Sole Mates

When you run in large, organized road races, companies like Marathonfoto.com will have photographers stationed throughout the course to take action photographs of you.

I'm usually in a lot of pain when the shutter clicks, but I try to smile. Lord knows why; in every photo I look like I have a stick up my wazoo. At first I thought it was just bad timing, but after running in several of these races, I've found that all of my photos look like this:

My chest sticks out too far, my head is tilted at a weird angle, and I look like I'm being pulled by a rope attached to my chin. It's hard to admit to myself, but I must look this awkward when I'm doing training runs, too. No wonder neighbors eye me suspiciously.

Last night Daphne pointed out how Char has already worn down the soles of her tennis shoes. Charlotte may not yet be a runner, but like most kids her age, she runs everywhere she goes. What I noticed was the excessive wear on the outside of the heel of her shoes. You can see the raised hearts on the inside of the sole, but on the outside the hearts have been worn away:

I wear down my shoes in exactly the same place. This is called oversupination, and it's a problem for runners because the foot is far less able to provide shock absorption when it is landing on the outside edge. Ankle sprains, shin splits, and stress fractures are all problems associated with oversupination, and I have experienced all three.

Poor Charlotte, she inherited my step and all the troubles that come with it. I just hope she doesn't get my goofy gait, too. But if she doesn't escape that fate, then maybe the two of us can be running partners. We could look awkward together.

Actually, that would be pretty awesome.