Is there a positive correlation between overpronation and not being a fast runner?

If you're heavy and slow, you pronate quite a bit in order to save yourself from yourself. The act of pronation is a very effective way to absorb shock. So you could say that you over-pronate because you're big and slow, rather than you're big and slow because you over-pronate.

If you're light and fast it's pretty hard to run really inefficiently. The quicker you get, the better your gait generally becomes.

Work hard, get faster, and your running efficiency and gait will also improve.

If you can run in a neutral shoe, but persist with a corrective shoe, you're not doing yourself any favours, IMO.

(at my quickest, I was a 30.20 10,000m runner. Now I'm mid-40's and running in the 35's. Tried a pair of stability shoes once: f***ing awful things. I'll run in anything that's neutral and relatively lightweight)

No, there is no correlation. I think you'll find that the majority of top runners (in the sprints and distances) have feet that pronate a lot.

To hmmm: agreed if you're really fat (I have a 250lb 6'3 friend w/ flat feet, that makes sense). In my case I have mid-to-high arch and I weigh 149lbs. I don't know why I overpronate, my ankles and lower legs are supposedly strong (worked a lot on balance, boards, w/ T-bands etc.)

To 'iwon't": what do Elites who overpronate wear? neutral racing shoes w/ orthotics then? Do they train in light stability shoes?

Thanks!

Gebrselassie overpronates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAW87NsiGuI

I wouldn't worry about it.

former fat slob wrote:

To 'iwon't": what do Elites who overpronate wear? neutral racing shoes w/ orthotics then? Do they train in light stability shoes?

Thanks!

I think you'll find that most people of primarily African descent have a lot of pronation in their feet.

I'm sure you're less interested in what top sprinters wear, while most African distance runners will run in just about whatever is given to them. Some have preferences for lighter or more substantial shoes, but most wear whatever their sponsor sends them without too much thought.

As you alluded to earlier, forefoot strikers will skip the resistance phase that would otherwise lead to possible overpronation in a neutral shoe.

Thanks man. That video above is pretty striking too...didn't think it was the case. As far as I'm concerned, I've always shied away from neutral shoes after 'tested' in running stores; videos showed that the only 'perfect' correction for me is in the Asics 21xx series.

Is that all overpronation leads to injuries kind of a fad? (please do not bring barefoot running in this conversation, just your own experience w/ neutral vs. overpronation)

I'm in the same boat. I've always had 'corrective' and heavy shoes, but I'm trying some Nike Frees for the first time. I suppose I'll see if they make any difference.

Oh, and nearly everyone pronates. It's completely normal, and you'd be pretty well screwed if you didn't.

It only became "over pronation" when people figured out there was a buck to be made in fixing people's supposed "problem".

I've been on a treadmill a few times in shoe stores that hire podiatrists to assess runners. And in every instance, they've found that I "over pronate" and recommended stability shoes.

Given that I've never had a chronic injury in my life (only acute ones that have been directly caused by my own stupidity (mainly cranking up speedwork too soon too fast) I think I'll pass on that advice.

Hmmmmm wrote:

Oh, and nearly everyone pronates. It's completely normal, and you'd be pretty well screwed if you didn't.

It only became "over pronation" when people figured out there was a buck to be made in fixing people's supposed "problem".

Exactly right.

I've repeatedly been told that I "overpronate," but my chronic injuries disappeared just as soon as I dumped the orthotics and the stability shoes.

There is zero peer-reviewed science behind (1) the diagnosis of "overpronation" and (2) the "cure" of stability shoes and orthotics. Don't believe me - ask your podiatrist or your shoe store.

I overpronate according a treadmill video but I'm also a little bow legged so the wear pattern on my shoe is that of an underpronator. But of course the dude was only looking at how much my heel/ankle tilted in and recommended a motion control shoe.

I wear anything from a stability shoe (Asics 2150) to a Waffle Racer with a thin orthotic. Depends how fast I plan to run. Slow recovery type miles then I'm in the trainers, speedwork then I'm in the racers.

My PR suck for a guy, but since you asked 17:00 lifetime 5k, 19:44 as a 40 year old.

My brother had worse looking feet (flat feet) than I did but ran division 1 (Big West) sprints. He did his non sprint work outs is racing flats, I believe Nike Duelists in the 1990's. PR's 10.79 21.66 48.87 (2:03 800 as a high school soph).

In general, run in the lightest possible shoe you can "get away" with.

The truly severe overpronators usually have some collagen defect like Marfan's syndrome and generally "double jointed" or they have tight heel cord.

Most people would be considered "overpronators" according to the popular running literature. It is an easier way for the running shoe store or the podiatrist to make a buck. Notice the price of your fancy motion control shoe vs your racing flat. BTW I am a podiatrist, and I'm surprised by the number patients from other podiatrist that were told they "need" orthotics, "orthotics are like glasses" with asymptomatic (no pain) feet. Then again I'm not a very rich podiatrist...

Overpronation can lead to injury.

Someone get this man a medal.

Racehorse wrote:

Overpronation can lead to injury.

Rothlin (2:07, european champion, 5 at Beijing, Tokyo marathon winner) runs and races in stability shoes (DS)

Its common for elite athletes to use sometimes a shoe with some support, I can list Ritzenhein, Baldini, Goucher, etc.

It is important to remember a big chunk of running shoes, like say the 21xx, are not exclusively geared toward the crowd that frequents letsrun. They are targeting that Runners World, middle aged woman, with probably a few extra pounds, demographic.

A good chunk of the "fast" runners probably have stronger core muscles etc than most of these middle aged women. Thus, they can probably get away with a neutral shoe even if it was proven they overpronate and the shoe helps it.

Weight just magnifies everything. So the person who could stand to lose a few pounds, is only going to run 2-3 times a week, but still wants to run a half marathon generally is helped by a stability shoe. Maybe not always, but think about how many hobby joggers there are at every road race you go to.

I don't mean everything I said above in absolutes, just as broad generalizations.

I like Scott Wietecha's take on this.

Every runner should have 3-4 pairs of shoes that they rotate to keep the tendons strong and flexible. His theory is that running only in stability shoes actually makes the tendons weaker, and therefore makes the problem worse.

I made the mistake of adding very thick inserts into a stability shoe after getting tendinitis a few years ago and am now slowly undoing this. As with anything in running, slow, gradual changes are the best way to go.

I do think that 'the man' has largely created the stability shoe market for money. That said, they aren't inherently bad if used among others.

sprint7 wrote:

Gebrselassie overpronates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAW87NsiGuI

I wouldn't worry about it.

That is a 240p, 4 FPS video taken from a terrible angle. Anyone that claims you can tell anything from that video is making some stupid-ass guesses.

How do you define "over pronation"?

former fat slob wrote:

To hmmm: agreed if you're really fat (I have a 250lb 6'3 friend w/ flat feet, that makes sense). In my case I have mid-to-high arch and I weigh 149lbs. I don't know why I overpronate, my ankles and lower legs are supposedly strong (worked a lot on balance, boards, w/ T-bands etc.)

To 'iwon't": what do Elites who overpronate wear? neutral racing shoes w/ orthotics then? Do they train in light stability shoes?

Thanks!

the elites who overpronate wear whatever shoes they want. no orthotics necessary

I am not elite, more like sub-sub-elite and I overpronate significantly. when I started running I wore stability shoes but each time I got new shoes they became lighter and lighter until a couple years later I was wearing nike frees with no injury problems.

I overpronate less nowadays as my form has improved along with my fitness, and I still wear whatever shoe I want.

If you're relatively fit, not overweight, and run a lot, you should be running in neutral shoes. I say this a someone who was first recommended stability shoes and then switched to neutral only.