Foreword
Sometimes I read the foreword to
literature I encounter, and other times not; it usually depends on how exciting
the first sentence is.
For example, if it starts, “I woke
up in a giant pool of blood,” then yes, I’m definitely on board. What the heck is going on that made
that happen? If it starts, “I woke
up in a bathtub full of blood,” then I’m not so sure. A bathtub is much smaller than a pool, so the explanation is
probably more straightforward. (It
was like that when I got there; I was taking a normal bubble bath of blood and
just fell asleep; my mom is coming to visit me and I wanted to spruse
the place up for her, also she is a vampire; etc.) I’m 50-50 on that scenario. If it starts, “I woke up with a 44 oz. Big Gulp of blood
somewhere in my vicinity,” then I’m sorry, but that’s just not good enough.
The following is an essay I have
written on barefoot running. I’m
not usually one to share my opinions or arguments in such a public manner
because I grew up in the Midwest—well, technically an idealized, stereotyped,
pop-culture projection of the Midwest.
And where I’m from, you keep your opinions between you, your priest or
spiritual adviser, and your spouse. Any other way would be just plain gauche;
we have to get along with each other, after all. There is some truth to this paragraph.
Please keep that in mind. Yet, I felt strongly that I had to
write this essay, and I think you will see why.
The remainder of this article will be appearing again soon. Thanks!
The remainder of this article will be appearing again soon. Thanks!
On my flight back home from my 100 kilometer race this weekend somebody asked me my opinion of barefoot running. I wish I had this essay to show him- I completely agree. And you're right- just because I have "good" form doesn't mean I don't get injured, and people like Scott Jurek who don't have "good" form sure can run a lot of miles without injuries. Well said. My advice to anyone struggling with injuries is to take up trail running!
ReplyDeleteYou make some good points, but you fail to address any issues from a neuroscience perspective, arguably the most important aspect for a healthy, sustainable runner. How about the importance of proprioceptive input with its respect to motor control and movement patterning. Don't go insulting people about their running clinics when you don't fully understand their approach.
ReplyDeleteIs there no one else? Look in the mirror.
ReplyDeleteSteps:
1. Steal knowledge from disparate sources.
2. ?????
3. Profit!!
Seriously though, a website with comprehensive & comprehensible but not condescendingly written training plans and advice for the non-cognoscenti would put RW out of business. If such a site addressed its users as athletes instead of consumers they'd probably act more like the former than the latter. All you need to do is sit back and watch the ad revenue roll in. Btw, if you're looking for an analogous from another discipline may I suggest: www.realultimatepower.net ?
Bird
Chas,
ReplyDeleteWhy not include the one best video of the one best way to run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibWjSEw-F4
And proprioceptive input seems to me, if you have read the entire article bdodson, as though it is merely one piece of the equation that is ultimately the death knell for the McDougallian approach to 'the one best way' of running. This equation to true 'perfect running,' which we could say entails less injuries and better performance, includes paying astute attention to and developing in a programmed, periodized, and deliberate manner: the physiological aspect [aerobic training, treshold training, anaerobic training, overall training volume (strength training to some degree fits here)], the biomechanical aspect (strength training, mobility work, tissue quality work, motor patterning from form drills and strides), and -- especially for performance -- the forgotten and abused mental aspect.
Proprioception can help improve the biomechanical part of running, I would say, by teaching the body to follow a certain gait "naturally."
The other day, though, I was running on a nearby rocky mountain trail, wearing some Vibrams, when, lo and behold, I came crashing down on a sharp and very obstinate rock. Ouch! From then on, due to the proprioceptive feedback I received, and wouldn't have received in more substantial shoes, my stride was shortened, and I was almost afraid to extend my stride.
My point is that, in this case, under rocky conditions, I can be taught to have a severely shortened stride due precisely to the feeling of running over challenging terrain. I actually appreciated this natural change that occurred, at least from a scientific standpoint, but, when it came to the performance aspect, I didn't much care for that limitation that was imposed on me by too great a focus on proprioceptive feedback.
Anyway, the way that Mr. McDougall describes the WV clinic in the article might appeal to the general public looking for a mystical or "Ninja" way to run; however, I find those descriptions laughable and childish, especially after having spent years training, running the gamut of The One Best Running Equation presented above. That's not to say that the clinic is to be dismissed outright as a breeding ground of non-runners (some might have respectable performances under their belts); rather, I'm pointing out that this post is ultimately a response to both Mr. McDougall and the barefoot running craze that is dangerously sweeping the nation and to the mystical air that is conjured around all these simplifications and "The Answers," when the one tried and true and foolproof thing you really need to do in order to run well and pain-free and at a high level is...
One final tip: To run in a healthy and sustainable manner, try jogging at 15 minute pace, as seen in Mr. McDougall's video, in which the aforementioned shuffles through the streets of Manhattan in his gladiator sandals.
I completely agree with you that there is absolutely no "one best way to run". And I don't even agree too much much with the "100 up drill" that you have mentioned -- It's not a bad drill per say, but it's way way too static (even though it's dynamic) and way too invariable to be a go-to running drill. So if you are merely bashing McDougall on the way he goes about promoting some his ideas, then so be it.
ReplyDeleteAs a soon-to-be doctor in PT, I know my science very well when it comes to the biomechanics and physiology of running. I live for this stuff (as lame as that sounds). I really do think that you are under-estimating the power of proprioception. Yes, there are many things that contribute to the making of a good runner, but IMO proprioception trumps all and the brain needs to lead the way. There is no reason to bash barefoot running. Lots of people out there don't know how to apply it, but I believe I can be 95+% effective improving all runner's performance and reducing his/her risk of injury by APPROPRIATELY teaching CONCEPTS of barefoot running. And that is what Two River Treads in Shepherdstown WV is all about! I was nearing the 4min mile mark in college before I became very broken. I truly believe I would have reached that sub 4min mile goal, WHILE REMAINING HEALTHY (with 3 less surgeries), if I had the insight back then as I do now. These are all my opinions per say, but I have much to back it up. If nothing else, get children in minimalist shoes (younger the better)! I'll back up this statement all day.