I already posted this to Facebook, but I figured that I might as well blog about my brush with awesomeness.
I wrote an email to the Maple Grove Barefoot Guy about how I got started in barefoot running for his Fan Friday feature. He and I had a very interesting email conversation that turned into this post.
Most impressively, he took my initial book-length email and all the long long responses to his questions and condensed it into something cohesive and readable.
So, for all of my reading masses (both of you, thanks mom!), head over there and check it out. And read the MGBG’s blog, it oozes awesome from every crevasse.
Very cool article. I can see that paleo man ran, a lot, and that we are designed for it (much as I hate it), but what of the injuries that come from running? Is there evidence suggesting that barefoot running or frontstrike or whatever more natural gait is less prone to injury? Because the handful of long-time distance runners I know all have knee issues as a result.
I suppose the counter to that would be that cavemen didn’t run on concrete or asphalt, or didn’t live long enough for their knee joints and cartilage to wear out.
There is evidence, although nothing concrete that I’m aware of, that running with a forefoot strike and a more natural gait (barefoot or otherwise) is less prone to injury. The basics of it is that rather than landing on the heel and having the force of the impact sent through locked joints and bone, landing on the forefoot under your center of gravity redirects it. Specifically, the arch of the foot compresses, and the force is transmitted through the achilles, the calf, and around through the quad.
Read “Born to Run”, he does a better job in breaking it down.
Take a look at this. I haven’t read the whole thing yet, but I found it this morning:
http://sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm