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…
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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…
Natural Running Center’s Library
Our virtual library at the Natural Running Center is a breeze to use. Plus, there’s no late fees or someone shushing you to keep quiet. Our filing system is quite simple. Articles are divided into the following categories: 1.) General Information 2.) Sports Medicine Journal and Academic Research 3.) Science of Running 4.) Reading on…
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…
Top 10 Most-Anticipated Minimalist Trail Running Shoes of 2013
by Nick Pang. Just like the minimalist road running shoes of 2013, these trail shoes will be lower to the ground at 6mm or less, lightweight, moderate cushioning, and some protection. Footwear manufacturers like Merrell, New Balance, and Inov-8 are coming out with shoes for the full minimal shoes spectrum – from the beginner to the…
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…
Body Asymmetries: How Past Injuries Can Affect a Runner’s Gait
What is meant by “body asymmetry?” The term is used to describe when both parts of the body don’t line up or appear in sync. It could be as simple as having a left foot slightly longer or wider than your right one. For runners, body asymmetry can mean a drooping right shoulder or outward-turning…
Treating Running Injuries: Form vs Footwear
The following article was published in the January 2013 issue of Podiatry Management, by Dr. Nick Campitelli,DPM, FACFAS Podiatrist, Foot and Ankle Surgeon. It can also be found on his blog. As he states in an introductory note, “it was written on behalf of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine and I am honored…
Testing 120 Running Shoe Models in 1979: What Running Times Magazine Learned from Its Hotly Debated Study
Ed Ayres, who has been running competitively for 55 consecutive years, was the founding editor and publisher of Running Times magazine. Ayres has competed in over 600 long-distance races, including finishing third in the inaugural New York City Marathon. He’s also the author of the new book, “The Longest Race: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic…
The Transition Shoe for Minimalist and Natural Runners
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…
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…