A 66-year-old triathlete who feared pain might eventually leave him unable to even walk his dog comfortably has rebuilt the way he moves – and says he can now run and enjoy it again.
Ian Imeson, who has competed in triathlon for Great Britain, turned to Shrewsbury-based Runlates after longstanding back and knee problems began to threaten both his sporting ambitions and everyday independence.
The former rugby player had reached the point where running was becoming increasingly difficult, while pain in his hip meant even walking two or three kilometres with his dog was uncomfortable.
For Ian, the prospect of becoming less active affected far more than his race results.
“Staying active is absolutely critical to me,” he said. “I was getting to the point where I was thinking, ‘I can’t run anymore.’ I’ve run since my mid-teens, I’ve done marathons and all sorts of running, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
“When I was working, exercising hard was tremendously important and at times, I think it was the only thing that kept me going. Whenever I was sidelined through injury or illness, I started to feel much worse.”
Ian played rugby for 25 years before turning to running and then triathlon, progressing to full-distance events and representing Great Britain.
But the accumulated effects of old rugby injuries were increasingly affecting his lower back and right knee. His stride had shortened and he felt he was “shuffling” rather than running.
Ian, who had previously been capable of completing the 10km running stage of a triathlon in under 40 minutes, began working with Runlates founder Vic Gidney through personalised Running Technique Coaching and Reformer Pilates.
Rather than immediately concentrating on running faster or further, Vic began by assessing the way Ian walked.
“The first thing you’ve got to do is learn how to walk again,” said Ian. “We started right from the base: let’s walk correctly, then speed it up and look at where my feet and hips are. It was done in a very graduated way.”
Ian says he can now recognise when tiredness causes him to return to his old movement pattern – and knows how to correct it.
He also attends Reformer Pilates classes at Runlates to develop his core strength, posture and control and believes the work supports all three triathlon disciplines, helping him feel more upright while running, stronger in the water and more comfortable maintaining an aerodynamic position on his bike.
“As I’m getting older, I know that if I want to carry on exercising hard, I’ve got to focus on strength and flexibility,” he said. “The Reformer helps because you concentrate intensely on specific areas and on doing the exercises correctly.”
Vic, a Certified Running Technique Specialist with The Running School®, said Ian’s experience demonstrated why Running Technique Coaching sometimes needs to begin with the foundations of everyday movement.
“We didn’t start by asking Ian to run faster,” she said. “We looked at how he walked, how he held himself and how he moved through each step. We then gradually transferred those changes into his running.
“Ian has a great deal of sporting experience and determination, but even experienced athletes can develop movement patterns that no longer serve them well.
“The aim has been to give him the awareness, strength and technique to move more effectively and continue doing something that is enormously important to him.”
While Ian remains highly competitive, his ambitions are not confined to his next race.
He wants to continue participating in triathlon for at least another decade and jokes that his route to becoming a world champion may simply be to keep going as he moves through the five-year age categories.
“A couple of years ago, that was looking very remote because I thought there was no way I would be able to keep running,” he said. “Now it’s very definitely back on an uphill trajectory, and I’m looking forward to keeping on doing triathlon for another 10 years at least.”
His advice to other people who want to remain active as they grow older is simple.
“Just do it,” he said. “Particularly as you get older, the strength it gives you is not only about carrying on with sport; it can help you keep fitter and active for longer.”
Runlates offers Reformer Pilates for runners, strength and mobility classes and personalised Running Technique Coaching from its studio in Shrewsbury.
For more information, visit www.runlates.co.uk.
