[ohaideredevs]

Shortening my stride length was the best fitness change I made recently. Dramatically less stress on the knees, but now I have some pain on top of my ankles, which, I hope, is not-joint related. Not sure what to do about that one.

As far as the study - I don't see any actionable info there.

[crikli]

> I have some pain on top of my ankles

I had this very issue and changing my shoes resolved it. I had transitioned from off-road running over hilly trails, to very aggressive ascents followed by steep an often technical descents. The Brooks Cascadias that were awesome for the hilly trails weren't working for the steep techy stuff. Moving into Saucony Peregrino Isos that have a stiffer upper and much burlier tread solved the issue almost immediately.

No idea what kind of mileage you're covering or terrain you're running, but footwear can be a real maker/breaker as the mileage gets longer and the terrain gets gnarlier.

[mrbonner]

I never have any issue with my knees. I’ve been running 12 miles a week for over 4 years now. I’m not a fast runner either, average about 9.5 minute mile. I find that pace keep me going and can relax when I run. The pain on top of the ankle recently creeps up to me. I think it is related to how I tie my laces. If I loosen them a bit it feels a lot better. I will go to a runner store to have them pick my next shoes.

[crikli]

> I will go to a runner store to have them pick my next shoes.

Do this now if you can afford it. Try to find one of the smaller stores that really focuses on runners and is staffed by avid runners. A good store will have a treadmill and cameras to be able to look at your stride and make recommendations on both your stride pattern as well as your shoes. It was a running store that helped me find the Saucony shoes that have helped my ankle issues go away. :)

You could maybe also be dealing with an imbalance of strength between your hamstring and quadriceps. When runners have joint issues this can be the culprit or at least a key contributor. Adding in a couple sessions a week of weight training that include movements like deadlifts, good mornings, and back squats can strengthen the posterior chain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_chain) and address those imbalances.

[mrbonner]

Cool and thanks! I'll make a trip to the running store in downtown soon. Like you said, it's small shop and hopefully run by knowledgeable staff.

I used to wear ASIC for over 10 years. I notice that the quality has gone down a bit: cheaper material, shorter laces and mostly I cannot find a wider size. I switched to Brooks in 2017 and it seems to be OK (wide size).

I also heard a lot of recommendations for Saucony. Let's hear what the running store's staff suggest.

You're also very on point w.r.t weight training! I quit going to 24-hour fitness in 2015 because of commute change. So now I mostly exercise by running outdoor. I need to sign up for gym again to squat.

[ccmonnett]

I have been running for 15 years. I ran religiously on ASICS for the first ~10, but their ability to make a solid running shoe has really declined. If you have a wide foot you may find Sauconys too narrow, but their uppers are so damn comfortable that I find myself buying them a half size up anyway (or wearing them with almost-too-loose laces across the toe box).

Please do always support your local running store. I _never_ go in telling the people who work there what shoe I'm going to buy - like a good sommelier, you should be able to tell them what you're looking for and they should be able to recommend something accordingly. It helps a lot if you know your feet, form, and preferences - I have very high arches, a neutral footstrike, and prefer neutral shoes with less cushion. That'll help them get you in something you like.

FWIW, I am running in Saucony Freedom ISO 2s these days.

[ohaideredevs]

Thanks for the advice! I wear Brooks too, but it's been around a year since I changed them out. I only run about 12 miles a week, but I try to keep the pace up.

[crikli]

Oh wow, you're way overdue for new shoes. 300-500 miles is the usual rule of thumb[1].

My personal rule of thumb is 500 miles minus moving weight. So in my case I'm 225 lbs, I usually have 10 lbs of water/layers/kit, so 235lbs moving. 500 - 235 = 265 miles max per pair of shoes. I replace sooner because technical terrain trashes the lugs on the soles.

[1] https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a20806543/running-shoe-que...

[stronglikedan]

> Shortening my stride length [...] now I have some pain on top of my ankles

Same. I just took a month off, after three months of dealing with that pain. Seems to have gone away, but I just started back a couple of days ago and haven't gone all out just yet.

I also switched to super-cushioned shoes (Hoka Bondi). I figure I'm running for exercise, not performance, so now I'm prioritizing safety over speed. It's no fun if you can't run at all.

[notacoward]

FWIW, I've found that the best way to shorten stride length is not to think about stride length. For many people, that will result in a very unnatural stride. Instead, focusing on increased cadence will cause stride length to decrease more naturally.