Gait Analysis of Lead Pack at 2011 New York City Marathon

Here is a piece (link here)   we did for the great guys over at The Natural Running Center.

The Natural Running Center asked us — The Gait Guys – to comment on this striking photo of the lead male pack that was taken at the recent NYC Marathon (with the beautiful Manhattan skyline in the background). We, as always, were glad to oblige. Please keep in mind, we were sent a still photograph that was taken only from the side, and had no video to analyze so there is much information missing; thus some assumptions are a given.  To simplify matters for readers, we dispensed with names.

Let’s start with Mr. Hat at the rear of the pack.  He appears to be at the toe off phase of running gait, the late stance phase of gait. Fatigue may be setting in. He appears to have insufficient hip extension, as the thigh is flexed (as is the knee) and he is leaning back at the upper torso and is in neck extension. This could be from fatigued abdominals, but he could be trying to expand his ribs and chest wall to get more oxygen. This is not a good strategy but who are we to pick on a guy who can keep up with gazelles. The angle of his swing or float phase thigh is also a little low, again a possible product of fatiguing abdominals, but it could be merely because he is just beginning forward swing.  Remember, this is a snapshot in time, these ranges may improve at a 100th second subsequent frame.  You also get a peek at his left calf (medial gastroc, actually, behind the right foot) and it looks pretty contracted. Judging from his great toe extension, he is using that torso extension to pull him through the stride.

Next we have Mr. Blue Shorts I, immediately in front of Mr Hat. He looks like a heel striker in this frame with that limb out in front of his body. Note that right shoulder coming forward and torso twist to propel him through. He even flexes his neck and rounds his shoulders; probably to try and ventilate for all that ATP expenditure. Form is often loss with fatigue; we all know that.

Now onto Mr. Black Shorts, the shortest runner in the lead pack.  He appears to have some really nice hip extension happening, or is it? Actually, if you look carefully, the extension is occurring at his lumbar spine, and his hip extension is close to 0 degrees…far from the 15-30 we would like to see. The shadow on the back of his shirt makes this hard to see.  Check out that  right shoulder. See how far it is cocked into extension behind  him? Driving a strong posterior arm swing will help extend the opposite hip, an attempt to make up for any power leaks in hip extension.  He appears to be another heel striker as well.

Next up is Mr. Orange Singlet in his orange Nikes. This gentleman, and pack leader Mr. Red (yes, it’s a Mutai, but not the one who won!)) seem to have the most promise and cleanest strides in this still photo. Mr. Orange Singlet has good forward lean, nice thigh flexion and adequate hip extension; his body is lined up during toe off from the foot to the top of the head. He is using that medial gastroc muscle on the left. He also appears to be the most relaxed of the bunch.

Mr. Red appears to be a forefoot striker, and he may hit at or just in front of his center of mass. He has good hip extension as well (maybe he is copying Mr. Orange, or is it the other way around? They do appear to be looking at one another). He has some torso rotation to the right (look at that shoulder), and has a cross body arm swing but that could also be from the neurologic reflex of turning the head to the right to check out the competition.

It would be great to see some video of these gents to see if our hypotheses were correct. Good biomechanics and form do not necessarily equate to winning, but they do improve efficiency and we like to think they prevent (or minimize) injuries.  Don’t get us wrong, these guys are the pros.  These are the guys we all strive (and dream) to become as runners.

Their apparent “snapshot” flaws are either minor for them given their physical capacities, a product of fatigue in a race where they are running each mile faster than many  can ride a bike, or they have simply grooved their dysfunctional patterns.  That does not mean that what we have talked about are not power leaks for these guys; elite runners can almost always improve some aspect of their form.  But hey, we would settle any day for 26 miles at a sub-5 minute pace.

Do not ever forget that running is a skill and an art form.  The more miles you do, the more video you watch, the more you practice the fundamental skills as you build endurance and strength, the better you can tap into optimal biomechanics. Simply running without constant mindfulness on every step often yields faltering mechanics into your weaknesses and habits. Sure, we would all love to look like these guys when we run, but not many of us do. But then again, how many of us amateur runners  are putting in the miles and time that they do?  According to Malcolm Gladwells book, “Outliers” and Daniel Coyle’s book, ‘The Talent Code”,  most of us have not done the 10,000-15,000+ hours necessary to become masters at this craft.

Respectfully, we are The Gait Guys. Two aging bald foot geeks, helping humanity, one gait cycle at a time.

Pictured in the photo:
3     Geoffrey Mutai    2:05:06           Kenya KEN
2     Emmanuel Mutai    2:06:28           Kenya KEN
4     Tsegaye Kebede    2:07:14           Ethiopia    ETH
1     Gebre Gebremariam 2:08:00           Ethiopia    ETH
6     Jaouad Gharib     2:08:26           Morocco     MAR
14    Abdellah Falil    2:10:35           Morocco     MAR

Why I run

Running is the new currency.  Not the US dollar, not the EURO, not gold bars or silver coins.  RUNNING.

Welcome to Friday Follies.

What an awful ploy……. using an ice cream truck on those poor pre-diabetic kids.  They likely stopped off at the local Lactose Intollerant Clinic too !  hehe

(is that kid hurling at the end ?)

Shift Happens: From The Gait Guys perspective: Rebuilding Sidney Crosby’s Brain.

As we have discussed before, three systems keep us upright in the gravitational plane so that we can walk, run, skate (in Sidney’s case) and ambulate correctly and efficiently:

1. The vestibular system (inner ear)
2. vision and our proprioceptive system (joint and muscle mechanoreceptors).            
3. and our proprioceptive system (joint and muscle mechanoreceptors)

When one of these systems fails or is impaired, the delicate balance between these 3 systems is interrupted and shift happens; our balance and coordination fail and we fall.

This stresses the point that gait and locomotion are as much a central nervous system phenomenon as a peripheral one. The processes really cannot be separated.  Thankfully, we and in this case Sidney Crosby and many others, have physicians like Dr Carrick to assist people in correcting these imbalances. Dr Ivo and Dr Allen were fortunate enough to study under Dr Carrick and his programs.  We try to slip in some of this information on a weekly basis into The Gait Guys blogs, to help you understand the human machine a little better and to also allow you to appreciate the complexity, precision and essential requirements of human movement such as walking gait, running and yes, even skating.

Enjoy the full article link (HERE) about the fascinating and ongoing rehabilitation of Sidney Crosby of the NHL.

Ivo and Shawn…….. two guys pretty crummy on two steel blades (even though one grew up in Canada).

full article: 

http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/11/03/rebuilding-crosbys-brain/

Quote of the month.

Thoreau quote on walking: I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least — and it is commonly more than that — sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields absolutely free from all worldly engagements. …When sometimes I am reminded that the mechanics and shop-keepers stay in their shops not only all the forenoon, but all the afternoon too, sitting with crossed legs, so many of them — as if the legs were made to sit upon, and not to stand or walk upon — I think that they deserve some credit for not having all committed suicide long ago. - The human body is meant to move! - Joe Muscolino

Smart Shoes?

Well, we thought we had seen it all.

Imagine a shoe that tells you what the competition is doing. Next, it tells you how you are doing in comparison to them? Sounds like the future? Guess again…

Enter the Adidias Brainy Boot. The latest in the stealth weaponry in the competition for being the worlds greatest soccer shoe for 2 huge giants, Nike and Adidas. REad all about it on Bloomberg….

adidas brainy boot messi

Now if they could just design a shoe that gave you the biomechanics you needed….

Ivo and Shawn…The Gait Guys

Hoping to see these puppies at the Austin event..

Running Technique: The Batton hand off (and donut niffing cops)

Welcome to Friday follies !

This one made us laugh out loud !  Thanks Brooks Guys !

The Gait Guys and Shoe Fit. Coming to your neighbourhood store soon !→

“Over time, every running store employee will be more educated about the foot and biomechanics. When you’re away from home and need shoes, you’ll be able to find a local IRRA-certified store you can trust.” …….. more on our latest gig in Triathlete Magazine

Begin looking for certifications in early 2012. Contact thegaitguys@gmail.com for more information. Look out for more from The Gait Guys in upcoming issues of Triathlete.

Thanks to the great editor at Triathlete magazine……. Jene Shaw

Shawn and Ivo

Neurodevelopment of the barefoot brain: or What would happen to our hand function if we wore OVEN MITTS all day long ? and so then, what about the effect of shoes on feet ? 

Cody Lundin … perhaps the best known barefoot dude you will ever meet. If you have seen his TV show Dual Survival on Discovery Channel with Dave Canterberry you will know that he has been in the snows of Alaska, on the hot sand deserts, swamps etc you name it, barefoot on each. Take a good look at the photo of his strong healthy feet, no hammer toes, no bunions, no undercurling of the 4-5th toes (lateral quadratus plantae weakness) etc. 

He is … Cody Lundin, Aboriginal Living Skills School, LLC

_________________
Brief dialogue from Cody…..(yes, those are his feet in the picture)

“Feets…
I have received many comments over the years - positive and negative - about going barefoot. The reasons I do so are varied, and for those who know me, they know I have no agenda wishing that others would walk barefoot too. Its worthy to note that hundreds of thousands of people around the world - from toddlers to grandmothers - walk barefoot, and certainly, even though primitive foot wear was common, all of our ancestors got their start sans footwear. Foot wear certainly has its place to protect from environmental extremes, yet often its a conformist sign of class, status, or culture. I have traveled to many places in the world barefoot, and the reactions have been interesting; from getting kicked out of the airport in Peru, to boarding several airplanes in Laos where i wasn’t given a second glance. To each their own! cody ”

_________________________

What The Gait Guys have to say:

Stepping backwards in time a little, in the caveman days things were different. The foot was unshod (without shoes) from the moment of the first step until one’s dying day, and thus the foot developed and looked different. The sole of the foot was thicker and callused due to the constant contact with rough and offending surfaces thus preventing skin penetration, the foot proper was more muscular and it may have been wider in the forefoot and the toes were likely slightly separated due to the demands of gripping which would obviously necessitate increase muscular strength and bulk to the foot intrinsic muscles. It was the constant input of uneven and offending surfaces such as rocks, twigs, mud, foliage and debris that stimulated the bottom of the foot, and thus the intrinsic muscles, sensing joint positions and relaying those variations to the brain for corresponding descending motor changes and adaptations to maintain protection and balance. The foot simply worked different, it worked better, it worked more like the engineering marvel that it truly is. The foot was uncovered and the surfaces we walked on were uneven and challenging. However, as time went on, man decided to mess with a good thing. He took a foot that was highly sensitive, a virtual sensory organ with a significant sensory and motor representation in the brain (only the hands, genitals and face have more brain representation as represented by the sensory and motor homunculus of the brain) and he not only covered it up with a slab of leather or rubber but he then flattened and then paved not only his world, but also his home, with black hard top, cement, wood or tile thus completing the total sensory information deprivation of the entire foot. Thus, not only did he take away critical adaptive skills from himself and generations to follow, but he began the deprivation of the brain of critical information from which the central nervous system would need to develop and continue to function effectively. It is not unlikely that the man of pre-shod time had a strong competent foot arch (perhaps somewhat flat to increase surface area contact for adaptation), but one that did not need orthotics, stability shoes or rigid shanks and inserts. In other words, the foot and its lower limb muscles were strong with exceptional skills and endurance. But in todayís day and time things are now different. We now affix a shoe to the childís foot even before he can walk and then when he does, all propriosensory information necessary for the development of critical spinal and central nervous system reflexes is ensured to be virtually absent. Is it any wonder why there are so many people in chronic pain from postural disorders related to central core weakness and inhibition ? Is it any wonder why so many people seem to have flat incompetent feet and arches? Man has done it to himself, but thankfully man has proven that what he can do, he can undo. Thankfully we see modern medical research that has delved into this realm of thought and has uncovered the woes of our ways and to follow, companies like those mentioned earlier are imagining and developing devices that will allow us some protection from modern day offenses such as glass, plastics and metal and thus allow us the slow and gradual return to our healthier foot days, all fashion sense aside.

*Some hard and simple research facts, current research has been conducted showing that plantar (bottom of the foot) sensory feedback plays a central role in safe and effective locomotion, that more shoe cushioning can lead to higher impact forces on the joints and higher risk of injury, that unshod (without shoes) lowers contact time versus shod running, that there are higher braking and pushing impulses in shod versus unshod running, that unshod running presents a reduction of impact peak force that would reduce the high mechanical stress that occurs during repetitive running and that the unshod foot induces a neural-mechanical adaptation which could enhance the storage and restitution of elastic energy at ankle extensor level. These are only some of the research findings but they are some of the more significant ones. These issues will not only support injury management benefits for the unshod runner but increase speed, force and power output.

Shawn and Ivo……. The Gait Guys

Today…… “working negative splits”

These are great clips ! Our kind of humor.

Foot Edge work. 

Dancer: Marquese Scott

This may be one of the most amazing displays of body movement and body awareness we have ever seen, let alone, the amazing foot work. Look at the ankle and lower limb control not to mention the inside and outside edge foot work especially at the 1:40 mark

(You will hear more about edge work in some blog posts down the road. For over 2 years now Dr. Allen has been quietly working with, studying, and taking lessons from some of the best dancers. He has been a student, learning from these professionals. The goal is to bring what he has learned about these and other kinds of foot skills and body movements, in combination with what we already know, to The Gait Guys. It has been a mentally and physically challenging, not to mention humbling, experience to say the least. A new friendship with a world champion latin dance pro brings more promise to deeper insights, these people have amazing feet and body awareness). Edgework will blow your mind.  More on it soon !

Without skill and strength of edge work you will never be able to do this kind of stuff.  Can you magine an NBA or NFL player with these kinds of edgework skills ! There is a reason that some of the best have dabbled in dance, and Dr. Allen is on a journey to find out why. With these foot skills, can you say “unstoppable” !? 

You will not be able to watch this just once. You will be mesmerized. 

Some people are truly amazing, not a drop of wasted body use, awareness or function here.

… .And there are people higher up in the fields of biomechanics who do not think the the feet are important in body movement and gait ! Gee wizz !

How many shoe companies, doctors and foot specialists can you say are going this far to understand feet and gait and the intricate biomechanics, neurology and orthopedics behind the movement ?  only Shawn and Ivo.

The Gait Guys ……. two guys who understand that just stopping at gait and running is only half the story. The next dimension of The Gait Guys, coming soon.

Speechless.

We hope you are standing up while you read this….

A newborn’s brain is only about one-quarter the size of an adult’s. It grows to about 80 percent of adult size by three years of age and 90 percent by age five (see above). This growth is largely due to changes in individual neurons and their connections, or synapses.

The truth is, most of our brain cells are formed at birth, In fact, we actually have MORE neurons BEFORE we are born. It is the formation of synapses, or connections between neurons, that actually accounts for the size change (see 1st picture above). This is largely shaped by experience and interaction with the environment.

Do you think children’s brains are less active than adults? Think again, your 3 year old’s brain is twice as active as yours! It isn’t until later in life that you actually start dialing back on some of those connections and those pathways degenerate or fade away…a process scientists call “pruning”.

How does this apply to gait? Gait depends on proprioception, or body position awareness. Your brain needs to know where your foot is, what it is standing on and so on. Proprioception, as we have discussed in other posts, is subserved by muscle and joint receptors called mechanoreceptors (muscle spindles, golgi tendon organs and type 1-4 joint mechanoreceptors to be exact). This information is fed to 2 main areas of the brain: the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. These 2 parts of the central nervous system are interconnected on many levels.

The cerebellum is intimately associated with learning. Try this experiment. you will need a tape recorder (guess we are showing our ages, digital recorder), a timer and a moderately difficult book.

Sit down and pick a section of the book to read. start the recorder and timer and read aloud for 2 minutes. Stop reading, stop the recorder and stop the timer.

Stand up, somewhere you won’t get hurt if you fall. Stand on 1 leg (or if available, stand on a BOSU or rocker board). Open the book to a different spot. Start the timer, the recorder and start reading again for 2 minutes.

Sit back down and grab a snack. Listen to the 2 recordings and pay attention to the way you sound when you were reading, the speed, fluency and flow of words. Now think about recall. Which passage do you remember better?

The brain works best at multitasking and balance and coordination activities intimately affect learning. Having children sit in a class room and remain stationary and listen to a lecture is not the best way to learn. We always tel our students to get up and move around…

This article looks at this relationship in a slightly different way.

The Gait Guys….Sorting it out so you don’t have to.

We hope you are still standing : )

 Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011 Oct;21(5):663-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01027.x. Epub 2010 Mar 11

Motor coordination as predictor of physical activity in childhood.

Lopes VP, Rodrigues LP, Maia JA, Malina RM.

Source

Department of Sports Science, Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Bragança, Portugal. vplopes@ipb.pt

Abstract

This study considers relationships among motor coordination (MC), physical fitness (PF) and physical activity (PA) in children followed longitudinally from 6 to 10 years. It is hypothesized that MC is a significant and primary predictor of PA in children. Subjects were 142 girls and 143 boys. Height, weight and skinfolds; PA (Godin-Shephard questionnaire); MC (Körperkoordination Test für Kinder); and PF (five fitness items) were measured. Hierarchical linear modeling with MC and PF as predictors of PA was used. The retained model indicated that PA at baseline differed significantly between boys (48.3 MET/week) and girls (40.0 MET/week). The interaction of MC and 1 mile run/walk had a positive influence on level of PA. The general trend for a decrease in PA level across years was attenuated or amplified depending on initial level of MC. The estimated rate of decline in PA was negligible for children with higher levels of MC at 6 years, but was augmented by 2.58 and 2.47 units each year, respectively, for children with low and average levels of initial MC. In conclusion MC is an important predictor of PA in children 6-10 years of age.

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

some gorgeous running styles here in this clip.  Need to find this 2010 documentary

Nutrition Training Tip: Glycemic index, glycemic load ? What's the difference, and as a runner why do I need to care ?

Glycemic index, glycemic load.  What’s the difference, and as a runner why do I need to care ? 

Don’t be afraid of the sweet fruits !

“Carbohydrates that cause us to gain weight are typically carbohydrates with a high glycemic load. Although most of you have probably heard of the glycemic index (the ability of a food to acutely raise the blood sugar), many are unfamiliar with the glycemic load, which is simply

Glycemic load = the glycemic index of a food  multiplied by  the carbohydrate content in a given amount of the food

The glycemic load of a food is more closely related to the net insulin response over a 24-hr period than is the simple glycemic index. Consequently, it is the glycemic load that may predispose us to obesity and chronic disease.

Although watermelon has a high glycemic index (72) similar to white bread (70), it has a glycemic load (per 100 grams of watermelon) that is only 5.2 compared to a glycemic load in white bread of 34.7. The International Table of Glycemic Indices lists the glycemic index of 11 fruits. The glycemic loads (per 100 grams of food) of these 11 fruits are as follows: bananas 12.1, pineapple 8.2, grapes 7.7, kiwi fruit 7.4, apple 6.0, pear 5.4, watermelon 5.2, orange 5.1, cherries 3.7, peach 3.1, grapefruit 1.9. Consequently one would have to eat 6.7 times as much watermelon as white bread to achieve an equivalent glycemic load. Let’s say you ate 4 slices of white bread (or 100 grams, ~ ¼ lb). In order to get an equivalent glycemic load, you would have to eat almost 1.5 lbs of watermelon or 4 lbs of grapefruit.

One of the body’s mechanisms used to determine when to stop eating is stomach volume or fullness. Most people would stop eating watermelon after about 3.0 lbs (435 kcal) or say even 6.0 lbs (870 kcal) because their stomach volumes simply could not physically take much more food. Hence, under normal eating conditions, it is difficult or impossible for most people to overeat on fruits alone.

However, this being said there are some important exceptions. Dried fruits are not only concentrated calorie sources, they also represent high glycemic loads and have a high potential to cause weight gain, particularly when eaten in unlimited quantities. In addition, high-fat foods such as nuts, seeds, or fatty meats, if consumed in excessive quantity along with fruits, can also promote weight gain.

When I say unlimited quantities, perhaps I should say, within normal eating limits, rather than complete gluttony. If you are unsure of "normal limits” and do not know if you are hungry, then eat a piece of lean turkey breast. If you are still hungry, eat more lean protein, particularly if weight loss is a major objective.“

Wish we could give credit and take credit for this one, but we cannot remember where we got some of the material. Would the real author please contact us !

regardless……..good stuff to know !

Shawn and Ivo

Running at the Border ! 

The Brain is for movement (yes, that means running too). TED talk.

Today’s video is very very important.

Some of you have been asking questions about Dr. Waerlop’s videos. “Why so much neurology on The Gait Guys ?" 

Our answer, "Because that is where it all starts !"  It is where movement begins and where it ends; from areas 4, 4s and 6 in the precentral gyrus of the brain’s frontal lobe, down the spinal cord and out to the muscle through the peripheral nerve.   It is also where the information from the body’s receptors feed back,  to give updates on where the body parts are in space (proprioception) and how they are doing functionally (comparing information about length, tension, etc).  It is about sensory and motor function.  Motor function is based on sensory input.  Good motor function is based on good sensory information. It is a subtle, beautiful, intricate symphony.  And when one part goes wrong, the whole system can be thrown off.  

Here is an example Dr. Allen gives in his lectures and to his patients to make this point clear goes like this.  Imagine an orchestra playing Beethoven’s beautiful Ode to Joy, one of Dr. Allen’s favorite pieces. (btw: The ode is best known for its musical setting in D major in the final movement of his Ninth Symphony (completed in 1824), a choral symphony for orchestra, four solo voices and choir.)  Now imagine one of the musicians begins to play off key. In time, the whole orchestra could be corrupted and being to take that lead as well, leaving Dr. Allen weeping uncontrollably.  Hard to believe, but it makes the point that all it takes is one piece not playing well to change the outcome. Similar analogy, all it takes is one weak muscle or one painful joint and the outcome is skewed away from the optimal outcome. The body’s function and operation, when proper, is an orchestra with each piece doing a job and and function to create a symphony of flawless, effortless movement.  Point made.

This is why The Gait Guys throws so much neurology out here on the blog.  Because in the most basic way, this is what movement is all about. 

In today’s blog post, we finish up with a brilliant TED educational videocast of Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert who starts from a surprising premise: the brain evolved, not to think or feel, but to control movement. In this entertaining, data-rich talk he gives us a glimpse into how the brain creates the grace and agility of human motion.  Whether you are a runner, a football player, a dancer or just someone who wants to stay painfree and active and understand the brilliance of this body of ours, this is a video you do not want to miss.

Bottom line …….. the brain is not for thinking so much as it is for producing complex and adaptable movements.  Movement is the only way of affecting and interacting with the environment around us.  Once you no longer need to move, you do not need the luxury of a brain, hence what happens to the brain in coma patients, neurosupression.  And so The Gait Guys talk alot about neurology … . because we need to.

The Gait Guys …… we take aim, and are right on target……..

We are the Robin Hood’s of all things Gait.

Running barefoot: Saving money or spending it on the doctor ? & How to Cycle shoes !→

If you are running ~50 miles a week, and you change your shoes every 400-500 miles, you are likely to buy around 6 pairs of shoes a year.  At 100$ a pop that is 600$ a year.  Sure, it is much cheaper than many sports but when you figure in a few race entry fees, socks, some apparel etc it does add up somewhat.  Sure, you can spend that on a good pair of bike rims, so all things are relative. 

But if you want to go overboard, and dive into the barefoot revolution you could save all that money for other stuff.  In the article link above, McDougall tells DailyFinance he has saved “thousands of dollars” going shoeless. “It’s not so much about running barefoot,” says McDougall, who has a feature about shoeless running in this Sunday’s New York Times. “It’s about not buying something you don’t need."  Arch enemies of the movement say it’s dangerous. Aficionados swear that the ball-first ground strike promoted by barefoot running allows the cushiest part of your foot to naturally absorb shock, whereas the traditional shod heel-first impact jars the entire body. The American Podiatric Medical Association explains in a statement that the evidence on both sides is inconclusive. ”

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/saCSEy

What do The Gait Guys have to say about all of this ?

If you are going to go for pure barefoot to save a buck, you better have the proper anatomy and technique to do it properly.  Two doctors visits for an unnecessary injury will blow that saved cash in a big hurry. 

Here is a tip we give our runners to help the foot out a little bit. It requires buying 2 pairs of shoes at the same time but there is some logic to it to help avoid doctors visits.

EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate) foam deforms. The midsole of your shoe is made of EVA foam.  After thousands of compressions of your body weight into your shoe/EVA your biomechanics (and problems) become reflected into the foam.  And if your biomechanics are not pristine you will begin to deform the shoe’s foam.  This shortens the life of the shoe, the healthy life of the shoe. 

For example, put a heavy pronator into a neutral shoe, in time the shoe begins to collapse medially.  The  medial foam suffers more compression, the lateral suffers less.  The shoe now begins to subtly slope inwards reflecting the pronators biomechanical flaw into the foam.  As the runner continues into the higher miles on the shoe (200+) the deformed slope of the last now acts as a guide promoting the foot to pronate even further and more abruptly. What sort of proprioceptive informational message are you sending to your brain and central nervous system?

Now the shoe is part of the problem, possibly driving injury and pathology.   We could argue that this is the time for a new shoe, not waiting until the odometer on the shoe reaches 400 or 500 miles.  We do not care what shoe you are wearing, even companies that swear that their shoe will take 1000 miles.  Sure the outsole might take it, but if the wrong foot is in the wrong shoe for that foot, the foam (if there is foam) will follow this compressive path of what the foot is making it do.  The foot is usually the guy with the bigger steering wheel, not the shoe. 

So, back to our point and purpose.  Here is what we recommend for our runners who use shoes.  Buy two pairs.  Once you  hit 200 miles, begin alternating the new shoe for the one that already had the 200.  Yes, this is going to take some log work in your diary.  This way, you are never in the aging and slowly deforming shoe more than one day in a row.  You are only one day away from a new(er) shoe that does not reflect any EVA foam deformation.  By the time the first shoe is dead and needs replaced, you are at the 200-250 mark on the other shoe.  Replace the old and the process begins again.  This way you reduce the degree of compromise that a deforming EVA foam shoe will be placing on your biomechanics, and lets face it, it is a rare person that has pristine biomechanics. 

So, use our recommendation and you will likely reduce your injuries and save some money on the doctor. And while you are at it, see someone like us for a running evaluation and clinic or go see our friends at Newton Running Clinics or Natural Running Centers.  Changing the way you run can take many of the variables out of the picture.  Yes, your running style is part of the game, but you can only do what your anatomy will allow. For example, if you are unlucky enough to have rearfoot valgus you need some help regaining rearfoot inversion control.  But some folks are born with this tendency from a structural aspect, and they should consider what we have talked about above………. that or find a pool (If you catch our drift)  .

Shawn and Ivo, …….. the nerds you tried to beat up at recess in elementary school (but quickly found out we had superpowers so you befriended us (or paid us to do your homework)).  

The 200 yard rule for running.→

We wrote an article called The Naked Foot a few years back, it is on our Facebook page, and it discussed all of the critical components of gait and running from a neuromechanical perspective, many of which were eluded to here in this article “the 200 yard rule” found on the natural running center website by Steven Sashen.

We agree with this article. It is about building minimalist running in small doses, 200 yards…..rest, recouperate, repeat. But doing it mindfully and with awareness. Practice “100 upps” (see our post here on Nov 7th) and be aware of your posture form, and how your foot is striking the ground. If you feel you are overpronating, shorten your steps, do some “Shuffle walks” to up the tolerance and skill of the anterior compartment of the lower leg…..and then repeat the challenge.

Skill, endurance, strength, remember? It doesn’t take 2-3 years to get to barefoot. You just have to use the most important muscle  you have, your brain !

Well done gang. Love the work on the site Mark (www.thenaturalrunningcenter.com) ! Thumbs up !

Shawn and Ivo….. the Gait Guys

Zainab’s Discount Shoes, IRAQ’s #1 Footwear emporium.

This has to be one of our favorites ! 

“Make a fashion statement, and a political statement !”

Yet another use for shoes!