Correcting Gait

I bought some new trainers this week.

I've been running in various generations of the same model of mizunos for about 3 years so the change is a bit of a risk- it can sometimes take a few changes to find a pair that suit you well, and the last thing I want right now is to mess up my feet in shoes that don't fit.

However, manufacturers have a habbit of fiddling with trainer designs, and the current generation have been giving me blisters everytime I run over 5 miles, so it's time for a change. Having done two fairly long runs in my shiny new brooks this week (7 and 15 miles), I'm pretty confident that they will do my proud (and soon be much less shiny).

When you're buying running shoes, the most important thing to consider is the way your foot moves as it strikes the ground. This is called your gait. If you were able to see your lower leg while running, you would typically see it either roll inwards (or 'overpronate'), or outwards ('underpronate') as your body moves forward. Either of these can bad- the angle places excessive stress on your knees and joints.

Running shoes can correct this by having different levels of support on the inside arches of your feet, for different types of gait.

So- one of the most important things you can do when you're taking up running is find a pair of running shoes that suit your gait. Luckily, running shops can help. They have treadmills in store with video cameras that video the back of your lower leg as you do a short run in a neutral trainer. By measuring the angle of your lower leg, they can then find a trainer that will correct that angle to be vertical. A few iterations later, your should have 3 or 4 trainers by different manufacturers that suit your gait, and it comes down to which best fits your foot, and feels most comfortable.

The running shops provide this for free, but it'd be a bit rude not to buy from them if you find a pair that work for you. It is often very slightly cheaper to buy trainers online, but only by £5-10 or so. It's well worth it, to have trainers that fit you properly.

While I'm at it, here's the garmin data for the 7 miles round Salford Quays*, and 15 miles up Through Salford towards Prestwich, which I did this week.

Will.

* Observant readers will be able to spot where I stopped to pick up fish & chips on the way home :)