Surely, we have things called running shoes and they represent the most advanced technology that multi-billion dollar companies can design.
Not so fast!
Do you know that the more money your shoes cost, the more likely that you will be injured?
Marathon times in the USA decreased when modern shoes made their debut in the late 70's?
Athletes who win marathons grew up wearing hardly any shoes?
The majority of runners get injured at least once a year where they have to take time off training?
Running shoe companies can't provide any peer reviewed evidence that the latest "Moon Strider 10.5 with Superior Nano Technology" will make you go faster or less injury prone?
Hmm, this is sounding like a conspiracy theory! Not really. It's just technology that's gotten away from us. Like thinking the latest iPhone is going to make you a better person.
Disclaimer: I do love running shoes. My cupboard is full of Inov8 shoes- my preferred brand. I think they are sexy and all future space crafts should be designed to look like them!
The problem was that as I got older and less fit and strong I started getting injuries that would not get better. I had set myself a goal of running a 100 mile Ultra and my injuries made it look like I would never get there.
Luckily, I had competitively rowed for 10 years and knew that correct technique will always beat power, and prevent injuries. So after some research and reading lots of great books (some listed below), I knew I had to get my running technique correct.
And the easiest way is to take off my shoes! What I needed was feedback, not from a coach, but from the soles of my feet. The biggest cause of running injuries is impact. To reduce impact, I had to have correct technique. And, if you run barefoot, your soles will tell you straight away when you are landing too hard!
Know why those Kenyans run so effortlessly? Less impact! And a grueling, extremely competitive foundation phase.
I know they are wearing shoes, but we will get to that soon.
My plan for my eventual 100 miler meant I had to go back to basics. Learn how to run without shoes so I could transition back to shoes when I did my big race. (My next blog post will be on the how to run correctly.)
Running is a natural activity so most of us never get coached how to run correctly. But if we play tennis or football we spend a lot of time on technique. Running seems to be one of the only sports where almost no time is spent on technique.
So we plod along, feeling uncomfortable, getting hurt,and quitting.
Have a look at the above graph showing impact on the feet with heel striking versus mid foot/front foot striking. The impact is more gradual with the bottom chart. With 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles per foot, the feet are a very complex structure. And really good at absorbing impact with all that movement the foot allows.
Try standing in one spot and jump up and down. You will do it naturally landing on the front of the foot. Now try doing it landing on your heels! Very painful!
There is more time, and movement, for your body to absorb the shock of landing, and considering that you land with about three times the weight of your body on your feet, less shock is definitely better. That 15mm of foam on your shoes are going to fully absorb three times your body weight?
Going back to the above jumping exercise, did you notice you landing with your knees slightly bent? Try running in one spot- still landing on the fore foot and with bent knees? Even with shoes on we naturally go to the comfortable running position.
The biggest problem with shoes is that it deadens the impact feeling on our soles but that force still goes up to our knees, hips and lower back. And those are the places runners get injured the most.
So, in a nutshell, running barefoot increases the feeling of impact on our soles so we become aware of it every step and thus forcing our body to compensate by absorbing the impact by landing on our forefoot and with bent knees, taking advantage of the natural springs and tension inside our bodies.
The other advantages of running barefoot are stimulation of the nerves on your feet so a barefoot run feels like a massage. I often seek out rougher terrain because it feels so nice! Your foot muscles also move much more and get stronger giving you healthier and happier feet. No one likes to be trapped in a cage!
Running barefoot does not have to be forever, if you so choose. It can be an important training tool if done twice a week. Or you can take some time just to run barefoot during your off season or after injuries.
Please come back next week for a post on how to start barefoot running.
And now for some reading:-
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall- if you have not read this book, you should. A fun read about running by a great story teller. Not a "how to" book but will definitely creates the desire to run barefoot.
Barefoot Running Step by Step by Step by Ken Bob Saxton - The Bible of barefoot running. I keep coming back to this book to brush up my technique. Essential reading.
The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard. Has a fun, slightly irreverent tone and great practical advice. His cross training and training plans are really great too.
Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear - The Harvard University Skeletal Biology Lab's research on barefoot running. As you have guessed, this is a serious read packed with science.
Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn Interesting book on why Kenyans excel at running.
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