RUNNING GAIT ANALYSIS

As someone who started out crippled after running 3 miles (while biking 3-4 hours without a problem), I had a sense that some people are just not built to run.  Three years later, while training for the Mt Mitchell Challenge, my perspective had changed just a bit.  I left my custom orthotics and motion-control shoes behind (literally, I left them in a parking lot one day) and progressively got lighter, more flexible shoes as my body told me to.   Even after orthopedic surgery on my right leg (that’s a story for another day), I quickly returned to running typical distances for 30-50 miles per week without issue.  While in Chicago, I got so bored I started running in Vibram Five- Fingers and eventually barefoot (flat surfaces bore me).With the insight from other running specialists (physical therapists, coaches, professional runners, trainers) I have been able to use the other aspects of physical therapy practice, combined with video gait analysis and training, to build programs for injury prevention and injury rehabilitation.  Running / jogging /walking will be a core part of your recovery program, rather than something you do “once you are healed”  as other health care providers might suggest.

BIOMECHANICAL BIKE FITTING

Wes is a “Silver” certified fitter through Bike PT , a program that applies his extensive knowledge of body mechanics and training to bike fit. He has also done work with Paul Swift and BikeFit, which focuses on the necessity to balance your cleat position, rotation, and lateral position to align to body for optimal comfort and performance.

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Everything from road, cross, mountain, recumbent, Tri - Wes has not only done the training to evaluate and dial in the fit, but has ridden it. Not only that, but we love to support the exceptional community of those fitters and coaches to get their clients to reach their potential.  Here's a blurb from Bike PT director Erik Moen, PT:

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“As healthy as bicycling is, riding a bicycle is ironically unnatural, at least from an on-the-bike perspective. The process of mating rider and bicycle in perfect harmony – called bike biomechanics – is a complex equation involving many factors, which can result in far-reaching performance enhancements for competitive cyclists and enjoyment benefits for recreational cyclists.

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Bike biomechanics takes into account joint, muscle, load factors, angles, equipment, point-of-contact positioning, pedal force measurements, and biomechanical calculations to formulate the ideal position of every part of both bicycle and rider so that they fit together as one in the most efficient manner possible.

As every body is different, so too are the factors used to determine correct bike positioning. Since a rider’s position on the directly effects how their body moves, optimal positioning is critical to performance and comfort.

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To make some sense of how biomechanics effects performance, consider your on-the-bike breathing. Changing your saddle height actually affects your air intake requirements by changing your body’s efficient use of the air you have. By lowering your oxygen requirements for the same physical effort output level, your body becomes more efficient.”

FOOTWEAR & ORTHOTIC EVALUATION

Until Wesley discovered barefoot running, he was a long-time user of orthotics.  Many providers fabricate orthotics, but at Anti-Fragile we always:

1- Look at how your entire body moves when you’re on your feet

2- Give you non-orthotic options to help improve your condition

3- Lay out why you should consider off the shelf orthotics, custom orthotics, or shoe changes

4- Discuss the pros and cons of making any or all of these choices 

Referral to other practitioners for certain materials OR shoes are part of the primary issue and both need to be changed together. Asheville is lucky enough to have several great shoe stores that can help you out based on your needs and we will provide a footwear prescription for you to take to your shoe specialist.