Agree with above.
They are slower than ultra runners, yet possess an arrogance that they are hipsters because they run barefoot and you run "shod".
Never mind they are running 8 to 10+ miles per minute pace.
Agree with above.
They are slower than ultra runners, yet possess an arrogance that they are hipsters because they run barefoot and you run "shod".
Never mind they are running 8 to 10+ miles per minute pace.
8 to 10 miles per minute?
Running some barefoot is ok. But i hate people who do all their miles barefoot and feel that they're bad ass. They're the people who run 30 min 5k's.
I'm throwing out all my shoes for a chance to run 8 to 10 miles per minute. That's gonna get me some medals, but unfortunately, no shoe deals.
I think barefoot is extreme but so are these superthick trainers. My shoe of choice:
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/ASC1366/
Pricey though. This one looks interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/Saucony-Mens-KilKenny-Flat-Racing/dp/B001U0PV80/ref=pd_sbs_sg_3
Very cheap.
Out.
barefootin it wrote:
I'm throwing out all my shoes for a chance to run 8 to 10 miles per minute. That's gonna get me some medals, but unfortunately, no shoe deals.
most runners who do so for fitness are the 8-10 min/mile class. no one in America wants to do like Abebe Bikila and log 100mpw barefoot. I wouldn't. But some barefoot strides on the grass are NICE
The guy in the article wrote:
I often get asked what I thing about barefoot running.
...and I stopped reading there.
People should know that Eastern Block pretty researched to death all the best training methods (as well as PEDs). We got carbo-loading and plyometrics as well as refinements in periodization. In all their research with their thousands of test subjects/athletes, barefoot running was never looked upon as a valid training method. This should end the argument as far "elite" running goes.
In the past 20 years, the has not been an elite runner who trains primarily barefoot. Even the EAst Africans with their "Bikila running barefoot" tradition train in shoes. You would think there would at least be a few runners trying to emulate their legend.
Most of the original research done on shoes vs barefoot was performed on comparing feet of barefoot populations vs shoewearing populations. So in reality it only validates the positive of effects of barefoot WALKING (not running, since people walk a lot more than they run to perform their daily activities).
It's good to know the East Germans were able to figure everything out in the realm of sports science. So I guess we can just stop all research and experimentation with respect to training and methods and just go off the DDR schedules?
Japanese professional road racers do all their training in shoes that are a lot closer to the ground than their non-Asian counterparts, and they do pretty well for themselves.
doing all of your running barefoot is dumb. Incorporating some barefoot into your training routine is smart.
uh_no wrote:
The guy in the article wrote:I often get asked what I thing about barefoot running.
...and I stopped reading there.
why would that cause you to stop reading?
Bottomline wrote:
People should know that Eastern Block pretty researched to death all the best training methods (as well as PEDs). We got carbo-loading and plyometrics as well as refinements in periodization. In all their research with their thousands of test subjects/athletes, barefoot running was never looked upon as a valid training method. This should end the argument as far "elite" running goes.
And of course science has made zero progress since then.
barefoot running is awesome. few people (elite or otherwise) run barefoot most of the time because many surfaces like rocky trails, gravel, etc. are very tough to run barefoot if not downright impossible. and it takes time to build up foot strength to run barefoot, most elites are more concerned about getting in hardcore training. however running on grass, dirt, or roads or sidewalks is great. i think the best way to go though is do most of your running in real thin minimalist shoes (i've been in the free 3.0's, more recently the asics pirahnas, and just got the onitsuka tai chi which is the ultimate minimalist shoe) and do some barefoot running on the side.
there is nothing dumb about running barefoot. just like there is nothing dumb about eating fruits and vegetables as opposed to processed foods or like there is nothing dumb about doing body weight exercises to strength train instead of using machines that isolate a single muscle.
the absence of unneeded technology does not make things dumb.
oh and also i just read the article posted by the OP and that article is terrible! you can't just claim that there is no scientific evidence about the benefits of barefoot running and pretend its true. there is lots of scientific evidence and ZERO evidence on the benefits or big bulky trainers. not to mention the common sense conclusion that comes from the fact that for many thousands of years humans have run barefoot and only in the past few decades have we suddenly "needed" giant foam insulation to protect our feet from the evil ground. the article says concrete is the reason we need shoes. dude, try running barefoot once, concrete is way easier to run on than a trail with roots and rocks and sticks on it.
a friend i run with tells me how he hates barefoot runners. so we were on a run the other day and he was telling me how stupid my onitsuka tai chi's are and how stupid i am for wearing them. i was like where does this hate come from. i don't call him stupid for wearing bulky trainers. why are people who buy into the running shoe industry's propaganda so afraid of what comes so naturally to all humans.
the man with two feet wrote:
i think the best way to go though is do most of your running in real thin minimalist shoes (i've been in the free 3.0's, more recently the asics pirahnas, and just got the onitsuka tai chi which is the ultimate minimalist shoe) and do some barefoot running on the side.
I run in free 3.0s too. I'd like something similar, except without the heel build up that exists on the free. How are those onitsuka tai chis? They look flat, but not as flexible in the body of the shoe or sole. Do you train in them or just race in them?
His whole article is just attacking minimalists. He makes no arguments for the running shoe side either and says since concrete has been invented, we now need running shoes. No elaboration beyond that. If concrete is your argument for our need for shoes, then shouldn't shoes just offer cushioning similar to what a dirt trail would give you? Wouldn't that cancel the two out? So, what's the need for all the pronation control, elevated heel, unnecessary cushioning, "roll bars", etc.?
Running shoes should offer protection from glass, nails, etc., and very minimal cushioning. That's it.
Running barefoot is not dumb, being a zealot for running barefoot is. As runners we should decide what works for us. As I have had knee problems and PF while running in shoes I decided to try barefoot as an attempt at being able to continue running. For me it has worked, perhaps too well, the minute I run in shoes my PF returns with a vengeance. My son runs college cross country and track on a scholarship and the last thing I would recommend for him is barefoot, what he is doing works for him so don’t mess with it. A lot of barefoot runners would disagree with me but I don’t think most western runners can run faster barefoot, shoes allow us a comfort zone where we can concentrate on different aspects of our running, and most of us grew up wearing shoes so we need that comfort to run our fastest. In my case speed isn’t my concern, I fall into the 8-10 minute miles mentioned above, and I know at that pace some of you don’t even consider me a runner. My whole concern is trying to stay healthy so that I can continue running (albeit slowly) for a long time.
If one result of running barefoot is that one moves to a forefoot stride, because of the lack of protection for the heel, to what extent does minimalist running allow one to keep running either heel-striking or mid-foot?
And the big question: why don't elites run barefoot?
cmurph wrote:
uh_no wrote:...and I stopped reading there.
why would that cause you to stop reading?
I think it is because he spelled 'think' incorrectly. It is hard to take someone seriously when they can't spell.
The OP agrees with the article.
In extreme synthesis, the writer of the article states his dislike for fanatical barefoot runners.
Personal expereience leads me to imagine that fanatics in any arena are widely disliked.
So that's not very interesting a very interesting post. Then again, I have also posted uninteresting information.
It can happen.
As far as barefoot pace is concerned here are some stats:
Age 45, times are generally improving.
Racing: (asphalt, grass, tartan)
10k in 38:00
1hr on track, just under 15k
Marathon in 3h27
Speed training:
100s between 14-15s
200s betwenn 39-31s
400s between 75-80s
Similiar results in vibram fivefingers on rugged terrain.
I still have shoes in my home, i still wear them when neceessary.
Started more than 5 years ago.
Injury free for the time being.
I would call myself several things, never a fanatic.