What does #gaitanalysis mean to you?

What does this name mean to you?

For a number of years now, Amphibian King has been building a reputation as THE place to go to buy your running shoes.

All of the staff in all of the stores (Bray, Ballymount & Galway ) are very keen runners or triathletes of some distance or another. We all share the same desire as you to train and race injury free. All year round.

So allow me to tell you how we do it....

Firstly, we know 'run'. We know what running does to the body and we are aware of how the body works. So we understand, you.

Secondly, we know 'shoes'. We get regular tech sessions with the running brands so, yes, we understand their shoes better than most. At the same time we all are interested in the 'what' and the 'how' of footwear or not. We are all keenly interested in running with or without shoes. This is important so we understand what makes you tick.

When you come to Amphibian King what should you expect?
When you come in to be fitted for your runners, whether you are starting out or running marathons daily, young or old, the first thing we do is NOT talk about shoes.

We want to know you, we want to know what you are doing; running, walking, track, road, trail etc. how you are doing it, your injury history (if any), your running goals for the next 6 months. All to help build a picture.

We will look at a heat scan of your arches, are you flatfooted? high arched? off balance? While looking at your feet we also measure them.

I've discussed shoe size before so we are looking at barefoot, shoe size & running shoe size. Ultimately the running shoe size is determined by the answers to the questions:

we want to know what you are doing; running, walking, track, road, trail etc. how you are doing it, your injury history (if any), your running goals for the next 6 months

We then use our eyes to watch you running. We use video capture to allow us to review your stride in slow motion. Are you neutral? Do you over pronate? How much over pronation? Are you supinating? Left foot / right foot? Lots of little clues that allow us to help you decide what category of footwear will work for you. Very often you will see these clues yourself and we love when customers get involved.

 

Now we know you, your feet and your running. Time to talk shoes!!

Your personal advisor will now take you through a series of footwear choices, looking at you running on the track and they will then explain what shoes you should be wearing, why they suit you and what makes those shoes right for you. Finally you get to try some on!! :-)

Again you will be doing more running, testing the shoes out, we'll check the technical bit on the camera again. But now you are fully focussed on how the shoe fits, feels, responds, reacts when you run it it.

The most important thing for us is that you make the right choices. We don't want to see you sidelined with injury. We want to see you out running. We don't want wrong footwear stopping you from doing what you love doing. This is why so many people trust us with their footwear selection. Check out the Reviews on our facebook pages.

If you have been into Amphibian King, we'd love if you would help share the experience. Did we fulfill your needs?

If you haven't been in, we'd love it if you would give us a go, trust us, to help you.

 Keep on running!

Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet. ~ Kevin Stirtz

Having the craic with #LoveHate

I've been a fan of the show since the start but Mrs. AKW has only joined in with the drama this season (cue the box set being lined up for Christmas!)

As most of you know I enjoy Twitter and a few weeks ago I was challenged to tie in a few one liners with each show (during the breaks mind you) for a bit of fun, so here is what I've thrown out there:

Have the tracksuit on. All set for #lovehate. pic.twitter.com/grH8mHyo3k
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 5, 2014

If you want to make a fast getaway like Nidge there's only one place to go for running shoes!! #lovehate #lifeistooshort
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 5, 2014

That was a different sort of gate analysis there at the site #lovehate #gaitanalysis
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 12, 2014

Patrick must've bought the longest nails ever! #needsabiggerhammer #lovehate
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 12, 2014

Stressed out? Feel like banging your head off a wall? Go for a run. Makes all the difference! ! #lovehate :)
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 12, 2014

If like Siobhan you're gonna be on backroads after dark make sure you have a #Silva Siju in your pocket #lovehate pic.twitter.com/5O20LzZ0AX
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) November 2, 2014

I've been having good fun with this and was pleasantly surprised by the reaction last night to the headlamp one. Spur of the moment stuff and happily with box.com I can access all my product photos when and where I need them.

Looking forward to seeing what the big finale brings next week. Hoepfully I will be as quick with the quips for that! :)

Swimming & Running - most popular sports in Ireland

The Irish Sports Council have just published figures for activity in Ireland:

@sportireland @IpsosMRBI Most popular sporting activities #ISM2013 pic.twitter.com/fQQWernFZ4
— Irish Sports Council (@sportireland) October 1, 2014

I have asked them if this is across all age groups or just a defined adult portion of the population.

@amphkingwest @sportireland Survey covers those aged 16+. Type of activities differ by age, and this is covered in the report.
— Ipsos MRBI (@IpsosMRBI) October 2, 2014

Obviously working in a #running store like +Amphibian King West - Galway I'm delighted to see Swimming and especially running up top as they are, but these figures also represent a massive swing in the Irish population to looking after themselves.

There is a certain attraction to 'solo' sports such as swimming and running. Naturally there is a social aspect to all sporting activity, club events for sure, but there is also a huge beneift to the individual.

Have you ever felt the solitude and peace of tapping out lap after lap of a swimming pool? The rhythm allows you to go to auto-pilot and the submersion clears the head.

The feeling of you, just you and the road when running is fantastic. Watching a sunrise through a misty forest is a spectacular, life affirming event.

After so many years of depression, doom and gloom through the recession, I for one am delighted to see so many people taking care of themselves.




 

The stats may not show clearly in the image copied from the Irish Sports Monitor 2103 Annual Report but Running has grown rapidly as the most popular individual activity.

Interesting to see at the start of the recession in 2008 & 2009 the number of participants remained static at 2.5 and experienced rapid growth in 2011 and 2013:

The increase in running is particularly interesting. It was the fifth most popular form of sporting activity in 2009 when its participation levels were half those for swimming or soccer and significantly behind those for golf. Since then it has become the third most popular form of activity, ahead of soccer and golf and with a much narrower gap to the most popular activities of personal exercise and swimming.

Another stand out stst from the #ISM2013 report is the level of participation in sport in Connaught. Nationally 'Running' represents 8.5% of overall activity, in Connaught it is 10.2%. The highest percentage of the population that is running lives in the West.

In addition to having higher levels of sporting participation at overall and individual sport levels, those living in Connacht are also more active across multiple sports. Figure 4.7 below indicates the proportion playing in more than one type of sport, with 21.3% of those living in Connacht indicating that they were involved in two or more sports within the past week. This compares to 18.6% of the population at a national level.

Sure no wonder they say "West is Best!!" :)

Personally, am I disappointed to see the low figures in GAA? 

Not really. It's a choice of team sports that I played as a youth and young man but never excelled at. There was rarely thinking time, we went through training like machines played for each other in matches. In one way it is very selfless (you play for your team-mates) and of course team building, working with others etc in a life-resource kind of way.

I think it is an indicator of the times we live in where the idea of just popping on a pair of runners and heading out for an hour is so convenient and such an easy way to 'clear your head' after a stressful day at work, minding kids, college, stuck in the house etc. 

Whatever your situation, your outlook can always be improved by a run!

For me exercise in general is about health, about your health and the only way to look after yourself is to look after number 1.

Take care of yourself & go for a run!! 

#AskAKW... Is it too late for Dublin Marathon?

Dear AKW, 

I have struggled with injury but am now back running again. My longest run to date is just over 14 miles. Do you think I should be ready for Dublin Marathon in 4 weeks?

Troubled Runner

#DublinMarathon Panic Stations

Ok I posted this in jest (kind of) earlier on Facebook, but this is a serious matter.

Post by Amphibian King West.

If you are training for +Dublin Marathon and have not replaced your shoes since you started your training program 9 out of 10 times your footwear is not going to get you to the start line.

There is still 200miles worth of running to be done before that medal is hung around your neck.

Don't leave it to chance, now is the time to change your shoes so you can have them well run in before the big day.



In fairness to the Dublin Marathon organisers they have been on top of the lastminute.com entries and given plenty of warning throughout the day, including this clever "significance of 2:02:57" *tips hat* to the recent World Record in +Berlin Marathon :

Post by Dublin Marathon.

Then following up an hour later with:

Post by Dublin Marathon.

Well done to everyone on the media team. 

Tell us did you get your entry in in time?

Do you do the lift thing for the foot?

Not sure why people are being conditioned to think that you have to have arch support in running shoes but it is a simple fact of life that there is an escalating trend of customers presenting themselves to me in +Amphibian King West - Galway either with or looking for arch support.

arch¹

ɑːtʃ/

noun

noun: arch; plural noun: arches

1.

a curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge, roof, or wall above it.

synonyms:

archway, vault, span, dome; bridge "a stone arch was built at the entrance"

#Zero25k Running in 2014

We're sure at this stage you are sick of hearing about resolutions, targets and goal setting for the New Year.

We're going to make it a simple decision for you:

Over the past 2 years we've hosted a Zero-to-5k running group (#Zero25k) for absolute beginners who are just looking to get active, a little bit fitter and hopefully lose a couple of pounds while feeling good about themselves.

We designed our #Zero25k program to fulfill those wishes.

This year we are opening our program to our new store in Limerick so there will be two locations, Oranmore (as usual) and Roxborough, Limerick.

You just need to join us, do a little work, allow our mentors to cajole, motivate and encourage you to complete each session in the 9 week program and in no time at all you will be well on the road to a fitter you.

Like to know more? 

Well firstly it's FREE, we don't charge and will never charge for the program, you are doing all the hard work, we get to see loads of people learning to enjoy running, that's rewarding enough!!

Secondly, we meet on Saturday mornings, early. Our first session is usually done and dusted by 8:45 so you can get on with your day. After that you will commit to doing 2 sessions during the week, we'll give you your homework each Sunday ready for the week.

Our mentors will give you plenty of help, advice and guidance so you can achieve the most from the program. Please make use of us! Don't be shy about questions.

Ready for more?

Just click the link here...

Going for a #runstreak in December

Motivation is one of the hardest things to hold on to. Its a slippery devil.

How many times have you started a New Year full of gusto and verve to find that as January segues into February you've missed a workout here and there for the simplest of reasons?

Give yourself every chance by building momentum and motivation before you actually go looking for it.

Create a healthy and helpful habit by committing to join our December #runstreak.

Promise to yourself that 30 minutes a day is for you. It's "me-time". Get out and run for at least 30 minutes a day and by Christmas you will feel a million dollars.
Go on, do it!!

Here's the spreadsheet:

AKW December Runstreak 

You will, you will, you will... 

Post by Amphibian King West.

What to wear for #running today?

I'm regularly asked advice on "what #running gear do I need for this weather?" The question pops up on +Twitter, +Facebook, Boards, Google+, you name it, I even get asked in +Amphibian King West the odd time!  :)


I usually throw out a few suggestions; "one of these", "some of those" and "if its doing this, wear that".

I realised yesterday possibly the best way to answer this is to do a show & tell. So starting today I'm going to show you how I dress for different weather conditions.

November 21st - Cold, dry 92% chance of precipitation) and with a 'RealFeel' of -5°c (I presume some form of air wind chill guesstimate).

Now, I don't check my phone to see how to dress. I was out at the bins and the foggy breath and snap to the air told me enough.

This one is easy to address:

Those tags in the image may not be clear enough, so.

Hat - a 7 year old promotional beanie from +Polar that everyone wants to buy from me. No way, never!! 
Neck scarf - buff type from Amphibia Sport. Perfect to keep the headphone cables from flapping around, and my chin nice and warm. 
Upper body - Outer shell is a +Saucony Kinvara Nomad Jacket over an inner layer comprising of a long sleeve thermal top. 

Aesthetic FlexFilm details make our Kinvara Nomad Jacket a pack leader, while the windproof front panel, thermo-regulating sleeves and side panels, and the ultra-breathable fleece back vent make runs in any weather a breeze! 

Lower body - Saucony Omni tights with a NGOI base layer (to prevent brass monkeys) keep the leg muscles warm and cosy.

NGOI Base layer shorts.

 

 

The main issue is the windchill factor. You are still sweating in the winter time and clothing that prevents the wind passing through will stop your trunk from getting cold. If your torso gets chilled you are going to be miserable in no time at all.

So, dry weather but cold: thermal base layers, windproof top or jacket, hat, gloves (off for positioning camera), long leg tights.

That's how I dress today.

#GearTip for Winter Training

With the Winter really on top of us now going #running requires a little thought and preparation to ensure that you are comfortable in all sorts of weather conditions.

Two items of gear which are invaluable in my book are:


Designed as a trail running tight, the material in the +ASICS Fuji Trail tight is stretchy and comfortable. The designers made the lower leg material slightly thicker and durable to help prevent tears and pulls when running through rough vegetation.

I find this lower leg material is water repellant and as a result keeps your legs dry when running on wet roads. The splash water is not absorbed by the fabric and you get no water creep on longer runs.

Perfect item for road or trail running in the wet.

ASICS Fuji Trail tight

Second piece of 'can't do without' equipment is a fabric tube from +Amphibia Sport.

Lots of different uses from scarf to sweatband. Personally I find the best winter use is as a neck scarf. Bunch the material up, pass over your head and its sits snug around your throat, keeping your neck warm, zip your jacket up and the scarf prevents rain from running down the back of your neck.
 

Amphibia Sport - fabric tube

Oíche Shamhna - Halloween

So #Halloween is over for another year.

The excitement rolls on for some though.

Halloween is rooted in pagan celebration of Samhain marking the end of harvest, beginning of winter and it is a time when it is believed that spirits could cross over easily into our world so offerings are left for them and people disguise themselves from the spirits. It is a festival time of year.

For me, I'm still celebrating. The past couple of days saw a climactic finish to a little known event called the +Brooks Running Window Challenge.

Across Ireland & the UK, Brooks stockists are encouraged to dress their shop windows and submit them for judging and public voting. The theme is Halloween based, time of year and a loose connection to the Brooks running shoe the #Ghost is expected but not specified.

Time for some artistic flair!!

Not really expecting much out of it, being just a new store in Limerick and only a couple of years experience dressing windows I submitted our window for the LOLZ :)

I wanted atmosphere. I wanted grandeur. I wanted it to be tangible, pertinent. I wanted to make a connection with the spirit of Halloween!!

I also wanted to win :)

I didn't have much in the way of props. Some Brooks race tape from the Galway Aquathon in the summer, some boxes, a cleverly disguised ASICS pedestal (ssshhh!!!) some straw bedding from the local PetMania and pumpkins from a local farm. The cobwebs are real (I really need to clean up more) and the back drop & lights (cobwebs too) were picked up in clearance bins in Woodies.

The final window is plain enough:

But I was chasing details.

The harvest element is obvious

But I really like how the #GhostlyGhost turned out:

Submitting the photos to Brooks UK I wasn't expecting to see my pictures on the website as one of the final four! Cue some frantic sharing & promoting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ to name but a few Social Media sites.

Over the weekend we split away with a store that turned out to be in Lincolnshire, the Lincolnshire Runner and it really became a two shop race. All the entries were cleverly done but there was only going to be one winner.

We fell behind, jumped ahead, fell back, drew level, fell back and at 4pm I was a nervous wreck! You all saw the Twitter feed.

At 4:50pm I was frantic!! I literally spammed everybody I knew, every Facebook page I could access, every friend (I seem to have a few less today, wonder why? :) ) and at 5:00pm on the button voting shut down. I was afraid to refresh the screen and then the Tweets came flying in!!!!

WE WON!!! #AKLimerick are the winners!!

Right away the official word came through on Twitter:

The winner of the @BrooksrunningUK @BrooksrunningIE #Halloween window is @amphkingwest thank you to everyone who has taken part!
— BrooksrunningUK (@Brooksrunninguk) November 5, 2013

All you fantastic #awesomeAKfans have made this shopkeeper very proud and thank you to each and everyone of you who shared, liked, voted, RT'd, favourited, +1'd all my posts over the last few days. Thanks to the guys in +Amphibian King Dublin for sharing on their page too.

I'm off to bask in the glory of "Best dressed window in Ireland & UK" before I get attacked by ninja onions :)

Thank you & #RunHappy, of course!

Recap of our October Newsletter

Season's are changing. There's been a big shift in the daylight hours. As well as early night, the light is poor during the day so make sure you can be seen by other road users. As usual there is a couple of things to share with you: Introduce you to our Autumn #Zero25k schedule Our definitive guide to "Running Safely" Taper you down for your Marathon day WIN a Polar RC3 GPS watch & Heart Rate monitor Highlight some of our exciting new arrivals Update you on some local races (Race Directors please keep us informed here) #AKLimerick We have been settling in well with our Roxborough store. It is the biggest shop in the Amphibian King network and along with the store in Oranmore we will continue to bring you the service, shoes and accessories that you deserve. Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share Reflect on Run Safety There's been a big shift in the daylight hours. As well as early night, the light is poor during the day so make sure you can be seen by other road users. With daylight hours being so short now and visibility so 'grey' you as a runner / cyclist / pedestrian have to take matters of your own safety very seriously. Place yourself in the driving seat on a winter's day, low sun reflecting off damp road, rain blurred windshield, how much can you see? Not much, everything looks grey. As a pedestrian if you can't be seen against this background you are in serious trouble. Read more Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share

Local runners Jason Fahy and Niall Tuohy popped in to test our track. Have you been following our #AKW Intermediate Marathon Plan?

Website Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest The brand new Mizuno Sayonara is awesome!! Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share Autumn Marathon Tired legs and tired shoes. For many, Autumn is marathon season. The final stretch in a long season of 5k, 10k and half marathon races culumnating in conquering the 26.2miles. Whatever your goal, whichever your race or whatever your distance, put some Spring into tired legs with new shoes to keep you going the distance. Don't leave off changing your marathon shoes until the last minute, it is too late by then. You need time to adjust. Check out our blog for some essential beating-the-Marathon-Wall information. Our Intermediate Marathon Runners are currently on Week 13 of a 16 week plan, there may be some ideas there that work for you, you can dip in and out using some of the sessions to suit your own running. Website Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest As a thank-you for Customer Loyalty, every returning customer gets €10 discount on their running shoes. We also have a few introductory vouchers for friends and family you might like to introduce to us. Simply ask for a supply when you are in with us. We look forward to seeing you soon in #AKLimerick!! Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share #Zero25k For the past 2 years, each January, we've organised a #Zero25k group from our shop in Oranmore. This has served as an introduction to running for so many people over the past two years and there is such demand for it we are going again!! Have a read about the group here and you will hopefully be motivated to join us or invite your friends to join us as we go about setting up a new group. Some of our runners have gone on to join local clubs, others have gone onto running Marathons, its up to you where your running brings you. Starting the 26th of October we will be hosting our #Zero25k program in two locations, completing just before Christmas: #AKGalway - based from our store in Oranmore, Galway #AKLimerick - based from our store in Roxborough, Limerick All we ask for is that you are committed to following your fitness development for 9 weeks trust our trainers to guide you correctly (no jumping ahead in the program!!) reasonably healthy and injury free (if in any doubt get your Doctor's advice) There is no online registration for this season, you must call into the relevant store in person to register and it is of course, FREE of CHARGE!! Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share Footwear Freebies :-) Our cool brands have provided us with some FREE Goodies to give away with shoe purchases. We will also be developing demo nights where we will host our specialist brands, giving you a chance to product test new shoes as part of a run and avail of special discounts on purchases. Stay tuned to our Newsletter for updates on this and other items. Featured Products Naturally at this stage of the year you are going to need more outerwear suited to the elements. As identified above, visibility has to be your friend so don't be put off by strong, vibrant colours, embrace them, they keep you safe!! Below is a selection of products we have selected as perfect for Autumn running. Featuring wind proof materials to prefect body chill they also have breathable fabrices to help regulate body temperatures. Pop in and try them on. Events for the Diary There are tons of events happening all the time, all over. Here's a few that we know of but we'd love to hear about any of your upcoming races too. 06/10/2013 - The Human Race (10k, half marathon & 30k) 12/10/2013 - Conamara 10k 12/10/2013 - NUI Galway 8k 12/10/2013 - Ladies Weekend featuring 10k (Limerick) 28/10/2013 - Dublin Marathon Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share Win a Polar RC3 GPS Our good friends at Polar HQ have sent us a brilliant prize to giveaway. One lucky person will run or cycle away with this new GPS watch and Heart Rate monitor. Entry to the draw is free, no purchase required and can be done through this link - Polar RC3 GPS Feel free to pop into our instore expert for a demo of the watches and learn how you can bring your training to the next level using Heart Rate montioring. Good luck iin the draw!! Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share Copyright © 2013 Amphibian King Galway, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a registered customer of our stores in Oranmore & Limerick. You have volunteered your email address when setting up your account. We would like to keep you up to date with any special news & offers that we may have. Our mailing address is: Amphibian King Galway 5 Howley Square Main Street Oranmore, Galway Ireland Add us to your address book update subscription preferences unsubscribe from this list