Traditional Media Influence
As the explosion of barefoot related media continues, interest seems to be at an all time high. Unfortunately many runners are taking the media attention and message regarding barefoot running as a statement that barefoot running will cure all that ails them.
This may just be wishful thinking on the runners’ part, or perhaps it is a misstated theme from the media.
Either way, the message that should be going out is twofold:
- Barefoot running can serve as a wonderful tool for improving your stride, running posture, and foot strength.
- The more barefoot running changes about your running (e.g. you can no longer heel strike), the slower and more carefully you should ease into it.
The people who seem to adapt most intelligently to running barefoot are those who are coming back from an injury. These folks are preprogrammed, almost scared, at going overboard. They ease into their training (usually not mixing shoes and barefoot) and allow their body to slowly adapt.
This is the perfect recipe for transitioning to barefoot successfully: a total break from traditional running shoes, starting completely from square one and easing into the transition.
People recovering from injuries are typically hyper sensitive to how their body feels and is reacting to training. This is a terrific asset for ensuring the runner is not overworking their previously underdeveloped muscles.
So potential barefooter’s out there, taking off your shoes may not resolve all that ails you, but if you’re careful and ease into things, you will be rewarded!
Recent Sources/Examples
- http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/12/barefoot.running/index.html
- http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319–6728-0,00.html
- http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100127/barefoot-running-laced-with-health-benefits
- http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/84273822.html
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123035045
Rob,
I agree with your stance that runners which are recovering from an injury seem to adopt barefoot or minimalist running much better. I agree because I feel that described my situation exactly. I got into the anti-shoe trend after busting up my knee in a footrace last year, and was hoping that I would be able to run without injury in the future by trying out minimalist shoes.
To be honest, what I think finally healed my patello-femoral pain was getting back out there and running barefoot. From an article I read, I suspect there is a naturally restorative aspect to running, for the human knee, that allows nutrients to reach the avascular (no blood vessels) cartilage in the knee. Theoretically the pneumatic pumping action of the knee compressing while running pushes fluid into the cartilage.
I suppose running with poor form in thick shoes hinders this process and could keep it from functioning properly. The high impact of heel striking probably exacerbates the problem too, eh?
The high impact heel strike definitely doesn’t seem quite “right”, and it looks like more and more research is stating as such. Obviously everyone is different, and it’s quite possible that some people would strive under such conditions, especially after conditioning themselves their whole lives for it.
I think there is something to be said for not forcing it and starting like a newborn. Most people who aren’t injured don’t want to take a few steps back in their training in order to be able to fully change things up. If you look at the greats in other sports though, they understand that they can not practice two different types of motion and hope one will rub off on the other (e.g. heel striking in shoes and midfoot/forefoot striking barefoot). When Tiger Woods has revamped his swing, he did not practice 50% of one swing and 50% of another.
If you split your millage between those two types of running I think you would completely retard your body.
Congrats on running injury free and thanks for the comments.
There are very few, if any, panaceas in life. Certainly barefoot running (BFR) is not one either. But I gave up a long time ago with thinking the media would accurately portray anything. Fair and Balanced is rare indeed.
So while its fun to talk and debate about the plusses and minuses of BFR, I’ve decided that the proof will be in the pudding. As more and more of use experience real benefits, over long periods of time, the real truth will become more accurately reported….
Enjoying the blog!
Thank you, and I do agree! I enjoy yours as well.