A little sneak peek into the materials covered during the Level 2 Certified Running Gait Analyst course.
Being a Level 2 Certified Running Gait Analyst will give you the tools to confidently handle complex cases, but sometimes you still need to know how to adjust when things don’t go according to plan!
Ask yourself what you would do in the case below. What are the “it depends” factors that would inform your decision?
Here is what we talk about during the course specifically saying what we would do:
- When someone switches from a rearfoot to a forefoot strike patter we advise 72 hours between runs for the first two weeks. This allows for Type 1 Collagen (Achilles) to fully recover. The shift in foot strike position puts increased strain on the Achilles, so we must give it every opportunity to accept the load
- Doing the squat ankle dorsiflexion program before all runs will help improve ankle dorsiflexion mobility. The runner may go into excessive eversion at the foot (and up the chain) to compensate for limited ankle dorsiflexion, causing misalignment of forces on the Achilles
- Lastly, don’t be afraid to slow or pause the return to run program until they can successfully complete the level without pain (even if that pain is not what they originally came in to see you for). “Go slow to go fast” is a saying we believe in demonstrating the need to develop foundational skills/abilities so that you can progress quickly once the foundation is set.
We packed this course with case studies and examples so that you get the reps you need to be confident working with more complex runners. This is the second case of five that we discuss throughout the course, with each case getting more complex. We also have 12 specific video examples for the gait categories, 2 in depth case studies looking at how we assess the gait categories, and 2 case studies looking at the loading levels.
