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…
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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,…
Racing Shoes of the Women’s Marathon at the 2012 London Games
The start of the women’s marathon at the 2012 London Games was moments away. Here’s what a few of the 116 starters wore. Tiki Gelana, of Ethiopia, went on to set an Olympic record by winning the women’s marathon in 2:23:07. Americans Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher finish 10th and 11th.
Running Attire and Footwear for a 1904 Olympic Marathoner
*** For the first several Olympics, there weren’t any clothing requirements for athletes. At that time, the Olympics were not yet considered a nationalistic competition among countries but of amateur athletes competing against each other. According to Marathon and Beyond, “Many of these athletes were sponsored by athletic clubs or colleges, but often the Olympic…
Hiking the John Muir Trail Barefoot
Cody Marsh is one of our original running specialists at Two Rivers Treads when we opened the nation’s first minimalist shoe store two years ago in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He came to us as a creative and smart high school student who loved to run, loved nature, loved adventure, and loved helping others. In fact,…
A Flawless Demonstration of Proprioception
*** The balance beam is one of women’s gymnastics toughest and most difficult events. There is almost zero margin for error. As we have seen in the London Olympics, even the most talented gymnasts often slip, stumble, or fall off the narrow wooden beam. But the balance beam is more than just about maintaining one’s…
What American Runners Wore at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics
You Don’t Have to Run in Pain: Second Installment of “Voice from the Running Shoe Store Floor”
An early adopter of minimalism, Jim Hixson was the former general manager of an independent running retail store in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to currently being a running retail store consultant, Jim now writes a regular column for the Natural Running Center called “Voice From the Running Shoe Store Floor.” — NRC ***…
M-Factor: Trends and News in Minimalist Running (Second Edition)
Welcome to the second edition of the M-Factor, a regular feature of the Natural Running Center that provides readers with the latest trends and news in the minimalist running world. – Nick Pang and Bill Katovsky *** In our first M-Factor column, we asked, “where is minimalism headed?” The answer is a steady increase of…
Revisiting Triathlon After 17 Years: Triathletes are Still Overtraining!
It’s a pleasure to share this thought-provoking essay by Dr. Phil Maffetone with Natural Running Center readers. Phil’s reach into the world of triathlon began when the sport was still in its infancy; and thankfully, his influence continues to this day. There’s a reason why his teachings and writings on training, racing, and nutrition will…
“On the Run” –Amazing Short Film from New Zealand
Every now and then, you come across an old movie or documentary that stops you right in your tracks. “On the Run,” a 1979 documentary about New Zealand’s legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard and his training methods is one such treat. In this 19-minute short film, you are witness to some amazing footage as Lydiard’s…
For Those Who Love to Run While on the Road….
Print out these (larger size), get them laminated, and you can have your very own personalized hotel-room doorknob cards. Source: www.facebook.com/runningquotes
“Voice From the Running Shoe Store Floor”: Why Minimalism Matters with Runners
An early adopter of minimalism, Jim Hixson was the former general manager of an independent running retail store in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to currently being a running retail store consultant, Jim will be writing a regular column for the Natural Running Center called “Voice From the Running Shoe Store Floor.” Here’s the opening…
Cleveland Running Company’s Jeff Fisher Discusses Vibram FiveFingers with Sports Talk Show Host Tony Rizzo
“The Really Big Show” is a top-rated sports talk radio show that’s broadcast every morning from 9-12 on WKNR-AM in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a primary affiliate of ESPN Radio. So when Jeff Fisher, the owner of Cleveland Running Company (the Natural Running Center store affiliate is actually based in nearby Shaker Heights), found out…