Physio.co.uk - Highlight of Run Expo

Yesterday I got to watch the guys at physio.co.uk perform some free analysis on runners at the expo.  I was so impressed with what I saw that I made them number one in my Expo ten ten picks but I couldn't have a go myself because I wasn't wearing trainers.  Today, on my return visit to EventsCity, I made sure i was appropriately dressed (i actually got off the train a stop earlier and ran 2 miles to the expo and back as punishment for sleeping through parkrun).

When I turned up at the booth I only had to wait a few minutes for my turn.  It's not too daunting or taxing.  You need to run up and down a straight track (I want to say 10 meters but I'm rubbish at judging distance) whilst you're filmed from the front, back and side.  After that it's a few flexibility checks whilst you lie on a massage table, some lunges and a couple of box step ups (no where near the size of the massive box at Strength & Conditioning thankfully).  It takes about 10 minutes and then you get to sit and get some feedback.

If you've never seen yourself run in slow motion I have to tell you it's pretty cool.  I hate looking at photos of myself but I could sit and watch my legs moving in slow mo all day.  It's kind of like watching yourself take flight, even my legs kinda look pretty and I'm a rubbish runner.  Imagine how good it would be to see the really good runners fly like that (maybe I need to start watching athletics on TV, do they show slow motion running? Figure skating is the only sport I watch).  Apparently my running form is pretty good from the side, especially since I've only been running a year and don't have a clue what I'm doing.  My lead foot falls slightly in front of my centre of gravity but not so much for it to be an issue and front knee and back kick are both at a good level. 

Image owned by Physio.co.uk

From the front it's a whole different matter.  I've never heard of catwalk running before but that's what i do.  My legs scissor so that each foot falls directly in front of the other and each foot was actually coming around the other leg because of weakness in my gluteus medius which google tells me is in the outer surface of my pelvis.  Both of my feet pretty much stayed in contact with the center line the whole time and I could see my hips swinging up and down. Top tip to improve it is to put a line down the middle of the treadmill and not let your feet touch the line whilst also focusing on exercises to strengthen the muscle.  I knew that this was an issue, especially when my movement disorder is in full swing (my right leg refuses to go outwards and I have to run on the outside of my foot.  Would be interesting to see what it looks like then).  You now know more about my running style than you ever needed.

We spent about 10 or 15 minutes chatting about my results, I left with some helpful advice for free and I wasn't at all pressured into signing up for a full consultation.  It was a very informative session and I was very impressed.  As it's just a taster, the full consultation goes more into the physio side with specific exercises and a lot more detailed testing plus you even get a dvd of your running.  There's only one day left for the expo now but if you are visiting tomorrow then I would try and get an analysis done.  It's well worth the time and they really are very nice guys who just want us all to run our best.  If you visit the expo then you can also get a full running biomechanics analysis for £100 instead of £150 which really is a massive saving. Click here for more information.