Our team is off to a great start with coach Richard Coates’
training plans and a gait analysis courtesy of ASICSPhotos: Eddie Macdonald / josh puttockOur Big Marathon Challenge team met for the
first time just before Christmas and coach
Richard Coates put them straight onto their
individual training plans, ready to hit their
marathon goals in spring.
But first there was the annual obstacle that is
the Christmas break to deal with. We caught up
with the team in week five of their training, when
they met up with Richard for a track session and
visited the ASICS Store in Canary Wharf, London,
to go through the Foot ID process and determine
which shoe they should be training in for the next
few months.
Although the team members are currently
enjoying sponsored athlete status, this bespoke
service is available to all runners – anyone can
go to one of ASICS’ stores to have their gait
analysed and shoes fitted in the same way.
Canary Wharf store manager Saul Sadek
explains: “If a customer is unaware of their
running gait, we introduce the Foot ID. From
measuring the degree of overpronation, we put
them into a neutral shoe if they have a neutral
gait, or a support shoe if they’re overpronating,
then we put them onto the treadmill again and
see the difference.”Each Big Marathon Challenge team member
in turn was taken through the process: running
on the treadmill with special stripped down
shoes and being filmed, while a trained staff
member analyses the video. This means staff
can then give runners suitable shoes to correct
any issues in their gait, and can advise on sizing.
“Many people are surprised to find their running
shoe size is not the same as their everyday shoe
size,” says Sadek. Team member Alice was one
such runner, when she found out she should be
running in a size seven. Find out more about the
process at asics.com/gb/en-gb/foot-id.86 MARCH 2017 womensrunninguk.co.ukBEST FEET
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