Training & Advice
Running Shoes
Find out more about our Gait Analysis process and how to choose the right running shoe here.
Running Gear
Looking for some advice about running gear? Click here!
Training Articles
The basics of road running - how to start running safely & comfortably
There are many benefits from taking up running, as long as it is done carefully and sensibly. Given the right advice and sufficient time to train, most people will be able to complete the Great Eastern Run. However there are also some pitfalls to be aware about.
The good news is that running is a fabulous workout to condition your body. It gets rid of your flabby bits and sheds those extra pounds. It can help to overcome ageing problems - making you look ten years younger! Running prevents bone loss (osteoporosis) and muscle loss and closes the gateway for diseases like breast cancer, heart stroke, diabetes and hypertension. It keeps your blood pressure in control and minimizes the risk of heart attack. On top of all that, it also helps to improve your immune system.
To avoid complications and injuries, there are some pointers below to follow.
Checklist:
- Do see your GP for a general health check first
- Do start sensibly
- Do drink plenty of water
- Do dress sensibly and wear proper shoes
- Do let people know where you are going
- Do wear some identification
- Don't get carried away
- Don't use running to cure a hangover
- Don't ignore illness
The key is to start off with a short run or walk and remember to rest. Increase your mileage steadily and vary the terrain. Find the best time in your week for you to train and, if you can, join a local running or athletics club.
Stretching - how to prevent injuries and improve comfort
In any physical activity, the importance of stretching cannot be underestimated. Stretching muscles and stretching exercises will prevent injury and help prepare your body for the exercise that follows or allow it to recover from the activity just completed. It prevents tightness which can lead to injury and improves recovery, technique and performance. So in preparing for the Great Eastern Run, here are some helpful pointers:
When to Stretch
Stretch when you are already warmed up or your body feels warm. The most beneficial aspect of stretching is after the exercise session, so whilst it is important to stretch after warming up, the stretches before cooling down at the end are even more vital.
What to Stretch
For running, you need to concentrate on the main muscle groups in the legs.
- Hip flexors
- Adductors (inner thigh muscles)
- Hamstrings and gluteals (buttocks)
- Iliotibial band (attaches hip muscles) and outer thigh
- Quadriceps (front of thighs)
- Calves
How should You Stretch?
Stay relaxed and do not hold your breath. Hold stretches for a minimum of 30 seconds and up to 1 minute. Do not bounce, simply keep still. To have good results, stretching should feel a little uncomfortable but not be agony!
What to do if you get Injured?
The body has a standard response to any injury called inflammation, characterised by pain, heat swelling and redness. Non serious injuries can be treated through a process with the acronym of PRICE.
Protect - first protect your injury from further damage, which usually means stop exercising or stretching.
Rest - have relative rest for your injury to resolve bit still do enough exercise to prevent de-conditioning, so use cycling or swimming exercise instead of running.
Ice - this will prevent further damage from the inflammatory process. Apply ice in a thin, wet cotton towel for 20 - 30 minutes continuous application.
Compress - compression is to be applied using a bandage which should cover a larger area than the swelling occupies.
Elevate - to be effective in draining fluids from the injured area back to the heart, raise the injured area above the level of the heart.
Running shoes - what makes them so special
Running is possibly the simplest, most flexible sport that you can take part in. You don't need anyone else, you don't need to be at a certain place and the only equipment you really need is a pair of Running Shoes.
You might say but I have a pair of tennis shoes, somewhere, surely I'll be OK with them, or maybe even the Astroturf boots I use for five a side football. However, ask yourself, you wouldn't try to play tennis with a hockey stick, would you? Well running shoes are not a marketing gimmick; they really will make a difference, to both your comfort, enjoyment and maybe even how fast you run. Once you have run in a pair you won't want to run in anything else.
Unlike generic trainers or sports shoes designed for other specific sports, running shoes are specially designed to help protect your body from the impact forces that are involved with running as you literally jump from one foot to the other. As you run, with every stride, there is up to FOUR times your body weight going through your feet, whether you are six stone or sixteen stone, four times your body weight is potentially a lot of stress on your joints.
Also very few of us have perfect feet, I'm not talking about expensively pedicured tootsies, but how the arch of your foot works during each stride. Your foot should land on its outer edge of the heel, then as your weight comes forward, your foot will roll in towards the inside. This action is called PRONATION, and is how your body absorbs shock. But, most people's feet OVER PRONATE, this is where your arch collapses in too far, this is not necessarily linked to high arched or flat feet, but it is more to do with how flexible your arches are.
The photographs show the same person running in two different styles of running shoes, the shoe in the picture on the left is causing the man to over pronate; the red line on the back of the shoe should be going straight up and down, perpendicular to the treadmill. But as you can see the foot has collapsed right over, causing a severe bend in the Achilles tendon and all the muscles in the leg will have to work harder to stabilise the unstable foot and tendons and ligaments will be stretched longer and harder as well, which can lead to all sorts of problems. The correct style of running shoes will help to guide your feet through the proper movement, supporting the arch of the foot. As you can see in the picture on the right where the correct running shoe is being worn, the foot and ankle are now much straighter and everything is much more balanced, this makes running much more comfortable and helps to minimise the risk of injury.
A decent pair of running shoes will cost about £70.00 to £95.00, depending on how much extra stability and cushioning the shoes have, the more technologies involved, the higher the price but in terms of avoiding injury and comfort, this is definitely an investment worth making.
Which Brand is Best?
The one that suits you - we back all the shoes we stock, there is no one brand better than another, it is a case of finding the one which provides the correct amount of support and fits comfortably. We encourage you to try out different brands when you visit us instore. We stock shoes from Asics, Adidas, Brooks, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, Saucony, Inov8 and MBT.
If you have any comments you would like to make about us, our store and the services we offer please do so by clicking here.
