Barefoot Running 2

[Mark Reyneker]

Barefoot Running Part 2

Taking the "Leap"

When a 'calf' is born to a wildebeest, it is a miraculous sight. As
with many other animals , as soon as the calf enters into this world,
it immediately stands up and starts to walk. A step that helps protect
it from nearby predators. Unfortunately, our human species has to
learn everything. Every step in our development is a gradual one.
"Step by Step". We have learned to walk with shoes from a very young
age so making the change should be a gradual one.

Suddenly changing from traditional type running shoes to minimalist
(vibram's etc) footwear could be disastrous. Of course, there is a
whole lot of information out there encouraging you to 'toss out those
running shoes' and hit the road in minimalist shoes. Often times
however, the information is from unreliable sources like other
runners, magazines and newspaper columnists who just repeat what they
have heard or read somewhere.

So how should it be done? That is better answered by addressing the
question: Why am I doing it?

The correct reason for running barefooted or with minimalist footwear
is to improve your foot's propioception. Propioception is the ability
of your foot joints to know where they are in space and time. That is,
for your foot to send information to your spine and brain about the
type of surface it is on (flat, uneven) so that it can react
accordingly. If you step on a rock and your propioception is not any
good, it is likely that you will get an ankle sprain because the
information relayed from the propioception receptors to your nervous
system is poor. It can be argued that thick, protective type running
shoes, weaken your propioception and can lead to injuries, such as a
ankle sprain. Allowing your foot to 'step out' and feel the ground on
it's own, with all it's uneven parts, can lead to an increase in
'awareness' of it's position thus strengthening and training your
propioception.

Try including a barefoot/minimalist footwear session into your
training program for 30 minutes to 1 hour per week. That is, train on
a natural surface such as grass or sand, 30 minutes to one hour per
week without shoes or with minimalist footwear. Allow your feet to
grasp and feel the natural surface. Try concentrating on what your
feet are feeling. Allow your mind to actively be involved with this
new experience. Connect with your feet as your feet connect with this
'new' surface allowing yourself to fully experience how the foot was
meant to function.

As uplifting as the experience may be, it is not advised to adopt this
full time. We are human after all and need to learn how to walk
barefooted once again. "Step by Step".

Part 3 to follow

[Joseph Gan]

Hi really informative stuff here. I learnt alot. i once suffered fr
heel pain and got a cortizone jab fr a doctor at damansara specialist
and bought an expensive insole fr foot solution. Its now fixed. So
happy cause i am also an avid runner....

Looking forward for more posting fr here. Happy CNY.

[Oh Siew Hian]

Hi,

I am not so sure of how it heal my condition. But i do have an insole that assist me for a couple of months. As well as jabs and also physiotherapy.

My plantar fascilitis had recovered.

Joanne