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…
Author: BillK
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….
Sole Searching: What is the Ideal Tread Thickness in a Minimalist Running Shoe?
by Steven Sashen. To answer this question, let’s begin with a simple Pop Quiz: Which of the following fictitious shoes gives you more of a barefoot feel: a.) ASICs Nuttin’-2C with a 10mm thick sole b.) Brooks Zilch-City with a 1mm thick sole If you answered B, you’re mistaken. But if you answered A, you’re…
The Cucuzzella Kids Can Run!
Two weekends ago, our small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia was bustling with activity and runners. It was the third annual Freedom’s Run, of which I am the race director. From the start we intended to make this a small town event with scenery, history, fun, local flavor, and low fees compared to the big…
Sciatica, More than a Pain in the Butt, and Why It’s Often Misdiagnosed; Real Culprit is Piriformis Syndrome
Dr. Stephen Gangemi, aka the “Sock Doc” discusses some natural and effective ways to deal with low back, hip, and leg pain as well as what is known as piriformis syndrome. Also, Dr. Gangemi discusses sciatica – how it is often misdiagnosed and how it can be treated.– NRC In this video I discuss…
Ask the Experts: Dealing with Sore Calves and Achilles Tendon Discomfort
Dear Mark, I follow your site and blog and your writings have been a powerful influence in getting me to start running again at age 48. After many years and many injuries I finally heeded to the doctors’ advice that “running causes injuries” and “running is not for everyone.” Doctors and experts told me that…
“It’s Tough to Re-learn How to Run” (for Some People)
Pete Larson, aka Runblogger and Natural Running Center science advisor, has recently written an essay that he calls “a giant brain dump” on Vibram Fivefingers, barefoot running, shoes, heel strikes, loading rates, and injury risk. Most of that article is reposted here. Thanks Pete for allowing our readers access into your big scientific brain. –NRC…
Get Your Kids Into Minimalist Shoes to Ensure Natural Foot Development
As a family physician, I firmly believe that children should play in their bare feet or in activity shoes that complement natural foot development and proper biomechanics of movement. Runners, walkers, coaches, and the medical community are all awakening to the benefits of allowing proper natural foot motion to occur in all of our daily…
The 1:59 Marathon, Part 2: Developing Aerobic Speed
Here’s Part Two of the “1:59 Marathon” series by Dr. Phil Maffetone. Good timing! Several days ago, Patrick Makau of Kenya set a new world record at the Berlin marathon, going 2 hours 3 minutes 38 seconds and eclipsing the previous record holder, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, who had run 2:03:59 in Berlin in 2008. (Gebrselassie dropped out…
Good Barefoot Running Form: “Objectively” Unlearning Past Bad Habits
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…
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…
Learning from Pain: A Runner’s Lament
by Jim Everhart. Can we make pain our friend? The so-called King of One-Liners, Henny Youngman, had a famous riff on the medical profession that included my all-time favorite line on pain management: “I went to the doctor myself and I said, ‘Doc, it hurts when I do that.’” Youngman raised an arm. “The Doc …
Winning the Air Force Marathon: Natural Running Center’s Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, 44, Placed First in 2:38
When I got the email late Saturday morning from Mark with just two words in the subject line, “I won!”, my digital jaw dropped in astonishment. Just a few weeks shy of his 45th birthday, Mark topped a field of 2,500 runners at the 2011 Air Force Marathon, which started and finished at the Wright-Patterson…
First Lydiard Coaching Seminar Attracted Running Legends
by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella. I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the first Lydiard Invitational Coaching Seminar in Boulder, Colorado this past weekend. It was humbling to be in the room with running legends of the past and present, hear their stories, and listen as they shared lessons learned and “secrets” they figured…
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…
VivoBarefoot Aquas — Ideal for Everyday Use and Comfort
By Pete Larson. I’ve gotten a number of emails recently from readers asking about what type of shoe I wear to work. Given that I’ve spent most of the past 4 months either in sandals, barefoot, or in running shoes (i.e., summer attire for a college prof), none of those are likely the answer that…
VivoBarefoot Kids Shoe Giveaway
On Sunday, less than 24 hours after Hurricane Irene roared through the region, the day was calm, the sky blue, and the sidewalk outside Two Rivers Treads in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was filled with excited kids and their parents. They were there for the VivoBarefoot Kids Shoe Giveaway. Earlier in the week, I had sent…
Going 1:59: What It Takes to Become Marathon’s Roger Bannister — New Series by Dr. Philip Maffetone
Over the next several weeks on the Natural Running Center website, Dr. Phil Maffetone will thoroughly examine all facets — physical as well as mental –of what it will take to go 1:59 in the 26.2-mile marathon. He believes it’s “no longer a question of if, who, or when, but how.” Part One questions the…