Discussion: are you going to world bare...
in: ebuckley; ebuckley > 2016-03-28
Mar 29, 2016 2:20 AM
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I'm really digging barefoot running, easing into it. it actually seems to be helping my achilles. I've done some reading, and the FFS places more force up the front of the lower leg, up the shin, and away from the back (achilles, calf). there are some studies that suggest, without gait retraining, traditionally shod runners retain their RFS and hurt themselves, so definitely have to retrain the foot strike. but what do I know, I'm not the one barefoot running for the past . . . 45 years! WHAT!
Mar 29, 2016 2:21 PM
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...well when you find yourself at work at quitting time, with only a pair of wingtips, I guess you do what you have to do to get home.
Fortunately when the brain begins to go, it is nice to have other options. :-)
Fortunately when the brain begins to go, it is nice to have other options. :-)
Mar 29, 2016 3:01 PM
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I don't think I'm running barefoot anymore recently than I usually do this time of year. For obvious reasons, I do less in the winter.
BTW, I am and always have been a recalcitrant heel striker. It is an incredibly efficient way to run. The fact that it limits you to around 5:30/mi isn't much of a problem for me, since I barely run 1 mile that fast these days. The important thing isn't WHERE you strike, but HOW. As long as the strike is light and directly under your center of gravity, your heel is plenty cushioned enough to handle the shock. That's why nature put that giant bone with a big fat pad there.
BTW, I am and always have been a recalcitrant heel striker. It is an incredibly efficient way to run. The fact that it limits you to around 5:30/mi isn't much of a problem for me, since I barely run 1 mile that fast these days. The important thing isn't WHERE you strike, but HOW. As long as the strike is light and directly under your center of gravity, your heel is plenty cushioned enough to handle the shock. That's why nature put that giant bone with a big fat pad there.
Apr 1, 2016 2:56 PM
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good point . . . the main article I read by Lieberman says he believes barefoot runners employ a larger variety of footstrikes, compared to shod runners . . . but that they tend to use more FFS than shod runners . . .
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/
Apr 2, 2016 2:38 AM
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That is certainly true, and forefoot running is probably best for distances where you can run the entire way (though my relative performance in shorter events isn't much different from that in ultras). Once you're into the distances where you have to take walk breaks (around 50mi-100K for me, depending on course), economy takes precedence over speed.
This discussion thread is closed.