My Running Gait Analysis with Tracy Peal Speed

By Janelle @ Run With No Regrets | review

Nov 02

After all of the issues I’ve had with running shoes over the past year, I keep thinking that if I can just get my running form correct, everything will fall into place.

So I’ve finally been able to get my running gait analyzed by a professional!  Kim, my physical therapist, set me up to participate in a gait analysis session at Novacare as part of a lecture being held by Mr. Tracy Peal of Tracy Peal Speed.  He is an expert on biomechanics and provides coaching to all kinds of athletes.

Learning about how your gait affects your running! #runchat Click To Tweet

Learn what happens when you go for a running gait analysis!

I got to Novacare a little bit early so I was able to talk to Tracy before the presentation started.  I shared with him my background: how I’ve had three rounds of physical therapy, tried different shoes that ended up causing problems (does anyone like Newtons?), and that I want to find a way to be able to run and be healthy for the rest of my days.  Tracy seemed extremely confident that he could fix what ails me, and told me to stay tuned.

What I Learned

The lecture was very interesting, and I took a lot of notes.  Here are some of the principles that I learned about the Pose Method of running:

Pose method

Pose method of running

  • There are 3 stages:  the Pose, the Fall, and the Pull
  • Runners have trouble losing “control” and don’t trust gravity!
  • Don’t reach your feet ahead of you, keep both feet under the body
  • Forefoot running keeps your body moving forward, versus mid-foot or heel running
  • Notice where your body weight is once your feet touch the ground
  • Avoid flexing the hip so that you can fall forward
  • “Run tall”; posture matters
  • There are several types of drills to refine your form such as tapping, jumping, picking up the foot, etc.
  • Land softly by lifting your foot off and away from the ground instead of towards the ground
  • Barefoot running isn’t a solution if you still don’t have the right form!
  • It may take as long as a year to master the Pose method

Tracy Peal giving a lecture on running form.

 

I have to be honest…sometimes I’m a bad engineer, and all the technical mumbo-jumbo can make my head spin.  Physics isn’t my best subject, so I didn’t quite understanding everything that was being said, but the main takeaway is that I can’t be afraid of falling.  I’ve had the same issue with learning to snowboard…I’m too scared to lean forward and enjoy the ride!

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Not to mention, I was starting to get anxious the longer the lecture lasted.  All the PT’s seemed to be stunned by what they were hearing, and I was worrying that there wouldn’t be enough time to spend on me!  I was ready to put the theory into practice!

My Gait Analysis

Finally the fun (scary) part of the running gait analysis began, and we went outside in the parking lot.  Tracy watched how I naturally run, which ain’t pretty.   Tracy says that I have a “rhythm problem”.  So then I started by running in place, then taking that basis to move forward. Not easy!!  We did this over and over again.  Since I haven’t run since September, I was exhausted!

Tracy used Ubersense to take video of my running, and we were able to look at it frame by frame.  I’m happy to say that my technique improved after a few tries, but it takes so much concentration to completely alter your technique!!

Here are clips of some of the video of my running form.  Can you tell that I gradually get better?  Sorry if the quality isn’t great!

http://www.ubersense.com/video/view/biomictu

http://www.ubersense.com/video/view/Ukl4H76P

http://www.ubersense.com/video/view/DLw5pUlM

We also did some work indoors on the treadmill.   I actually noted that I felt some pain in my left shin, and when we looked at the video, it was very clear why:  My foot was landing all kinds of wrong!  With that, we concluded that the best way for me to learn the Pose method is OFF the treadmill.

Here’s the eye-opening video…http://www.ubersense.com/video/view/OdLvJcpg

It was really great working with Tracy!  At the end of the day, we discussed next steps, and I’m definitely interested in having a “real” one-on-one session and developing a program with him to learn how to use Pose!  As a black person, it hurts to be told I have a “rhythm problem”, haha!  But hopefully, I will be a quick study.   Unfortunately, Tracy doesn’t work for free, so I will be making a serious investment towards improving my running! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Oh and the timing is perfect, as I just found on Youtube that Pose Method is offering a 12 week transition program with the first 4 weeks free.  This will definitely serve as a helpful resource!

Have you had a gait analysis, and did it help you?  Do you use the Pose method of running?

Oh, and like I mentioned before, does anyone out there wear Newtons and like them? Leave a comment and share your experiences!

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