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Triathlon and running training advice, shoe choice and much more- welcome to our new help and advice section. We get many people coming into the store, or e-mailing us, with questions about all things triathlon- which equipment, which training methods, which foods etc. We reckon that many people out there must have the same questions, so we decided to put some of the more common ones, with answers from our own experiences, along with those of other athletes we know.
We are keen to help, and if you have any questions of your own, please e-mail us and we’ll do our best to give you an answer (and if it’s an answer we’re especially proud of, we’ll put it on here!). Over time, we hope to build a useful reference for any problems you may have!
Topics on: Running, Nutrition,
Running
Select from the following.
How do I choose which running shoes are appropriate for me?
What is gait analysis and how can it help me?
Choosing a shoe
The best advice we can offer is to come to our store and take advantage of our gait analysis system. It allows you to see first hand your natural gait cycle, and how different types of shoe can help you stay as efficient as possible and as free of injury as possible. If that’s not possible, then these guidelines will help give an indication of the type of shoes that you may need.
Pronation is the lower legs natural way of absorbing shock. It is the movement of the foot from heel strike to big toe off. There are 3 levels of pronation:
a) - Under pronators / Supinators / Neutral runners - have a high fixed arch, these people often run on their toes (require a cushioned shoe)
b) - Mild pronators - a position between the two extremes (require a stability shoe)
c) - Overpronators - usually have a flatter foot (require a control shoe)
How do you know if you overpronate?
The simplest and easiest way to find out is called “the wet test”;. Simply examine the print left by your foot after a bath or shower.
a: You require a CUSHIONED SHOE if…
You are an underpronator / supinator and have a high arched foot. This print will leave a very thin band on the lateral side (outside of the foot) or none at all, between the heel and forefoot. This is because most underpronators are forefoot runners, only using the heel down hill. This curved, highly arched foot does not pronate sufficiently and requires a lot of cushioning. Shoes to consider include the Asics Nimbus 10, Mizuno Wave Rider 11 and Saucony Triumph 5.
b: You require a SUPPORT SHOE if…
You have a normal foot plant and are a mild overpronator. A normal foot usually leaves approximately half the footprint - the lateral (outside) part. The foot plant lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inward slightly to absorb shock while moving off the big toe. Shoes that will provide this support include the Asics 2130, Mizuno Wave Inspire and Saucony Paramount.
c: You require a CONTROL SHOE if…
You have a flatter foot and require a motion control shoe. This foot leaves a print of the whole of the foot. This is because the arch collapses through the foot motion. The foot strikes at the heel and rolls inwards excessively - this is more severe overpronation. If you are a serious overpronator and do not wear the correct shoes then you are much more likely to get injuries (especially knee and hip injuries) when running. A shoe worth considering is the New Balance 859 (which is very stabilizing, but still very comfortable!).
Some key factors affecting your choice of running shoe also include:
• Your shoe size- Beware! Your feet expand when running long distances, so you might need a little extra room in the toebox.
• How heavy you are- the heavier you are the more important the cushioning and stability attributes of the shoe.
• How wide your feet are- most brands are built on a standard D width fitting for men and B width fitting for women, though some are wider (e.g. Mizuno) and some narrower than normal.
• The surface you run on - your shoe requires the correct sole unit for your needs. Road shoes have a shallow hard wearing tread. On and off road shoes require a tread with deep enough lugs for grip while being durable enough not to wear out on roads. Off road shoes - grip is king! You need deep lugs for maximum traction
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Gait analysis
Gait analysis is a more reliable way of choosing the most appropriate shoe for your needs. Your gait is your way of running, which may be more or less efficient that was is considered to be the best. We start by videoing you running in a neutral, unsupportive shoe. This allows your natural gait cycle to show. We then use computer software to digitally analyse this information and make judgements about your needs. We can then suggest different shoes for you to try and we repeat this process in the new shoes to see how your natural gait is altered. We do this again and again until we both you and ourselves are happy that we have found you a suitable pair of shoes. We have shoes to suit almost everybody, be you a supinator, neutral, over-pronator, heavy heel striker, mid/fore-foot striker and so on. We pride ourselves on how this technology sets us apart from a standard sports shop and our goal is to provide you with exactly what you need. Call us, or pop into the shop for more information.
Nutrition
Here we list a few simple recipes that are quick to prepare, yet still great for you training needs. It assumes that your time is precious and you’re starving! A lot of these got Darren through University and he’s still here to tell you all about them!
Cawl
Cawl
This is a wonderful winter meal when you’ve been training in the cold. It is based on the traditional Welsh dish which is made with lamb and leeks (obviously!) though you can use any meat and any vegetable in this. All you need is a pressure cooker (or stew it in a saucepan). Because I’m really lazy I use pre-diced frozen meat, and a bag of frozen mixed veg. I chuck these into the pressure cook, slice a few potatoes, add a few stock cubes and then add hot water until it is all just under the surface. Cook for 20 minutes (it may take longer in a saucepan) and you have a great meal that will serve 4 (or serve you 4 times!). This is great to put on to cook while you have a shower after training. Serve with some bread and cheese- delicious!