Article by Sianna Lunn
- Specialist Ergonomics Advisor
I have been wearing MBT’s on and off for years, I am a 31 year old runner who has ‘dodgy knees’ from years of various sports and injuries (2 ACL reconstructions, all 4 meniscus torn and repaired, and a hamstring rupture). Can you get me to stop running? Absolutely not. There really is no sport I can replace it with and for anyone who has experienced the famous ‘runners high’, you’ll know what I mean. So I, like many others in my shoes, have to ‘tread carefully’, excuse the many puns...
I am no trained athlete but I like to hit the pavements / treadmill a couple of times a week even for just 3-5k to keep fit and usually have a 10k race booked to stay fit for. This year, MBT launched some new running shoes to their collection which I was intrigued about, but sceptical. As a retailer for their other shoes, we knew we would be teaming with the brand for a race event in Bristol and so I volunteered to trial these at the recommendation of our rep, but said I would be totally honest and if I didn’t get on with them, I couldn’t wear them for the event. So in January this year, I set off on my usual weekly workouts; rain, shine or snow in order to put them to the test…
I teamed my training with some weight training and HIIT bootcamps and did my usual foam rolling and Backinaction Mobiliser treatments for recovery and injury prevention. I noticed instantly that my toe joints hurt less on the treadmill – A coincidence, perhaps. My usual hip niggles were slowly dissipating… maybe I was doing a better job of stretching? I seemed to ache a little less after my runs… it was a hattrick of positive outcome, and yet… could the shoes really have achieved all this?… Still only a maybe.
By end of March, April, my running distances increased as I head towards various races, my times were looking better than last year and I had an extra bounce in my step. The early positive reactions had remained and I had no qualms that MBTs were my new firm favourites.
Mid may arrived and it was finally time for the Bristol race and I was feeling good; optimistic I could run it at a better pace than the previous year with goals to simply enjoy the run…. And… I really enjoyed this run! I ran my first 3k faster than I intended, I was trying to slow but I just felt great…. After 8k I knew I was definitely beating my previous time, and perhaps even on for a PB…. With 0.5km left I had jut enough energy for a sprint finish and I happily smashed my 10k PB by over a minute. Kudos to my MBTs. I remembered hobbling over to the exhibition stand after last years race, but this year I felt strong.
Once I made it back to the stand I hopped straight onto the mobiliser for my cool down stetch out, this spinal flexion and deep tissue massage is perfect to help with getting blood pumping back around the body and to decrease DOMS and aching. I try to get on every day to ensure my spinal health and flexibility is as good as it can be, but I couldn’t be without it around training for the extra benefits for warm ups and cool downs. As expected, a little tenderness the following day but the sort of ache that makes you feel like you’ve worked hard that goes away quickly. If you suffer with joint troubles, regardless of activity levels, you MUST check out the Mobiliser. This device is utterly life changing and can be used to help treat so many different conditions as well as just keeping everyday bad posture habits at bay. You can use these intensely to tackle a problem or in and around activity.
A few weeks on, I have already booked another race, opting for a slightly longer 7 miles – my longest race distance to date. I will of course still be wearing my MBTs (no longer a sceptic), and can’t help but recommend them to other runners, especially if you are suffering with joint issues! I have pushed my Asics to the side and only roll in my MBTs these days (yeah, they are rocker sole shoes and that is ANOTHER pun)!
Sianna Lunn
- Specialist Ergonomics Advisor
