Three weeks down, another eight to go.
Editor-In-Chief, Lorraine Candy, and team ELLEfit have been busy pounding the pavements and loading the mileage on to our legs. But 'What about our feet?' we asked our trainer Harry Norman at Third Space.
Suddenly we thought we would be transitioning back to week one, where we stood barefoot in Green Park.
But this wasn't the case, this time we had to assess our trainers.
We all know that one of the great things about running is that it's cheap exercise.
However, when it comes to your trainers it's always worth investing in a pair that are right for you and offer the support you need to boost your training and get you through injury-free.
Having assessed our choices of footwear, Harry soon sent us off to Runners Need in Holborn to get that all-important gait analysis done.
Upon arrival we were fitted with a pair of neutral trainers, jumped on the treadmill and started running. Simple.
Little did we know that our every step was being analysed by one of the Runners Need team, as well as a slow motion camera.
The footage was played back to us and the results were far from expected.
For some of us our ankles rolled in, for others they rolled out.
Having watched the video back, one thing was clear, we all needed different support in different places.
After trying many pairs, with hundreds of boxes coming in and out of the stockroom, we finally found 'the ones'.
Our bambi-like ankles had been transformed into rods of steel that created a perfect alignment running down the back of our legs.
Now we have our new fancy trainers, there's no excuse not to get out and get running.
Runners Need share their top tips when shopping for trainers:
Do...
- Select 'fit for purpose' - Be sure to select a pair of shoes that will be suitable for the terrain you plan to train on.
- Consider gait analysis - Having your foot plant, stride and running pattern assessed will help you pick the right pair.
- Ask for a trial run - Running shoes can be a big investment and therefore it's best to give them a quick spin on the treadmill in the shop before committing to buying them.
Don't...
- Target designer labels - Your trainers aren't fashion items; they're functional pieces of equipment designed to protect your feet and legs from injury.
- Attempt to over-extend your shoe life - Your shoes will typically need to be replaced every 500 miles or so.
- Assume that 'any old trainer will do' - Running shoes are sophisticated, supportive, injury preventing piece of equipment. Therefore, your everyday trainer simply will not cut the mustard!
Runners Need have 34 stores nationwide and offer gait analysis free to all customers.
Team ELLE will be training with Third Space gym and running the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon to raise money for mental health charity MIND. Watch this space for our fundraising page.
