Glitz Man
Hey Speedy !! My running hero.
I found this article yesterday on Yahoo and thought of you and wondered what you thought about running barefoot.
I have thought about doing it, but have not yet.
What are your thoughts about barefoot running?
Here is some of the article - I had to edit it, to make it fit.
Running is ready for a barefoot revolution
By Ted McDonald – We are the first generation of runners who have worked with the hypothesis that more cushioning and support equals safer running and reduced impact. We have concluded that modern surfaces, hard and unforgiving.
Have you ever wondered why you have so much feeling on the bottom of your feet, so much information sensing capacity? Like race-car tires, the soles of your feet are supposed to feel the road. But putting an inch or two of foam, air, or gel between your skin and the surface of the earth dulls sensation. And this dulling seems to set in motion a series of unfortunate events that ultimately leads to inefficient movement and injury.
By taking off your shoes, you give your body a chance to reuse some amazingly useful, built-in systems that help you move in a way that need not be jarring nor pounding – regardless of the terrain.
It’s a way of movement that more effectively captures and releases stored energy through elasticity in our bodies: the splaying of our forefoot, the arch in our foot, tendons in the lower legs, calves and quads, and form, all positioned ideally to absorb and recoil the energy of movement, smoothly and efficiently.
With barefoot running, your feet and mind are synced-up, communicating in real-time, by tapping into a kind of primordial physical intelligence, which is our birthright.
So, why did we give up our state-of-the-art – and totally free – feet for expensive sneakers?
My hunch is that we got unplugged – detached – from our own bodies, from our own feet. That disconnect has led to gait patterns and running styles that are unique to a generation of runners. We are the first cohort in the history of the world to run distance with cushioned, high-heeled shoes. We now run the wrong way!
Watch barefoot youngsters run: They know how to do it. Small, quick, light steps, landing on the forefoot, all while keeping good posture.
Now watch how some adults run these days wearing $150 sneakers: big, slow, heavy steps, landing on the heel, all while slightly hunched. Ouch. It is even painful to watch.
Our padded sneakers represent a case of the cure becoming worse than the ailment, the ailment being hard surfaces and tired bodies, trying to continue moving when the safe form of moving has exhausted itself and the feet and legs would normally protest about continuing.
Simply take off your shoes and start listening to your feet.
The paradigm shift away from the over-engineered shoe is connected with other shifts in thinking about our bodies and being human. In your bare feet, you are more connected to your body, better balanced, more aware, mindful, present. Those characteristics are good qualities to mimic in your mental life.
The logic behind giving up your cushioned shoes is likely to travel to other parts of your life, getting you to give up other bad or less-than-the-best habits. You’ll see.
In this past generation, running has been primarily defined by performance and weight loss, driven by the desire to become healthy and happy, yet it often missed the mark with overly ridged training schedules and pushing through the pain.
Through barefoot running, you begin to find movement patterns that chime with your mind’s and body’s needs because you are listening to your body, tuned in. Running becomes more joyful, more meditative, healthier.
Becoming healthy in mind and body is an incredibly effective way to experience authentic happiness. And it can begin by simply slipping off your sneakers and moving freely.