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Healthy Running Comes from the Arms and Head Connection
A month ago, running form guru Jae Gruenke was kind enough to email me with some of her learning and observations from years of experience teaching and developing a program now called The Balanced Runner. She has taught hundreds of runners at her clinics in New York City. She has also helped three-time Olympian Jen Rhines. From…
Treadmill Rule #1: First Know How To Use the Emergency Stop Button
Action picks up around the 1:10 mark.
Barefoot Dictionary: From A(sphalt) to Z(ero drop)
In the hand-me-down spirit of Ambrose Bierce’s “Devil’s Dictionary,” Josh Sutcliffe, aka Barefoot Josh, has created a list of barefoot and footwear terms and their definitions. Josh says that he “likes to run, write, and draw.” He works at a Dog Daycare facility, which means he plays with dogs all day. Visit his running blog here: barefootjosh.com where…
Calling All Shoes for New Shoeseum
Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Two Rivers Treads want your old, and they mean really old, running shoes for their new “Shoeseum” that will originally be housed in the Shepherdstown, West Virginia store. Vintage sneakers from the 60s and 70s are especially wanted (flat-sole, thin treads, lightweight, little cushioning). This makes one think how running has…
Take the Stability Test — Practice Standing on One Leg
As we “comfortably” situate ourselves into the off-season, reducing our training mileage and racing, this is an ideal time to work on balance and form. A runner will typically average 1,200 steps a mile on one foot. And the gravity force on the body structure is 2.5 times the body weight with each step in…
The Ideal Running or Walking Shoe Complements Natural Foot Function
Last month, I wrote about the need to properly assess your own foot size when buying running shoes. And judging by the number of emails I continue to get from readers on this topic, I feel it’s important to address these concerns once again. First, abandon the notion that you have a shoe size. Instead you…
Running a Marathon, 100 Meters at a Time
Kevin Lyons, an Austin-based runner, journalist, and blogger at 5Ksandcabernets.com, posted an interesting take on how speed is indeed relative when compared to distance covered. Kenya’s Patrick Makau set the world record time for a marathon by running the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds (2:03:38). Makau’s minute-per-mile pace was a blistering…
Heel-strike Experiment: Are You a Brake-Tapper?
by Jason Robillard. Go to any road race. Stand at some random spot along the course. Watch as the runners pass. Count how many land with a heavy over-striding heel strike. It’s obvious this style of running is still extremely popular. Hell, it’s even advertised for products that are supposed to be designed for midfoot…
Barefoot Running: Reviewing the Medical Literature
Peer-reviewed literature has indirectly supported barefoot running for the past 20 years. In this video, podiatrist and surgeon Dr. Nicholas A. Campitelli discuss why it is safe to run barefoot and explain how we see a reduction in injury by running the way we were designed to run.
Use Your Head: Quick Tip to Smooth Out Your Running Form
In this brief video by Danny Abshire of Newton Running, he focuses on the need to balance the head while running. This keeps the body balanced along with it.
Coming to the Midwest: “New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries”
———— My good friend Blaise Dubois is a physiotherapist who teaches at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University. Blaise has developed the Running Clinic Canada and has taught over 50 conferences around the world. Two of those conferences named “New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries”were held in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The inaugural…
Gaits of Hell
We came across this parody video of common awkward running styles two months ago, and was almost tempted to repost it; but for whatever reason, it got backburnered. Upon a recent second viewing, however, it made the grade. It musta been the Journey soundtrack.
Where Are All the Women in the Natural Running and Minimalist Movement?
Emily Snayd is passionate about running and even more passionate about attracting more women to the natural running movement. Ms. Snayd heads up public relations for Merrell’s Barefoot Running. And so, starting on December 1, Merrell will host a six-week series of digitalchats that address different elements of barefoot/minimal running and fitness. As she writes on…
Avoid Overtraining! — Keeping Your Body Healthy Means Active Rest and Recovery
Laura Bergmann is living example of a home-schooled athlete and teacher. I met Laura two years ago when we were both spreading the word on fitness in our small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She was not excited about running since it often led to discomfort. Yet, in time she changed her gait; it eventually…
Gait Analysis of Lead Pack at 2011 New York City Marathon
The Natural Running Center asked us — The Gait Guys — to comment on this striking photo of the lead male pack that was taken at the recent NYC Marathon (with the beautiful Manhattan skyline in the background). We, as always, were glad to oblige. Please keep in mind, we were sent a still photograph…
Take the 100-Up Exercise Challenge
As readers of Chris McDougall’s article on natural running two weeks ago in the New York Times know, the secret of good, injury-free running form is rooted in the past — going barefoot or doing this simple drill called the 100-Up Exercise that was invented in the late 19th century by a very fast miler…
Skora Running Shoes Aim to Score Big in Minimalist Footwear
Persistence has certainly paid off for Portland, Oregon-based entrepreneur and formerly injured runner David Sypiewski, who has quietly toiled for several years to make the perfect shoe for injury-free natural running. Soon, all runners will be able to step inside David’s dream when Skora running shoes go on sale this February. Well-funded with $1 million…
Nike’s New TV Commercial for the LunarGlide is Brilliantly Charming
Proper Fit Explained: You Don’t Have a Shoe Size; You Have a Foot Size
In the past three years, I have completely rethought how a shoe should fit. More accurately I now think about how a shoe should fit rather than just pick a size. Since I started running more true barefoot miles over the last year my foot size has greatly increased in thickness. I can no longer…
Injury-Free Running Is Easier Than It Seems
“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery” — James Joyce In the aftermath of Chris McDougall’s article on natural running in the New York Times, I’ve been flattered by the emails from around the globe of runners sharing their stories of recovery and discovery. Here is my own personal story in even greater detail….
Natural Running and Dancing the Lindy-Hop– Both Light, Bouncy, Soft Knees, Landing on Balls of the Feet
by Bill Katovsky. The running world is still abuzz regarding Chris McDougall’s piece on natural running in the New York Times tantalizingly headlined, “The Once and Future Way to Run.” And judging from the number of comments on the Times’ Well blog, it only seems that the Great Footwear Debate is in its beginning stages….
New York Times Feature Article on Injury-Free, Natural Running by Who Else…Chris McDougall
The timing is perfect. And intentional. The New York City marathon is taking place this weekend. And in the New York Times Sunday magazine, Chris McDougall has written a wonderful article on natural, injury-free running with this rather emphatic headline: “The Once and Future Way to Run.” It’s available online here. It begins with an…
Reducing Stress: Don’t Let the Workouts Control You
by Bill Katovsky. Research scientists love tormenting lab rats. The furry little rodents are starved, shocked, bullied, and even water-boarded. Their torture is encouraged under the rational aegis of science—to find out how stress affects the brain. Because rats provide a fairly reliable indicator of human behavior, scientists use them to examine how stress affects…
Health Warning: Can Your Recovery Drink or Energy Bar Be Toxic?
by Dr. Steve Gangemi aka Sock Doc. Could your energy bar, fluid replacement drink, or post-workout recovery meal ultimately be hindering your performance? It’s very likely due to the many artificial processed ingredients out there. Many foods athletes consume contain the infamous MSG. We all know that person who can’t eat Chinese food because they’ll…