When is Minimalism too much?

Lower and lower, sleeker and faster, lighter shoes is what we all want.

In my opinion, transitioning to a minimalist shoe for many may be a step too far.

When transitioning to a minimalist shoe 'form' should be the first consideration. Do you naturally run as a forefoot striker or a heel striker?

If you are a forefoot striker naturally, ie. without forcing it or thinking about it when you slip off your shoes and run, do you land on the front, outside of your foot as per the diagram below?

If this is you, then it should be no bother to you to effect a transition process to a minimal shoe. Depending on where you are starting from we would expect to see this transition period having different durations for each individual.

If, on the other hand, you are more of a midfoot striker or heel striker you have a lot more work to do to achieve a smooth, injury free transition to minimalist shoes.

Transitioning from this position is a much more gradual change as you are having to work on changing your natural form, re-mapping neuromuscular pathways and developing core strength to help stabilise the pelvic area which will become more active during the transitional phases.

Speak to us about this as invariably you will be best advised to rotate between your traditional shoe and minimal shoes more frequently to prevent tweaking connective tissues or causing injury.
 
With many shoe manufacturer's introducing lower ramp shoes ie. changing from the traditional 12mm to 10 / 8 / 6 mm differentials in their core shoes you need to be careful of changes like this occuring in your favourite shoes year on year. It can be a source of injury if you are not prepared, expecting or aware of the change. 

For most people you can handle 12 - 10 or 8 - 6 but a change from 12 to 8mm may be a step too far and result in niggling calf, achilles or foot pain as tendons and muscles are strained beuond their usual points. This is why we always recommend that you call into your nearest Amphibian King store to double check the fit and profile each year.

The series of images below graphically represent and explain the differences in the loading of the feet during the landing phase and the effect on capturing and releasing kinetic energy on the propulsive phase.

Running Kinematics
	Heel Striking	Forefoot Striking
Moment of Impact
	Hip and knee are flexed.
	Ankle is dorsiflexed (toes point up).	Ankle is plantarflexed (toes point slightly down). Foot is usually slightly inverted (the sole is angled inwards).
	Land on the middle to outside of the heel just below the ankle joint.	Land on outside of the forefoot (the ball of the foot, just below the 4th and 5th metatarsal heads).
	As you land, the ankle begins to plantarflex (toes move towards the ground).	As you land, the ankle begins to dorsiflex (heel moves towards the groud).
	Arch of the foot is not loaded.	Arch of the foot is loaded and begins to stretch/flatten.
Impact  Foot Flat	↓	↓
	Knee and hip flex.
	As the ankle plantarflexes, the forefoot comes down.	As the ankle dorsiflexes, the heel comes down under the control of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon, which are stretching.
Foot Flat Midstance	↓	↓
	Knee and hip continue to flex.
	The ankle dorsiflexes as the lower leg moves forward relative to the foot and the foot everts (rolls inward).
	Now that the whole foot is on the ground, the arch begins to stretch/flatten.	The arch continues to stretch/flatten.
	This combination of eversion, ankle dorsiflexion and arch flattening is called pronation.	This combination of eversion, ankle dorsiflexion and arch flattening is called pronation, but occurs in the reverse direction compared to heel striking (from the forefoot to the rearfoot not heel to toe).
Midstance Toe Off	↓	↓
	Ankle plantarflexes bringing the heel off the ground (calf muscles and Achilles tendon now shorten).
	Foot’s arch recoils, and the toes flex.
	These actions push the body upwards and forwards for the next stride.

Images and table layout from http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFootStrike.html

In transitioning, a natural heel lander has to overcome the tendency to load the arch in a forward motion. As I've mentioned in previous articles the best way to naturally change your landing pattern is through a mixture of your 'normal' running and some focused efforts at re-teaching your body what natural (forefoot) running form is all about.

Any questions please fire them at me!

Happy running :)

Exercise or Training ??

The first third of 2013 is over and I'm looking back at my training diary since the start of the year.

While I haven't been blogging about it I have been logging the sessions. The stand out question that I now have to ask myself is, have I been training? or just exercising?

The distinction has got to be made between exercising with a specific purpose in mind, ie. target races and a planned structured approach to getting fitter, faster and leaner and just exercising to get fitter and diet to get leaner.

I've been fairly consistent in knuckling down to doing sessions but with no big balance in the week or any structure.

I set out my stall in January with some Goals rather than Resolutions for 2013. Technically while I have entered x2 of the three middle distance races I targeted (Tri an Mhi and the Humbert Challenge) and plans are afoot for Amsterdam Marathon in October, I have missed my first stated goal of weight loss.

I'm not too upset by this, I'm still 5kg off the mark. I can become ultra serious about this and lose the weight or I can enjoy the odd beer and slice of cake.

I like cake! :)

 

If you look at the calendar to date you can see the rather sporadic nature of the sessions. SOme weeks really good and others with nothing. Now, swim sessions are not included in this calendar as I use a Garmin Swim for recording those, however, swim sessions have been thin on the ground as I decided not to rejoin my gym. I was solidly doing Monday / Wednesday and Friday sessions just before I would go to work, right up until the pool was closed to members on account of a schools session. (It's a membership gym which has hired out the pool, due to child protection they close the pool. Fair enough, but excuse enough for me to stop swimming!)

January:

Good solid month to start the year, like most people, motivation is high and the promises to self are still clear.

• 138k running (treadmill, trail & road)


• 8k swimming


• 301k bike (indoors & out). January was also the scene of the crime for my first foray into bike FTP testing.

February:

Again not too bad, no major rhyme or reason. Mostly trying to tick off the Polar endurance training sessions for the run. Supposed to be working towards the Rock and Road Kinvara Half Marathon in March but if I'm completely honest I was struggling with tiredness, uncertain of my running on account of the injury last autumn and really busy with work so there was no real focus.

Still tried to tick off  a tempo run and several steady runs through the week. Also long runs on Saturday as I ran in & out to meet our #Zero25k group session.

• 140k running


• 4k swimming


• 204k bike

March:

Brilliant start as I ran a super PB in the Kinvara Half Marathon of 01:39:51!

I've no idea where this result came from and looking at the data it was perfectly paced and comfortable for me. Maybe all the marathon training last autumn is still standing for something!?

I did sit back a bit in the week month or so after the half (recovery!) but managed another bike FTP which had a small increase.

• 104k run


• 0k swim


• 179k bike

April:

With race season imminent I finally gave myself a shake and started out the month the right way.

A week's holiday in Lanzarote with the family. Lovely place to do some running, a bit of swimming and just to relax in a bit of sunshine and warmth.

I returned with a bit of vigour (blog post on my 'Volcano Run' to foll0w) and started hitting training targets properly. It helps that a pal and myself keep up the regular longer run on Saturday mornings too.

• 158k run


• 3k swim (Open water)


• 284k bike

First race coming up on 18th May, the goal is to keep ticking off the running sessions, continue with 2 turbo sessions per week (focusing on strength / power) x1 steady outdoor session on the bike and get into the sea for some open water swims. Brick sessions with decent effort on the bike followed by progression runs will also feature weekly.

So to answer my openign question, I think I've mostly been exercising this year, time to get training!

Roll on the second third of the year!

Run Smooth

Which of these runners 'runs right'?

I know its a cliche, but lately I've been thinking and its worrying.

Every day that we use video playback in +Amphibian King Galway to provide a medium for helping people choose the running footwear best suited for them. The most common question is 'do I run right?'



Now how do you answer this?

Like footwear there are so many factors that are involved, and how do you decide what is 'running right'?

There's the school of thought, run barefoot, it will fix you and make you a better runner. I agree, yes and no.There are people who have fantastic barefoot running form, yet as soon as you put them in shoes they forget all of that and run stupid. 

By 'run stupid' I mean, they switch their brain off, they run and allow the shoe to insulate their foot and deaden all the nice feedback and kill off decent form. So yes, barefoot running is good for them. 

Then there's the majority of us who don't run sweetly, bit of a stomper and untidy barefoot form, in the main shoes are good for them, but also a bit of barefoot or minimal work to help remap muscles and improve form.

I've a couple of previous posts on this area of discussion: What's in a name?

The bit that worrys me and an area I would do research into if I had a these to do for college is what defines 'running right' ?

The common perception is that you should land on your mid to fore foot, allow the heel to drop, charging the calf muscles with that impact force, the muscles turn this impact force into elastic potential energy which as you body weight moves over the centre of gravity becomes kinetic energy levering you just as your foot locks into a rigid structure propelling you forwards.

All this to be done at 90 strides per minute.

The problem I have with this is there is no variability taken into account for height, weight, fitness, mechanical deficiences or anything that marks us out as individual.

In fact it reminds me of the 'one style fits all' coaching that we used to get swimming Total Immersion. 

I think running form should be considered more along the lines of Swim Smooth where rough categories are defined based on common characteristics in swimming style and instead of saying 'this is the way all of you must swim' they look at the individual characteristics of the styles and work with those.

What I mean is there is no point taking a 5 minute mile runner whose running form makes them look like they've been shot or something, doing loads of coaching to make them this graceful forefoot striker with perfect poise and balance who clocks 5:10 miles.

Is there?

Ideally you would look at this individual and work a couple of form tweaks to help them become more efficient so they can run 5 minute miles for longer or to help clock a 4:55 mile. 

Its not about making a beautiful runner out of someone, its about running beautifully and efficiently within your body's capabilities and recognising the difference. 

P.S. the 'ugly' runner on the right is Priscah Jeptoo who won +Virgin London Marathon today in 2:20:13 

Run Smooth

Which of these runners 'runs right'?

I know its a cliche, but lately I've been thinking and its worrying.

Every day that we use video playback in +Amphibian King Galway to provide a medium for helping people choose the running footwear best suited for them. The most common question is 'do I run right?'

Reward offered.

Time to get out of this funk.

It's been one little thing after another. 

First the knee injury, OK, in fairness, not such a little thing, but it's really being stretched as far as excuses go. I've a couple of nice easy runs done and built to a point where I managed to run into the shop the other day (9.5k). 

But now my watch & HR strap need new batteries. In fact I got annoyed the other day because the battery on the GPS sensor ran out so not all of my run was tracked. (Rolleyes time!)

Then the issue with the Power Pedals, well more of a non-issue, because I was well able to train without them for years so why not now? That too is a well abused excuse at this stage.

I've been swimming ok (ish) but that's become a bit of a drag. Miss one session and all of a sudden its 2 weeks since you've been to the pool. Of course holiday opening hours don't help and become an excuse, 'I really wanted to be done with the session at 9am, not getting into the pool at that time!!'

Time to get the lead out. No more excuses, I'm going for a run tomorrow morning come hell or high water. 

Though if it's raining....

Tipping the scales

The difference a couple of stones make

Being injured is no excuse for being lazy.

After  the Predator Triathlon Club night on Saturday night / early Sunday morning, it's safe to say, doing a morning weigh in after the night before, is probably not one of my brighter ideas. But I did and suffice to say, being tired and having a sore head are the least of my problems.

Time to get off my ass, work around any current limitations and step away from the biscuit tin. This year it has taken me 6 months to drop 4kg and only 4 weeks to put them right back where they were.

Time for them to go again, for good. 

Back to structured eating, sleeping and training from today. 

First, maybe just one more Chocolate Kimberley....

Just cos it says Elite

Therapy !?

I think I've done myself a mischief! I've done a right job on myself.

After a full season training without so much as a niggle I really went for it when I hit the Aillwee trails.In fairness being injury free was a much down to regular visits to Greg Maclean as it was being careful and not over doing anything in training. Greg is a Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Therapist (NMRT for short) and what he does is magic!