One of the keys to good leg action is what you do with your arms. Your foot will almost always land under your hand, so if overreaching with hand in front your leg will overstride. Just observe folks when they are jogging. When the hand stays close to center so does the foot. Thus move your…
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Vivobarefoot Kids Shoe Giveaway
Last weekend was my favorite event of the year at our small natural running and walking shoe store in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Two Rivers Treads had its third annual Vivobarefoot kids shoe giveaway. We personally matched a contribution from Vivobarefoot and gave out close to 200 pairs of free shoes to local children. Yes,…
Lengthen Your Posture as You Run…
This tip comes courtesy of my friend Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Dan Kuland, who, before he retired, was U.S. Air Force Chief of Health Promotion. “Lengthen your posture while running by imagining a helium balloon attached to your head.”
Flying High At 46!
I want to share with you the amazing story of Colonel Mike Wasson. Mike is a good friend and long-time United States Air Force teammate. We are the same age (46) and have shared similar experiences in our running and busy professional careers — trying to balance family, work, health, and running. Mike shares the…
Ask Sock Doc!
Dear Sock Doc: I am in the Army, so running has become a part of my life so to speak. I overpronate when I run, but only get shinsplints when I do a lot of miles a week or run everyday. I usually run every other day to avoid injuries).I recently purchased Brooks Pure…
Don’t Overstride
Don’t overstride in front of you to go faster; this will wreck your knees and awkwardly stretch leg muscles.
Running and Asthma: Getting Healthy is the Best, Natural Treatment
by Dr. Phil Maffetone. Many runners often experience asthma. Yes, asthma is a common condition found in endurance athletes, and even occurs at a higher incidence than the general population. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by episodes or attacks of impaired breathing. Symptoms are caused by chronic inflammation and narrowing of the airways…
Father, Son and Freedom’s Run Half-Marathon
The other day I received the most delightful and endearing email from a proud father and his even prouder son who will be running in the Freedom’s Run Half-Marathon for the second time. I’d like to share it with Natural Running Center readers. (This year’s race is on October 13, and also features a full…
Planet Wild Launches…Natural Running Center’s New Sister Site
Planet Wild Launches! It’s a new adventure, travel and fitness site that will bring readers and multisport athletes an even greater taste of the great outdoors. Editor and founder is Bill Katovsky, and the site is done in conjunction with RailRiders Adventure Clothing. Feature Stories Include: Amazon Crossing: Mickey Grosman’s 5,000-Mile Quest Becoming a Navy…
Ditch the Chair and Get a Stand-up Desk
Another very functional way for runners to improve their stability and overall body balance is to get a stand-up desk. Many of us spend hours a day sitting in front of a computer at work or home. This causes the body to go out of alignment, and can even impair or diminish that end-of-workday training…
Defining Minimalism and Running Shoes: Bringing the Hype Back to Earth
Blaise Dubois is a physiotherapist and founder of the Running Clinic from Quebec City, Montreal, whose multi-day course on the prevention of running injuries has attracted the interest and attention of health professionals, coaches and running enthusiasts around the world. Blaise also tells it like it is, as readers of his bilingual blog–French and English–…
Wake Up Your Glutes with “Run Away” Drill
The drill with the resistance tether is the “Run Away” drill and forces a runner to cue and engage the glutes in a “push” motion. Power in running comes from the glutes and all runners have them, they just need to wake them up and use them. No high-tech device is needed, just an old…
Running in the Heat
Many of you have a fall marathon or ultra coming up. As we know from history, race day in September or October may be unpleasantly warm. I’d like to share with you an expanded version of a Dr. Mark’s Desk piece that I initially wrote after this year’s Boston Marathon on racing a marathon in the…
Running in D.C.
I recently had the privilege and pleasure of spending the day in Washington. D.C. for talks and workshops on running at the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol. The message is all about learning good running form. And in fact, this was my second trip there. Dr. Roberto Ruiz and Christopher Fall are true innovators at…
The Altered Meaning of Popular Running Shoe Terms: Third Installment of “Voice from the Running Shoe Store Floor”
by Jim Hixson –When you’ve spent enough time working in running shoe stores like I have (15 years), there are a number of common words and phrases that you’ve heard that are used to a fault by both sales people and customers. The main offenders are: “stability”, “structure”, “motion-control,” “cushioning”, and “anti-pronation.” Shoes that have…
Questioning Our Reliance on Motion-Control Running Shoes
by Nicholas A Campitelli –I recently lectured at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine on “New Paradigms in Endurance Sport.” At the Florida conference, it was an honor to be in the presence of one of the greatest contemporary educators on running, like Mark Cucuzzella, M.D., a nationally known lecturer and instructor on…
Got Glutes? How Runners Can Increase Power and Performance by Having “Smart Behinds”
by Jeniffer Pilotti, M.S and Sarah Young, M.S. –Runners might not like to admit it but most of them have under-performing glutes. When they get left behind in a race or workout by faster runners, the likely culprit is often their inefficient glutes! In other words, many runners have stupid glutes, or to use a more polite term,…
Physical Activity (aka Exercise) is Medicine
I’d like to invite all Natural Running Center readers to the upcoming Freedom’s Run on October 13, 2012 — a day of foot races through the four national parks in eastern West Virginia and Maryland. Freedom’s Run is in its fourth year, and the event includes a marathon, a half marathon, a 10K race, a…
Fastest Barefoot Runner in America: Jeremy Johnson
Jeremy Johnson, a three-time All-American and two-time USA national XC team member, received his Masters of Science Degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2007 and 2008, he was University of New Mexico’s Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year. His PRs are impressive: 13:35.13 for…
Was Ryan Hall’s DNF in the London Olympic Marathon Due to Overtraining or Shoe-Related?
U.S. runner Ryan Hall seemed like a lock for a top-ten finish at the London Olympic marathon. After all, eight months earlier in Houston, Texas. he had placed second in the Olympic marathon trials in 2:09.30. But to the amazement of many, Hall was a DNF in London, withdrawing around the 11-mile mark while grabbing…
Our Encore Send-off for London 2012 Olympics: Photo Gallery
Wow. What a wonderful, dizzying past two weeks it’s been as many of the world’s greatest athletes competed in the London 2012 Olympics. The running events were especially exciting to watch (online or live for the lucky spectators); from the sprints to the middle and long-distance, the races were epic and inspirational. Who can ever…
Olympic-sized Sell Job: Promoting Unhealthy Eating to Fans and Athletes
by Dr. Phil Maffetone. The lead story in a recent Sports Illustrated article online began, “Almost every dominant performance in London has raised eyebrows, if not questions. These are today’s Olympics.” While the article went on to discuss the unhealthy issue of doping in sports, those two simple sentences brought to mind an even more…
Green was the New Gold at the London 2012 Olympics
The color green, or rather an eye-popping fusion of lemon and lime green took center stage at the track and field events at the London 2012 Olympic Games. This “green” is the new gold. The reason? Look to the athletes’ feet. Many are wearing shoes from the new “Nike Volt Collection.” About the only runner…
Harvard’s Dan Lieberman’s Short Tutorial Video on How To Run: Do’s and Don’ts
Thank you, Barefoot Professor for this amazingly lucid, totally great video about proper running form. Harvard professor of evolutionary biology Daniel Lieberman gives five simple pointers on how he thinks you can run long distances better and injury-free. First of all, don’t overstride….
Lots More Olympic Coverage on NRC’s Facebook Page
Please visit our Facebook page here (and please don’t forget to “like” us if you haven’t already). You will find photos as well as links to a number of articles about the Olympics. Additionally, as you scroll down the timeline, you will find articles and photos on a wide range of running and health topics,…