Well, today I went to have my running style analysed for my new running shoes. Being a born cynic I was waiting for this to be bollocks, but seeing as it was a free service and the guys in the shop are all great I was keen to see what it would do.

It’s amazing - especially when you’re as bio-mechanically deformed and abnormal as it appears I am - but the difference the right shoe can make when it comes to your foot hitting the ground in the right way, is enormous. Essentially you have to run on a treadmill for 20 seconds with each shoe while they take a close up video of your feet hitting the ground. When you slow it down and analyse it, it really is enlightening.

As I’d said, I’d had trouble with my right ankle, and still do to a certain extent. The video showed how my right foot impacts the ground at such an angle that my joint is twisted and put under extreme pressure…everytime I put my foot down…everytime I run my 6 mile runs and eventually up to 13 miles.

This is all very boring and personal to me, but it does show how with the right advice, the correct footwear can make a huge difference. I debuted my new shoes today on a leisurely jog along the river to Barnes and while I can’t feel the difference, I hope my ankle doesn’t hate me as much now.