Here (more or less) is my email back to her:
Hey Baby, this article is perfect. It's the most balanced thing I've read on barefoot running. I read "Born to Run" on Monday, and while it says some very beautiful things, I couldn't help but feel that it veered more toward the evangelical than the journalistic. He talked a lot about the science, it's just that he obviously had a point to make...and it's probably ultimately a good thing that he went in that direction, or he wouldn't have popularized it so successfully, and we wouldn't have as much research on the topic in the first place.
So...about my run:
The Short Answer:
It was good. Looking forward to another one tomorrow.
The Long Answer:
It was very different, and pretty cool. I set out with the goal to run when I felt like running and walk when I felt like walking. My current running route is to the TD Bank on Prospect Park Suthwest. It's about a mile from my house. Okay, it's evidently 1.09 miles from my house. That makes it about 2.2 miles all told.
Anyway, I'd read about the technique, and it's pretty close to how I ran already when I was using my best long-distance form - shorter strides focusing on a midfoot landing. Except different. The easiest way to describe the experience would be to imagine that your feet were like feathers, and you were brushing them lightly along the ground with each step. There's a sound to it, and a pace. And a mantra: "light-light light-light light-light light-light". When I was running before, I called these "machine moments" where everything was effortless and efficient, when it all came together.
Sensually, it felt more muscular than running with big shoes. I definitely had to stretch my achilles starting out. I also started to get the cramp in my left inner thigh that I often get when running. It happens early in the run and starts later and later the further I get into training. Yesterday, I isolated its origin to the difference in the arches in my left and right foot. Left one's higher and stronger. Right one weaker and lower, and so the arch can dip, which torques my right hip forward - a sort of medial rotation and drop in the knee - in short, my right leg kind of sags. The muscle that cramps is called the Sartorius muscle and is responsible for flexing and laterally rotating the hip, while also bending the knee. I think that it's trying to compensate for the differential in my arches by realigning the hip and knee. That puts a lot of strain on that muscle and it cramps up. Gotta work on that right foot. I slowed to a plain walk when it cropped up, though I found that speed walking worked it out best. Then I went back to running.
I could definitely feel the ground in these shoes. I could take note of any small rocks, etc. without them actually hurting my feet. I even stopped a couple of times to give myself a foot massage on exposed tree roots. It was nice to have my feet feel so responsive. I always felt that big shoes were like braces. You couldn't get your ankles and feet to articulate. Also, these shoes weigh about 2 ounces, so I literally felt light on my feet. It was like driving a Maserati when you're used to an SUV.
The shin that had tortured me into stopping running before never made a peep. We'll stay tuned on that one.
By the end, I found myself wanting to pick up speed and go further. I sped up on the last leg, but decided to keep to my original distance to be prudent. It was interesting, because unlike before, when I sped up, I could feel my stride didn't really lengthen. I just picked up my RPM's. When I got home, I took the stairs.
My feet didn't hurt, in fact, they felt fine. They feel a little tired today. Like I've been doing a lot of foot exercises. Same with my calves, but not super sore. I definitely feel like I could go for another run today, but I'm going to take my time and let my body adapt.
It was very different, and pretty cool. I set out with the goal to run when I felt like running and walk when I felt like walking. My current running route is to the TD Bank on Prospect Park Suthwest. It's about a mile from my house. Okay, it's evidently 1.09 miles from my house. That makes it about 2.2 miles all told.
Anyway, I'd read about the technique, and it's pretty close to how I ran already when I was using my best long-distance form - shorter strides focusing on a midfoot landing. Except different. The easiest way to describe the experience would be to imagine that your feet were like feathers, and you were brushing them lightly along the ground with each step. There's a sound to it, and a pace. And a mantra: "light-light light-light light-light light-light". When I was running before, I called these "machine moments" where everything was effortless and efficient, when it all came together.
Sensually, it felt more muscular than running with big shoes. I definitely had to stretch my achilles starting out. I also started to get the cramp in my left inner thigh that I often get when running. It happens early in the run and starts later and later the further I get into training. Yesterday, I isolated its origin to the difference in the arches in my left and right foot. Left one's higher and stronger. Right one weaker and lower, and so the arch can dip, which torques my right hip forward - a sort of medial rotation and drop in the knee - in short, my right leg kind of sags. The muscle that cramps is called the Sartorius muscle and is responsible for flexing and laterally rotating the hip, while also bending the knee. I think that it's trying to compensate for the differential in my arches by realigning the hip and knee. That puts a lot of strain on that muscle and it cramps up. Gotta work on that right foot. I slowed to a plain walk when it cropped up, though I found that speed walking worked it out best. Then I went back to running.
I could definitely feel the ground in these shoes. I could take note of any small rocks, etc. without them actually hurting my feet. I even stopped a couple of times to give myself a foot massage on exposed tree roots. It was nice to have my feet feel so responsive. I always felt that big shoes were like braces. You couldn't get your ankles and feet to articulate. Also, these shoes weigh about 2 ounces, so I literally felt light on my feet. It was like driving a Maserati when you're used to an SUV.
The shin that had tortured me into stopping running before never made a peep. We'll stay tuned on that one.
By the end, I found myself wanting to pick up speed and go further. I sped up on the last leg, but decided to keep to my original distance to be prudent. It was interesting, because unlike before, when I sped up, I could feel my stride didn't really lengthen. I just picked up my RPM's. When I got home, I took the stairs.
My feet didn't hurt, in fact, they felt fine. They feel a little tired today. Like I've been doing a lot of foot exercises. Same with my calves, but not super sore. I definitely feel like I could go for another run today, but I'm going to take my time and let my body adapt.
So, that's all from the front lines. I know it's a lot of info for a single post, but it's been awhile. I'll try to cut some of the things mentioned above up into single topics in the next few weeks.
Unless I end up doing something else entirely.
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