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Friday 26 May 2017

Saucony Stride Lab @ Accelerate

A couple of weeks back I spotted that Accelerate were going to be hosting a Saucony Stride Lab towards the end of the month, which was perfect timing as I have begun to think about shoes for the Amsterdam Half Marathon. Liz and Kelly had been to one at Up + Running in Sheffield City Centre a few months ago and had given very good reports of it. As the event got closer I realised I had got my dates wrong and wouldn't be able to make it, but as luck would have it my schedule changed and on Wednesday morning I saw they had a 12:45 slot available - perfect, I could take a long lunch and go along.

I hopped on the tram to Attercliffe and was immediately met with a warm welcome, had barely stopped moving before I had been offered a cup of tea - now that's the kind of friendly Yorkshire service I respect. Having only decided on the day that I was going to go along I had no running kit with me, but they were happy to lend me a pair of shorts to replace my jeans, and a loose fitting short sleeved check shirt was fine for a little bit of running.  Now I'm not ashamed to admit I was a little bit apprehensive before doing this as I've not run on a treadmill for many a years (I just find it really dull, scenery and fresh air are some of the best things about running) and I have never had my technique studied, so all I know about how to run comes from observing others, chatting, and reading a myriad of conflicting articles online.  I was fully expecting to discover I was doing it all wrong.

A pair of shoes was picked, and then before it was time to jump on the treadmill it was time for a few questions about how often , how far and how fast you run, any injuries, what you are looking to get out of it, any other exercise you do, and any injuries you've had.  I mentioned that my right knee sometimes twinges (an old hiking injury from Scouts) and that I had irritated my Achilles (Again on the right) recently but stopping wearing boots day to day got rid of this.  He noted that these are probably nothing to do with the areas where the injury occurred and that he would pay attention to them on the run.

On to the treadmill then.  They have 3 cameras set up, one to catch full body profile from the rear and another the same from the side, and one to get a close up on the knees and feet.  These are high speed cameras so that they can analyse specifics of technique. I was set off at a reasonable pace considering my history, then left to relax in to a run.  Thankfully I hadn't forgotten how to run on a treadmill and was soon happily bounding along - at least until it came to time to stop and  I slowed down too fast and nearly went off the back of it.  Initial analysis was good which was very pleasing - semi dynamic body position, midfoot landing, good leg extension behind me, minimal hip drop, stable knee, minimal pronation.  One of the concerns I had had in advance was regarding pronation as in photos from the White Peak Trail Run made me think I was rolling over my ankle, but this was explained as part of the natural dynamic and the point at which the photographer caught me.


As we stepped through the analysis it became apparent that I was dropping my right hip slightly and introducing an imbalance in to my running.  This was studied in some depth and several theories considered, I must admit that at some points it started to escape my knowledge of human biology and musculature systems but it boils down to inactive glutes from a slightly poor posture.  It was clear that I was planting my right foot over to the left, meaning that my left foot has to go the long way around instead of having a clear pass through.  It's all a bit cause and effect, but we discussed a need to stand tall, get the hips forward, and focus on driving knees forward and elbow back.


We also discussed shoes at this point and I talked about how my Decathlon Trail Shoes feel really good on my feet as they are lightweight, flexible and low drop.  I've not got on with traditional 10mm+ drop on road shoes which appear to be very common, and the good news is with my running style I am pretty much free to choose any neutral shoe I want. Taking my comments on board I was suggested the Saucony Kinvara 8 which only has a 4mm drop and was described as "a great match for your description".  Already it felt better on my foot than the test shoe (cannot recall what this was) and I jumped back on the treadmill - at which point they captured more video for assessment.

Compared to the previous stills I am standing taller and my foot placement is miles better, which is mostly me responding to the feedback but I have to say I felt much more comfortable in the shoes too.  At this point Stuart wandered past and started having a chat about it, discussing various causes and all sorts of things which may contribute.  I do not apparently have a leg length imbalance issue, it seems most likely is a lot of desk work sat down reaching further with one arm than the other due to using a mouse.  A good working environment which is comfortable for long periods of time is something I am keen on, but I am going to review it as you can clearly see the difference from left leg to right even after changing shoes and focusing more on technique. This is down to the inactive glutes, apparently when stood on the left leg my hamstring is compensating and on the right my back is compensating - this makes my left hamstring less inclined to lift my foot.
I've come away with a list of technique areas to improve, some exercises to look at (glute activation and strengthening, hip stretching) and a confidence that I am running right, and some shoes to look in to - I am going to look at alternatives to the Sauconys as well (there are some by New Balance I need to check out) but I really did like them - and in that colour they even match my trail shoes.  I would really recommend going along to an event such as this if you are after new shoes or simply want to know more about your technique.  Accelerate is a really friendly shop and I will be back there soon.

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