Gait analysis

Gait Assessment – The Search For New Running Shoes

gaitDespite my previous post being a little cynical towards gait analysis, I was given a little push by fate to maybe reconsider my preconceptions. After a 4 mile run, I was suddenly crippled with a pain on the outside of my left knee, which left me hobbling for a few days.

As I shuffled past the Up & Running shop in Birmingham, there was a poster advertising “Free Gait Assessment and Physio Advice” so after nearly a year of running, it seemed like I was experiencing a push in the direction of some good old fashioned professional advice.

After my old school wet feet test revealed that I am a “normal pronator”, I was interested to see what the latest technology would say about my running style and confirm exactly what shoes I should be running in.

I hopped onto the treadmill for the first time in my life, and it felt quite strange as I have only ever run in the great outdoors. After only a few minutes I was shown my running style on camera and it appears that I am a “neutral runner” which should make life quite easy when choosing new shoes.

Typically the store would charge for the use of the gait analysis service if you do not purchase a pair of shoes from them, so I was glad that I visited on their open day because £115 for a pair is a little out of my price range.

There is a balance to be made here and I think it is important to use a little common sense, it’s sensible to get your gait checked to determine how you run and what shoes you should run in. (more…)

Running: Take the Wet Feet Test and Learn Your Foot Type

Just under a year ago, I purchased my first ever pair of running shoes that were reduced from £65 down to a very modest £20. The Saucony Pro Grid Ignition 2 Running Trainers have now notched up over 400 miles of running and many miles of walking over the Olympic Park in the summer of 2012 so maybe the time has come for them to be relegated for walks or very wet days

In a weird sort of way, I have become quite attached to these trainers, but after displaying a few signs of wear and tear and I have picked up a few little twinges so maybe it is time to look for my next pair of shoes that will be hitting the streets for my next 500 miles.

Maybe its time to visit a local running shop for some gait analysis to see exactly what kind of running shoes I need, but I have a cynical side that thinks running on a treadmill in a shop, which is completely different to running in the street is not really analysis at all but it’s actually an opportunity for a sales pitch for an overpriced running shoe that you will be tempted to Google when you get home only to find it was £30 cheaper on-line or along. (more…)

First Half Marathon Completed…So What’s Next?

Nearly two weeks after I completed my first ever race which also happened to be a half marathon and I must admit that my motivation has been on the decline since my goal was achieved. One of the biggest lessons I have learned since I started running is the power of your mind and how it will do it’s best to fool you into what you can and cannot do

For example during training for the half marathon, I found myself stopping for a 30 second walk every 3-4 miles but suddenly on race day I ran for 10 miles before taking a cheeky quick walk but someone much wiser than myself probably put it best with the quote “running is 90% mental and 10% physical”.

Since finishing the race, I have had a few issues with my left heal hurting when any weight was put onto it, which could be caused by me increasingly my mileage to quickly or time to look for some new running shoes as my first pair have now knocked up over 300 miles.

Maybe this could also be a good opportunity to have my running gait checked which involves the following.

Gait analysis is the study of human movement and locomotion. Certain types of foot motion have the potential to cause symptoms in the lower back, hips, knees, lower legs and of course feet.
There is a normal posture for the feet, knees and hips at any point during walking or running. Video gait analysis enables us to evaluate normal and abnormal movements of the joints of the lower limbs as the body moves.

Video gait analysis is an important part of the assessment; by filming you walking and/or running the practitioner is able to observe any misalignments or unusual movements during the gait cycle.
Video gait analysis is used to capture your walking/running motion to aid diagnosis and treatment of any problems, and to formulate a treatment plan.

Video gait analysis is also a great way to demonstrate what happens when you walk/run, which helps to provide you with a greater understanding as to why you are getting injured, and how to prevent it from happening.

Enough me rambling on about my ageing aching limbs, my biggest problem is tricking my mind into running again.

In the last 2 weeks my mind has conveniently offered me the following excuses.

  • Think I have early stages of Plantar fasciitis (Since the marathon, my left heal hurts if any weight placed on it)
  • Its dark when I wake up and dark when I come home.
  • Too busy with work.
  • It’s raining, cold, and windy or even all three.
  • You deserve a rest after completing the half marathon.
  • All of the above.

However my mind finally offered a helpful and timely kick up the arse in the form of making me aware that if I don’t get back on the road, the fitness that I have worked so hard to achieve will start to deteriorate, so early Saturday morning I hit the cold wet road and enjoyed a 5 mile run.

I’m not going to lie, this 5 mile run was bloody hard work and in many ways tougher than the half marathon itself, but again I think this is probably more a mental issue than anything else because there is currently no goal to aim for so I guess , it might be time to book another race to keep my interest.

A nice steady 5 mile race called the “Turkey Trot” in December seems quite appealing, anything that has a tag line of “A Turkey presentation pack for all finishers of the 5 mile race.” Not only captures my imagination but is also quite intriguing with a hint of randomness thrown in, which it the perfect recipe as far as I’m concerned.

This might be just what I need to keep me running for a few short runs a week during the crappy November weather so this might be just what I need but I will keep you posted.

First of all, I guess I need to concentrate on getting at least two small runs a week completed, so enough talk for now and lets get running again.