just
getting through my workout. Since I’ve been trying out the Nike Free, I’m going
to confess I have worn my three quarter length running trousers instead of my
long jogging bottoms just so I can show off my shoes, sad but true. I feel
exceptionally fancy. For someone who hates being seen in trousers let me tell you prancing about the gym was not something I thought I'd be doing. Even my trainer noticed
What Do They Do?
Nike Free has a flexible midsole with a
barefoot feel. They come in different levels with 5.0 being the most cushioned
and 3.0 having the least cushioning to try and replicate a barefoot run. They
have a sock-like inner sleeve and deep grooves in the sole to give natural foot
movement.
The Results.
As I’m not a road runner (meep meep) my
running is mainly done on a treadmill, or pounding away on the cross trainer.
The main aspects I’ve been looking at are comfort, performance and style.
Comfort wise, I have a broad foot and I was
worried these would be too narrow, but the sock like fit of the shoe means it
is almost stretchy around your foot. This seems to enhance how your foot moves
in them. I found that I was able to manipulate my foot without feeling the
resistance that comes with normal trainers. The back of the shoe is soft, I
wore them out with no socks and didn’t get any blisters which for me is an
achievement.
Performance wise, I’ve found that my feet
are enjoying the flexibility that the shoes are giving, it feels like my whole
foot is moving as it would if I wasn’t wearing trainers. I’m used to air
cushioning and really bulky soles so this is a whole new experience. I was
initially worried about the impact without cushioning on my knees but I haven’t
had any issues at all. It is something you should think about if you’re new to
running like me, I went for the 5.0 with the highest cushioning, but be aware
the cushioning is still very little, maybe newbies should stay away from the
3.0 until you’re more used to the sensation.
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| The dynamic sole provides a full flexibility of movement |
I’d never heard of them before I reviewed
them, I think it would be really vapid of me to say that I love the look of
them, but I do. I think runners are going to like these, which is obviously
helpful as they are running shoes after all, I don’t know if the average gym
goer will have the same concerns about flexibility and movement but I’m
enjoying them. Check them out if you see them, they’re very pretty!
Much Love
