1 On 1 With Conny McLean

By: Karen Karnis

We asked you, the members of the Mizuno Run Club, to tell us who your favourite specialty running store staff person is – and the results are in.  The winner, with 16 nominations on our Facebook wall, was Conny McLean of Kintec in Maple Ridge, BC!

McLean has been running for about 12 years now, and having taken up the sport at age 40, she is a firm believer that “it’s never too late to become a runner.”  While she does run road races from the 5K to the marathon, she much prefers to race and train on beautiful BC trails.

McLean, who has worked at Kintec for five years, loves educating customers on their biomechanics and how the right shoes will work with them. “I am proud to work for a company that places such a great importance on customer service and training their staff,” says McLean.

So what can you expect when you ask McLean for help in selecting just the right shoe?

First of all, expect a lot of questions.  She’ll ask you about your training, goals, preferred terrain, current shoes, and injury history, and says any good specialty running store staff would do the same. This information helps her to better understand your needs.

Then she will do a gait assessment, watching you walk or run on the treadmill.  Don’t worry, she’ll show you what she’s looking at on a video playback so you can better understand your own biomechanics.  She’ll bring out a few shoes for you to try, and since she’s included you in the process, you’ll know exactly why she’s recommending any given model.

If you live a little too far away from Maple Ridge to visit McLean, don’t worry, she offers advice on how to get the help you’re looking for:  “I would say foremost to go to a specialty running store where the staff knows their stuff. They should ask you questions, listen to your needs, understand gait assessment and be able to select shoes for your consideration based on that information.  You should feel comfortable enough to ask any questions you have and the staff member should be able to answer them to your satisfaction.”

Thanks to your nominations selecting McLean as the favourite running specialty store staff person on our Facebook wall, she won a pair of Mizuno running shoes.  She chose the Wave Creation, and here’s why:  “I have been a big fan of the Wave Creation since it first came out. I am even more of a fan since the strong front rocker was added. On my long road runs (over 2 hours) I have forefoot pain. The stiff sole/front rocker has eliminated that issue. It is my ‘go to’ shoe for customers with forefoot issues such as Morton’s Neuroma and arthritis.”