The Running School Blog

Last week, I discovered a way of finding out. The timing was perfect. I have a place in the London marathon in two weeks’ time and the pressure is on. Typically, I injure my foot during training and am worried it will put me out of the race. In hope, I make my way to shadowy arches at Stamford Brook Tube station in west London to visit Sport Dimensions, a kind of hospital for ‘sick’ runners.

The team at Sport Dimensions put running styles under the microscope, analyse the results, then help you get better. I meet my ‘doctor’, Mike Antoniades, a performance and rehabilitation director, and after a quick change I tentatively start walking on one of the several treadmills scattered throughout the cavernous centre.

For the next 45 minutes, I’m put through my paces. From a nice walk, to a slightly less comfortable jog, all the way to an extremely uncomfortable uphill sprint, Mike analyses every move I make. He watches me close-up (claiming to identify a few problems just from watching me walk) and videotapes the entire procedure for a more detailed investigation. It is a tough work-out but, as Mike explains, he needs to see my body reacted to being physically exhausted to see how my biomechanics change.

He doesn’t have to carry me off the treadmill when I finish but I’m breathing hard when Mike and I take a look at the video. He explains several things wrong with my action – many of the problems fit straight away with suspicions I already have. Years ago, I injured my right knee and I don’t put enough weight on it. I didn’t realise how drastically it was changing the way I ran - instead I was putting heavy pressure on my left foot and that had led to it troubling me in training. Other things were more of a surprise: I wasn’t using my hamstrings enough; I flicked my right leg out; slumped forward and twisted my midriff. The list was long and less than glorious. Importantly, Mike tries to help rather than simply pick out weakness because he can.

As he explains everything, I watch myself run on the video (I had never seen myself running before) and I start to understand the causes of my recent injuries. The problems were solvable, Mike tells me.

He claims to be able to help and rehabilitate just about anyone - from elite athletes to weekend warriors and your average couch potatoes. Even if it’s just to help you walk better. It’s not a quick process, and can take anywhere between 12-18 sessions over 6-8 weeks. For Mike and his clients, it is a question of reprogramming the body to correct movements.

There is complex science behind it all, but for the layman the equation is this: to change the way your body moves, you need to store the correct movement in your ‘muscle memory’ so you can repeat it without thinking – particularly when you get tired. To do this takes training and time. At £40 per hour session, it is not a cheap proposition and ultimately it’s a question of weighing up how important an active lifestyle is to you. But if you’re spending most of your time watching sport enviously from the sidelines or hobbling into the physiotherapy, it is definitely a great option. Of course there are no guarantees but I get the feeling if anyone can put you back on track, it is Mike and his team.

For me, my last run with Mike on the treadmill is a mini-revelation. I haven’t felt as fast or strong since I was a young lad dreaming of running in the Olympics. The London Marathon should be a doddle!

The golden rules of running:

• Don’t bounce too much
• Try not to over stride
• Make sure you use your hamstrings
• Land on your feet lightly
• Relax your shoulders
• Make sure you use your arms
• Don’t twist your midriff side to side
• Your head and upper body should not be bent forward
• Try not to jog slower than you could walk