GAIT ANALYSIS………..WHAT, WHY, WHERE.: As a new... - Couch to 5K

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GAIT ANALYSIS………..WHAT, WHY, WHERE.

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor
27 Replies

As a new runner, choosing your first pair of running shoes is a bit of a shot in the dark. The ranges available are vast and the choice is utterly confusing to the uninitiated and I will admit, to some more experienced runners too. While it is possible to pick up a pair of running shoes very cheaply, or in fact pay a king’s ransom, how do you know they are going to be appropriate for you and more seriously, how do you know they are not going to actually cause you harm.

My answer is to recommend a gait analysis. This is what it says, an investigation of how you run, but its form can vary hugely. On a recent visit to Go Outdoors in Exeter, where they advertise gait analysis, I was surprised to find that they apparently had no equipment and the salesman told me that he does it by eye………...I did not have a gait analysis and I did not purchase any shoes, simply because I do not believe that even the most skilled viewer could glean the amount of information that was displayed by the video gait analysis that I have previously experienced.

The majority of stores offering gait analysis use a treadmill with a camera or cameras, to record you running. Initially they will ask you to run for about 20-30 seconds in either your own shoes or a pair of known neutral shoes. The footage can then be played back in slow motion to clearer see what your foot motion is during each footfall, known as the gait cycle. Somewhat ironically, one of the best descriptions of the gait cycle that I have come across is in this page of advice from Go Outdoors m.gooutdoors.co.uk/expert-a...

When our feet contact the ground whether walking or running, they pronate, or roll slightly, to accommodate the impact and prepare for the push off. The degree to which this happens is classified as either overpronation, neutral, or underpronation (also known as supination). This, along with an explanation of the whole process, is very clearly laid out here runnersneed.com/expert-advi...

Once the observations have been made, we actually come to the controversial part, that divides the running and podiatry worlds. Depending on the analysis, your friendly shoe salesperson will recommend an appropriate stability shoe for the 70% of the population who overpronate, or a neutral, with appropriate cushioning, for the remainder. Next, another short session on the treadmill is videoed. In many stores they have the ability to run and synchronise the two video clips together, so that the difference between footfall can be compared directly, to see whether the overpronation or underpronation has been corrected…...and that is the contentious issue.

There is no doubt that if we did not wear shoes, our feet would naturally work in a different way than when cushioned wedged and cosseted from impact and puncture by modern footwear. Research in India has shown that children who do not wear shoes have a lower incidence of foot problems than those who have always worn shoes. Footwear, including running shoes, forces our feet into relatively unnatural positions, which are deemed by the manufacturers to be beneficial to either performance or injury minimisation. Unfortunately there is very little scientific evidence to prove that your expensive running shoes are in fact going to do as suggested and there is a body of opinion that suggests that padded and cushioned shoes may cause harm. They are the the proponents of barefoot running.

For most of us running barefoot is only something we would consider doing on a sandy beach, in warm weather. Our cosseted feet are soft and vulnerable, having been protected all our lives and could not stand the rigours or risks of being uncovered on other surfaces. So while there are true barefoot running aficionados, the canny sports shoe manufacturers moved into this market too, producing “barefoot” running shoes, with minimal padding and support. More confusion…..

In respect of balance, and at risk of confusing you even further, this link is interesting in discussing the lack of science behind gait analysis runnersconnect.net/running-... I believe the use of the word “May” in the title reveals a lot about the uncertainty in this whole field.

So if there is no science to definitively tell us whether gait analysis works, we have to fall back on anecdote, so let me give you my experience of buying running shoes and gait analysis as an example.

Before I started running I did a bit of research, which suggested that running on grass is gentler on the joints and since the local route that I imagined I might run is footpaths, I opted to buy a pair of trail shoes. My first shot in the dark was a lucky one. All trail shoes are neutral, because the nature of the uneven surfaces means you do not get precisely the same impact stride after stride and therefore there is not the need for extra support, I presume. These shoes served me well for probably far too long, but as I began to run greater distance I needed to run on roads more, to link footpaths, so I decided I needed some decent road shoes, hoping to keep impact stresses minimal. Gait analysis was something that I was highly suspicious about, suspecting it to be no more than a sales gimmick, but after reading this post and responses healthunlocked.com/couchto5... I thought it was worth a try.

Runners Need in Exeter was my shop of choice and the sales assistant, a runner himself, seemed to know his stuff, with no discernible bullshit or pressure. First video on the treadmill showed my ankles and knees out of vertical alignment and my push off being from my outer toes, indicating, I would now believe, underpronation. With a pair of Brooks GTS15s on my feet, normally sold to correct overpronation, the second video clearly showed my ankles and knees in almost perfect vertical alignment, with my push off now from my inner and big toes. Mechanically, this was obviously a huge improvement. Also fascinating to see was how my feet landed almost immediately in front of each other, as if I was running along a six inch wide line.

None of that information about my running gait could have been gleaned by any other method. The GTS15s I bought were incredibly comfortable and have done far too many miles. I have had no running injuries since buying these shoes. I have recently bought a new pair of GTS17s, without gait analysis, assuming that the new version of the shoe will be appropriate for me. Runners Need suggest that you have it done before every purchase, as your gait can change. This does make sense, as obviously muscles strengthen and adapt over the years. I rarely wear the same shoes for consecutive runs, so don’t expect any serious problems.

The whole gait analysis process is only as good as the training and experience of the individual who carries it out……. so beware of the Saturday boy. For a result that you can hopefully have more confidence in, you might want to go to a podiatrist or sports physio, some of whom have far more sophisticated 3D hardware and software than the high street stores, checking your whole body response to each stride……...of course, at a price.

Some shops charge for the service, some knock the charge off if you subsequently purchase from them, while others, such as Runners Need, do not charge. You are not obliged to buy suggested shoes. There is also the innovation of online gait analysis sportsshoes.com/gait-analysis/ If you have access to a treadmill and a video camera, they can do the analysis remotely, which could well be the future, although it does not get round the issue of trying shoes on, for which there is no alternative.

As with so many aspects of running, there are many opinions but if you look at the responses in that HU post up above and also the more recent experiences of new runners on this forum, then there is plenty of anecdotal evidence in favour of having gait analysis. Many reporting total eradication of niggles after going through the process and buying new shoes. If you are new to running, then going to the specialist shop and talking to sales staff who are more than likely experienced runners themselves, having the gait analysis and recommendation, will teach you a lot about your style and show a way through the running shoe maze. From the selection offered to you, choose on comfort, not brand, colour or price. It is certainly a good place to start and it gets my vote.

Keep running, keep smiling.

There are more FAQ posts giving general information here healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

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IannodaTruffe
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27 Replies

Thanks for posting this 😊

Midriff_Crisis profile image
Midriff_CrisisGraduate

Very helpful. Still waiting to get time to have mine done!

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply toMidriff_Crisis

In my opinion, it is the best investment you can make in your running and take the opportunity to ask questions, if your sales staff seem knowledgeable. Runners are generally very supportive of new runners.

TedG profile image
TedGGraduate

Interesting post Tim. What are your views on the ‘wet foot test’?

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply toTedG

I am no expert, Ted, only a C25K graduate who has tried to help others by clearing a way through all the guff surrounding running. As for the wet foot test, I am sure it can be an indication of possible foot movement during running, but frankly it is beyond my experience to be able to say whether or not it is accurate or effective.

TedG profile image
TedGGraduate in reply toIannodaTruffe

You seem to have gained a lot of knowledge along the way Tim, you led me in the right direction when I got my shoes 😊

I would go along with all of this, backed up by my own experience. The man who did my gait analysis was also able to suggest exercises to strengthen my right leg, which I throw to one side because of compensating for my injured left leg (shortening from fractured femur plus knee that was split to the bone and is just scar tissue). I’m lucky that, despite my old injuries, I have a neutral stride so can wear a range of shoes. None the less, wearing proper running shoes, fitted with the expert advice of the sales person in Up and Running, Oxford, has made my experience much more comfortable and enjoyable and, as long as I strap my weak knee, I have so far had no real niggles or pain. I wasnt charged for the analysis and so felt it worth the money, and only fair, to buy the shoes from them rather than online initially. We tried several pairs, and the right shoe just felt as if it wasnt there, which I think is as good an indication as any.

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply to

Absolutely, for a new runner to ignore that free advice and assessment, given by experienced runners, seems too absurd to believe.

in reply toIannodaTruffe

Mind you, I look back in nostalgia at the days when I ran barefoot as a teenager, well pretty much went everywhere barefoot and got thrown out of pubs because of it, but that was the 60s.

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply to

I am sure that barefoot is preferable, but after a lifetime of wearing steel toe capped safety boots with rigid steel mid soles, my feet are hardly used to a natural environment.

in reply toIannodaTruffe

I dont run barefoot now 😊

TedG profile image
TedGGraduate in reply to

I must have a looksee in there, they’re based in Headington aren’t they?

in reply toTedG

Yes, on the same side of the road as Boots is or was, opposite side to Starbucks. If you go on a Saturday I think that’s when the really knowleagable bloke i saw works. My daughter went a different Saturday and got him too and was equally impressed.

Edit: tbey have a sale on at present.

TedG profile image
TedGGraduate in reply to

Ah, must def get down there then.

Good luck with completing W6, you’re posting some good times.

If you do a Parkrun at Cutteslowe Park, gimme a shout 😊

in reply toTedG

Oh, thank you. No chance today...snow everywhere still and I'm still not 100% well. Oh, Cutteslow, we used to walk there when we had only one dog (Always worried our lurcher would head for the bypass) . I will in the summer. i don't drive so dont fancy an hour bus ride in running gear and thin running jacket, or else having to tie my warmer coat round my waist when I run.

TedG profile image
TedGGraduate in reply to

No, not today Flick. Parkruns are every Sat morning 😊

parkrun.org.uk/oxford/

in reply toTedG

Just joking 😉

Sadeskin profile image
SadeskinGraduate

Great read, thanks for taking the time to post. I am still at the trial and error stage (and managed to own 3 pairs of trainers in that process 🙈) as the pair I used for C25K clearly didn’t stand up to the muddy woodland track of my parkrun, so I invested in trail running shoes which seem to be hurting my feet (maybe because I am wearing them on road too). There’s is a great running shop near me I will look into this analysis. Although may have to wait a few pay days!

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply toSadeskin

Try to keep road running in trail shoes minimal. They will wear quickly and generally don't give the sort of cushioning you expect from road shoes. Unless the off road sections are particularly steep, wet or slippery, I default to road shoes for mixed surface runs.

Sadeskin profile image
SadeskinGraduate in reply toIannodaTruffe

Thank you that’s so useful. It’s all trial and error for me at the mo! My feet have been aching slightly during but most def after a run. I’m sure this is the reason why

Cornet-Carolyn profile image
Cornet-CarolynGraduate

Thank you from a grateful newbie runner, for posting this, will have to take a real good look to absorb all the info here.

JaySeeSkinny profile image
JaySeeSkinnyGraduate

I’m becoming a bit of a fan of minimalistic shoes. They don’t seem to be doing me any harm, even though I know I’ve got wonky feet. I like their lightness, and they do make me increase my cadence. I’ve done over 300k with my current ones and they’re my shoe of choice at the moment.

But then I always go barefoot whenever I can. So maybe it’s a continuation of that.

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply toJaySeeSkinny

I think barefoot is the ideal, but as I said in a response above, my feet have been encased in rigid leather and steel safety boots for the last forty years of my life, so have not spent much time operating as they evolved naturally to do. Barefoot or minimalist shoes would probably be a disaster for me and I have been warned off them by sales staff in the past, saying that I would have to learn to run again.

We are all different.

Big_Jon0161 profile image
Big_Jon0161

hi bro, just wondering. Could ye givs us a follow. I use to have one of the most followed accounts on this couch to 5k thing but my main fella (Ian) deleted the account. I had all my nudes and funkey DM's on that account but ohwell gotta start again ;)

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply toBig_Jon0161

Sorry, but I don't understand what you are asking.

Voldatort profile image
VoldatortGraduate

Sorry to bounce up this old post but I've got underpronation and searching doesn't bring much up. I can't go for gait analysis due to lockdown.... I've got neutral trainers but am thinking about insoles as have some knee issues. Trouble is when I search underpronation or superpronation insoles the Amazon list come up for overpronation ones... And your post appears that you'd been using overpronation trainers??. Not sure what to do until the shops open....

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply toVoldatort

The show will be open soon.

I would hesitate to give specific advice on shoes or insoles, leaving that to someone who can study your footfall.

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