Sarita Shoemaker

Running on the track at Moorpark College.

Sarita Shoemaker

Keith Klus shows excellent form while running.

On Saturday Feb 9th Moorpark College was buzzing with runners of all fitness levels. They all were officially "runners" but had never had a professional evaluation of their running form.

Randy Shoemaker and Naomi Hunt of 805 Boot Camp and Foot Pursuit Simi Valley donated their time and expertise to give all 25 people an honest evaluation for free.

"We were surprised to discover that every single person had the same issue: their arms!" Randy told them all as they gathered in a group waiting for the results.

Your body has a center plane and when you run you don't want your hands flailing all over the place and crossing that plane.

"Your shoulders need to be more relaxed as well" added Naomi.

Each point found was then demonstrated properly and the runners sent off to "practice it".

The last point that both Randy and Naomi found had to do with how you position your body while moving forward. They had everyone line up facing the fence with their feet a few inches away then lean toward the fence keeping their heels on the ground. "This is the best form for running we have found." Randy points out.

Again the runners were sent around the track to practice with Naomi and Randy calling out names and corrections.

"It was a great non-confrontational way to find out what I could do to run better." Simi Resident Bob Haggarty stated.

"I hated running before I met Randy. I can't believe how far I've come and now I sort of enjoy it!" Jenn Grimes exclaimed. "It is still not easy but at least I'm not hating every step and learning how to improve."

There are so many wonderful places to run around Simi Valley and Moorpark! You should get up and out and enjoy them as much as you can.

Most professional shoe stores offer free evaluations to ensure you get into the CORRECT shoe. This makes a big difference for every runner.

The big sports stores have never been able to provide the best support for runners we know.

The first signs that you have a bad pair of shoes are shin splints, stabbing pain in your knees or calves. If you suffer from this, go to a PROFESSIONAL to get help. In Simi Valley you should visit Foot Pursuit.