Which running shoes do I need?

How to Choose the Best Running Shoes for Injury Prevention and Performance

With so many options on the market, finding the best running shoes can be a challenge. Whether you’re looking for shoes to prevent injury or boost your performance, the key is to think of your footwear as a tool that supports your body—allowing your feet to function as they’re designed to.

In this post, we’ll explore some key factors to consider when choosing the right running shoes for your needs and highlight some popular brands that offer options for every type of runner.

What Makes a Good Running Shoe?

Here are the essential principles to keep in mind when selecting your next pair of running shoes:

1. Let Your Feet Function Naturally
   Your feet are designed to move, flex, and absorb impact. The best running shoes will allow your feet to do this without unnecessary restriction. Minimalist shoes, like those from brands such as Altra and Vivobarefoot, offer a more natural running experience, allowing your foot to move freely with each stride. These types of shoes can be especially beneficial for runners who prioritize foot strength and natural movement.

2. Offer Protection Without Over-Engineering
   Running shoes should provide protection from the repetitive stress of modern surfaces, but it’s important not to overdo it. Too much cushioning or support can interfere with your foot’s natural mechanics, leading to inefficient movement and potential injuries. Shoes like the Hoka One One Clifton or the Brooks Ghost strike a balance between cushioning and support, offering comfort without completely taking over your foot’s function. These shoes are great for runners who want some extra protection while still maintaining a natural gait.

3. Pay Attention to Your Everyday Footwear
   What you wear when you’re not running is just as important as your running shoes. Tight, rigid, or poorly designed shoes worn throughout the day can cause long-term damage to your feet and affect your performance. Brands like New Balance and Merrell offer everyday footwear options that prioritize foot health, with wide toe boxes and flexible designs that support your foot’s natural movement.

4. Trust Your Body—Self-Selection Works Best
   Ultimately, the best shoe for you is the one that feels right. Studies have shown that self-selected shoes tend to reduce injury risk because your body knows what’s comfortable. Whether you prefer the zero-drop design of Altra or the plush cushioning of Asics Gel-Nimbus, trust your feet to guide you toward the right choice. Trying on different brands and running in them before making a decision can help you find what works best for your unique running style.

So… what are the key takeaways?

Choosing the best running shoes is about finding the right balance between natural foot function, protection, and comfort. Whether you’re a trail runner, road runner, or someone looking for everyday comfort, brands like Altra, Brooks, Hoka, and New Balance offer a variety of options designed to meet your needs.

Remember, your running shoes are a tool to help you perform your best. By focusing on shoes that let your feet function naturally and provide just the right amount of protection, you’ll be setting yourself up for better performance and fewer injuries.

- Dr Mark Murdoch
Chiropractor, MS Sports Medicine

Exercising During Wildfire season

understand the risks and when to move your training inside

We bailed on our run on the Rockwall Trail (58k) last week due to smoke from nearby wildfires. After months of training and prep, it was a heartbreaking decision, but Mark and I looked at each other and chose not to risk it. As someone who falls in the higher risk category, it didn’t make sense to put my body through this type of damage.

We all want to enjoy summer on the trails, but poor air quality during wildfire season can cause significant health risks that can overshadow the benefits.

But how significant is the risk?

Wildfires release a complex mixture of gases, fine particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds(VOCs) into the air, seriously affecting respiratory and cardiovascular health. Exposure to these compounds can lead to irritation, inflammation and long-term damage to the respiratory system.

What do we know so far?

Research has shown that exposure to wildfire smoke can exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A study published in BMC reports exposure to PM, with most evidence derived from studies of wildfire smoke PM, is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular effects, especially among susceptible populations. The tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing systemic inflammation and reduced lung function, which can be particularly dangerous during physical exertion when the oxygen demand is higher. 

Can I train at a lower intensity to decrease my risk?

According to Dr. Michael Koehle, the director of the Environmental Physiology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, there is no good evidence at this time that supports the idea that, at a given duration, higher-intensity exercise is more harmful than lower-intensity exercise during times of poor air quality.

How can I determine my risk?

Monitoring air quality is essential for those who wish to exercise outdoors during wildfire season. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a valuable tool that provides real-time information about air pollution levels. Health experts recommend limiting outdoor activities when the AQI exceeds 100, particularly for sensitive groups. When air quality is poor, consider alternative indoor exercises such as using a treadmill, stationary bike, or yoga and strength training. You should choose strength training, cough, cough. Air purifiers can also help improve indoor air quality, making exercising safer.

When to move your training inside?

Running in poor air quality stresses the body, leading to injury or delayed recovery even if you don’t fall within the sensitive populations category. If the AQI is greater than 100 or you fall within the sensitive populations category, the risk is much higher. However, young and healthy athletes also struggle with the physiological demands of training in these conditions. Running a little less this week won’t set you back as far as the symptoms you may experience running at times of high wildfire smoke. Talk to your coach about options to cross-train.

While staying active is essential for overall health, it is crucial to prioritize safety during wildfire season by being aware of the air quality and the associated health risks. Taking appropriate precautions while staying informed can maintain your fitness routine without compromising your health.

References:

Chen H, Samet JM, Bromberg PA, Tong H. Cardiovascular health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Part Fibre Toxicol. 2021 Jan 7;18(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s12989-020-00394-8. PMID: 33413506; PMCID: PMC7791832.

Rundell KW, Sue-Chu M. Air quality and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in elite athletes. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2013 Aug;33(3):409-21, ix. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2013.02.009. Epub 2013 Mar 27. PMID: 23830133.

https://sportsustainabilityresource.ubc.ca/digital-museums/exercise-and-air-pollution

Training during bad forest fire season | Uphill Athlete. https://uphillathlete.com/forums/topic/training-during-bad-forest-fire-season/

Battling Wildfire Air Pollution: Strategies for a Safer Future | Dryad. https://www.dryad.net/post/battling-wildfire-air-pollution-impacts-and-strategies-for-a-safer-future

Chiropractic Is A Scam.

The Shocking Truth About Chiropractic Care: What You Need to Know

Chiropractic care often gets a bad rap. Many people believe that chiropractic care is little more than a scam, and for good reason.

Here’s the reality of what happens in many chiropractic offices:

1. Claiming to Be ‘Holistic Health Care’: chiropractors boast about offering holistic health care.

2. Spine Scares: They alarm you with stories about your spine being misaligned.

3. One-Size-Fits-All Treatment Plans: They place you on the same treatment plan they give to all their other patients.

Let’s dive into what this really means and how it compares to what we do at Base Camp Chiropractic and Sports Rehab.

The Cookie-Cutter Approach

Take Sarah’s story, for instance. She came to us after a frustrating experience with another chiropractor when she was dealing with lower back pain.

They told her she needed dozens of adjustments because her spine was “a disaster waiting to happen.” Despite the constant adjustments, Sarah didn’t see any real improvement and felt stuck in a never-ending cycle of visits.

This experience is unfortunately all too common. Most chiropractors use generic treatment plans, applying the same approach to every patient without considering individual needs.

It becomes more of an assembly line, with each patient getting racked-and-cracked, and then sent on their way.

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Our Unique Approach at Base Camp

We don’t believe in the rack-em-crack-em model.

When Sarah came to us, we took a different approach:

- Listening First: We began by understanding her story and her unique challenges.

- Holistic Assessment: We looked beyond her spine to evaluate her sleep patterns, stress levels, nutrition, and movement habits.

- Customized Plan: Instead of a cookie-cutter plan, we crafted a personalized strategy tailored to her specific issues.

The True Meaning of Holistic Health Care

Holistic health care is more than just adjusting your spine. It’s about looking at all the factors that affect your health and well-being. Here’s what true holistic care involves:

Sleep: Good sleep is crucial for overall health. Poor sleep can lead to chronic pain and mental fatigue. We help you enhance your sleep hygiene to ensure restorative rest.

Managing Stress. Stress is a major contributor to health problems. We teach you effective stress management techniques to help you incorporate them into your daily life.

Optimizing Nutrition. Your diet directly impacts how you feel and perform. We provide nutritional guidance to fuel your body and aid in recovery.

Enhancing Movement. Exercise is vital for maintaining health, but it must be tailored to your individual needs. We develop personalized exercise plans to build strength, flexibility, and endurance based on your goals.

Success Stories: Real Results

Let’s talk about Mike, another patient who came to us with a different challenge. Mike was an avid mountain biker suffering from persistent neck pain. The previous chiropractor he visited focused on adjustments, did a tiny bit of soft-tissue work, and told him to “take it easy.”

Mike wanted more than just temporary relief; he wanted to get back to riding.

We didn’t just focus on his spine.

We examined his bike setup, riding posture, and training routine. We developed a comprehensive rehab plan that included strength training, flexibility exercises, and a gradual reintroduction to biking.

Mike is now back on the trails, stronger and more resilient than ever before.

Our Philosophy: A Personalized Approach

At Base Camp Chiropractic and Sports Rehab, we view each patient as a unique individual.

Our approach to holistic health care is not about optimizing your health. We consider all factors impacting your health and create a personalized care plan to address your specific needs.

Reclaiming Holistic Health Care

Holistic health care has often been reduced to a buzzword. At Base Camp, we’re redefining it. We reject cookie-cutter plans and instead focus on real, effective care tailored to you.

No scare tactics—just a comprehensive approach that works.

The Importance of Being Proactive

One of the key aspects of true holistic care is being proactive. Ignoring health issues can lead to more severe problems, requiring surgery, injections, or medications down the line. For example, a runner who dismisses knee pain might face surgery later.

Early intervention with a holistic approach can prevent such outcomes by addressing issues before they become critical.

Ready to Make a Change?

We’ve helped many patients like Sarah and Mike achieve their health goals, and we’re here to help you too. Whether you’re a runner, a mountain biker, or simply looking to improve your overall well-being, we’re committed to providing the best care possible.

Want to learn more about how we can help? Book a Discovery Call today to discuss how our personalized approach can benefit you!

See you out there.

Dr Mark. Chiropractor, MS Sports Medicine

Base Camp Chiropractic and Sports Rehab

Is that pain, or an injury?

How to Know When to Address Pain: Lessons from Hank

This week, I had an interesting conversation with a runner named Hank. He asked a question that many of us have pondered:

"But I’m sore so often from running and mountain biking... how am I supposed to know if it’s something I need to take care of or just power through?"

This is a great question and one that’s harder to answer than it seems. How do you know when something is truly wrong? If you’re an active person, you’ve undoubtedly experienced pain during your activities. But does that mean you should stop doing the things you love whenever there’s pain? Fortunately, no!

The I3 Model: How Overuse Injuries Happen

At Base Camp, we use the Incomplete, Incidence, Injury (I3) model to help determine when to take pain seriously and when it might not be a big deal.

Injuries happen and develop over three phases:

1. Incomplete mechanics or recovery

2. Incident

3. Injury

1. Incomplete Mechanics or Incomplete Recovery

INCOMPLETE MECHANICS:

Imagine trying to do high-level CrossFit, but you can’t get your arms all the way overhead. Or running a marathon when you can only do seven single-leg calf raises. These are examples of incomplete mechanics. While they don’t guarantee injury, they certainly set you on the wrong path in the injury cycle.

INCOMPLETE RECOVERY:

There are three primary domains for recovery:

- Sleep

- Nutrition/Hydration

- Stress Management

If any of these are below 80% (rate yourself on a scale of 1-10), you’re not fully recovering from your activities. It's always a combination of these two factors. Better mechanics can buffer for poor recovery, and vice versa.

CASE STUDY: Hank, runner with Achilles tendon pain

Hank was limited in his ankle range of motion and sleeps an average of 6 hours per night.

2. Incident: Check Engine Light

This is the first sign that something is wrong—the 'check engine light' your body sends to signal that something is off. Incidents include any symptoms or signs of pain and are often the hardest to interpret. Take these signals seriously. Part of why injury prediction is tricky is that the incident may not even be in the area of the actual injury. You may have a shoulder 'hot spot' that turns into a lower back injury or ankle stiffness that turns into knee pain.

CASE STUDY: Hank, runner with Achilles tendon pain

Hank has hamstring tightness that always worsens when he increases his volume.

3. Injury: Limiting

The word 'injury' can be hard to define. Can we call it pain? Well, we’ve all had pain during activity that went away on its own or was just part of the activity itself (looking at you, hill repeats). What about tissue damage? There are millions of people walking around with meniscus tears who don’t even know it and have no symptoms.

Here’s the definition we use at Base Camp: Any time you have a symptom that keeps you from doing what you WANT to do, or HAVE to do, then it is an injury.

- Tingling so bad you can’t carry your groceries in? Injury.

- Knee pain that only starts when you hit 22 km, but you’re training for a marathon? Injury.

CASE STUDY: Hank, runner with Achilles tendon pain

Hank triggered his Achilles pain after a hard hill session.

Take Home Lessons

1. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Your body will send you signs that something is wrong, and that you need to do something about it.

2. ACT EARLY. When you are injured, it's late in the game to take action. We can't focus on the incomplete mechanics or recovery until we get the pain under control. It is way more efficient to focus on your mechanics and recovery BEFORE they become an issue.

3. YOU CAN GET BACK TO YOUR ACTIVITY. Injuries suck, but they don't have to limit you forever. Most of the time you don't even have to stop your activity.

CASE STUDY: Hank, runner with Achilles pain

Hank and I are now working to calm down his tendon pain, while he is prioritizing his sleep. Next, we will shift to improving Hank's ankle range of motion, and improving his lower back stiffness (the cause of his hamstring tension). Finally, we will reintroduce volume, intensity, and elevation to his running.

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Dr Mark Murdoch is a runner, chiropractor, and rehab specialist in Vernon, BC.

Every week he works with runners, mountain bikers, and adventure athletes who want to get back to their sport better than ever.

Ready to get back to running PAIN FREE?

Start with a free consult with Dr Mark here: CONTACT

How I fixed my knee pain (and then crushed a 47 km run)

Last year I couldn't run.

In September 2023, a friend and I ran the Juan De Fuca on Vancouver Island. It was an awesome experience. 45 km, 2000 m of elevation and 13 hours.

But in July of 2023... I could barely hike downhill. Forget running.

I was dealing with a long-standing knee injury, that came back when I increased my downhill running.

At the time, we were living up at Silver Star. The trails up there are incredible. They're exciting and flowy, and a true joy to run.

They are also uphill or downhill in just about every direction.

This meant that every single run I was hammering downhill, which is a surefire way for me to trigger my knee pain.

My injury is likely my meniscus. I have an old twisting injury that has given me issue in the past.

It shows up as pain along the inside of my knee that SPIKES with downhill strides. It's sharp, and intense and can often take my breath away.

So... when this came up again, with Juan De Fuca already on the calendar, I took it seriously.

Here is the strategy I used:

1. RESET.

2. RESTORE.

3. RELOAD.

Before we get to that, we need to understand why running injuries happen in the first place.

Whenever we experience a running-related injury, we are dealing with an overuse injury. We did too much too soon.

WE ALL HAVE AN INJURY THRESHOLD.

No matter how fit you are, we all have an injury threshold. For you, it might be 25 km. For the next, it might be 10 km. For another, it could be 100 km.

AFTER AN INJURY…

After an injury, that threshold is lowered. We can no longer handle the same amount we could before we triggered the injury.

Here is exactly what I did to fix my knee pain and successfully conquer the Juan De Fuca in a single day:

Step 1: RESET.

This meant rest... but not complete rest.

I still had to train for the 45 km trail run with almost 2,000 m of elevation gain.

But... I couldn't. Instead, I focused on what I COULD do: flat running and strength training. I focused on continuing to build my leg strength so that when I did return to smashing downhill I was strong enough to do so.

In the CALM IT DOWN phase, my main goal was to maintain fitness and strength, while letting my pain triggers lessen.

Step 2: RESTORE.

The goal of Step 2 was to build my tissue tolerance (the resilience of my knee) up beyond the demands of a 10 hr day.

In order to return to running the distance and terrain I wanted to, I knew I needed to build my strength, endurance and tolerance back up.

Since I had been already working on my leg strength, I was in a good spot.

I added in some specific exercises (in this case step downs, pogos, and adductor planks) to target the muscles and parts of the knee that needed it the most.

Step 3: RELOAD.

Then came the fun / nerve-racking part... running downhill.

Thankfully, I had put in the work and was ready to get back to running downhill with speed.

I reintroduced it gradually, on moderate trails, before turning on the jets.

I was lucky because I didn't experience a single flare-up. I was ready for Juan De Fuca.

Result?

Juan De Fuca was a blast (big thank you for the weather on that one).

Now?

It still bothers me on occasion.

But that is inevitably when I have neglected my rehab exercises. I started to experience sharp knee pain and need to add in a few weeks of consistent strength movements.

Here are the takeaways...

1. When you have pain, take it seriously. Do something about it!

2. When you are injured, you will need rest. Relative rest doesn't mean you can't do anything, it means you need to do less and modify.

3. STRENGTH is your ARMOUR. It's your bank account, your insurance policy, and your treatment. It will get you back to activity faster than anything else.

If you are struggling with​ how manage and treat your injuries, we can help.

-Dr Mark Murdoch

Chiropractor, MS Sports Medicine

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Dr Mark Murdoch is a runner, chiropractor, and rehab specialist in Vernon, BC.

Every week he works with runners, mountain bikers, and adventure athletes who want to get back to their sport better than ever.

Request a free consult with him here: CONTACT