You have most probably seen some form of barefoot or minimalist footwear over the past couple of years, be it the Vibram Five Fingers or one of the other many brands out there. The surge in minimalist running over the past couple of years has been interesting, giving rise to a number of theories ranging from totally positive to dismissive tales of disdain.
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| Dr. Phil Maffetone, one of the original proponents of barefoot running http://philmaffetone.com |
Minimalist
running promotes freedom of one's foot strike, where the runner lands on his or
her forefoot, using the arch of the foot and Achilles tendon as a springboard.
Conventional running lends itself to the heel strike, where the well cushioned
heel area of the rigid running shoe allows the runner to land in a more
straight legged manner. The common ground between the two approaches would be
the mid-foot strike, which can be achieved in both forms of running but is more
often than not a born trait, as opposed to something that can be taught.
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| Minimalist shoes promote forefoot landing. |
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| Conventional running shoes have more heel cushioning, encouraging a heel or mid-foot strike. |
With
these opposing schools of thought becoming ever more prominent in magazines and
on website forums, it is important to have a basic understanding of what
exactly constitutes the minimalist versus conventional running argument. Try
the following experiment. Remove your shoes and walk barefoot on a patch of
grass. Notice how you naturally land on your heel whilst pushing off with your
forefoot. Next, break into a jog and pay attention to your foot strike. Your
landing strike has now shifted to the frontal area of your foot. You probably
couldn't land on your heel even if consciously tried to. Now try jogging with a
normal pair of running shoes. Notice how you are more inclined to land on your
heel? This is because conventional running shoes have extensive cushioning in
the heel area, allowing you to land on the ground in a similar way to that of
walking.
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| My eclectic collection of minimalist shoes. |
Cushioning
and running shoes have long been synonymous, where the overwhelming school of
thought has been the more cushioning the better. Add orthotics and other forms
of support into the equation and the Average Joe seemingly cannot run a few
metres down the road in anything other than a mattress on each foot. But given
that the first “engineered” running shoes only began appearing in the
mid-1970s, how is it possible that the athletes of the preceding era were able
to cover all distances at warp speed in shoes that today might regarded as
plimsoles or “tekkies?”
How did Roger Bannister
break the four-minute mile in footwear baring more of resemblance to slippers?
What about Zola Budd and
her innate ability in the middle distances sans shoes?
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| Zola Budd http://www.runnerslife.co.uk |
The
answer may be right at home. Let's face it; we live in a society where an
active childhood is on the wane, what with the digital revolution virtually
encouraging kids to stay indoors instead of playing outside. Running around
outside barefoot or spending all day in the park is not as prevalent as in
previous generations. This sedentary lifestyle coupled with the wearing of
over-engineered and cushioned shoes certainly lends itself to physical problems
in later life.
Which brings us to current minimalist running trend. While the whole philosophy of barefoot running is a brilliant notion, we have to remember that most runners in the Western world have been using footwear over the past four decades that is anything but minimalist in nature. Starting with the Nike Air Pegasus running shoe model of the mid-1970s, runners form has evolved into the heel striking phenomenon resulting in excessive over-striding and heavy landing. This led to many runners developing poor form and the subsequent imbalances and injuries as a result. This is not to say that the cushioned running shoe was the root of all injuries, but it certainly contributed significantly to this epidemic.
Contrast the running form of an above-average Western runner to that of an African counterpart. The main distinction between the two would be stride turnover, or cadence. The Western runner would almost always take far less steps than that of his or her African counterpart, which is telling given the differences in lifestyle of the two. The African runner has most probably had a rural upbringing, where footwear would be limited to flat sandals if footwear was an option in the first place. They have naturally developed foot strength due the necessity of their “minimalist” footwear. They therefore tread lightly due to walking barefoot on dirt roads, which would have a Westerner seemingly “walking over hot coals” if they were subjected to the same living conditions.
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| African runners learn proper running form out of necessity. |
The
shorter stride of the African runner is therefore a direct result of their
background, resulting in their superior running form and ability to run in
lightweight shoes that cause so many a Western runner pulled calf and soleus
muscles. If you have ever been to a road running race in South Africa, there
most often than not would be a few African runners present who run barefoot on
the tarmac. This would be deemed suicidal by most Westerners, but these African
runners are natural conditioned to run this way from childhood onwards.
Which brings us to the term “conditioning” - so often confused with the term “training”. Most Western runners are simply not conditioned to run in minimalist shoes “cold turkey”. Yet with the recent rise of the minimalist industry and Christopher McDougall's excellent book “Born to Run”, more and more people seem to be going barefoot, but in a blindly impulsive manner. The key to becoming adept in minimalist running is gradual adaptation and conditioning; you have to start slow and see barefoot running as complementary to your normal running routine.
The first step would be to walk barefoot as much as possible, using your leisure time to be shoeless as often as possible. If you are fortunate enough to have a relaxed working environment where dress code is not an issue, try and spend most of your day barefoot or wearing a pair of minimalist shoes. A daily walk break in these shoes would be of great benefit, not just as an initial conditioning tool, but also as daily habit for optimum health and well-being.
After a month of this natural and low impact approach, incorporate slow jogging on grass or sand without shoes once or twice a week, for 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the duration until you can comfortably cover 30-40 minutes, an optimal addition to your regular running schedule. This could be an ideal warm down from one of your usual runs or merely a jog to the shop to buy the newspaper. The key here is to incorporate minimalist running into your daily life as opposed to a complete overhaul of you running regimen. This may have a vague resemblance to the earlier description of the African runner's background; running forming part of their daily existence, be it to the shop, to school or around the maize fields.
During these short jogs, you may notice that you are taking far more steps than you would if running in normal running shoes. This is an excellent indicator of learning proper running form; take the stride rate that you notice whilst running “minimalist” and apply it as best as you can to when running in conventional shoes. The shorter striding and increased steps would result in a softer landing, which in turn would mean greater shock absorbing effect; tiptoeing or running like an animal so to speak – short, soft, rhythmic steps using your instinct as a guide.
Many people who I have encountered have their own stories to tell about their barefoot experience, some totally positive while others have become quickly injured.
Last year, whilst in Namibia, I was chatting to the owner of a leading Windhoek bicycle shop who is a former elite cyclist and triathlete. He still competes at a high level despite his rather curtailed training hours due to his family and business commitments. After commenting to him about his shop's stocking of the Vibram Five Fingers brand, he revealed that he has totally converted all of his running to the minimalist type, even running on tarmac in the aforementioned “shoe” brand. Having done a course in Lynotherapy, he explained the whole idea of the forefoot landing versus heel striking limitation in great detail. Having undergone knee surgery in his youth and with his stocky build, minimalist running has clearly been the way forward for him, thus enhancing his athletic longevity.
Another fellow I encountered – a regular at the local watering hole – has also suffered recurring running and back injuries and had all but given up running has a past time. Unable to exercise as much as he would like, the inevitable weight gain occurred together with the sense of worthlessness that extended periods of injury causes. A few months later, a chance encounter with a friend convinced him to try Lynotherapy, a form of therapy of which minimalist running is highly promoted. Coupled with the aggressive therapy and balancing techniques that is Lynotherapy, he has converted to a pair of Inov8 lightweight shoes and is a new man. His back no longer gives him problems and he has resumed running using the minimalist technique, losing 15 kilograms in the process.
Others have not been so enamored by the barefoot craze. More often than not, these people are already highly experienced or competitive runners who see minimalist “shoes” as just that: another pair of shoes to lace up and pound out their regular mileage without any consideration for form, stride length or running surface. After a few weeks, they usually develop shin splints or some other lower leg injury and chuck the notion of anything minimalist. I recall seeing one fellow running in the Vibram Five Fingers whilst driving to work the other morning. This guy must have had a stride cadence of well under fifty steps per minute, which is practically bounding as opposed to running! I winced at what I was witnessing and could hear the screams of his soleus muscles buckling under the pressure.
Generally speaking, the success stories of minimalist running have been those with chronic back pain or running injuries who have tried this approach as last resort. They tend to get proper advice with regards to shoes and techniques and given their long hiatus' are more inclined to proceed with extreme caution. A gradual build-up sees them bounce back beyond their wildest expectations and are totally blown away by their new found agility. This in turn has knock on effect where a positive attitude replaces their long periods of woe and they move on with their lives with renewed vigor.
The key is to find a balance between conventional and minimalist running, with some people leaning more to one technique as opposed to the other. Very few runners successfully transition to a total minimalist approach. Some folks will tend to take to minimalist running like the proverbial duck to water, whilst others will suffer setbacks in their quest for the perfect formula. That said, everybody can benefit in some way from going barefoot, no matter what the dose.
Which brings us to the term “conditioning” - so often confused with the term “training”. Most Western runners are simply not conditioned to run in minimalist shoes “cold turkey”. Yet with the recent rise of the minimalist industry and Christopher McDougall's excellent book “Born to Run”, more and more people seem to be going barefoot, but in a blindly impulsive manner. The key to becoming adept in minimalist running is gradual adaptation and conditioning; you have to start slow and see barefoot running as complementary to your normal running routine.
The first step would be to walk barefoot as much as possible, using your leisure time to be shoeless as often as possible. If you are fortunate enough to have a relaxed working environment where dress code is not an issue, try and spend most of your day barefoot or wearing a pair of minimalist shoes. A daily walk break in these shoes would be of great benefit, not just as an initial conditioning tool, but also as daily habit for optimum health and well-being.
After a month of this natural and low impact approach, incorporate slow jogging on grass or sand without shoes once or twice a week, for 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the duration until you can comfortably cover 30-40 minutes, an optimal addition to your regular running schedule. This could be an ideal warm down from one of your usual runs or merely a jog to the shop to buy the newspaper. The key here is to incorporate minimalist running into your daily life as opposed to a complete overhaul of you running regimen. This may have a vague resemblance to the earlier description of the African runner's background; running forming part of their daily existence, be it to the shop, to school or around the maize fields.
During these short jogs, you may notice that you are taking far more steps than you would if running in normal running shoes. This is an excellent indicator of learning proper running form; take the stride rate that you notice whilst running “minimalist” and apply it as best as you can to when running in conventional shoes. The shorter striding and increased steps would result in a softer landing, which in turn would mean greater shock absorbing effect; tiptoeing or running like an animal so to speak – short, soft, rhythmic steps using your instinct as a guide.
Many people who I have encountered have their own stories to tell about their barefoot experience, some totally positive while others have become quickly injured.
Last year, whilst in Namibia, I was chatting to the owner of a leading Windhoek bicycle shop who is a former elite cyclist and triathlete. He still competes at a high level despite his rather curtailed training hours due to his family and business commitments. After commenting to him about his shop's stocking of the Vibram Five Fingers brand, he revealed that he has totally converted all of his running to the minimalist type, even running on tarmac in the aforementioned “shoe” brand. Having done a course in Lynotherapy, he explained the whole idea of the forefoot landing versus heel striking limitation in great detail. Having undergone knee surgery in his youth and with his stocky build, minimalist running has clearly been the way forward for him, thus enhancing his athletic longevity.
Another fellow I encountered – a regular at the local watering hole – has also suffered recurring running and back injuries and had all but given up running has a past time. Unable to exercise as much as he would like, the inevitable weight gain occurred together with the sense of worthlessness that extended periods of injury causes. A few months later, a chance encounter with a friend convinced him to try Lynotherapy, a form of therapy of which minimalist running is highly promoted. Coupled with the aggressive therapy and balancing techniques that is Lynotherapy, he has converted to a pair of Inov8 lightweight shoes and is a new man. His back no longer gives him problems and he has resumed running using the minimalist technique, losing 15 kilograms in the process.
Others have not been so enamored by the barefoot craze. More often than not, these people are already highly experienced or competitive runners who see minimalist “shoes” as just that: another pair of shoes to lace up and pound out their regular mileage without any consideration for form, stride length or running surface. After a few weeks, they usually develop shin splints or some other lower leg injury and chuck the notion of anything minimalist. I recall seeing one fellow running in the Vibram Five Fingers whilst driving to work the other morning. This guy must have had a stride cadence of well under fifty steps per minute, which is practically bounding as opposed to running! I winced at what I was witnessing and could hear the screams of his soleus muscles buckling under the pressure.
Generally speaking, the success stories of minimalist running have been those with chronic back pain or running injuries who have tried this approach as last resort. They tend to get proper advice with regards to shoes and techniques and given their long hiatus' are more inclined to proceed with extreme caution. A gradual build-up sees them bounce back beyond their wildest expectations and are totally blown away by their new found agility. This in turn has knock on effect where a positive attitude replaces their long periods of woe and they move on with their lives with renewed vigor.
The key is to find a balance between conventional and minimalist running, with some people leaning more to one technique as opposed to the other. Very few runners successfully transition to a total minimalist approach. Some folks will tend to take to minimalist running like the proverbial duck to water, whilst others will suffer setbacks in their quest for the perfect formula. That said, everybody can benefit in some way from going barefoot, no matter what the dose.
