The Runner’s Sole
1228 Lincoln Way E Ste A
Chambersburg, PA 17202
Phone (717) 262-2109
Fax (717) 263-0741
Hours of Operation
Sunday 12-5pm
Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday 10am-8pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
About Us
The Runner’s Sole is owned and operated by Rick Meyers who also conducts running form classes as well as various health and fitness challenges in and around Chambersburg. “We are a running specialty store in that offers a great selection of name-brand running apparel,” says Rick who is an ultrarunner. {More on this in a moment.} We now feature SKINS apparel and Injinji Socks. We take pride in our wide variety of products and reasonable prices. We offer an in-store running analysis for those customers who are in the market for a new pair of running shoes; $20 for the gait analysis which may be applied to a purchase of $20 or more at The Runner’s Sole. After examining how you run, we will recommend the proper shoe for you.”
Here’s what Rick has to say about transitioning to minimalist running shoes: “Caution, caution and more caution! You must use great caution when transitioning from conventional running shoes to minimalist running shoes. Minimalist shoes replace the layers of cushioning, foam, cardboard and thick rubber soles found on conventional shoes with a very minimal sole and little to no heel drop (the difference between the forefoot and heel height). The result is a very ‘responsive’ feel which promotes a ‘forefoot strike’ running form.
“Although minimalist and barefoot running has been documented by health care professionals, researchers, shoe designers, etc. to lessen chronic running injuries, such as: runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, patellar tendon syndrome, and a few others, new injuries such as metatarsal head stress fractures, lower leg stress fractures, calcaneous stress fractures have been on the rise. Many health professionals attribute the rise to improperly conditioned minimalist runners. Although forefoot striking uses the same running muscles used with heel striking, the intensity of some muscle use changes significantly requiring many new forefoot strikers to re-engineer their running and posture muscles.
“The manufacturers of Vibram FiveFingers (VFF) indicated it may take a runner two full years to achieve injury free running when running the same mileage, pace and terrain in minimalist running shoes. The key to a safe and successful transition is ‘gradual progression.’ Unfortunately in an era characterized by instant gratification, many are unwilling to ‘go slowly’ while building the requisite muscle memory and strength for safe minimalist running.”
Now let’s take a quick look at Rick’s off-the-charts ultrarunning prowess. He completed the prestigious JFK 50-Miler for an eighth time last November at age 44, covering the course in 7 hours, 11 minutes and 51 seconds — a whopping 90
minutes faster than he had ever run it before — to place 34th overall in a field of more than 1,000 runners.
Earlier in 2010, he ran a 200-mile race, solo. His was the second-ever individual finisher for Tom’s Run, a 200 mile team-building event relay that follows the mighty Potomac River on the C & O canal towpath from Cumberland, Maryland, and finishes at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. He explains why he ran in the race: “Most normal folks enjoy this as a multi‐person relay team. Most teams share the running and cycling in which one member rides for a certain distance while their teammate runs that same distance, then at a designated point they switch out. Sounds easy, fun, good times to be had by all, a little nerve wracking at times, but overall a great way to hang out with some buddy’s and meet new ones. But, why do some folks attempt this feat on their own? Good question. Each year a few nuts come out of the wood work to try these crazy distances on their own. I’m one of them. I never tried this distance before but I have participated in similar relays before. These other relays also had runners who have attempted to cover the distances on their own. Some finished but more failed.”
His total elapsed time ay Tom’s Run was 60 hours of total time, 49 total hours of run time. His starting weight was 164, ending weight was 146. He wore Newton’s half day on Thursday and all day Friday. He Wore Inov‐8 Roclite 295 half of Thursday and all Saturday. So how did his body hold up? “One small left big toe blister, one big spider/bug bite on left forearm. No other physical complaints.“
Brands & Styles We Carry
Newton, Kigo, Inov-8, Altra, Saucony, Brooks, New Balance
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