As we enter or transition into the first weeks of the new year, it often means aligning our personal goals with training and racing in the coming months. So now is also a good time to summarize some of the basics about transitioning to minimalism, especially for those new to natural running and who what…
Author: admin
Comfort Question: Should We be Running on Pillows Like the Hoka One One?
by Jim Hixson. Most runners have been taught that “softness” and “cushioning” are positive characteristics when looking to buy a new pair of running shoes. Each year, running companies spend millions of dollars, euros, and yen in an attempt to create shoes that have a comfortable “step-in” feel when customers first put them on…
The Human Foot…Starting Out
Legs, Legs, Legs
Simple Food Rules for Runners
My wife’s grandmother lived to 103, and the holidays just past have reminded me of how she lived. She was not a runner, nor did she do a lot of cardio, except for sauce stirring and daily walks to markets and church. Our own local legend Frank Buckles who lived to 110 ate in this…
Do Runners Have a Sugar Addiction?: Is the White Stuff Running You Down and Wearing You Out? “Probably,” says Dr. Phil Maffetone
“Sugar,Sugar” Sugar, ahh, Honey, honey. You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you. Honey, ahh, Sugar, sugar. You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you. –The Archies (1969) Sugar is my vice. My Big Bad. It’s the arch-nemesis of my life’s ambition to remain physically active and healthy. This…
The Running Event in Austin: Minimalism is Still Hot!
Huge Congrats to two Natural Running Center’s Partner Stores –Natural Strides Running and Elite Feet –who were selected as one of “The 50 Best Running Stores in America” at The Running Event in Austin, Texas– which is a fast-growing expo and meeting-and-teaching ground for running store owners and their employees. Best of all, it’s where…
Biomechanics of Barefoot Running and Their Implications for Running Injuries
Review and Summary of the Following Published Study: BioMechanics of Barefoot Running: Biomechanics and Implications for Running Injuries, by Allison R. Altman and Irene S. Davis. Sports Medicine in Current Sports Medicine Reports, American College of Sports Medicine, Volume 11 · Number 5, September/October 2012, pp.244-250. *** by Jim Hixson. Well-known researcher and author Irene…
One Small Step for Man…Proprioceptive Deception
Most of us during the course of the day seldom watch where we put our feet when we are out and about. Instead, we rely on our innate sense of balance and the neural-muscular connection between the brain and feet. It’s as if our body is on auto-pilot. For example, when you’re carrying a cup…
Video: Spark Running Store
We thought readers would like to watch this well-made promotional video for Spark Running, an independent specialty running store in Severna Park, Maryland, which is about 10-20 minutes from Annapolis, and 30-45 minutes from Washington,D.C. Spark Running, which is just over a year old, is also a Natural Running Center partner store– and offers customers…
Can Running Kill You?
More people are running in marathons and half-marathons than ever before. So it’s always interesting to read in the press the latest medical study that found that running too many miles over one’s lifetime could be dangerous for the heart and lead to an early death. That’s bad news for those of us addicted to…
Happy Confessions of a Barefoot Runner: “My Soles and Feet Had to Catch Up with My Legs and Lungs”
by Douglas R Brandt, PhD. I started running again when I was 47. I had run for fun as a child and young adult, but by the time I was in my mid to late 20’s, I stopped. The pressures of life got in the way I guess. But by age 47, I realized that…
Going the Distance When Kids Run “Free”
Though it’s been several weeks since Freedom’s Run was held here in West Virginia, I am still receiving emails and from visitors thanking our neighboring towns for the friendly welcome they received as runners. We would not have been able to pull off this event — marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, one-mile kids run — without…
Got Glutes?, Part Two: How Runners Can Further Increase Power and Performance by Having “Smart Behinds”
This instructional article is part 2 of a 3-part series. See part 1 here with video. We hope that your glutes will enjoy becoming smarter. And why is that? As was explained in part 1, runners often have under-performing glutes that can lead to big trouble. When our behinds are slow and fail to do…
“The Magnificent Seven”: 7 Top Minimalist Running Shoes in the Wear-Tested Spotlight
Natural Running Center’s shoe review editor Nick Pang also helms the website Minimalist Running Shoes, which goes into great, useful detail about all the new shoes now hurtling through the commercial pipeline. Nick’s shoe database is much larger than NRC’s, and includes many shoes in the casual, walking, lifestyle and even golf category. I often…
Current State of Running and Minimalism: Where Are We Now and What Will the Future Look Like?
The following essay on where matters stand today with minimalism –and what will they look like tomorrow — was penned by Blaise Dubois. It originally appeared on his lively, informative, and tell-it-like-it-is bilingual blog on running and injuries. Many of the old guard in the footwear, medical and running biz who are wedded to the…
Elastic Recoil Is Like Saving Money in The Bank
There is a lot of confusion around the term elastic recoil vs. braking in running. A critical feature of efficient running is a strong and stable base of support. Without this foundation, there can be no efficient transfer of energy. Our tendons are highly adapted to storing and releasing energy under tensile strain. Jay Dicharry…
Wee Warrior Dash
After organizing Freedom’s Run which is a massive logistical task of 2 states, 4 National Parks, and 3 historic towns, a small local race just for the little ones, and along with great help within our County Park, was a welcome relief. Our small team of adult warriors from Two River Treads put on the…
15 Misconceptions About Minimalist Shoes and Natural Running
by Jim Hixson. 1. There is no correct way to run. There is no perfect way to hit a forehand in tennis, or to drive a golf ball, or to kick a soccer ball, but the degree of divergence from the accepted norm in each of these activities is relatively small. When you look at…
New Dr. Mark Video: “Going for a Run”
One of life’s simplest pleasures is going for a run outside. The late Dr. George Sheehan summed it up best: “Out on the roads there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be.” So once in a while let’s forget about footwear, performance standards, and high-tech gadgetry — and instead simply let your…
Getting in Marathon Race Shape
It’s a dilemma and challenge for many marathon runners. You have two important races that are only six weeks apart, and you want to perform well in both. Several weeks ago, I placed tenth overall in the Air Force Marathon. But come next weekend, I will be racing in the Marine Corps Marathon along with…
Minimalist Running Shoe Spotlight: Inov-8 TrailRoc 235/255
The Natural Running Center has an extensive data base of running shoes on our site. But as a further service to runners, we will now be featuring short, up-to-date, wear-tested shoe reviews by our shoe editor Nick Pang who also helms MinimalistRunningShoes.org. *** U.K.-based Inov-8 introduces TrailRoc, a new range of trail running shoes designed…
“Oprah’s Marathon Time”
In less than two weeks, around 30,000 runners will participate in the Marine Corps Marathon, which is now the fifth largest 26.2-mile race of its kind in the U.S., trailing behind New York City, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles. Nearly half of these MCM runners are first-time marathoners. When Oprah ran in this race in…
Got a Minimalist Running Shoe Question? –Let Jim Hixson (“Voice from the Running Shoe Store Floor”) Answer It!
Wide Feet Question: I ask this as someone with ridiculously wide feet. I have been a barefoot runner for 4 years now, and very much enjoy going naked, but I have become intensely interested in some more rugged, ultra marathons where having a foot covering will be important. I’ve considered simply using huarache style sandals,…
What is “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”?
The New York Times recently published a short essay by veteran running icons Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch, “The Honorable Clan of the Long-Distance Runner,” that considered today’s marathon runner in the wake of fabricated times (yes, that means you Rep. Paul Ryan) and the 26.2-mile race’s continued popularity. “There are no shortcuts to…