Thought I’d share a brief look at some of the running specific stuff we’ve been accumulating over the recent months.
First of all I’ve been trying a new pair of shoes designed by Newton Running, a US manufacturer based out of fantastically named Boulder, Colorado.
The concept is simple, if you take your shoes off and run you will naturally run more on your toes than you do with shoes on. This means less stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints and is generally more efficient. To promote this more forward running style they have developed special lugs on the forefoot area, it’s that simple.
But does it work Well the short answer is yes although it takes a little getting used to. However, after several short runs I’ve become accustomed to the style and it feels pretty natural. I can definitely feel the difference in impact but it does work your calves and achilles quite heavily so I’d suggest that unless you have calves like bullets that you build the miles gradually.
I use the Newtons for my faster mid week runs and normal trainers (Mizuno Waveriders for the geeks out there) for the longer stuff.
The Newtons came from a company called Stride UK who are a small company that specialise in video gait analysis and following several recommendations Liz booked herself in for what they call the mid level analysis which concentrates on everything from the hips down.
This consisted of drawing various markings on Liz’s legs and getting her to run with and without trainers on a special treadmill whilst being filmed from the side and the front.
From this simple exercise it appears any amount of information can be deciphered and Liz walked away with a full analysis of her running style, suggestions for how to reduce stresses such as where she might benefit from building muscle strength and improving flexibility. In addition she was given a list of suggested stretches and exercises designed to specifically address these areas.
The best bit though was when we got home and installed the CD they gave us onto our laptop. It contained all the video analysis and we had a good laugh at just how knock kneed Liz is. (wel I did anyway!)
Hydration and energy play an important part in marathon training, lots of studies show how performance is affected by these two things. All I know is I get hungry and thirsty on any run longer than 45 mins so we’ve been stocking up on Isotonic drinks and energy gels.
Energy gels are great for squeezing down during a run, they’re much easier than trying to chew through a flap jack and generally more effective than the classic runners friend the Jelly Baby.
First of all I’ve been trying a new pair of shoes designed by Newton Running, a US manufacturer based out of fantastically named Boulder, Colorado.
The concept is simple, if you take your shoes off and run you will naturally run more on your toes than you do with shoes on. This means less stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints and is generally more efficient. To promote this more forward running style they have developed special lugs on the forefoot area, it’s that simple.
But does it work Well the short answer is yes although it takes a little getting used to. However, after several short runs I’ve become accustomed to the style and it feels pretty natural. I can definitely feel the difference in impact but it does work your calves and achilles quite heavily so I’d suggest that unless you have calves like bullets that you build the miles gradually.
I use the Newtons for my faster mid week runs and normal trainers (Mizuno Waveriders for the geeks out there) for the longer stuff.
Of course there is one major flaw in the Newtons which Liz expertly pointed out, namely that they really are the most awful colour combination imaginable!
The Newtons came from a company called Stride UK who are a small company that specialise in video gait analysis and following several recommendations Liz booked herself in for what they call the mid level analysis which concentrates on everything from the hips down.
This consisted of drawing various markings on Liz’s legs and getting her to run with and without trainers on a special treadmill whilst being filmed from the side and the front.
From this simple exercise it appears any amount of information can be deciphered and Liz walked away with a full analysis of her running style, suggestions for how to reduce stresses such as where she might benefit from building muscle strength and improving flexibility. In addition she was given a list of suggested stretches and exercises designed to specifically address these areas.
The best bit though was when we got home and installed the CD they gave us onto our laptop. It contained all the video analysis and we had a good laugh at just how knock kneed Liz is. (wel I did anyway!)
Hydration and energy play an important part in marathon training, lots of studies show how performance is affected by these two things. All I know is I get hungry and thirsty on any run longer than 45 mins so we’ve been stocking up on Isotonic drinks and energy gels.
Energy gels are great for squeezing down during a run, they’re much easier than trying to chew through a flap jack and generally more effective than the classic runners friend the Jelly Baby.
Of course, carrying a couple of energy gels and half a litre of Isotonic drink o
n a long run presents it’s own logistical challenge but fortunately gear manufacturers have overcome this obstacle with any amount of storage devices. I chose the red and black one because it matched the colour of my vest/shorts/cap combo!
n a long run presents it’s own logistical challenge but fortunately gear manufacturers have overcome this obstacle with any amount of storage devices. I chose the red and black one because it matched the colour of my vest/shorts/cap combo!
OK, so now we were isotoniced up, gelled out and fitted with the latest hyper trainer
s what we really needed was a GPS tracking system that allows us to monitor our speed, pace, heart rate, altitude and any amount of other information useful to the modern marathoner, if only I could get the bloody thing to tell the time.....
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