A quick update

Yesterday was filled with several runs and lots of core work. I put in an easy hour int he morning, the first 25 minutes with my dog Mowgli and the rest on my own. I followed the morning run with four 90 second planks. In the afternoon I put in a moderate five miles with my former college teammate Jeff Jackson. It was nice stop by my old college campus and catch up with friends.

After much thought I have decided to run Ben's 10 in a couple weeks as a tempo! After talking with my coach and looking over my logs I figure why not get in a tempo run and go through a race day simulation with people to keep me company. I looking to run between 5:35-5:45 pace for the Ten miler. No negative splits, just steady running.

I am felling more fit everyday, but I am also feeling more tired every night. Bed time was 10:00pm now it is 8:45-9:00 at the latest. Man Training makes me old. Before I forget to mention, the album of the week this week is Eyes Open by Snow Patrol.

Travis

Another week in the books!

Hello again! Wow this week was a challenge both mentally and physically. The increased length of my workouts and the jump in intensity has sifted me in a new direction. I never really understood why marathoners were always so tired, but now that I am working in that direction I see why. I was given an amazing book for Christmas last year called The Marathoners Food Guide, by Nancy Clark. This book is geared for endurance athletes, and it helps from your basics does and do not to planning full meals for you. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to stay healthy and injury free while training


One thing I have pulled out of training so far is that marathon training is not extremely hard, but it is a ton of work. I now see the benefits of really studying your body, and really listening to it as your fine tune it. My foam roller and stick to be my best friends while trying to recover from my high volumes of training. I always laugh when people look at me funny when I walk in somewhere and I have a stick poking through my backpack.

This coming week is going to be somewhat of a down week with only one hard workout being an 8 mile tempo run. I get to enjoy just going for runs this week while I recover from the last couple of high intensity weeks that beat me up pretty good. Race schedule update: There is a chance I will be running Ben's Ten this year, but I am not sure if it fits in my training. I am for sure running the surf city half marathon in February followed by the showdown in LA in March. Possible races this summer include the San Fransisco Marathon in July. After July the focus will be on building up for the the Santa Clarita Marathon in November!

I am working at the shop on Tuesday and Wednesday if anyone wants to come in and get fitted or talk training.

Forgive me for Rambling on!

Travis

Gait Analysis: The Science of Shoe Fitting

Gait Analysis: The Science of Shoe Fitting
By C. Giovanni Guzman

As many runners, walkers, and exercise enthusiasts can tell you, having the proper shoes can make all the difference in the world. One way for specialists to recommend the proper shoes is to perform what is called a Gait Analysis exam. Gait Analysis is a method widely used to assess the way we walk or run, in order to highlight biomechanical abnormalities in the human gait. With Gait Analysis, a fit specialist is able to identify abnormalities such as: pronation, supination and overpronation. Pronation is the inward (medial) roll of the foot and in particular the heel and arch, which occurs naturally at the heel, strike as a cushioning mechanism. Overpronation is when the feet roll inward too much, and Supination, also known as under-pronation, is the opposite of pronation where the feet don't roll inward enough. Wearing the wrong type of shoe will lead to painful shins and joints, or even injury.
With most Gait Analysis programs at some specialty running stores, record an individual’s gait with a video camera, running or walking and from this footage they are able to play back the footage for their customers and show them exactly how they are running/walking. With review they can then further evaluate their customers and provide them with recommendations and provide the proper shoes to correct these abnormalities. Upon the fitting of new shoes, customers are asked to return to the treadmill where they will then run/walk and from there they are shown how the proper pair of shoes can correct their problem.
What many runners, walkers, and exercise enthusiasts do not know is that they could be wearing the wrong pair of shoes and are further causing damage to themselves. For example, an individual who over-pronates and has the wrong pair of shoes can have problems such as, pain in their arch, shin splints, iliotibial band syndrome (runner’s knee), and lower back pain. Therefore, by recording and showing customers their gait, there is no doubt as to if they are being fit for the right shoe or not. Some stores do charge a minimal fee for this great services but often times the fee can be waived upon purchase of a pair of shoes. For further insight on Gait Analysis visit your local running store and they can provide you with all the assistance needed on Gait Analysis.

For more information visit Runners Lane (661) 260-3368. “Where It’s Fit to Be Fit.”

Chasing The Trials

Hello everyone my name is Travis Hobbs. I am a former Master's College runner who just never left town. This is my first contribution to the Runners Lane blog. I have recently returned to the staff at Runners Lane after a short away from the local running community.

I am inviting you into my weekly training in preparation for the LA Marathon in March, where I am hoping to dive into the low 2:20's of not a sub 2:20 gaining me an Olympic Trials birth.

I am coming off of a decent base phase where my mileage averaged into the high 90's to low 100's. Now transitioning into my marathon specific training which has brought my mileage and intensity to a whole new level that I have not seen in several years since graduating from college I am looking forward to each run. Just yesterday I went on my longest run yet in my build up reaching the two hour mark and averaging 6:00-6:30 pace on my run. Everything was rolling smoothly through the first hour, and then I realized I had only packed one gel and not two!

Post long run I ate a monster chop salad from Stonefire along with a few breadsticks and a bowl of tortilla soup. I washed it all down with Fluid Recovery mix, and a few liters of water.

I learned that preparations for long runs should be identical to preparing for a race (everything should be laid out the night before) this prevents you from leaving something behind! Training has been a real battle, my training partner Kyle Robinson just got married and has been out of town for the past couple of weeks. Lucky for me, my wife pushes me out the door in the morning to get the run in.

The next two weeks in my training cycle will consist of longer runs and tougher workouts, but I am taking it one run at a time. A preview of what is to come: Ten mile tempo, some fast three minute sections, and another monster long run. Until next time be consistent, and don't forget your gels.

Travis

Flip-Flops Do’s and Don’ts

Summertime evokes the favorite footwear of most Santa Clarita natives, the flip-flop. With temperatures reaching above 90 degrees most days of our summer this “beach-bum” accessory is easy to assort to. But before you want to throw on those flip-flops first think about what activity you’re going to do in the day so you can avoid serious feet injuries.
Lots of flip-flops in the market today offer very little in arch support, shock absorption and stability. The lack of these support systems can lead to injuries such as severe heel pain, sprained ankles, damaged toes and tendonitis.

Here are 10 Flip-Flops Do’s and Don’ts so your feet won’t flop on you this summer:

1. Look for a high-quality flip-flop that’s made of leather or higher end rubber instead of plastic or foam. This will help minimize skin irritations such as blisters.
2. Make sure you’re feet don’t fall of the edge of the flip-flop such as toes or heels.
3. Wear sturdy flip-flops at the beach, hotels, public pools, and locker rooms at gyms to avoid athlete’s foot and other feet skin diseases.
4. Do shop for a pair of flip-flops that doesn’t fold at the arch or middle area of the shoe. It should only bend at the middle of the ball of the feet. Flip-flops that bend in the arch lack arch support.
5. Do purchase a pair of new flip-flops at the beginning of each summer to make sure that you’re summer season starts off with a fresh pair of good shock absorbing flip-flops.
6. Don’t do yard work in flip-flops. Wear a shoe that protects covers your entire feet.
7. Don’t wear flip-flops when walking long distance or out shopping for more than four hours.
8. Don’t ignore cuts in between toes in the thong area. Get it treated, let in heal and don’t wear flip-flops until it’s better.
9. Don’t do activities in flip-flops such as sports, even just playing golf. The lack of arch support and shock absorption can lead to serious foot ailments.
10. Don’t wear the same flip-flops year after year. The foam in these shoes does break down and flatten.

For more information on how to find the right shoe for you for running, and walking please contact Runners Lane at 661-260-3368 or visit our website, www.runnerslane.com

What shoe is right for me?

     Leading footwear vendors each year improve their footwear on the basis of the needs of customers and extensive research, which makes buying footwear difficult to find that caters to each individual’s particular needs. Sometimes walking into a footwear store is overwhelming to a customer.
     There are so many shoes on the wall and how does one start to choose which shoes are right for them. Do I choose on color? Do I choose based on fit? Do I choose based on what I do?
     These are the basic questions that run through the consumer’s mind. As these factors are very important, it’s just as important to get the best fit to your overall needs. These needs can also be to help get over an injury such severe heel pain, leg pain, back pain, knee pain, etc.
     Consumers can also try to do as much research on their own through various channels, such as magazines or reviews but shoes are meant to be tried on. Also, getting expert advice from a reliable shoe store that actually fits their customers is at best the most important factor in choosing the right footwear.
     Most shoe fitting places are trained to get you into the right footwear by using a simple method known as a “gait analysis.” Gait analysis is a quick review of how a person’s natural walk allows a fitter to determine what type of footwear to recommend.
     This review can only be done while a person walks without shoes on and is viewed from behind, which means that a person that wants to be analyzed walks away from the person reviewing the gait. This determines which way an arch flattens or not. This simple process known to fitters can easily help narrow down the choices for a customer.
     Shoe fitters should also know all of your needs to help this process of choosing footwear easier for you. Needs can be anything from what activities you do, to what injuries you may have, to what surface you’re using the shoes for (work, gym, the park).

Do your shoes fit?

     Footwear is the most important piece of equipment for most athletes whether you’re running, walking, playing tennis, and cross training. Most don’t realize the importance of a good pair of shoes. Walking can cause up to three times your body weight’s pressure on each foot that you land on. If your feet are not properly supported, it’s more likely that you’re body isn’t as well. The right footwear for the activity you do is essential to a healthy and injury free fitness lifestyle.
One must realize that your feet are the foundation of your body. For example, imagine walking many hundred steps with feet that have flat to low arches in shoes that have little or no arch supports. In this situation, the feet will roll inward thus putting pressure on the heels, then the ankles, then on the knees, then the hips and eventually the back. Again, if your feet are not aligned your body will do anything in its power to compensate alignment meanwhile causing aches and pains, and hopefully no permanent damage. People with high arches also have issues and are not off the hook. Feet with high arches in the wrong shoes can cause havoc on the outer knee, the illotibial band, and severe hip/back pain. In some instances, injuries have been known to radiate all the way into the neck and shoulders, just by not having the proper support on the feet.
     Shoes should be fitted to you personally. Shoes should cater to your needs, whether you walking/running on pavement, treadmill, or trails to walking/running your first marathon, or just trying to get healthy from an injury or from wanting to become more active and not sedentary. What ever the fitness reason may be, just get fitted properly. Getting fitted correctly means going to a reliable source where staff members know how to fit, and have core knowledge of footwear and feet. Having a place to go where the staff can look at your walking style or your gait and analyze your needs is important to getting a proper shoe for you and your activity.
     In preparation to shopping for a good pair of shoes, bring the current pair of shoes that you are using and have a staff member check out the wear pattern and to see if the shoes are still in good condition. It’s been known that people tend to wear their shoes longer that they should and have been working out on dead cushion. Your older shoes may look nice on the outside; the tread may still be good, but your shoes die in the midsole, the heart of the shoe. Also, bring in the socks, shoe inserts, arch supports you may be wearing with the shoes. These factors can change the fit of the shoes.
     Finally, have both feet measured, as one foot is always longer and wider than the other. Then go with the combination of the larger foot and width. For walking it’s normal to fit your shoes bigger but again, see a fitting expert for proper fitting, which we do here at Runners Lane. Please come in the store and talk to us about the right shoe for you. If you can't come in, feel free to call us at (661) 260-3368 or visit our website, runnerslane.com