Old shoes hurt, new shoes hurt, first triathlon in 2 weeks. Help? (xpost from r/running)

maryjones2k101

New member
Hello all! I apologize in advance if this seems like a dumb question, but I wanted to gather a few opinions before I took any action. Story and explanations below!

I haven't been an avid runner until I began training for my first sprint triathlon. The shoes I have been training with (Saucony Kinvara 4) are about 2-3 years old, and I've used them for gym, a little bit of running, Zumba classes, etc. I figured since I didn't use them a lot, they'd be okay and I wouldn't have to switch. However, 90% of the time I ran in the past few months, my knees would hurt. I tried everything first: I tried adjusting my stride, I warmed up more, I stretched, iced, compressed, I did everything under the Sun before giving in and buying new shoes. Enter the new shoes, Nike Zoom Pegasus 32—they fit like a dream, and after I bought them I took them on a couple of test runs and my knees didn't hurt at all after those. Success! It was also easy to tell the difference in cushioning between those and my old Kinvaras (which had very little, if any, at this point).

Then, things started to get messy. I have an extra bone on each foot, below the ankle and above the arch—haven't checked my x-ray results for proper diagnosis yet, but based on photo comparisons I believe it's the accessory navicular bone. I've always had it, but it only started bothering me when I started running and found out certain shoes bothered it, including this one. The thicker cushioning around the rim rubs up against the bones and it's very irritating. It's gotten to the point where I can't walk a mile without the bones throbbing, even after I loosen the laces almost to the point where my heel is sliding out ever so slightly.

I've been told that you shouldn't have to "break in" running shoes at all, so I'm thinking of exchanging these for a less-side-cushioned shoe like my previous Kinvaras. I'm really sad because everything else about it felt perfect :(

The triathlon is now 2 weeks away. The run is only 5k, which is still kind of "max" for me. It's too late now to find a new shoe, wait to see if it works well with my stupid extra bones, and train with it, but at the same time I know going back to my old Kinvaras will make my knees hurt. My question now is, what should I do? Is there anything I can do to alleviate the pressure on my knees while wearing my old shoes? Someone suggested I still get new shoes, just the updated version of what I already have.

A lot of things are definitely on me—I realize that my biggest mistake is trying to get a new shoe too late in the game, and I will definitely be seeing a doctor about this. I heard orthotics really help with having these extra bones, so I'll see if those are needed, but they will need to wait until after the triathlon.

TLDR: Old shoes hurt my knees, new shoes hurt my feet because I have accessory navicular bones, first triathlon is 2 weeks away and the run is 5k, what can I do to keep training in my old shoes while minimizing knee pain?
 
@maryjones2k101 I'm sorry I can't give you more help for your current situation, but in the future it would be beneficial to use your running shoes for running only. Use an old pair for the gym, Zumba etc.

It's a little late to choose a new pair of shoes for the race (even if you don't have to break them in perse, it's not a good idea to run a race with a brand new [never worn] pair of shoes), I would try going to a shoe store that specializes in running shoes. You'll have better luck being fitted properly, though you may pay approx 10-15% more if you purchased at say, Dick's. In your case, I think it will be money well spent.

With proper fitting, two weeks may just be enough time to get you through it (it's "only" 3.1 miles). Good luck : )
 
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