It's the journey, and the destination.
A dream come true. For a lucky few, an 11 mile run in the mountains, including 6,000 feet of elevation change and a mile running on snow is normal. For me, this was a very significant event. It was not only the longest run of my life, but more meaningful for me, though, is that a […]
I haven’t suffered any real injuries from wearing my Vibram Five Fingers, the glove-like “shoes” I’ve been running in for the past 10 months. However, I came dangerously close to a very serious injury from a snake bite last weekend. While the shoes didn’t provide any protection in the way of coverage, the issue was actually the light running form they help me run in.
Up until recently, running shoes have mainly been classified in terms of motion control, stability, and arch support. Such classification requires a whole vocabulary of words, such as neutral, pronation, and advanced. When Minimal shoes are included in the mix, though, a new classification is called for. Without more than one category for anything less than the regular, large running shoes out there, most people will remain confused and even misguided when it comes to “barefoot” running shoes.
A few nights ago I dreamt that I was running freely down the trail in perfect form. There was no pain, no limping, no concerns whatsoever. Instead, I was having the time of my life. As I recalled the dream the next morning I was once again filled with the joy I had during my dream run. It was incredible just how much fun I felt while I ran.
A growing body of scientific research shows that runners experience less injuries and faster times when they run barefoot or with minimal padding. In fact, research published in Sports Science in 2001 by Michael Warburtin points out that, “Laboratory studies show that the energy cost of running is reduced by about 4% when the feet are not shod.” Translate the energy saved into time over a run and you are going to experience a personal record. Add the reduced chance you’ll suffer an injury and it’s a big win for us runners.
Loading ...
Running Scared
Trying to play to people’s fears in an effort to stop them from being informed will surely fail. Especially when research from none other than Harvard is being published. Trying to combat information with fear doesn’t work for long (one need only look at some previous US administrations to see that). Indeed, the only effective way to go up against information is with credible and convincing counter-information.