Running Shoe-less
I had a dream the other night I was running, and it was one of the most freeing dreams ever.
Yesterday, I woke up and lived that dream. Shoeless.
For about two months now, I have gone "barefoot". I don't wear my normal shoes anymore, unless I have to (for professional meetings, etc). This all started when I started running about 10 months ago.
I started seriously running around October 2009. I had a pair of gym shoes at the time, a pair of sketchers, that I had been wearing for 2-3 years to workout. I lifted in them, ran in them, and they were pretty flat. When I was running, I noticed pains in my foot and knees while on the treadmill. So I switched to the elliptical for a while, which helped relieve the pain.
I went home over the winter break, and got a pair of Nike livestrong running shoes. I asked the attendant which running shoes were "better" and she remarked the following, "It really depends on the person. What I like, you might not like, because it depends on your own personal stride and whatnot". I saw other people with more expensive shoes that had spring loaded reflexes and padding that "conforms to your weak spots", all of which seemed very promising. But, I had a price limit, and although the more expensive shoes seemed promising, they were out of my reach. So, I got a cheapish pair ($65) with plenty of cushing. My feet aren't flat, but I don't have much of an arch at all, so I knew the extra support would be needed.
I went home over the winter break, and got a pair of Nike livestrong running shoes. I asked the attendant which running shoes were "better" and she remarked the following, "It really depends on the person. What I like, you might not like, because it depends on your own personal stride and whatnot". I saw other people with more expensive shoes that had spring loaded reflexes and padding that "conforms to your weak spots", all of which seemed very promising. But, I had a price limit, and although the more expensive shoes seemed promising, they were out of my reach. So, I got a cheapish pair ($65) with plenty of cushing. My feet aren't flat, but I don't have much of an arch at all, so I knew the extra support would be needed.
About a month into running on the treadmill with the new shoes, I started to develop shin splints. I was sure the pain was just "growing pains" and that my legs would adjust accordingly after a few weeks. Not only did the pain get worst by April, it got to the point where I could not even run anymore. My shin splints were killing me, to the point where even walking was painful. I eventually gave up running and started biking again, assuming that I was just not designed to run.
I could not have been farther from the truth.
Around the end of May, as the weather was warming up, a part of me wanted to get back on the trail. I got back into my Nike Livestrongs, and started to run. After a week , all of the pain I once had returned, with the same intensity as before. This is when I started researching running, and came across this guy: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8960621
What he said made intuitive sense, yet seemed so foreign. Everyone runs with padded shoes, we have been told forever that we needed support for our feet and that any /all of our pain came from lack of that support. So how would barefoot running actually cause you to have less pain?
I started reading his book called, "Born to Run", which is basically a book that lives true to its title. It goes into detail how humans are the only animals who can breathe, cool down, and run at the same time, how we are designed for long distance running, and how our modern technology is actually causing us more harm than it is good. (http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303).
How are we "born to run"? Well, it seems that answer lies in WHY we evolved to run. We, as humans, apparently evolved to run to hunt down animals. Human beings, it appears, are the only animals who can run and properly cooldown (via our virtually hairless bodies) as well as run and breathe. Most other animals use their mouths to cool down, and have a hard time breathing while running. So, while they may be initially faster, we humans can run longer at a lower cost. There are plenty of examples of this -- humans routinely beat out horses in long-distance runs. The notion for this lies in persistence hunting ( http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/krigbaum/proseminar/Bramble_Leib_2004_nature.pdf ), which is an theory regarding how we use to (and some populations still do) hunt animals. This is the why to human running, but what is the how, if it does not lie in padded shoes?
It seems the answer is in the physics. Apparently our feet are designed via evolution to handle the impact of running and walking. The padding that modern day shoes have mute the impact the foot has with the ground, thus changing the way we walk and run since the feedback we receive is different. Instead of running on the balls or front of our feet, we do something called "heel striking" which actually adds more force to our running, causing more problems with out knees and joints. To add insult to injury, it also weakens the muscles in your foot and legs, due to them not making contact with the ground and strengthening naturally.
The modern shoe was created in the 1970s. The padding was added with the intent to extend the human running stride, which would, theoretically, cause us to run faster. It succeeded in increasing our stride, but with that came a lot of other problems. Not only did it not increase our speed, but most people who run with the modern running shoe (70% - 85%) despite HOW much they run (i.e. one mile a day or 10 miles) will experience running injuries of some kind (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104122310.htm).
The big shoe companies have become aware of this, and have started to release minimalist shoes such as the "Nike Free" (http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/products/free5?blogSource=en_US) whose slogan is "run barefoot".
I got a pair of the Vibram Fivefinger KSO shoes (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_kso_m.cfm) about two months ago. The first month was very painful, but in a good way. I realized how weak my feet were, being trapped by shoes for most of my life. Over the last two months, they have strengthen a lot, but still have a way to go. I wear these shoes everywhere, and even sometimes just go completely bare. I love the way my feet connect with the ground. There is just so much more you can learn from actually connecting with the ground and feeling how your feet conforms to different surfaces. While I doubt I will go shoe-less, in the sense of having no shoes, I will not go back to padded shoes. Either vibram shoes, or other flat shoes are the way to go.
Did I mention that my shin splints are completely gone now?
More links:
In that diagram running barefoot, I find it interesting that shoes force you to run on your heels. I am pigeon toed and natural run on the balls of my feet because my foot stays relaxed (I look like a moron but I am happy for the diagram lol) I never had shin splits but the shoes tired out my legs since I didn't want to be on my heels. I have thought about getting a pair but worry about getting made fun of. I don't run but I walk and am on my feet most of the day and perhaps those shoes would make my feet ache less.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about the shape-up shoes? obviously this is the complete opposite of yours but just wondering :]
Lol it is brit! Im...eh. They are the complete opposite, because more padding inhibits your feedback from the ground. There have been reports of people wearing them and getting injured, although im not sure how wide spread the phenomenon is. The basic philosophy is that less is actually more, so you can receive the proper feedback from the ground and respond how you would naturally.
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about minimalist shoes? They basically are the same-ish, although you don't get the toe feedback-action as well. Here is a website that sells some so you can get the jist:
http://www.terraplana.com/vivobarefoot.php
And don't worry, people are always intrigued now by my shoes! haha