Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 09

obstaclemudrunner.co.uk ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners 30 RACE : COACHING Gait Analysis RUNNING Running should be one of the most natural things to do. Slip on your trainers, head out the door and do what comes naturally. It’s fair to say that this isn’t the reality for a large number of runners, particularly those getting back into fitness for the first time since their school days. If you are lucky, all may go well, but for some they have the misfortune of niggles and injuries along the way. The frustration that follows for these people quite often results in seeking help on social media and a barrage of people offering advice that in most cases solved their particular problem. Unfortunately we are all different, so while some of this advice may be the perfect solution, it gets lost amongst the rest of the information and help offered. The reality is that nobody can offer you an accurate diagnosis online without seeing things first hand. It is fair to say that a large amount of people are happy to invest quite heavily in equipment for their hobby, shoes around an average of £100 a pair, the latest Garmin Fenix range well in excess of £500 and this is just scratching the surface. The people I see have also chosen to invest in the physical aspect of their running to help them understand and improve some of the data that their chosen device is measuring for them. Why do a Running Techniques session? If you are happy with your current level and running injury free then there is no need at all to get checked out. Generally the people that come for a session are looking to understand and correct the issues they have, improve their running efficiency and hopefully benefit from marginal gains. Don’t most running shops do this for free? Short answer is no. There is a fundamental difference between the two. The basic gait analysis in a shop is to ensure that the shoes that you buy are a correct fit for your foot shape and style of running. Throughout the RT session we will identify and correct any postural and biomechanical issues as well as looking to maximise your performance. What is involved in one of my sessions? The session is based around the Vivobarefoot model with the benefit of over 30 years running experience added. The session is 2 hours long and starts with capturing slow motion video of your current running style. Once we have this we analyse it frame by frame to identify what areas need to be improved. We then work through a series of drills and exercises to explore your current range of motion. With this information we then work on the areas for improvement continually assessing and reviewing the video footage until the changes become natural and you relax into your new improved running style. In the large majority of cases the improvements are immediate and clearly visible by the end of the session with the attendee able to go home with a few pointers to think about and adapt. The 2 pictures show a common example of before and after with the before photo showing several areas to be worked on; heel strike and landing forward of the midline, tension in the shoulders, excessive upper body forward lean to start with. The second photo, and video in the session shows the majority of these issues already corrected after just a couple of hours working on the issues. with Michael Midgley People that come for a session are looking to understand and correct the issues they have