Gait Lab

I have been running off and on again for many years and over the past several years, I have been running quite a bit. I had recently pulled a calf muscle in a 5K and started wondering if I was running properly. I saw an ad for Gait Lab at a 5K that I was competing in and went to their website. I never knew something like this existed and I assumed that it would be expensive. I almost didn’t check into it but then I sent an email inquiring about the cost. I was very surprised by how inexpensive it was so I set an appointment.
I went to my appointment and met Jimmy Hart, the owner of Gait Lab. Jimmy put me through the paces and analyzed my gait. After he had finished creating a video of me running and walking, he immediately pointed out that I swing my arms excessively and somewhat wildly when I run. He talked to me about keeping my elbows in and arms at a 90 degree angle when running since this would make my running much more efficient and I would have more energy. He also pointed out a few other items but was careful not to overwhelm me. I could tell Jimmy was very knowledgeable and he did a great job explaining everything to me. He also took a lot of time with me and seemed genuinely interested in helping me. He also helped me pick out proper shoes based on the analysis. I had been putting Jimmy’s tips and exercises into practice for only a few weeks when I ran my next 5K. I wasn’t sure how much of a difference it would make but I could definitely feel a difference after I corrected my arm swing. I was very surprised that in that next 5K, I knocked EXACTLY a whole minute off my time. I ran it in 22:43 and my previous time 6 weeks earlier had been 23:43. I can’t wait to see how much better I do before my next follow-​up appointment in about 7 weeks as the exercises and new habits continue to make me a better runner. Thanks Jimmy!