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-->>http://voices.yahoo.com/study-compares-barefoot-running-traditional-running-11077946.html?cat=7<<--
the lighter the better!
Barefoot running--a fad that has just about played itself out.MacDougall and a few others have made a ton of money from it. Real runners know what it is--a fad. Buy some minimalist shoes and skip the hype designed to fool the neophytes.
they defined 'experience barefoot runners'
as people that have run at least 40 miles in vibram 5 fingers.
Footwear doesn't matter, form does.
asdfghjkl wrote:
they defined 'experience barefoot runners'
as people that have run at least 40 miles in vibram 5 fingers.
Footwear doesn't matter, form does.
I'll have to pull out my hiking boots when I run my next marathon next weekend.
You could wear moon boots for all I care. Form trumps fancy shoes any day. If you have children, watch them run in the yard with their shoes off. Usually, perfect form. Our feet are desensitized after 20-30 years in shoes. They've become lazy & weak. A transition to more of a barefoot style of running should make you more efficient. It should be done slowly & with moderation to avoid injury.
While I can see how wearing a shoe with some cushioning increases effeciency as long as you have the same mechanics as without shoes, one research study really doesn't prove squat. It only showed that that is how subjects performed in this one study. In addition, the sample size was small compared to quality research standards.
McDougal's book has inspired a lot of people to pursue better running. I for one, can now run without shin splints, which is something I haven't been able to do since highschool (a long time ago). Not because I run barefoot, but because it made me aware of how important form was and let me see that changing the type of shoes I wear to run in could have an impact on this.
If barefoot running is a fad, it will fade out because the publications quit giving it attention, and if it continues for decades, it will because the publications keep giving it attention. Whether it stays or goes has no bearing on how valid or invalid it is to pursue.
People don't understand that you don't have to run barefoot to get the benefits of barefoot running. The Kinvaras and Lunaracers can get you almost the same benefits while running but can more importantly improve your form without beating the crap out of your body. It's all about them performance trainers baby.
Well, no. Kinvaras and Lunaracers are supportive and cushioned shoes and they do not give you the same benefits of barefoot running. That said, you obviously don't need to go barefoot to run well.
Well, that's part of the problem. The making money thing. Somehow call me naive but somehow it seems like there's more money being made with clunky shoes and mini shoes than there is with no shoes.
Just my humble opining