I want to share an inspiring piece about Lopez Lomong, a South Sudanese-born American track and field star and his new U.S. 5,000 meter indoor record, that was sent to me from my friend Phil Wharton. Phil and his father Jim have been innovators in the evaluation and retraining of runners for injury prevention and…
Author: BillK
Avoid Injury: Make Slow Transition to Barefoot-style Running Shoes
Barefoot running is back in the news. Or rather barefoot-style running shoes. It’s the kind of “news story” that has “legs”. Yet the media angle is often misleading. I will quote from the first sentence of the story that appeared on the International Business Times website earlier this week: “A recent study seems to indicate…
The Arch Isn’t a Nemesis for Runners: How The Foot Can Naturally Cure Plantar Fasciitis
A personal essay titled “The Mighty Arch: A Natural Cure for Plantar Fasciitis?” by Elf Martin on Softstar Shoe’s website recently caught our attention, and as a result, we posted a link to it on our Facebook page. Martin writes, “The explanation from the barefoot/minimalist shoe community is that arch supports act as a crutch…
Got Glutes?, Part Three: How Runners Can Further Increase Power and Performance by Having “Smart Behinds”
This instructional article/video is part 3 of a 3-part series. See part 1 and part 2 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 your behind is slow and…
Having a Good Time in New Orleans
I was recently in New Orleans and had a blast. It was a privilege to be part of a fun and inspiring running event that is the Rock and Roll. Jenni Peters and Ryan Green of Varsity Sports (an NRC Partner store) and Newton Running supported my trip and a number of talks. The highlight…
Video: Training for a Sub-4 Mile
In this new, superbly crafted video, we watch West Virginia High School Senior Jacob Burcham train for a sub-4 mile. If Burcham succeeds in his quest, he joins only a handful of other U.S. teen runners. Running Times correspondent and filmmaker Joel Wolpert follows Burcham as he prepares for his final season of high school…
Can Music Help You Run Faster? Dr. Phil Maffetone Says “Not” When You’re Actually Running
Many runners depend on their tunes to get through their workouts. Other runners never run with music, using the syncopated beats of their breathing or footstriking as their private cadence-like metronome to propel them forward. So, is there a right way or wrong way when it comes to music and running? …
Beware of Footstrike Studies Focusing on Only One Variable
A recent study of less than 40 East African tribesman showed that most land on their heels while running at a slow pace on a compliant surface (not pavement) and when they sped up most changed their pattern to midfoot landing. Some in the media then grabbed onto this small sample and somehow arrived at…
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…
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…
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…
Natural Running Center is Now on Facebook!
Natural Running Center is now on Facebook! We’ve been adding posts since late April. Lots of new stuff that you won’t find here on the NRC website. Like what, you ask? Here’s a sample: Fighting Father Time: Does Getting Older Automatically Mean Slower Times? A Mind-Blowingly Simple Way to Keep the Laces of Your Running…
Natural Running Camp for Youth
Grownups shouldn’t have all the fun when it comes to running naturally. This summer, Two Rivers Treads and For Love of Children’s Education Center will be hosting a Natural Running Camp for middle-school students from July 6-8, and high-school students from July 13-15. (Plans are underway to have an adult Natural Running Camp later in…