by Angie Hotz aka Barefoot Angie Bee. When I walked into the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic I thought I would “wow” Lee Saxby. I had been successful so far having ran a barefoot marathon and not in “barefoot shoes” but actually naked foot. All of my previous shod race times were bested barefoot. I had been running for…
Category: Form
Five Common Stride Missteps — and How To Correct Them
by Steven Sashen. Let us guess, you ditched the cushioned clodhoppers only to find a new host of issues to deal with. Blisters on the bottom of your feet? Sore hips? Calves aching so much you can’t walk? Soak in some Epsom Salt and give yourself a break. No one said changing a lifetime of…
Beware the Perils of Midstance (Not Initial Impact), Where Body Stresses Are Greatest
by Dr. Casey Kerrigan. While in Daegu, South Korea last week where I delivered a lecture on biomechanics, barefoot locomotion and minimalist shoes at the International Sports Science Congress that was held in conjunction with the 2011 IAAF World Championships, I caught this photo during the preliminary heat of the 3,000 meter steeplechase where the…
Before Apolo Ohno Ran in the New York City Marathon, the Gait Guys Checked Out His Form
Eight-time Winter Olympic speed-skating medalist Apolo Ohno has shown his athletic mastery on ice, then on the wooden dance floor when he won the 2007 “Dancing with the Stars” competition with Julianne Hough. In just a few months, it will once again be showtime for Apolo at the 2011 New York City Marathon. For months,…
Ask the Experts: Should I Be Concerned That I Pronate When I Run?
I have been to three different shoe stores here in the Bay Area, and each store person took a look at my current running shoes (I wear them during the day) and said that “I pronate.” One youngish guy (he had the look of an emaciated, long-distance college runner) wanted to sell me some “anti-pronation”,…
Running Uphill: Quick Video Tutorial
Here’s a short video on uphill running that Pete Larson, who is also Runblogger (a must-read blog for anyone interested in any and all aspects of footwear science, gait, and shoes), filmed of Mark Cucuzzella, M.D. and Two Rivers Treads employee Brad Dodson going up the rocky trail on Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, Colorado. Brad…
Elastic Recoil
A key difference between walking and proper (mid- and forefoot) running is how the foot muscles work, and, in particular, the energy used for propulsion. The walking body acts more like an inverted pendulum, swinging along step-by-step, literally vaulting over stiff legs with locked knees. Muscles use the body’s metabolic energy created by conversion of…
Cadence
Humans move in an incredibly similar fashion regarding cadence or tempo. It may be hard to believe, but most of us all run about 180 steps per minute. Anyone who is healthy normally walks at a basic pace of about 120 steps per minute. Even during our daily activity has been shown to have a…
12 Visualization Cues to Help You Run More Efficiently
by Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Dan Kuland, U.S. Air Force Chief of Health Promotion. I spent many years as a high-jumper battling gravity. The world record holder at the time was Valery Brumel from Siberia. Brumel combined physical ability, sound training, and mental imagery to jump seven feet six inches. My coach took special note of…
Coolest Treadmill on the Planet
The Gait and Motion Laboratory at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia encompass 1,400 square feet and is available for private rental. And who could be blamed for never wanting to run again on a treadmill at the local gym after being spoiled on this state-of-the-art machine with computerized biofeedback?…
The Pros and Cons of Video Gait Analysis — Runners Getting Their Body in Balance
By Dr. Phil Maffetone For the past several decades, video analysis of human movement has been used in virtually all sports by coaches, athletes, and healthcare professionals. Because of the relative ease of combining video and treadmill activity, this approach is now common in the evaluation of running gait. Properly applied, video analysis can be…
How Body Weight and Nutrition Affects a Runner’s Gait
Tom Osler, a top ultrarunner in the 60s who later became a math professor and author of The Serious Runner, conducted a comprehensive study of runners and found that for every extra pound you carry, you will be 2.5 seconds per mile slower. Dr. Steve Gangemi aka “Sock Doc,” examines the biomechanical relationship between excess…
Proprioception
Proprioception is defined as the perception or sensing of your limbs in space (orientation) during movement of the body. Specifically in running, proprioception allows your mind to learn, with each step, from the effect of each movement and then adjust your limbs accordingly for future movements. Proprioception comes from the Latin word proprius, meaning “one’s…