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To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

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Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#41

Post by jnorthrop »

Torn wrote: post #38

I've had Five Finger Sprints for about a year now, and have been heavily evangelising them to my friends. Running barefoot really does feel liberating, especially going off-road through parks, fields and trails. It's like being a kid again and definitely bought the fun back into running for me. It took me about a month of a few runs per week (20-30 mins) to adjust -- so not long at all. One of the mistakes I made at…

Those are great tips! As a 2+ year fan of the FiveFingers I don't think I could have put it better myself, although I would add that you should always maintain good posture as well (shoulders back, head up, back in neutral alignment, hips in line with shoulders).

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#42

Post by pmorici »

mannicken wrote: post #26
pmorici wrote: post #3

It isn't really about the shoe, strictly speaking. It's about running form. Good form means you land on the paw of your foot instead of the heal. If you have good form you will have less injuries. landing on the paw of your foot is something that is hard to do when wearing regular running shoes unless you are going faster. All these new sock shoes are doing is making it easier to have good running form since you natu…

Sudden change to forefoot-only form will give you shin splints. When I dropped weight and forced myself to run on forefoot most of the time, in three-four weeks of 40mpw my shin muscles felt like they were being dragged away from bone.

Well, if you aren't used to it... Your muscles are going to be weak since you are using them differently.

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#43

Post by arundelo »

mannicken wrote: post #31
San wrote: post #30

About two months ago, one of my shoelaces broke. I was still three miles from home, and walking wouldn't get me back there in time. So I took off my shoes and socks, and continued my run. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after twenty strides or so my feet started to figure out the proper technique. After half a mile, I was able to really start running, and boy it felt great! (I made it home in time without any pro…

Is trackball more natural than regular mouse?

I like the trackball for three reasons:

- I don't have to periodically pick it up and reposition it because of running out of mousepad room. (My wrist doesn't like doing that, and my sister -- who has had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in both of her wrists -- says it's bad too, but I couldn't find an online citation.)

- I can press the buttons without accidentally moving the pointer at the same time. (This is mainly a problem with ball mice, but I've gotten unintentional pointer movement with optical mice too.)

- I find it easier to do things that require pixel-level accuracy with a trackball.

I prefer the Logitech TrackMan Wheel, whose trackball is thumb-operated:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/trackballs/d...

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#44

Post by TweedHeads »

arundelo wrote: post #43
mannicken wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is trackball more natural than regular mouse?

I like the trackball for three reasons: - I don't have to periodically pick it up and reposition it because of running out of mousepad room. (My wrist doesn't like doing that, and my sister -- who has had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in both of her wrists -- says it's bad too, but I couldn't find an online citation.) - I can press the buttons without accidentally moving the pointer at the same time. (This is ma…

And the most important, it protects you from carpal tunnel syndrome. I started suffering from CTS and had to switch hands at first. Then finally dropped the mouse and got a trackball (precisely the one you point at) and never been happier.

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#45

Post by hs »

mannicken wrote: post #31
San wrote: post #30

About two months ago, one of my shoelaces broke. I was still three miles from home, and walking wouldn't get me back there in time. So I took off my shoes and socks, and continued my run. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after twenty strides or so my feet started to figure out the proper technique. After half a mile, I was able to really start running, and boy it felt great! (I made it home in time without any pro…

Is trackball more natural than regular mouse?

i like neither, i prefer the 'nipple' (ibm and fujitsu laptops). touchpads are nice too.

i got physical pains from reaching the mouse

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#46

Post by San »

berntb wrote: post #40
San wrote: post #30

About two months ago, one of my shoelaces broke. I was still three miles from home, and walking wouldn't get me back there in time. So I took off my shoes and socks, and continued my run. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after twenty strides or so my feet started to figure out the proper technique. After half a mile, I was able to really start running, and boy it felt great! (I made it home in time without any pro…

Hmm.. can aqua socks take that kind of treatment? (You are talking about the kind for divers? I also have them for kayaking. And I've always been very careful with walking on stones, etc.) Do you mean the kind of new "shoes" they discuss in the article? I feel like listening to a chef discussing wine and then ask about the color of his shirt. :-)

It's the cheap kind ($5 or $10) you can get at sport outlet stores or even large super markets. They have a TPR (rubber) outsole and an EVA (foam) insole (which I removed). The upper part made from nylon mesh and some thin neoprene.

But going barefoot allows my feet and toes to flex freely and feel the surface. I am able to use parts of my feet and legs that used to be constrained by my running shoes (most notably my arches and calves). Because of this, my running gait has changed a lot. After years of pounding the pavement (striking heel-first) I am able to run smooth and easy, and it feels great.

Thanks to this new running style, there is hardly any wear to the soles. I think they will last around 500 miles. After that, I'll just spend $10 on a new pair.

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#47

Post by cakeface »

pmorici wrote: post #4
cakeface wrote: post #2

Awesome! I'm so glad someone posted this link. I read Chris McDougall's book Born to Run recently and it was really eye opening. As a long time runner I felt that the key to avoiding injuries was good running shoes. The idea that no running shoes was actually the key would never have crossed my mind. I found some of the statistics in the book to be really interesting. One guy researching bare foot running makes some…

Except for the fact that most people like to run on paved surfaces where you're going to rip up your feet and get a nail in your toe if you run bare foot. Running bare foot basically limits you to grassy areas in parks that are not also frequented by heroine users.

I run around Boston on sidewalks and in the road and it doesn't tear up your feet too bad. The first few times I had a couple of blisters but lately I've been fine.

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#48

Post by cakeface »

mscarborough wrote: post #8

This reminds me of an article I saw in 5280 (local Denver mag), or some such, about an indigenous people in Mexico. Running is a big part of their culture and they run long distances and difficult terrain in sandals. Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarahumara [edit]: Here is the 5280 article, which goes into some interesting details: http://www.5280.com/issues/2009/0905/feature.php?pageID=1691

The book referenced in OP called Born to Run talks about the Tarahumara a lot. Its a really interesting story and I'd recommend the book to anyone.

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#49

Post by lallysingh »

mannicken wrote: post #31
San wrote: post #30

About two months ago, one of my shoelaces broke. I was still three miles from home, and walking wouldn't get me back there in time. So I took off my shoes and socks, and continued my run. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after twenty strides or so my feet started to figure out the proper technique. After half a mile, I was able to really start running, and boy it felt great! (I made it home in time without any pro…

Is trackball more natural than regular mouse?

I tried those for a while when I was on my last ergo kick. The ball was just too hard to move for me. I almost had to pinch the thing to make it slide.

Instead, I've found this more comfortable: http://www.evoluent.com/vmouse2.html

Works great with a gel wrist wrest on the mousepad.

Re: To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes

#50

Post by mikecuesta »

cakeface wrote: post #48
mscarborough wrote: post #8

This reminds me of an article I saw in 5280 (local Denver mag), or some such, about an indigenous people in Mexico. Running is a big part of their culture and they run long distances and difficult terrain in sandals. Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarahumara [edit]: Here is the 5280 article, which goes into some interesting details: http://www.5280.com/issues/2009/0905/feature.php?pageID=1691

The book referenced in OP called Born to Run talks about the Tarahumara a lot. Its a really interesting story and I'd recommend the book to anyone.

I'm currently reading this book as well. I recommend it if your into running.
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