after a barefoot trail run at the state park :) feet are made to get dirty! i love feeling connected to the earth beneath me
I was one of 3 runners featured in an online article about barefoot/minimalist running that came out today :)
Barefoot Running - The Book
Very excited after checking the mail today- my new copy of Barefoot Running; How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth by Michael Sandler arrived! I pre-ordered the book awhile back and have been really looking forward to reading it. It has already received high ratings and reviews. If you are interested in learning more about barefoot running I would definitely check it out.
The talk was meant to be impartial and educational, talking about the pros and cons of barefoot vs. “shod” (the term used for wearing shoes) running, and how to use barefoot or minimalist running as a tool…
Proponents of minimalism speak with the zeal of the recently converted. Opponents spout dire warnings: you’ll ruin your arches, step on an HIV-contaminated needle, pound your feet to hamburger. “If you talked to people in podiatry a decade ago, nobody would have said that barefoot activity had any benefit,” says Ray McClanahan, a Portland, Ore., podiatrist. “But now, a few people are starting to say it might be good for you.”…
Shoes are a very recent addition to our feet. For thousands of years we ran (our natural form of locomotion) barefoot. You don’t see cats and dogs limping with sore knees and backs and they run barefoot always…
"Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolize a way of living — being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, removing the barrier between us and nature."
—
Adele Coombs, “Barefoot Dreaming”
Email I got from Soft Star Shoes today about their new minimalist running shoe! (I am wearing the Rambler right now - love it)
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RunAmoc - Our New Minimal Running Shoes - $87
When we discovered many of our adult customers were using our moccasins and Ramblers as minimal running shoes, we went to work developing a new shoe just for them. We are excited to introduce our new RunAmoc design which fits your foot like a soft, lightweight glove! The shoe embodies all the venerated Soft Star principles of barefoot-like design coupled with more ventilation, specialized running soles and lightweight materials. You can choose from 2mm “street” soles or 5mm “trail” soles.
First Barefoot Running Tip from Steven Sashen of InvisibleShoe
START WAY SLOWER THAN YOU WANT TO
And I don’t just mean running at a slower speed, but that’s part
of it.
Barefoot running is about technique.
If your technique is good, you should be able to run long and
fast without any problems.
But the technique of barefoot running is not familiar to most of
us, and it takes time to develop that technique and, until you
have it, running barefoot can be stressful on your body.
So, once again, take it SLOWLY.
Sometimes I recommend starting by walking! And only for 1/2 a
mile or so, tops!
Or if you start by running, try a mile barefoot, maybe once or
twice a week.
Always aim for doing what does NOT hurt. Don’t try to push
through the pain, but, instead, change what you’re doing so that
it doesn’t hurt. Change your foot placement, or how you lift your
feet off the ground, or something.
Experiment.
But if it keeps hurting… STOP… and then try again in a few
days (or as long as it takes until you feel recovered).
I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t overdone it at first. But once
you’ve run to the point of getting blisters, or strained some
muscle, re-read what I said above and try again.
When I began barefooting, I ran 1 mile, once a week. It took me 4
days for my calves to recover. I ran a 5k WAY too early in my
training and got blisters that took 2 weeks to get over.
But from that, I got a lot of incentive to figure out how to be
lighter, easier, and to STOP when I got the first sign of pain,
instead of thinking “Oh, sure, I can make it through this.” And
now, barefooting is easy.
Enjoy your feet,
Steven Sashen
Discuss this at www.InvisibleShoe.com/forum
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