We didn't evolve. Anything more than micro-evolution is a lie and it's very easy to see that it's wrong - if you want to. But I have to admit it's a very popular lie and people swing words like scientific to make it impressive. Of course much depends on this lie for many people. They can do whatever they want because they are just a buch of random cells, right?
We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
191–200 of 247 posts
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#192Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you me?!? I too went all in on the numbers, heart rate monitor, detailed running plans, 5k competitive park runs every weekend. I thought I should run at least x times a week or I'm doing it wrong. Holy cow, did it suck the enjoyment out of it. Having MapMyRun shout in my ear every kilometer meant I couldn't just zone out and enjoy the run. Then I fell down some stairs at a tube station in London and popped my pa…
Is there any human endeavor where going super technical, analytic, and by-the-numbers on it sooner or later robs all joy of it?
I've ran all my life and having metrics does not rob any joy out of it for me. I wouldn't take one person's anecdote as fact.
For me, heart rate monitors and Strava have greatly improved my running and cycling enjoyment, as well as made me more likely to run. Strava has lots of metrics, and encourages competition with others, and my heart rate monitor (and accompanying watch that tells me my heart rate) gives me direct feedback to how hard I am running, and if I need to slow down or pick up the pace.
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#193Yeah, I really don't think we were made to outrun ostriches or any animal, really. Saying so set off a red light with me at the very start of the article. We can set traps and scavenge already dead bodies - thats pretty much it.
Most of our actual calories were from plants/berries/corn/root vegetables. We were able to do very well for ourselves, calorically speaking, when we cooked/boiled those foods.
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#194Earlier quoted context omitted.
Was the clinic run by a store selling overpriced Vibrams by any chance? I've run on regular runners for years. Nothing about them makes good technique harder. There may be less feedback you're doing it wrong (in the form of less pain and discomfort), but the designs themselves don't stop you from running properly. That said, it's not easy . It requires real self-awareness and a willingness to fight the urge to overru…
Out of curiosity, have you ever tried running barefoot? I spent four years of cross country practice in high school desperately fighting my tendency to overstride. At the start, my stride rate tended towards the high 70s (a healthy stride rate is high 80s, low 90s), and I barely got to the low 80s by the time I graduated. The first time I went running barefoot, my stride rate was over 90. Instantly. If someone had to…
As a ball of the foot runner for 15+ years, I have worn Vibram for short distances comfortably but they were always too painful for long distances (15+ miles). My most comfortable non-racing shoe for long distance are ASICS Kayano. I can finish a 15 mile run on those without any pain in my body.
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#195Earlier quoted context omitted.
As a lifelong athlete the on-your-toes style of barefoot running is the best way to run. If you cannot run on your toes you are not built to run. There are rare heel-running sportspeople but running is not their competitive strength. Over long distances it is easy to fall back on heel-running out of laziness, because the impact is absorbed more by joints and less by tired muscles, but that is a failure of fitness and…
But again, what you're saying here is purely anecdotal. Actually, it may not be, but I have absolutely no idea because the way you are presenting it is in a purely anecdotal way.
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Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#196The Fine Article doesn't really go into how we're doing it wrong, beyond a passing mention of barefoot running, and some dissing of treadmills (which is hyperbolic and orthogonal to reality; you can run "correctly" or "badly" on a treadmill or on the street or trail). I used to run a bit. Did an informal "couch to 5k" over a couple of months, before I'd even discovered that was a thing. The single most effective thin…
No offense to you personally, but it's kind of disconcerting that this is the top comment. You've outright admitted to only having "used to run a bit" -- and not very much, at that. But then go on to promote barefoot running as if you're somehow a fully qualified expert who knows enough to talk on the matter and declare barefoot running is _clearly_ the answer. I'm not saying you're wrong or right. This shoed/barefoo…
Maybe I can chime in here, I've been running competitively through HS, College, and some marathons after. Barefoot running is only revolutionary to some people because it correctly aligns the incentives to have proper form. If you're barefoot/vibram running with proper form, you'll pretty much instantly feel all this discomfort of the impacts in your heel, knee, and back. This discomfort doesn't exist when you're in a very cushy pair of trainers. This is why it's become such a big thing, people all of a sudden understand why running can be fun, because they're doing it correctly for the first time in their lives.
I don't think barefoot running is inherently bad for you long term or anything, I've had friends do 80+ mpw, including trail/gravel running in vibrams with no problem. Those guys/gals are I think barefoot running can be an amazing way to "teach" people the correct way to run, but for most people, they should take that form and move it over to a shoe that does have a bit of impulse reduction. There are many steps between vibrams and super cushy shoes.
Look for something with a low heel toe drop/offset (I'm at 4mm right now) so that your heel isn't forced to land before your midfoot. Racing flats are gonna be just a step up from vibrams, then you get into shoes like the Saucony Kinvara, which remove some durability from the heel (which doesn't really matter as you're landing on your forefoot) to reduce weight but still have padding.
Running shouldn't hurt anything other than your pride. If you're feeling pain, don't run. Don't be scared about going to your local shoe store and having them show you what's up. Happy trails.
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#197Earlier quoted context omitted.
TL;DR, the gist of the "wrong" is that we've been trained by "trainers" (over-padded athletic shoes) to run in a straight-legged, heel-lands-first manner. Any reputable running clinic will teach you to make contact with the ground at the middle of your foot with a slightly bent knee. That's just well understood, proper technique, regardless of footwear. The real problem is people hitting the pavement without learning…
Agreed. The notion (expressed in the article) that most people don't require training to run correctly is patently false. Most people aren't even breathing correctly, the idea that you can pick up after decades in schools and sedentary jobs and start running miles with no input in a way that won't get you hurt is rather dangerous.
> Most people aren't even breathing correctly
What's the correct way to breathe? Isn't not dying "correct"?
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#198Earlier quoted context omitted.
No offense to you personally, but it's kind of disconcerting that this is the top comment. You've outright admitted to only having "used to run a bit" -- and not very much, at that. But then go on to promote barefoot running as if you're somehow a fully qualified expert who knows enough to talk on the matter and declare barefoot running is _clearly_ the answer. I'm not saying you're wrong or right. This shoed/barefoo…
As a lifelong athlete the on-your-toes style of barefoot running is the best way to run. If you cannot run on your toes you are not built to run. There are rare heel-running sportspeople but running is not their competitive strength. Over long distances it is easy to fall back on heel-running out of laziness, because the impact is absorbed more by joints and less by tired muscles, but that is a failure of fitness and…
> As a lifelong athlete the on-your-toes style of barefoot running is the best way to run. If you cannot run on your toes you are not built to run.
Nonsense. You can go tell Meb Keflezghi, winner of both the Boston and New York marathon, that he's not built to run. He's a prime example of a heel striker [1], though slightly less prominent in his later years.
More generally, in [2], a study of elite level runners in the half marathon, found that at the 15km point the top 50 was comprised of 62% rear-foot strikers, 36% mid-foot, and 2.0% fore-foot strikers.
If a certain running style works for you, i.e. you've been running injury-free, don't try to change it. You are more likely to do harm than good.
[1] https://runblogger.com/2011/11/meb-keflezighis-running-from-...
[2] http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2007/08000/foot_s...
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#199Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there any human endeavor where going super technical, analytic, and by-the-numbers on it sooner or later robs all joy of it?
I guess it's related to personality types. Some people simply will not undertake an activity they wish to improve upon (exercise, coding, playing an instrument etc) without objective numbers guiding them and relaying their progress. Others, like myself and perhaps OP, are happy enough to undertake an activity and be less scientific about their performance so long as they "feel" they are making progress and more impor…
Totally agree. The friendly competition and social sharing aspects of Strava make me enjoy running more, not less.
Re: We Evolved to Run But We're Doing It Wrong
#200The Fine Article doesn't really go into how we're doing it wrong, beyond a passing mention of barefoot running, and some dissing of treadmills (which is hyperbolic and orthogonal to reality; you can run "correctly" or "badly" on a treadmill or on the street or trail). I used to run a bit. Did an informal "couch to 5k" over a couple of months, before I'd even discovered that was a thing. The single most effective thin…
I ran cross country in high school and I just ran barefoot around the neighborhood. I'd run 10 miles barefoot sometimes. I had Vibrams but didn't like em as much. The great thing about running barefoot is that you can feel the ground under your feet. It makes it much more interesting to run and less boring.
I HATE wearing shoes, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to run barefoot in New York. I don't know what it is about barefoot running that is so stimulating -- maybe it's the simple exercise of avoiding constant danger? -- but wearing shoes certainly dampens the thrill.