A CASE STUDY – on me!

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That’s a long title which features two messages.

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<ol>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Finally I’ve tested and proven a running shoe offers me both support and comfort but doesn’t negate my natural and perfectly designed foot dynamics!</span></blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
And,<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-6.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2913 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-6-300x205.jpg" alt="run 6" width="300" height="205" /></a>

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<ol start="2">
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #993366;">Could it be there is a muscle, or muscle group, that influences my running performance (both relative to speed &amp; distance and of course longevity) more than any other!</span></blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
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<ul>
	<li>Based on results I am now convinced there is a ‘running’ shoe better than others – certainly for me – and I believe - most.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>Following a comprehensive assessment of my running gait (by experts – see below), I believe it’s certainly worth addressing one muscle in particular both in training and before each run for continued running health and sustained performance.</li>
</ul>
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<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Let me know if you’d like my full comprehensive running analysis emailed which offers serious (nerd-like) bio-mechanical science - Courtesy of: <strong><span style="color: #993366;"><a style="color: #993366;" href="http://sportsperformancelab.com.au/locations/narrabeen/">SPORTS PERFORMANCE LAB</a></span></strong> – Narrabeen, Sydney Academy of Sport.<a href="http://sportsperformancelab.com.au/locations/narrabeen/"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2928 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/slab-300x95.jpg" alt="slab" width="300" height="95" /></a></span></blockquote>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;"><em><strong>In review, here’s the background behind why we tested in the first place and what all the data ‘basically’ means.  </strong></em></span></p>
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For a more in depth breakdown of your own stride consult the <em><a href="http://sportsperformancelab.com.au/locations/narrabeen/">Sports Performance Lab</a></em> or your Physiotherapist.

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<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>PART 1</strong></span>

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Experience has me believing near everyone would benefit  from including intermittent and controlled barefoot running (jogging or walking) into their physical program, at some point, and usually on grass.  <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/feet.jpg"><img class="  wp-image-2927 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/feet-225x300.jpg" alt="feet" width="159" height="212" /></a>

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<strong>Why?</strong>

Just like a kid learning to stand, walk, and run our natural and most brilliant foot dynamics are sharpened and heightened when nerve endings are exposed to a real and changing surface.  More so, moving free and safely of shoes will naturally promote the evolutionary brilliance that is <span style="color: #993366;"><em>elastic recoil</em></span>.

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<span style="color: #993366;"><em>Elastic recoil</em>;</span> if I asked you to run on a hard surface free of shoes, it’s likely you’d land and bare weight through your forefoot – and NOT through your heel.  This would then encourage your plantar fascia to flex. Your plantar fascia is the arch of your foot and sort of like a carbon fibre bar fitted to your big toe and heel.  In flexing it charges energy and once released will naturally fling back into its original shape and place – much like an elastic band.

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<strong>Why would you land on your forefoot?  </strong>

Well, 1) obviously to avoid hurting yourself, as; a) you’ll avoid impact through your poorly cushioned heel, and b)  it promotes a natural coordination of all joints producing ultimate shock absorption, and 2) because the ‘fling back’ offers you <em>free</em> propulsion in the direction you want to go.

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The sole of our feet harbours a serious network of nerves, all supplying live feedback to your brain.  Land poorly, or more so inefficiently (free of shoes) and you’ll know about it pretty quickly.  However, the good news is your next stride will likely be free of pain and bio-mechanically efficient.  Your natural self-regulation will ‘spring’ into action.

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<strong>The conundrum!</strong>

Most of us live and exercise in a concrete and bitumen world – so shoes are generally necessary for safety, support, and of course comfort (well, for most of us anyway).

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Leading running bio-mechanics have concluded when many of us throw on a pair of ‘running’ shoes we’ll commonly resort to landing and loading through the heel. This usually relates to landing and loading our weight ahead of the hips (our centre of mass) and in effect, braking our forward momentum.  It’s sort of like running repeatedly over speed bumps.  You can do it, but it takes more effort and you’re more open to braking.  For the less experienced runner, shoes can also lead to hitting or driving the loading foot into surface harder, resulting in increased return to sender impact costs – usually through the ankle, then shin, then knee, then quads, then hips, then lower backs.

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<strong>NOTE </strong>– It should make clear I still believe and encourage subtle heel bounding for some more less experienced and developing runners - usually a slightly heavier and slower runner.

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With this all said, it seemed plausible to favour running shoes offering minimal support, and thus encourage a more ‘natural’ feel and effect.  Before long smart marketing and advertising had many runners, including some unlikely runners wearing minimalistic running shoes.

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<strong>Enter</strong> – and sadly, and increase in running injuries, with Achilles tendons an knees coping the brunt.

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So what next! Well, certainly for me, I wanted all the natural running benefits generated from my natural foot arch (the elastic recoil feel thing), but also the protection and comfort required from hitting the pavements.

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<strong>Enter</strong> – <em><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">HOKA Clifton’s.</span></strong></em>

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Early last year based largely on anecdotal feedback I plugged (free of coin) HOKA shoes –<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8881.jpg"><img class="  wp-image-2924 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8881-300x225.jpg" alt="IMG_8881" width="255" height="191" /></a>namely the Clifton model.  Now after a year of running and over 2000kms on aging pins, I am once again pleased  and confident to strongly recommend these shoes – for jogging &amp; running.

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I can also now prove they ‘do not’ only hinder my natural foot mechanics, but offer serious comfort to boot.

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<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">These images below offer comparative data between my ‘bare’foot stride and while wearing a HOKA Clifton (in grey shading).</span>

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<span style="color: #993366;">All data below was collated at 18kph (although we did assess at various speeds).</span>

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<blockquote>A near identical landing zone – section of foot under load (note – slightly lateral forefoot loading)<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-21.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2917 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-21-300x145.jpg" alt="run 2" width="300" height="145" /></a>

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Very similar cost of impact – see force curves &amp; newtons of force (via treadmill hot plate).<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/FORCE.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2926 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/FORCE-300x138.jpg" alt="FORCE" width="300" height="138" /></a>

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Near identical swing phase, leg speed, and time on support.<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-3.jpg"><img class="  wp-image-2916 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-3-300x142.jpg" alt="run 3" width="346" height="164" /></a></blockquote>
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<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Basically the shoes didn’t hinder my ‘natural’ performance, however offered the support and comfort I now need on re-conditioned legs.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-1.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2918 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-1-300x163.jpg" alt="run 1" width="300" height="163" /></a><a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-4.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2915" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-4-300x120.jpg" alt="run 4" width="300" height="120" /></a>

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<strong>PART 2 </strong>

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Once again, experience has me believing if my most perfectly efficient (running) form could withstand increasing intensity and volume my performance would likely improve – oh duh!!!  So in effect no different to a golfer, surfer, netballer, or someone who sits 12 hours a day.

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<span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>So what is perfect (running) efficiency?</strong></em></span>

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While of course it varies from person to person based on many functional reasons, usually an efficient runner employs the following;
<ul>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Runs tall – leaving balance of the head over hips and hips over a foot (or base of <a style="color: #008080;" href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-6.jpg"><img class="  wp-image-2913 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-6-300x205.jpg" alt="run 6" width="316" height="216" /></a>support). [see 89.5’ of foot landing under knee]</span></blockquote>
</li>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Shoulders usually fall back and down – rarely riding stressfully high which commonly limits breathing efficiency.</span></blockquote>
</li>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Moves forward and NOT up – so little vertical oscillation. Increased up time is not only slower, but increases the falling height from impact, hence, potentially more work to cushion the loading impact.</span></blockquote>
</li>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Is relatively quiet – irrespective of their weight, speed, shoes, or running surface.</span></blockquote>
</li>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Little lateral movement – with arms, legs and body all working in perfect synchronicity.</span></blockquote>
</li>
	<li>
<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">Hips remain evenly balanced on loading – oops! I’ve been caught out! [see pic of dropped left hip]</span></blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
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<strong>What does this mean?</strong>

The adjacent still shot of my loading phase highlights a dip in my hips on the left hand side.  <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/glut-me-2.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2910 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/glut-me-2-300x224.jpg" alt="glut me 2" width="300" height="224" /></a>Experts tell me this is likely an inactive muscle on the side of my hip – the gluteus medius (see pic) – related to limited and inefficient firing when I need it most – during transitionary support – so when I’m landing and support my weight.

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Like most things, balance is key.  And, if the centre of mass, or central base is unstable, then all that stems from this base is also likely to be unstable.  In this case as my hip drops, increased stress is commonly placed through my right knee joint.  With running being a repetitive and continuous action, it is possible if not likely I could expect some sort of stress (injury) in this knee joint.

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<strong>So what then!</strong>
<blockquote><span style="color: #993366;">Switch on the gluteus medius – re-teach the muscle to fire when it is needed most – on impact.</span></blockquote>
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The following specific exercises (supplied courtesy of experts) are not deigned or intended <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8834.jpg"><img class="  wp-image-2922 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8834-300x225.jpg" alt="IMG_8834" width="245" height="184" /></a>to increase my muscle strength perse, to gain size, or to reduce fat.

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They are designed to stimulate or recruit the gluteus medius prior to and during running.  If I practice these exercises enough, in time, I can expect this muscle to naturally fire on impact – particularly when I’m tired.
<ul>
	<li>I have performed these exercises before each run and another 3 times a week for 6 weeks.</li>
</ul>
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<blockquote><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>The result:</strong> I certainly notice my strength and balance has improved towards the back end of runs.  My am holding pace a little better and my aging knees don’t seem to be complaining.</span></blockquote>
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<ul>
	<li>I'm happy to email you the entire running analysis supplied by The Sports Performance Lab at Narrabeen.</li>
</ul>
BP