You were born with perfect feet. So what happened along the way? The human foot is designed such that the toes are spread and extended. This allows for optimal balance and stride. In societies where mainly flip-flops or sandals are used, foot integrity is maintained through life and foot problems are avoided. In industrialized societies however, the foot’s…
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Effective Fat Burning for Energy Will Lower Your Times and Shed Weight
by Mark Cucuzzella, M.D. There is a scene from “The Matrix” where Morpheus shows Neo two pills. “This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red…
Elastic Recoil
A key difference between walking and proper (mid- and forefoot) running is how the foot muscles work, and, in particular, the energy used for propulsion. The walking body acts more like an inverted pendulum, swinging along step-by-step, literally vaulting over stiff legs with locked knees. Muscles use the body’s metabolic energy created by conversion of…
Cadence
Humans move in an incredibly similar fashion regarding cadence or tempo. It may be hard to believe, but most of us all run about 180 steps per minute. Anyone who is healthy normally walks at a basic pace of about 120 steps per minute. Even during our daily activity has been shown to have a…
VivoBarefoot: All About Proprioception (the “Sixth Sense'”)
Free downloadable eBook from VIVOBarefoot and written by world-renowned U.K. barefoot running coach Lee Saxby.With forewords from Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run and Harvard University’s “Barefoot Professor” Daniel Lieberman. The eBook delivers step-by-step guide to reducing injury and reawakening the innate skill of running, and demystifies proprioception, the secret to optimum performance. Topics covered: 1. We Have Forgotten…
12 Visualization Cues to Help You Run More Efficiently
by Lieutenant Colonel (Dr.) Dan Kuland, U.S. Air Force Chief of Health Promotion. I spent many years as a high-jumper battling gravity. The world record holder at the time was Valery Brumel from Siberia. Brumel combined physical ability, sound training, and mental imagery to jump seven feet six inches. My coach took special note of…
Pronation and Supination
During walking and running, pronation and supination normally occur in the foot. Pronation is important for optimal movement and shock absorption. During foot strike, many changes take place—the foot begins to roll inward, everting slightly, and the arch flattens. This is called pronation. It is a normal action—one that occurs in every step in every…
New National Barefoot Run Series Sponsored by Merrell (Of Course You Can Race in Shoes!)
The Merrell Naked Foot 5K is the first race of its kind in the country- participants bring a pair of shoes to donate and then run the race barefoot or in minimalist footwear. Here are the cities and dates: Santa Barbara, CA; May 21; Boulder, CO: June 18 ; Minneapolis, MN: August 20; Grand Rapids, MI:…
Inov-8’s Approach to Injury-Free Minimalist Footwear
Inov-8, a favorite footwear among billy-goating trail runners, was born on the other side of the pond. This British company recently published a detailed info page on its website summarizing some of the ongoing research concerning barefoot and minimalist running. Another smart innovative touch is its decision to come out with a “transition booklet” to help…
Nike Free Design — An “Evolution” in Thinking
Tobie Hatfield (Nike Innovation Kitchen Director) and Jeff Pisciotta (Nike Sports Research Lab Director) discuss Nike Free Design in this just-released video (March 2011.) As Hatfield says, it’s been an evolving process of learning ever since the Frees were first introduced in 2004, as Nike continues its research and study of “barefoot in motion.”
Will It Blend?–Two Nike Running Shoes and the Free’s Sole Get Pulverized in a Blender
Mad kitchen-scientist Tom Dickson has delighted millions of YouTube viewers with the all-powerful blender called the Blendtec. The whirling blades have destroyed golf balls, light bulbs, iPhones and iPads, and much more. In this video, the diabolical Dickson makes a foul-tasting, unSmoothie out of a Nike Air Max 90 from the early 90s, a sole from the…
Barefoot Persistence Hunting on the Sea Floor
Man first emerged from the depths of sea as a fish with fins-turned-shortened limbs that over hundreds of millions of years evolved into legs. From these humble ancestral origins emerged bipedalism, and in the blink of a cosmic eye, humans have gone from Stone Age hunters and gatherers to rulers of the planet. So it’s…
Running Relaxed and Efficient with Lee Saxby: Short Tutorial
Looking to improve your running form in just 80 seconds! This new gait and form video by U.K. barefoot running coach Lee Saxby, who closely works with VivoBarefoot, will help. Watch and learn, as Saxby offers a jazz musician’s rhythmic tempo-touch to a runner’s cadence on the treadmill: “1,2,1,2,1,2,3,4…” According to Saxby, “As…
Brooks Banks on “Float or Feel” for Launch of New Pure Running Shoes
Come this Fall, specialty running shoe stores will be selling a new line of Brooks footwear called the Pures. Deliberately eschewing the minimalist tag, these shoes still have a lot of minimalist features: lightweight, flexible soles, very little heel-to-toe drop. Citing extensive market research, Brooks claims that runners aren’t looking for “less” in a shoe;…
Desert Running in Vibram FiveFingers Improved My Cadence and Gait
By Coralee Thompson, M.D. I’ve been working out for much of my adult life, and since first meeting Dr.Phil Maffetone in 1997, running always included wearing very flat shoes. The past few years while living in the mountains of southern Arizona, we sometimes combine three activities that might include hiking, running, walking, biking and swimming….
How Do I Transition My Running to Minimalist Shoes?
by Mark Cucuzzella, M.D. This is a great question and one I get asked frequently. There isn’t a set formula that can be applied to all situations. There is a big difference between transitioning to a Newton shoe, a pair of FiveFingers, or completely barefoot. Newton shoes have more protection than your bare feet and…
Coolest Treadmill on the Planet
The Gait and Motion Laboratory at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia encompass 1,400 square feet and is available for private rental. And who could be blamed for never wanting to run again on a treadmill at the local gym after being spoiled on this state-of-the-art machine with computerized biofeedback?…
Should Runners Stretch Before Running?
Why is the running community so divided on this topic? Your junior high gym teacher probably required you to do a series of stretches at the beginning of each class. These exercises might have included toe touches and hamstring stretches. Proper form was usually neglected. But did these exercises actually warm up your muscles and…
Looking Beyond Dietary Fat and Heart Disease
by Dr. Phil Maffetone. The publishing of objective research plays an important part in our understanding of how the human body works. As scientific studies better demonstrate certain relationships between food and health, previous recommendations may be updated. The U.S. government, and others, often does this through their agencies such as the U.S. Department of…
Nike Free “Scribble Men” Commercial
ITB Syndrome: Avoid Icing, Stretching, and Orthotics
ITB Syndrome is a common and quite painful leg/knee injury that can leave runners, triathletes, and even cyclists out of commission for months. It often presents itself as pain on the outside of the leg, typically near the lower part of the knee. In this video, Sock Doc (aka Dr. Steve Gangemi) discusses the reasons…
What is Minimalist?
It’s to be expected that with any new footwear trend, a lack of consensus among manufacturers can often muddy the waters for runners. Minimalist shoes are a prime example of this happening. Nothing is to stop a company from marketing a shoe as minimalist, when in fact, it might appear anything but when compared to…
What is Zero Drop?
Zero Drop refers to the height differential between the shoe heel and toe area. Most conventional running shoes have an average drop of 12 mm, which places too much impact and stress on the heel region– and we know what happens next and it’s not good for runners. The runner’s cushioned heel strikes the ground…
Freedom’s Run In West Virginia on October 1, 2011
Come join us at the Freedom’s Run held in early Fall in colorful, leaf-changing West Virginia on October 1,2011. Five events– kids, 5K,10K, half-marathon, and marathon. Race director is Dr. Mark Cucazzella, owner of Two Rivers Treads in Sheperdstown and director of the Natural Running Center. For more info go here. And make sure you…
Putting on FiveFingers In Just 10 Seconds!
Many ardent fans of Vibram FiveFingers bellyache about how long it takes to slip on the barefoot shoes. But leave it to professional sword-swallower and ultrarunner Roderick Russell to tell you how to get VFFs on your eager feet in under 10 seconds. Hey, that’s about one second per toe, or just over a shade…