Reading Half Marathon Training
Your half marathon training support network
Gait analysis
Hey everyone, hope you're all running well and injury free!
For the last 7 years at the Reading Half Marathon I've organised the pacemakers to help you run your perfect race. This year Adidas are providing us all with trainers (thanks Adidas!) and we've all been getting ourselves to the Sweatshop in Reading to get our gait analysed.
Many runners are very familiar with what this is all about, but if you are not it can all sound like a foreign language. Over pronation, motion control, ankle stability, medial posts... it's can get a bit over complicated if you're not careful.
I went in to the Sweatshop myself last Wednesday afternoon, just before I gave my first mini-seminar, to get my own gait analysed and I'd like to share with you what it was like.
Your trainers are the single most important piece of equipment you own when it comes to running, so it is worth the time spent getting the right pair. Andy, who was looking after me, spent at least 20 minutes working out which trainers were the best ones for my individual running style. If I'd gone to a normal sports shop I'd probably have been sold the most expensive pair, so it's refreshing to know that you're being sold what you actually need rather than what they want you to buy.
First of all I had to stand still in bare feet whilst Andy took a look at my arches and ankles, then there was a bit of running up and down the shop. Andy was able to pick out that I land pretty neutrally (slightly on the outside of the foot with a mild pronation to the inside, absorbing some of the forces), though my left foot tended to over pronate slightly.
I did the same thing with a pair of trainers on, and then tried them out on the treadmill. Now I'm a bit unusual in that I land on my forefoot rather than heel (a throw back to when I was a 400m runner), which meant that any support in the heel area was more or less wasted as I wasn't using that part of the shoe.
However, I do sometimes revert back to a heel strike (the usual way of running) from time to time, and so it was decided that I may as well have some support from this area to guard against too much pronation which can lead to injuries.
My trainer of choice was the Adidas Supernova Sequence 2, and although I usually take a size 11 Andy noticed that my old trainers were bulging slightly at the sides which suggested I could do with the next size up.
It was great to have this level of attention, especially when I know how important it is to get in the right pair of trainers. I have had my gait analysed in the past, but most runners will change their gait slightly over time which means it's worth having a retest every year or so.
Now is the time to get your footwear sorted out - putting in too many miles in the wrong trainers increases your chances of picking up injuries so get yourself to the Sweatshop ASAP and let them take a look!
If you've had your gait analysed before, leave a comment to let us know what sort of trainer you are wearing.
For the last 7 years at the Reading Half Marathon I've organised the pacemakers to help you run your perfect race. This year Adidas are providing us all with trainers (thanks Adidas!) and we've all been getting ourselves to the Sweatshop in Reading to get our gait analysed.
Many runners are very familiar with what this is all about, but if you are not it can all sound like a foreign language. Over pronation, motion control, ankle stability, medial posts... it's can get a bit over complicated if you're not careful.
I went in to the Sweatshop myself last Wednesday afternoon, just before I gave my first mini-seminar, to get my own gait analysed and I'd like to share with you what it was like.
Your trainers are the single most important piece of equipment you own when it comes to running, so it is worth the time spent getting the right pair. Andy, who was looking after me, spent at least 20 minutes working out which trainers were the best ones for my individual running style. If I'd gone to a normal sports shop I'd probably have been sold the most expensive pair, so it's refreshing to know that you're being sold what you actually need rather than what they want you to buy.
First of all I had to stand still in bare feet whilst Andy took a look at my arches and ankles, then there was a bit of running up and down the shop. Andy was able to pick out that I land pretty neutrally (slightly on the outside of the foot with a mild pronation to the inside, absorbing some of the forces), though my left foot tended to over pronate slightly.
I did the same thing with a pair of trainers on, and then tried them out on the treadmill. Now I'm a bit unusual in that I land on my forefoot rather than heel (a throw back to when I was a 400m runner), which meant that any support in the heel area was more or less wasted as I wasn't using that part of the shoe.
However, I do sometimes revert back to a heel strike (the usual way of running) from time to time, and so it was decided that I may as well have some support from this area to guard against too much pronation which can lead to injuries.
My trainer of choice was the Adidas Supernova Sequence 2, and although I usually take a size 11 Andy noticed that my old trainers were bulging slightly at the sides which suggested I could do with the next size up.
It was great to have this level of attention, especially when I know how important it is to get in the right pair of trainers. I have had my gait analysed in the past, but most runners will change their gait slightly over time which means it's worth having a retest every year or so.
Now is the time to get your footwear sorted out - putting in too many miles in the wrong trainers increases your chances of picking up injuries so get yourself to the Sweatshop ASAP and let them take a look!
If you've had your gait analysed before, leave a comment to let us know what sort of trainer you are wearing.
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