Winter
2012/13
Issue 07
FREE
BREATH: The ins and outs
WATER: Filtering out the truth
Is there a best way to run?
Has the human ‘race’ gone off
Detoxing I0I
The KISS principle
How to contact us
Barefoot Running Magazine
TRC Publishing Limited
21 Lyric Mews,
Silverdale,
London
SE26 4TD
United Kingdom
ISSN 2050-9022
email: [email protected]
website: www.bfrm.co.uk
tel: +44 (0) 845 226 7301
Overseas: +44 (0) 208 659 0269
Cover picture: Bruce Tulloh
Insert picture: Courtesy of Merrell
The health and fitness information presented in this magazine
is intended as an educational resource and is not intended
as a substitute for medical advice. Consult your doctor before
attempting any of the exercises in this magazine or any other
exercise programme, particularly if you are pregnant, elderly
or have chronic or recurring medical conditions. Do not
attempt any of the exercises while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs. Discontinue any exercise that causes you
pain or discomfort and consult a medical expert. Neither the
author of the information nor the producer nor the distributors
make any warranty of any kind in regard to the content of the
information presented in this magazine.
www.trcpublishinguk.co.uk/bfrm
Find us at:
bfrm.co.uk/facebook
@BareFootRunMag
P a g e 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Anna Toombs
Movement therapist, running
coach & author
@ToombsAnna
David Robinson
Movement therapist, sports
performance specialist & author
@barefootdrrob
Dr James Stoxen DC
Chiropractor & President
of Team Doctors
www.teamdoctorsblog.com
Steven Sashen
Creator of the Xero Shoe &
sprinter
Leigh Rogers
Holistic sports nutritionist, health
& wellness coach
Dr Stig Walsh
Senior Curator of Vertebrate
Palaeobiology at National
Museums in Edinburgh,
Scotland.
Gareth Underhill
Personal trainer, Sports scientist
(Biomechanist/Physiologist)
Tony Ingram
Registered Physiotherapist.
Primary author of
bboyscience.com
We hope that you have all enjoyed a healthy, active start
to 2013!
We’re very excited to bring you this latest issue of Barefoot
Running Magazine – we can hardly believe we’ve reached
issue 7 already! There’s plenty in here to occupy your tea
break and keep you motivated as we head into the warmer
weather.
We’ve been lucky to have input from some wonderful people
once again: Dr Stig Walsh – barefoot runner and palaeobiologist
– adds some humour to the running and evolution debate,
Canadian physiotherapist, Tony Ingram, talks about a different
perspective on pain and our regular nutrition expert, Leigh
Rogers, puts together some timely advice about detoxing!
Gareth Underhill, biomechanist and owner of ‘Outfit’ Sports
and Fitness store, is a new contributor and offers some
essential guidelines on how to choose the right shoe. David
has been scouring the research on water consumption –
how much is too much? – and we also have the usual news
and reviews (check out our products page because we’re
on the lookout for some
long-term reviewers).
We caught up with our
friend Yanni for some
words of barefoot running
wisdom and if you fancy
a giggle, take a look at
our friend Ricardo’s
thoughts on flip flops!
As always, a big thank
you to all our contributors
and to you, the readers.
Run Strong, Run Free!
Jason Robillard
Founder of Barefoot Running
University, co-founder of
Barefoot Runners Society
& author
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 5
Ricardo D’Ash
Avid barefoot runner and
co-founder of the Maidstone
Barefoot Dashers
International News National news 56
On track 72
International news 76
A conversation with... Yanni - One of the original
barefoot revolutionists
44
The Green Room Has the human ‘race’ gone off
course?
50
Try this at home Footloose and ankle free!
60
How to: How to choose the correct
minimalist shoe
66
Write back at you Holiday non-celebration
70
Next Issue What’s coming May 2013
95
National news 58
On track 76
International news 78
Main feature Running Show 2012
8
In focus Bruce Tulloh - I’m still running..!
12
David’s lab Filtering out the truth about water
18
Book review Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey
to Ultramarathon Greatness
24
Injury corner Why learn how pain works?
30
Technical tip The ins and outs of breath
34
Nutritional nugget Detoxing 101 for maximum
benefits
38
P a g e 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Anna’s pause for thought The KISS principle
16
The Dashing Ricardo Flipped out over flip-flops
48
Sashen speaks Is there a best way to run?
54
Backchat David Robinson’s latest
98
The Season in pictures The Asics Uksem debate
4
Clubhouse calendar 8
It’s your letters Your stories and thoughts
84
The society pages What’s happening within the
Barefoot Runners Society
86
Product reviews B
91
Minimal review results 96
Club Directory Find a club near you
100
Outside the lab Other peoples’ labs
22
Questions & answers Your questions answered
26
Season in pictures A showcase of what you have
been up to
28
Caught in the web Internet snippets
41
Events Stuff that’s going on
42
Assorted goodies Products worth a look
56
What’s on 2013 events and race calendar
72
Barefoot Running UK The latest from Barefoot
Running UK
80
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 7
Stan in, in his body bag. Stan is the
skeleton we use for teaching and has
become a bit of a mascot for us too.
He is our very skinny, rather silent
travelling companion and he
completed the look of our stand
rather nicely, although we had to
give him a baseball cap to make him
look a little more friendly.
We knew that our presentation would
be in ‘Seminar Theatre Two’. However,
there were a bunch of guys setting
up big screens and rows of chairs
right in the middle of the big hall, in
amongst the stands. This was slightly
disconcerting – our audience could be
huge and we began to feel that we
might be a little exposed, advocating
running barefoot whilst everyone
around us was trying to sell shoes.
So, David went off to find the organizers
and ask them which seminar theatre was number two. As it turned out, the
Main feature
n a cold Friday afternoon at the
end of November, David and I
headed to Esher in Surrey to set
up our Barefoot Running UK stand at
the Running Show.
This was our first event as exhibitors
and we were both extremely nervous
because we were also part of the
seminar programme, presenting a talk
on ‘Making sense of barefoot running’.
As we had envisaged, there were
people already at Sandown Park, the
event venue, setting up their stands
to display their wares – a multitude
of gadgets, gismos and nutritional
concoctions to help you run further
and faster.
We found our stand – K21 – and
unpacked the items we’d ordered
that were thankfully already there:
a book/magazine rack, two stools
and a table. We unravelled our big
banner, complete with photographs
of the two of us braving the cold
weather, running barefoot through
London. We couldn’t quite face
unloading all our books and other bits
just yet, so went off in search of our
friend (and ally!) Tracy Davenport,
from Barefoot Britain. We wandered
up the row of stands and around the
corner and just about spotted Tracy
in amongst a whole garden full of
pink flowers! She’d gone for a ‘British’
theme with her stand and it looked
amazing – we wanted to sit down at
her garden table and enjoy a glass
of Pimms! Tracy would be selling Xero
Shoes at the show, as well as the
relatively new ‘One Moment’ shoes
and a selection of Reflex Nutrition
products.
After a quick chat, Tracy kindly let us
borrow her trolley to bring our boxes in
from the Land Rover (which is working
at the moment – hurrah!) containing
copies of our book. We also wheeled
P a g e 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
one furthest away was where we’d be
presenting which made us feel a little
better. Claire Townsend, one of the
organizing team, also came and
explained the process regarding our
talk and made us feel more at ease
about how it would piece together on
the day. She said not to worry – that
everyone who came would be there
because they wanted to learn more.
We weren’t quite so sure, having
conjured up several images of shoe
companies throwing rotten vegetables
at us or asking awkward questions!
We were ready for them though it
they chose to come and listen –
we’ve been doing this a long time
and anyone who knows David will
be aware how he loves a debate!
We woke up early on Saturday and
got to Sandown Park at around
8.30am. The show was due to start
at 9.30am so we wandered around
again and ran through our talk for
the umpteenth time. Someone
announced over the loud speaker
that the show was beginning and the
doors opened, allowing in the first few
keen visitors. We were surprised
and pleased to have a visitor to our
stand immediately: she had specific
questions about barefoot running
and wanted to chat with us first.
We began to talk about barefoot
running – answering questions about
the biomechanics, pros and cons,
different types of injury, diet and other
types of exercise and training as plenty
of interested runners came and went.
At about 10.30am or so, our friends
Ricardo and Robin showed up. It was
great to see familiar faces and they
made us feel more relaxed as the
time for our presentation loomed
closer. Ricardo took numerous photos
from different angles as we chatted
with more punters.
We were in the midst of discussion
with some runners when David
Townsend, one of the organizers
arrived and told us, “time to go”.
Our stomachs lurched as we walked
up to the seminar theatre, where there
were already several people sitting
and waiting for our ‘words of wisdom’.
We were given head microphones
which actually helped us feel more
confident – we both used to teach
fitness classes so feel quite at home
with headsets on. At 11.30am we
were given the go ahead to begin
our talk, so off we went. We discussed
foot strike, technique and injury as well
as the mental side of barefoot running.
The talk went much as we’d practised
it and we soon forgot our nerves. As
well as Ricardo D’Ash and Robin
Dearle, there were a few more friendly
faces in the audience too: Ian Hicks
and his family, Chris Fielding and Tracy
who managed to slip away from her
stand to hear some of the talk. There
were some decent questions at the
end (all of which we were able to
answer!) and we finished by inviting
people to come and chat with us at
our stand.
Thank goodness for Ricardo buying
us a coffee, because we didn’t really
get the chance to eat or drink anything
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 9
all day (save for the few samples we
pinched from the Pulsin’ stand next
door to us, selling delicious raw food
bars). We were overwhelmed by the
huge amount of interest in barefoot
running – so many people have
already tried it whilst others are on
the brink of giving it a go. Quite a
number of people bought copies of
our book and signed up to receive
the Barefoot Running Magazine’.
We were thrilled and exhausted by
the end of the day but eager to
come back on the Sunday and do
it all again.
Before we went home, we joined
some of the other exhibitors and the
organizers in the bar for a drink. We
didn’t get far through the bar before
we bumped into Emma and her
husband. Emma had had a very
successful day teaching yoga as well
as extolling the benefits of yoga for
runners (Emma is an accomplished
barefoot runner herself). We also met
Sam Murphy and her husband who
were at the show to discuss the latest
fitness fads and running trends. There
was a brief moment when we were
all in danger of throwing caution to
the wind and making a night of it,
but thoughts of another long day just
(and only just!) stopped us all in our
tracks and we said our goodbyes
until the next day.
This had been a good decision as
Sunday proved to be just as busy,
with a 10K race held in the morning
in glorious sunshine. We weren’t
nervous at all for our presentation,
which seemed to go very well
again and we spent the whole day
discussing injuries, technique, racing
and all manner of other health and
fitness topics. We managed to drop
in to Tracy’s stand a couple of times
and there was always a great crowd
of people there – luckily she had
enlisted the help of personal trainer
Matt Crane so she was just about
coping with all the runners wanting
Xero Shoes!
We were quite sad to be packing up
at the end of the day. It was a huge
treat for us to be talking freely about
running for two full days and with so
many different people.
There was only one dicey moment
in the whole weekend when, after
finishing our talk, we were walking
past the other seminar theatre at the
same time the presenter was telling
his listeners how, “barefoot runners
forefoot strike and get injured”.
David’s heckles went up as he said
a little too loudly, “I’m a barefoot
runner and I don’t forefoot strike”
and someone near us grinned and
whispered, “fight, fight, fight!” It was
all in good humour though and part
of the joy of the running world is that
people don’t always agree which
promotes discussion, investigation
and self-progression.
The best comment we had at our
stand was, “ah, barefoot running!
Can I see some of the shoes?”
Erm……
If you’ve never attended a running
event like this one, do go if you get
the chance. It’s a great opportunity
to learn and be inspired – as well as
pick up some bargains!
P a g e 1 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 1 1
P a g e 1 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
In Focus
ou may be familiar with the
image of Bruce Tulloh as he is
one of those relatively rare
competitive runners of the past who
chose to run most of his races
barefoot. However, aside from
recognizing the photo, you may not
know much about the man himself
and his long, successful running career.
Tulloh was born in Devon in 1935 into
a family full of sportspeople. His
grandfather was an international
tennis player, his aunts and uncles
played various sports and his mother
was a runner in school and never
lost a race.
Tulloh’s own running career was slow
in forming as he was focused as much
on studying and his career as he was
with competition. He ran and raced
at school, winning his first race in 1947,
but after he left school he went into
National Service for two years and
was stationed out in Hong Kong,
working as an artillery surveyor. It
was there that, whilst continuing to
run, he began to follow the Stampfl
(Roger Bannister’s coach) approach
which was largely based around
interval training. He would do a
variety of intense sessions, such as
4 x 1500m on one day, 8 x 800 on
another and a long run on Sundays.
As a result of following this training
regime, he was able to improve his
race times and compete in the
Hong Kong National championships.
Once he returned to England, he
saw his times improve yet again, now
that he was back in a more forgiving
climate. He went to Southampton
University to study biology and
continued to run, becoming a
member of their successful running
squad.
It was whilst at University that Tulloh
realized the benefits of running
barefoot. Having grown up in Devon,
he had already experienced barefoot
running on the sand and grass. He
was also familiar with the training
ideas of Percy Cerruty, an advocate
of barefoot running and of following
a basic, simple lifestyle, or going back
to nature. During a training session
at the University, Tulloh and his squad
were running on a new cinder track
and their times over a mile were
recorded. Tulloh was disappointed
with his result (something like 4:20; his
fastest time over a mile is 3:59.3) and
decided to try again without his shoes
on. Whilst the track was quite abrasive
on his feet which were
bottom of shoes, rather than the actual
running itself.
In fact, when asked about injury, Tulloh
has some sensible and wise opinions.
He has experienced relatively little
injury throughout his running career
(and at age 77 he is still running and
walking every day) and attributes
this to the fact that his training
comprised of high intensity sessions
but low mileage. At university, he
was running between 30 and 40 miles
per week without much other training.
He also feels as though he was built
to run, being very light with a slight
frame.
One other important point is that,
during his running career, he didn’t
unaccustomed to a hard, rough
surface, he managed a much faster
time and from then on competed
barefoot whenever possible, always
making the decision according to the
state of the track on which he was to
race. In an interview with Alastair
Aitken (www.highgateharriers.org.uk)
on running barefoot, he explained, “It
was just lighter in weight. You feel freer
and easier. Run with better action”.
He sometimes wore tape on his toes to
protect them, but for most of his races
he was barefoot. His running style is
much like that of other elite runners –
plenty of hip mobility and full stride,
quick cadence and a significant elbow
bend. He said that often on the track,
injuries were due to the spikes on the
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 1 3
was his run from Los Angeles to New
York (3,000 miles) in 1969. He saw the
record for this run in the Guinness
Book of Records and thought, “73
days? That seems easy, I could beat
that”! He managed to get sponsorship
for the challenge and was able to
take his family with him. It didn’t start
well – he passed out after two hours
of running from the pain of the cramp
in his legs. His wife was dubious as to
whether he should carry on but his
matter-of-fact attitude prevailed
and he merely asked for, “a salt tablet
and some water” before moving on
again. He also developed significant
pain and swelling in his Achilles
tendons but again, instead of giving
up, he strapped his ankles, bought
some boots and set off again at
walking pace. He walked for three
days (up to thirty miles on the third day)
before bringing the running back into
his routine, wearing trainers for running
and alternating that with walking in
the boots. At the end of the journey,
he’d averaged 48 miles per day and
beaten the record by 8 days!
In an interview with Martin Yelling,
owner and host of Marathontalk.com,
he was asked what his thoughts were
about the recent boom in barefoot
running. His belief is that there has
been a huge increase in interest in
running generally, even though many
people aren’t built for it. He thinks
that heavier people maybe shouldn’t
run and need extra protection/
cushioning as a result. He does point
out that with the thicker shoes, the
runner is elevated off the ground
which makes them more unstable
and therefore susceptible to problems.
He doesn’t necessarily think that
running completely barefoot is the
key – it’s more about the lightness of
the shoe, i.e. the thinner and lighter it
is, the easier it is to run.
And what’s his running secret? He
attributes his success and running
ability to several factors. His build,
the low mileage and a bit of good,
old-fashioned luck were essential
elements. He also believes a runner
requires enthusiasm but also the ability
to know when to ease off. A runner
also needs a basic desire to run – to
be able to find enjoyment in it.
He says that some people marvel at
the sacrifices he’s made. In other
words, they think he’s missed out on
the drinking, partying, rich food, etc.
However, he doesn’t feel any sense
of loss for these things at all. His logic
is very sensible: if you enjoy running,
do what you need to do to be able
to keep enjoying it for as long as you
can. And that means looking after
your body.
Tulloh is currently writing a book about
fitness for people over 60. He jokingly
says he might give it the title: ‘Live
Longer, Live Better: How to avoid
dying for as long as possible”! More
seriously though, his philosophy is that
the earlier in your life you start looking
after your health, the longer you’ll live
and the more healthy you’ll be.
He is a true inspiration, telling it like it
is with no frills and gimmicks. Check
out his interview with Martin Yelling
(still available on the website:
www.marathontalk.com) and see
his impressive list of books, available
to buy in various places, at
www.tullohbooks.com
Sources 1. www.tullohbooks.com
2. www.highgateharriers.org.uk
3. www.sporting-heroes.net
4. www.englandathletics.org
5. www.marathontalk.com
6. www.wikipedia.org
7. Tulloh, B. Natural Fitness: A revolutionary fitness
programme;1976
make money out of running. After
completing his degree at Southampton
and a subsequent diploma at
Cambridge University, he got a full
time job. He had neither the time nor
the money to go out or eat and drink
to excess. He would go to work, come
home, run then go to bed! He believes
that nowadays there is almost too
much complication surrounding
athletes and their training. They
have stretching plans, high mileage
targets and pressure to perform with
sponsorship deals at stake. He reckons
that people in general spend “too
much time poncing about in the gym”
whereas all his training had to be
quick and effective, squeezed in with
his work and home life. He has written
many books, including one called
‘Natural Fitness’ and strongly believes
that part of the problem with sports,
performance and general health is
the increased affluence of our society
which gives us too much choice and
offers too many temptations. He is a
man who says it like it is: in his book
he suggests that, “The fat man is a
symbol of the surplus society”.
Tulloh either won a national title or
set a new national record every year
of his running career. His biggest
achievement though was winning
gold in the 5,000 metres at the
European Championships in 1962.
The reason he gives for this is that it
takes so much planning, dedication,
thought and preparation to perform
at your best on one particular day in
one particular race. It’s actually
extremely difficult to coordinate all the
necessary parts of the winning recipe,
which is evident in the performances
of numerous athletes who are on top
form but are not able to be victorious
on race day.
Another of Tulloh’s great achievements
P a g e 1 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Available direct from www.trcpublishinguk.com
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 1 5
A comprehensive guide into the ‘why’
and ‘how’ of barefoot running.
The book explains the theory behind
running barefoot as well as providing
practical advice, drills and exercises
to help readers improve their running
technique.
Although the emphasis is on barefoot
running, this book is useful for any level
of runner, whether barefoot or not.
Available direct from www.trcpublishinguk.com
sofa.
After much thought and discussion
over the years, I am almost entirely
(grammatically incorrect, I know)
convinced that mental attitude is
more relevant to injury prevention than
training or technique. Every injury story
I hear contains a phrase in it somewhere
along the lines of, “I felt a pain but
decided to keep going”, or, “I felt tired
and knew I should take a rest day but”
Injuries are so often a result of making
the wrong decision, rather than there
being something fundamentally wrong
with technique. That being said, there
are always several contributing factors
to injury but the mind and the body
are inextricably linked so that one will
continuously affect the other.
This is what formed the basis of my
thought processes as I ran today. Some
people are natural thinkers and some
are more inclined to just ‘do’. I was
reminded of the phrase that popped
up regularly in Scott Jurek’s book,
“Sometimes you just do things”. This
is what Scott’s father would tell him if
he asked too many questions. In other
words, he was saying, “Stop thinking
esterday we went for a group
run with a couple of friends.
Unfortunately, our PC completely
crashed the night before, so we were
late in meeting them due to the fact
that David was frantically trying to
relocate files and reload programmes
all through the night.
However, despite us being 15 minutes
late, our friends weren’t getting
agitated and looking at their watches.
In fact, although they’d never met,
they found each other at the meeting
place and were happily chatting
when we eventually turned up. One
of them, Ricardo, never seems to bat
an eyelid about anything – he is a
genuine, placid man. He’s also taken
to barefoot running like a duck to
water, with nothing but positive
experiences as he gradually runs
further and faster but without any
pressure to do so.
I often say that people who seem to
be able to take or leave running are
the ones who make more progress
than those who absolutely must run but
find themselves injured 50% of the time,
confined to non-running misery on the
P a g e 1 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
about things too much and just get
on with it”. I have a propensity to
over-think things. It’s naturally in me
to do so and this is what guided me
towards studying psychology at
university and later, working with
clients for whom the psychological
element of their issue (whether
struggling with weight management
or dealing with chronic pain) has
become more dominant than the
original or initiating physical one.
In many ways, this is a good thing.
It helps me to empathize with my
clients; I can feel what they’re
feeling which allows me to create
strategies for improving their health
and lifestyle approaches. On the
downside, it’s also made me an
even deeper thinker – and combined
with learning more about how the
human body and mind work on a
daily basis, I find myself over-thinking
problems A LOT!
This includes my own running form.
When I was running in my twenties,
I was aware of how my body was
moving and feeling but was as
focused on other thoughts – work,
relationships, etc. Now I’m much
more in tune with my mechanics
and how my body should be
moving – perhaps a little too much!
A very well respected osteopath
named Leon Chaitow once said that
if you have a pain or injury, your body
just needs a couple of therapeutic
interventions to promote the body’s
own self- healing processes. He
warned against interfering too much
– it can make matters worse.
I believe it’s the same with movement
and running. We are all so absorbed
in executing the perfect running
mechanics that we will inevitably fail.
Our bodies are saying, “For heaven’s
sake, stop interfering and let me do
my thing!” I’ve lately been trying to
think less as I run and it seems to be
beneficial. Often it’s useful just to
focus on breathing, rather than
specific elements of running form.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t be
aware of how you’re running – it’s
easy to get lazy and slip back into
bad habits.
But, as David learnt in the martial
arts world, it’s best to use the ‘KISS’
principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid. If
you can just go out and run, like we
did yesterday, with no particular
plans for a route or speed, or a fixed
method of going about it, it becomes
easier. And more enjoyable.
If you find that you’re inclined to
over-think your technique, just try
being more matter-of-fact about your
next run. Rather than anticipating
how cold your feet might be, how the
ground will feel, whether you’ll have
enough energy, whether you’ve
eaten the right food, how long you
might run for or how fast, just go out
and run. Let your body do the work
and give your mind a bit of a rest
and see how it feels.
This is one of the things I love about
barefoot running: its simplicity. No
gadgets, time limits, restraints – just
running.
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 1 7
“David learnt in the
martial arts world,
it’s best to use the
‘KISS’ principle: Keep
It Simple, Stupid. “
Supported by:
P a g e 1 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
David’s laboratory
Filtering out the truth about water
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 1 9
Well, it’s dependent on several
factors: body composition,
athleticism, duration/type of
exercise, ambient temperature...
and so on. For the purposes of
this article we will use an average
adult (70kg in weight) with an
average exercise pattern and
who lives in a moderate ambient
temperature. It is considered that
this individual will lose one to one
and a half litres of fluid per day,
around 650 - 850ml, through
breathing and sweating and 350 -
650ml through urination, equating
to four to six average glasses.
However, these figures will rise if
they partake in exercise.
Exercising muscle is considered to
generate 20% more heat than that
of an inactive muscle, meaning
that our average test subject (the
70Kg adult) will expect to lose
approximately one extra litre of
fluid per hour of exercise, equating
to 4 glasses. So in a typical day,
including 1 hour’s exercise, it is
possible for our individual to lose
about two to two and a half litres
of fluid or an equivalent eight to
ten glasses.
However, we must take into
consideration that drinking pure
water is not usually the only source
of fluid and that an average diet
can provide well over one litre of
fluid through the intake of foods
such as fruits, vegetables, milk,
fruit juices and
Some people collapse because
of it, as happens quite frequently
in the marathon.” This opinion is
supported by Dr Martin and his
colleagues at Georgia State
University, who examined the
causes of illness in runners since
1985 and found 70 causes of
Hyponatraemia - far more than
those suffering from dehydration.
Of course experts are not calling
for radical restrictions or bans on
workout fluids, but they do feel
that the certain myths concerning
fluid consumption should be put
to rest. Louise Sutton, a sport
dietician and lecturer in health
and exercise science at Leeds
Metropolitan University, recorded
that, “It’s a common myth that
we can’t drink too much water.
In fact, it’s relatively easy to
overindulge in water consumption.”
Indeed in some cases, runners are
under the impression that the lack
of energy during exercise is due to
dehydration and therefore drink
more, but actually it can be due
to having water intoxication
syndrome when the loading of
additional fluid creates more issues,
such as those which have led to
USA Track and Field (the governing
body for the athletes and running in
America) to urge anyone who
partakes in regular cardio-respiratory
exercise not to indulge in excessive
amounts of water due to the
implications and health risks
attached.
So what is the correct amount? The
general belief, or should I say myth,
is that we should drink two
litres (or eight glasses)
of water per day but
is this correct?
hen we think about sports
nutrition we usually conjure
up images of complex protein
shakes or well packaged energy
bars, but whatever we envisage,
it’s not generally water.
Water is often overlooked and
taken for granted, possibly due
to its abundance and its
association with natural health
and vitality. But, should we
consider the implications of our
water consumption the next time
we head out for a run around
the block with a two litre bottle
in our hands?
We all know how essential water
is for life. After all, it makes up
approximately 70% of our body’s
weight (8.4 stone of water in a 12
stone adult), acts as an essential
coolant within the body, helping
to regulate internal temperatures
and aids in the transportation of
essential elements throughout the
body’s matrix. However, scientists
are now voicing their concerns that
we are consuming too much at
the detriment of our health and
are calling for recommendations
to be laid out.
Dr David Martin, an exercise
physiologist at Georgia State
University USA, whose study focused
on the drinking habits of runners,
believes that recommendations
are well overdue. “We are very
worried about the increasing
group of people who are taking
up running for the first time and
hold the party line ‘make sure you
drink, you can’t drink too much,
remember to carry water with you
or you’ll get dehydrated. Oh! And,
don’t worry about the heat, just
drink more!’ But that’s wrong,
wrong, wrong!”
Experts here in Britain agree with
their American counterparts.
Dr Dan Tunstall–Pedoe of St
Bartholomew’s Hospital, London
and medical director of the
London marathon for over 27
years, went on record with,
“Drinking water at every
opportunity can create many
serious problems such as water
intoxication or Hyponatraemia.
That’s a metabolic condition
in which there is not enough
sodium and other bodily salts
or electrolytes in the blood
which will cause dizziness and
even respiratory problems.
Table 1: Examples of the water content of some foods according to the British
Nutrition Foundation.
tea/coffee (see table 1, page 20).
This fluid intake will go much of the
way to meeting the test subject’s
- and our - daily requirements,
making drinking too much quite
easy. ”Even a baked potato is
75% water,” says nutrition professor
Susan Barr of the University of British
Columbia, who sat on a Canadian-
U.S.A. committee that looked at
fluid intake. "There's nothing
magical about water from a glass
of water as opposed to water from
food or any other beverage.”
So where does this myth originate?
When asked, senior nutrition
scientist Gail Goldberg said, “There
is a perception generated, for
example by newspapers and
magazine articles, that all of our
fluid requirements have to come
from water. This is simply untrue."
While author, Speros Tsindos of
the department of dietetics and
human nutrition at La Trobe
University in Victoria, Australia,
suggests that, “The two litre of
water a day recommendation
was driven by vested interests
rather than health. Thirty years
ago you didn’t see a plastic
water bottle anywhere, now they
appear as fashion accessories.
As tokens of instant gratification
and symbolism, the very bottle
itself is seen as cool and hip.”
Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth
Medical School also put these
recommendations to the test
and found them to be more
urban myth than medical dogma
and lacking in scientific basis. So
it seems that this eight x eight oz
recommendations have no scientific
basis and this is unsurprising.
P a g e 2 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
an urban myth. In fact, there's no
evidence you need to drink more
water than what thirst dictates."
This leads onto another potential
myth that you may have heard: that
the thirst mechanism is inadequate
and that once you’re thirsty, it’s
already too late. So, is this yet
another urban/marketing myth or
does it hold water? Leslie Bonci, R.D.,
director of sports nutrition at the
Pittsburgh University Medical Centre
has the notion that, "Exercise blunts
your thirst mechanism, and you lose
fluid so rapidly that the brain can't
respond in time." I personally
question this as I don’t believe that
a creature could have evolved
over millions of years of hardship
without an effective thirst
mechanism.
It is thought that the theory came
from a study (titled: Voluntary
dehydration in man) by John
Greenleaf in1965, where he
examined four well-trained men
to discover how much water they
would ingest during exercise within
a hot environment. Allowing them
to drink when thirsty, Greenleaf
found that they were unable to
replace 100% of their body weight
losses and the study therefore
concluded that the thirst mechanism
was not sufficient for regulating
hydration.
However, using body weight as
a measure has been shown to have
its flaws. Ross Tucker Ph.D. and
Jonathan Dugas Ph.D. director of
Food source Content
Apples (100g) 84.5ml
Grapes (100g) 81.8ml
Milk (1 pint/568.27ml) 531.8ml
Broccoli (85g) 77.43ml
Sweet corn (85g) 59.42ml
Tomato soup (220ml) 185.24ml
Cup of white tea/coffee (240ml) 238ml
% Body Weight Lost Symptoms
0.5 Thirst
2 Stronger thirst, discomfort, appetite loss
3 Dry mouth, reduced urine
4 Increased effort, flushed skin, impatience, apathy
5 Difficulty concentrating
6 Impaired temperature regulation
8 Dizziness, laboured breathing, confusion
10 Spasticity, imbalance, swollen tongue, delirium
11 Kidney failure, circulatory insufficiency
Table 2: Effects of dehydration.
What is surprising is that, despite
any conclusive evidence that we
need to drink so much, sales in 2010
of bottled water amounted to over
£1 billion ($1.58 billion), with over
150 individual products lines sold
in the United Kingdom alone!
Please forgive the pun, but it
seems that this marketing myth
has muddied the waters somewhat.
And the answer to the amount
of consumption needed is quite
simple. We need to trust our thirst
mechanism as Dr. Stanley Goldfarb
of the University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia explains, “Despite the
common notion that it's important
to drink eight glasses of eight
ounces of water a day, there’s
no evidence that benefits health in
any real way and it really represents
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 2 1
consequently always find themselves
thirsty as they have altered their
body’s processes. The opposite
may happen too, i.e. an endurance
athlete may well be able to train
their body to ignore the first signs of
dehydration, which isn’t necessarily
healthy either!
Having spent some time reading
and researching the topic, I’ve
reached these conclusions: humans
have a very sensitive, in-built sense
when it comes to the necessity of
consuming fluid, and thirst is a deep
rooted, natural physiological desire
for water. After all, where would the
human race be if we waited until
we had dangerously low fluid levels
before hunting out water in the
plains of Africa 50,000 years ago!
The point is to be sensible about
fluid intake and general nourishment.
If your diet is full of plenty of fresh
fruit and vegetables it will run more
efficiently than if you consume
processed, unnatural foods. Your
body’s fluid and electrolyte levels
are affected by your diet so this
really should be something to
consider. Listen to your body and
your thirst as well as following a
progressive endurance programme
– your body won’t adapt well if
you suddenly go from running a 10k
to running a 50k ultra. Experiment
– find out what works for you in terms
of fluid and food. Some people use
gels successfully whilst others prefer
jelly beans and bananas.
Lastly, be aware of your surroundings.
If you’re out running in the middle
of nowhere, then it’s safest to know
where you can get fluid if you need
it. Your body will also have different
requirements according to the
temperature and climate.
Ultimately, listen to your own
personal needs rather than to
questionable studies that are
often funded by drinks companies!
References:
American Journal of Cllinical Nutrition, 48:
1023-1033 1988
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2002
Nov;283(5):R993-1004
Almond CS, Shin AY, Fortescue EB, et al.
N. Engl. J. Med. 2005;352:1550-1556.
Hyponatremia among runners in the
Boston Marathon.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of
Public Health, June 2010
Berning J R. & Nelson Steen S. Nutrition For
Sport & Exercise (2nd edition); 1998
Dunham W. Reuters US Edition. Research
debunks health value of guzzling water;
Apr 2, 2008
Egan G, Silk T, Zamarripa F,et al. PNAS.
2003;100:15241-15246. Neural correlates of
the emergence of consciousness of thirst.
Greenberg A, Verbalis JG. Kidney Int.
2006;69:2124-2130. Vasopressin receptor
antagonists.
Kent M. Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science &
Medicine (2nd Edition); 1998
McKinley MJ, Johnson AK. News Physiol. Sci.
2004;19:1-6. The physiological regulation of
thirst and fluid intake.
Noakes T MD. Lore of Running (2nd Edition);
2002
Parsons LM, Denton D, Egan G, et al.
PNAS.2000;97:2332-2336. Neuroimaging
evidence implicating cerebellum in support
of sensory/cognitive processes associated
with thirst.
Rambali P. Barefoot Runner: The life of mara-
thon champion Abebe Bikila; 2006
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (27th Edition);
2000
Stricker EM, Sved AF. Nutrition. 2000;
16:821-826. Thirst.
Tucker R Ph.D. & Dugas J Ph.D. Science of
sport; 2010
of Clinical Development of The
Vitality Group recently performed
a study where their volunteer cycled
for just over two hours, during which
time he lost 300g of carbohydrate
and fat while drinking when thirsty.
The subject’s total body weight loss
was 1kg, yet 300g (30%) of that
weight loss (or as we are led to
believe ‘dehydration’) was not due
to water loss but represented the
calorie expenditure the subject had
burnt. Tucker and Dugas concluded
that the weight loss method
overestimates ‘dehydration’ by 30%
due to the lack of consideration of
fuel that has been burned during
the exercise.
They go on to suggest that
electrolyte balance is of more
concern than body weight. They,
and others, explain that as you
exercise, your body adapts by
secreting an anti-diuretic hormone
(ADH) that inhibits the loss of water
through urine. This hormone is
released into the system when bodily
fluid becomes too concentrated
and even when the levels increase
only marginally, this also sets the
thirst mechanism in place. This
knowledge is what helped launch
the now vast range of ‘isotonic’
drinks. Those of you who are
seasoned endurance athletes
probably know how to make your
own – usually a mix of orange juice,
water and a little bit of salt!
If a person has access to fluid,
they are quite unlikely to become
dangerously dehydrated. Take a
look at table two, outlining the
various symptoms of fluid depletion
and you can see that the thirst
mechanism kicks in well before
there is any danger of becoming
dehydrated.
It is extremely important for
endurance athletes exercising for
long periods to understand their
own bodily needs for fluids and fuel.
This is a very individual experience.
For example, back in the 1950’s
Kenyan athletes were found to be
better equipped at storing water
than their Scandinavian counterparts,
simply because they have adapted
for running long distances in hot
climates with less access to water.
Your own body will adapt too.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear
to be any clear evidence yet, but
I have clients who have read that
they should drink lots of water and
Unsurprisingly, the results varied
greatly depending on age, gender,
employment status, etc.
Women were generally more
optimistic, believing that they stop
feeling young at 42 compared
to men, who start feeling old at 38!
Women also perceive ‘old age’
beginning at 60 whereas for men,
it’s aged 58.
Those who were unemployed and
did not own their own home also
felt older earlier than those with
jobs and their own place to live.
The study certainly highlights how
perceptions of age vary according
to circumstances but ultimately, we
should all be focusing on living our
lives rather than obsessing with the
numbers!
esearch commissioned by the
UK’s Department for Work
and Pensions has found that
the average Briton (based on
interviews with 2,162 participants)
believes that ‘old age’ is precisely
at 59 years, 2 months and 2 weeks.
The interviews were conducted
with people of both genders and
all ages from 16 upwards.
P a g e 2 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Outside the lab
© 1991 Paul Lamond Games Limited
recent study (published here: PLoS ONE 8(1): e52548. doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.005254) investigated footstrike in habitually unshod
adults from Northern Kenya.
19 males and 19 females took part in the study which was designed
to look at the tendency for barefooters to land on their midfoot or
forefoot but also find out if and how this changes according to
speed.
In previous studies (most notably those of Professor Daniel
Lieberman), midfoot and forefoot striking appear to dominate in
habitually barefoot runners and results in lower impact forces
through the body. In this latest experiment, however, the runners,
who were asked initially to run at a comfortable endurance speed
(which inevitably varied between individuals), tended to favour a
rearfoot strike. They were also examined running at faster speeds,
when midfoot and forefoot striking began to take the place of
rearfoot striking.
The researchers offered a number of conclusions to their findings.
They note that the runners studied by Professor Lieberman were
running consistently higher mileage than their Northern Kenyan
counterparts, so perhaps they had learned to land more towards
the midfoot to reduce applied forces. They also highlight that there
was quite a lot of variation in what each subject considered to be
‘a comfortable endurance speed’ so the findings couldn’t be put
purely down to pace alone.
Ultimately, as many already suspect, there are many factors that
contribute to an individual’s particular landing preference and
further research will continue to enlighten us – or at least, open up
more questions!
© 2012 TRC Publishing UK Limited
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e A u t u m n 2 0 1 2 P a g e 2 3
SOPHIE WALKER
Published by Piatkus on 4th October 2012
£13.99 Trade Paperback
'Very powerful, very moving, and an important contribution to better understanding of a much misunderstood condition'
Alastair Campbell
‘This is a book about Asperger's Syndrome and a book about running, but it's so much more than that. It's at heart a love story, testament to the power of a parent's fierce devotion to their child. Any parent will see in it something of themselves’
Gaby Hinsliff, journalist and author of Half a Wife
When Sophie Walker's daughter Grace was finally diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, Sophie was close to falling apart. Daily difficulties fitting in at school, left bright, artistic Grace frustrated and Sophie feeling teary, sleepless and depressed.
Feeling overwhelmed by life, and fighting off a prescription for anti-depressants, Sophie determined to stop neglecting her physical and mental wellbeing and decided to go for a run. She soon found release in running and set herself the challenge of completing the London Marathon to raise awareness of Asperger’s and to make herself strong enough to support her beloved, courageous child. In running she found the strength to battle for Grace’s education, happiness and future as well as the strength to overcome her own depression.
A beautifully written and extraordinary frank account which charts the highs and lows of raising a child with Asperger’s and the challenge of becoming a long distance runner. The book began life as the popular blog Grace Under Pressure which had an amazing response from readers and was promoted by Mumsnet and the National Autistic Society and has scores of loyal readers.
Sophie Walker has worked as a journalist for Reuters news agency for fourteen years, reporting news around the globe. She has written about oil, trade and politics in Washington and has been foreign correspondent in the UK, travelling to Iraq and Afghanistan with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
She was selected as Ambassador for the National Autistic Society’s new Autism Action Network in October 2011
Sophie completed the London Marathon on behalf of the National Autistic Society, raising £4,000, and has signed up for next year’s too. She has also appeared recently on both the BBC and Channel Four discussing the governments proposed changes to the special education needs system.
ost of you will be familiar with the
name Scott Jurek due to the part
he plays in Chris McDougall’s Born
to Run. If you’re a more serious
runner and are au fait with the world
of ultramarathons, you will know he’s
one of the most famous and revered
ultrarunners in the last twenty years or
so.
The title of his book implies that he’ll
be talking about eating and running.
He’s notorious for his running feats
fuelled by a vegan diet, so one
assumes he’ll explain what he eats
and his training regime. If that’s
what you’re expecting, then you’re
in for an overwhelming surprise.
The book is really about Scott’s
journey; an almost – at times – heart
wrenching account of his life so far,
with running at the very centre. He
begins by describing his childhood
and family set up and how this
formed the basis for his urge to run
and his interest in wholesome food.
As Scott’s story progresses, he appears
to be searching for the reasons why
he runs. Sometimes, there’s a sense
of running towards something,
sometimes running away and often,
both. The book is written in such a
way that you experience his transition
with him – running begins as more of
a competition, something more
superficial, but his appreciation of
running deepens as the book unfolds,
teaching him, challenging him and
at one point, completely eluding him.
Scott describes several races and
tells of practicalities such as
preparation and the correct fuelling.
As the reader, you will feel his pain
as he runs a number of gruelling
races, one with a broken toe and
another with a broken ankle! You
begin to understand that running
technique and the right food are
only part of the recipe for an
ultrarunner; natural talent is a real
bonus (Scott’s best friend Dusty
can run like the wind, even with a
penchant for alcohol and drugs)
and mental strength is essential.
At some points the book is quite dark
as Scott bravely reveals his demons
in a frank, yet poetic manner. There’s
a sense of desperation at one point
when he loses a number of people
close to him and running no longer
fills the void or answers his questions.
The book is not miserable, however.
In fact, there’s a sense of hopefulness
and a pure love for running that
streams throughout and the allure of
running will beckon even the most
reluctant reader. In fact, I’d defy
anyone reading the book not to want
to sign up for an ultra before they’ve
finished it!
There are recipes at the end of each
chapter, all vegan and seemingly
delicious. There’s also an index of
the recipes at the end so that you
Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to
Ultramarathon Greatness By Scott
Durek with Steve Friedman
Paperback: £17.99
272 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Language English
ISBN-13: 978-1408833384
P a g e 2 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Book details...
Book review Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek
can look up your favourites.
This book is a must-read for every runner
and aspiring runner. If you don’t run
already, it will awaken in you the desire
to feel what Scott feels when he runs.
It’s in all of us and Scott relates it
beautifully in this wonderful book.
Read it soon!
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 2 5
Limited spaces at World Heritage sites
Hi Stephen
I’ve added you to our subscriber
list.
You should really try a bit of
barefoot running to give you a
better feel for what you’re aiming
for. It’s much more difficult to run
with good form in conventional
running shoes as the weight
hinders a quick cadence and
the raised heel gets in the way.
Essentially where you’re going
wrong though is trying to land
on a specific part of your foot.
Instead, just try to focus on the
shorter stride and quicker
cadence. Also, think of leading
with your knees. All of these will
cause your foot to land beneath
you, rather than out in front,
which should naturally eliminate
any heel striking.
We’ve written a book about
barefoot running which contains
a lot of detail about general
running mechanics – the book
is available here:
www.trcpublishinguk.com
Hope this helps!
Hello
Hope all is well, I need some
advice please. I had to stop
all training in the last week of
October and first week of
November due to work
commitments. I did a drills
session last week and finished
it off with 2 x five minute
barefoot runs. I have now got
tight calves again and have had
to start stretching them twice a
day. Should I continue with the
drills and drop the running for
a while?
glad to hear you’re on the road
to recovery.
There is always a lot of focus
on ‘core strength’ with people
who’ve suffered a disc prolapse
as sometimes certain muscles can
‘switch off’ due to pain, or at least
the stabilizing mechanism within
the body can become altered
and muscles don’t work as they
should. The goal is to teach the
soft tissues to work and move in
a supportive but fluid way, so in
terms of core strength, it’s about
getting the muscles to actually
work properly in isolation but,
as soon as possible, adding
in increasing complexity to
movement and making sure
the muscles continue to work
in a functional manner. The
way that you move is key
and running is just part of the
general aim of moving well
(with control and fluidity). The
disc prolapse was likely caused
by some movement/stability
issue in the first place.
Let’s set up a consultation and
go from there!
Please subscribe me! Also I'm just
learning about better running
form and while still wearing my
running shoes I'm trying to shorten
my stride and land on my mid-foot.
I've done a couple of 5K runs like
this and have got quite sore shins!
I don't think I'm ready to quit
my shoes just yet, but is it normal
to feel shin-splits while transitioning
to a better technique?
Any thoughts gratefully received!
Stephen, via email
Send your running questions to
Anna & David and they will
endeavour to answer them for
you: [email protected]
Hi, I am based in Bromley in London.
I am recovering from a slipped disc
(L5) in my back and looking to start
exercising again. I have been
encouraged by my consultant to
dramatically improve my core
strength to protect my back and
learn how to exercise whilst looking
after my back. He particularly
emphasized learning to run properly
in a way that won’t cause injury
(as I had IT band issues before).
Having been a keen sports person
before the injury I am eager to
get exercising again but don’t
want any more pain/injuries and
want to start off doing things the
correct way! I was interested in
your services as you specialize in
both running and recovery from
back injuries/core strength. Look
forward to hearing from you.
Rhonda, London
Hi there,
Many thanks for your email and
P a g e 2 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
A prolapsed disc, also known as a slipped or herniated disc, is
where one of the discs in the spine bulges or ruptures (in the
case of rupture, the fluid inside leaks out).
This can cause back pain as well as pain in other areas of the body.
The sciatic nerve is often affected in disc prolapse cases. It is the
longest nerve in the body and runs from the back of the pelvis,
through the buttocks, down both legs to the feet.
If pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve it can cause:
a lasting, aching pain
numbness
a tingling sensation in one or both legs
Qu
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the amount and frequency for
a while.
It’s always difficult to give
completely sound advice only
knowing part of the picture
but hopefully this helps a bit!
Hi,
I've signed up for a half marathon,
It’s a trail half marathon going
across Salisbury Plain and ending
at Stonehenge. It's mostly gravel
tracks that are normally closed to
the public as the army use it for
training. Do you think it is possible
to complete this barefoot? l keep
reading stories where people say
they ran a marathon barefoot
only to say later they wore minimal
shoes! I can run 7 miles now across
similar trails and I'm reasonably
confident, but I would really value
your opinion whether this is
possible?
Ian, Wiltshire
Hello Ian
It sounds like it’ll be a lovely race
with some great scenery. The
answer to your question about
whether it’s possible to run a half
marathon or marathon completely
barefoot, is a definite yes. It has
been done many a time. However,
the real question is whether you can
do it and that is something you must
answer yourself, after being very
honest about how your body is
feeling and adapting to barefoot
running.
From what I know about your
barefoot running ‘journey’, you seem
to have taken to it well. You’ve had
a few niggles but everything feels
pretty sound. I also know you’ve
been training off-road, which is
another important aspect here; if
you’d been training on smooth
roads and then wanted to enter this
race, I would advise you against it
because uneven, rough terrain – if
you’re not used to it – can radically
change your form.
I would keep going how you are,
only adding mileage when it feels
right and see how you feel as it gets
close to race time. You don’t want
to be adding more mileage than
you should, just because you’re
trying to achieve it by a set date.
I would assume that your goal is
just to complete the half, rather
than aim for a particular time?
One of the things that will add risk
to injury is trying to go too fast, but
I think you know enough about it
now to be aware of the speed
factor!
If you feel ok for the race and
decide to do it, you could ask one
of your family members to meet
you somewhere en route with
some shoes, just in case your form
is suffering with the ground texture.
Or you could carry them with you,
but this is a pain and not the best
idea if you’re not used to carrying
them.
So, I don’t see any reason why you
shouldn’t do the race, but your
body will ultimately tell you whether
or not you’re ready. A couple of
other things to think about: I know
you don’t usually run in big groups,
so it’s worth finding out how many
other runners there are. It can be
difficult negotiating terrain when
you can’t see far enough in front
of you. It might be worth seeing if
you can enter a shorter race (5 or
10k) just to get a feel for what it’s
like to run in a bigger group. The
time of day affects some people
too, so if the race it is at a different
time to when you normally run, try
changing your schedule so you can
do some runs at the same time of
day as the race. The adrenaline
will quite likely give you an extra
boost, as well as the spirit in the air
that comes with big groups running
together.
All the best with it and hope the
running continues to go well. Keep
us posted!
Also, before my enforced stop, I
was doing the drills twice a week
alongside my kettle-bells training,
this left me pretty tired. Is it okay
to do the drills once a week for a
while?
Thanks in advance.
Matthew, London
Hi there
It sounds as though you may have
done a little too much having had
the two weeks off.
It might be an idea to do the drills
on different days to your runs. So,
when you go for a run, just make
sure you loosen up beforehand
and do the double and single heel
bounces.
Also, when you do the drills, make
sure you have 30-60 rest in between
each set of drills. You can reduce
the number of repetitions for a
while too.
Were your calves feeling ok
before you had to take the
time off? What do you mean
by ‘tired’? Sore muscles,
general fatigue?
What were you doing in the two
weeks off? If you were unusually
active OR inactive, this will have
contributed to the calf tightness.
Ultimately, try and listen to what
your body is trying to tell you. If
you do the drills and your calves
are just getting tighter, something
needs to change, whether it’s
your technique or just reducing
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 2 7
Shin splints may refer to a number
of lower leg complaints and injuries.
In most cases, shin splints refer to
the pain that results from overload
on the tissues that connect muscles
to the shin bone (tibia).
They also may come from the small
bone of the lower leg and ankle,
called the fibula. The medical term
for shin splints is Medial Tibial Stress
Syndrome.
The
late
st Na
tion
al n
ew
s Qu
estio
ns &
an
swe
rs
Magda Kowalka
& friend braving
the cold in Poland
Season in pictures A showcase of what you have been up to for the past 3 months
P a g e 2 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Lou Rantin of
Ontario, Canada
on the Runner’s
Life 2012 Xmas
Fun Run
Ian and Ricardo
running at Moat
Park as part of
the Maidstone
Barefoot Dashers
Left to right: David,
Tracy, Anna, Stephen
and Olly at Clapham
Common just as the
weather began turning
chilly!
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 2 9
Ian and the Wiltshire Barefoot
Runners (left is Steve in the cap,
Simon with the beard and Ian
in the blue top, below with
Daniel, Ian’s son) tackling some
serious hills!
P a g e 3 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Injury Corner Why Learn How Pain Works? – Seriously Useful Science! By Tony Ingram
ain is a frequent topic on this site.
Some of you may wonder why.
Why should you read this stuff,
what does it matter to you?
In my opinion, if you’re going to
learn about injury prevention and
recovery, or even health and fitness
in general, learning how pain works
should be considered fundamental
knowledge.
Plus, it’s just really super duper mega
interesting.
But if you really need to be convinced,
read this:
Why learn about pain?
You’ve felt pain before, haven’t you?
Perhaps you’re exceptionally lucky.
Maybe you don’t even feel pain
(actually, that’s not a good thing). 1
Or maybe the only pain you’ve
ever experienced was the one time
you stubbed your toe on the kitchen
table. What an awful day! Once it
was all over, hopefully you treated
yourself to something nice, and it’s
never crossed your mind since.
If you’re like most people, however,
you’re a little more familiar with
pain.
As kids, scrapes, bruises and boo-
boos were a small price to pay
for playing outside. If you’re an
active individual, you’ve definitely
experienced some muscle soreness.
If not, it’s probably in your best
interest to stop reading this and
go outside for some fresh air and
exercise.
Most active people have
experienced at least one minor
injury in their life – like a sprained
ankle, or a pulled muscle. And
unless you have an exceptionally
cold heart, you’ve probably
experienced some emotional
pain as well. Yeah yeah, you’re
too cool to have your heart
broken… right.
If there is one thing everyone has
in common, it’s that we’ve all
experienced pain at some point.
This common experience can differ
in many ways, varying by cause,
type, location, severity, how long it
lasts, and more. It’s almost always
different and it’s hard to define…
but you know it when you feel it!
All of us?
Yup, it’s pretty common. It’s one
of the main reasons people go to
a doctor 2,3, and statistics show
that up to 80% of the adult U.S.
population will have low back
pain at some point in their life! 4
Pain is usually temporary. It could
last seconds, days, or weeks.
Eventually it stops with or without
any help. But sometimes, the pain
doesn’t go away. In fact, about
one in three people have chronic
pain lasting six months or longer. 5,6
Even if you’re one of the lucky
people who don’t have persistent
pain, it still affects you. It’s estimated
that chronic pain costs the U.S.
about $635 billion every year in
medical costs and time off work. 7
Ouch! (no pun intended).
What should we do?
Everywhere you look, people are
making big promises. Perhaps it’s
a ground-breaking discovery, or
maybe a secret of the ancients.
Most of the time, these miracle
cures are completely bogus, or
an elaborate placebo at best.
Unfortunately, when people are
in pain, they are far more likely to
fall for it.
The truth is – despite its enormous
impact on all of us – a reliable
“cure” for pain has yet to be found.
This is true for both ‘acute’ (new)
as well as ‘chronic’ (lasting greater
than 3 months) pain, despite the
amazing progress of medical science.
In fact, the science of pain is only
beginning to make sense. Due to
some very exciting scientific progress
in such fields as neuroscience and
biochemistry, our understanding
of pain has increased dramatically
over the last few decades.
It turns out that pain is not just a
simple signal from damaged tissues
letting you know about an injury.
And when it doesn’t go away, it’s
not because an injury hasn’t
healed, or because something is
out of place, or because it’s “all in
your head”. Many theories about
how pain should be treated have
been debunked (or at least seriously
questioned), and have been
replaced by more promising ideas.
Unfortunately, many people –
even healthcare workers – are
unaware of this new research.
Learn about it!
If there is new research out there
about what does and does not work,
it’s obviously something people
should be aware of! But the benefits
go beyond simply being informed…
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 3 1
11 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP www.trainingshoplondon.co.uk
P a g e 3 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
References:
1. Nagasako EM, Oaklander AL, Dworkin RH.
Congenital insensitivity to pain: an update. Pain.
2003 Feb;101(3):213-9. Review. PubMed PMID:
12583863.
2. Mäntyselkä P, Kumpusalo E, Ahonen R,
Kumpusalo A, Kauhanen J, Viinamäki H,
Halonen P, Takala J. Pain as a reason to
visit the doctor: a study in Finnish primary
health care. Pain. 2001 Jan;89(2-3):175-80.
PubMed PMID: 11166473
3. Hart LG, Deyo RA, Cherkin DC. Physician
office visits for low back pain. Frequency,
clinical evaluation, and treatment patterns
from a U.S. national survey. Spine (Phila Pa 1976).
1995 Jan 1;20(1):11-9. PubMed PMID: 7709270
4. Frymoyer JW. Back pain and sciatica. N
Engl J Med. 1988 Feb 4;318(5):291-300.
Review. PubMed PMID: 2961994
5. Johannes CB, Le TK, Zhou X, Johnston JA,
Dworkin RH. The prevalence of chronic pain in
United States adults: results of an Internet-based
survey. J Pain. 2010 Nov;11(11):1230-9. Epub 2010
Aug 25. PubMed PMID: 20797916
6. Ospina M, Harstall C. (2003) Prevalence of
chronic pain: an overview, Health Technology
Assessment 28 Series A, Alberta Heritage
Foundation for Medical Research, Edmonton,
Alberta.
7. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on
Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education.
Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for
Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and
Research. Washington (DC): National Academies
Press (US); 2011. PubMed PMID: 22553896
8. Louw A, Diener I, Butler DS, & Puentedura EJ
(2011). The effect of neuroscience education
on pain, disability, anxiety, and stress in chronic
musculoskeletal pain. Archives of physical
medicine and rehabilitation, 92 (12), 2041-56
PMID: 22133255
9. George SZ, Childs JD, Teyhen DS, Wu SS,
Wright AC, Dugan JL, Robinson ME. Brief
psychosocial education, not core stabilization,
reduced incidence of low back pain: results
from the Prevention of Low Back Pain in the
Military (POLM) cluster randomized trial. BMC
Med. 2011 Nov 29;9:128. PubMed PMID:
22126534; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3286400
Research also tells us that learning
some of this pain science (how pain
“works”) can actually decrease
pain, and may even help prevent
it! 8, 9 In fact, pain education is now
considered a legitimate treatment
for persistent pain.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not dealing
with pain right now – learning this
stuff is useful. At the very least, you’ll
learn some interesting science about
the brain, and a lot of weird things
about your body will make more
sense. But if you are dealing with
pain right now, this information can
save you a lot of money, and may
finally lead you in the right direction.
So get learning!
In summary
Learn about pain because:
If you’re not in pain right now,
you might be soon (sorry to
jinx you).
If you work with people who are
in pain (therapists), or people who
might develop pain (trainers),
then you should probably know
what you’re talking about.
Persistent or “chronic” pain is
a big deal, and a drain on the
economy.
Just like all health and fitness
information, there’s a lot of
garbage out there.
Pain science is actually, like,
super duper mega interesting.
Seriously.
Learning about pain can actually re-
duce and prevent pain!
There’s probably a lot more reasons
than that, but we’ll keep this short.
Want to get started? Check out the
Pain Education section of this site!
Tony Ingram is a physical therapist
and dancer, currently living in
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
He loves science, because it’s
awesome.
Specifically, he’s super interested
in the science of human movement,
and how it relates to our physical,
mental, social, and cultural well-
being. That interest started with
dancing and led to a career in
physical therapy.
Registered Physiotherapist.
Primary author of bboyscience.com.
Director at Concrete Roots Productions.
Member of bboy dance crews: Koala
Corp and East Rock Crew.
Education:
M.Sc. Kinesiology (Exercise Physiology)
Memorial University of Newfoundland.
M.Sc. Physiotherapy - Dalhousie
University
B.Sc. Behavioural Neuroscience -
Memorial University of Newfoundland.
www.bboyscience.com
Send us your letters for a chance to win a copy of:
Run Strong • Run Free: An introduction to the science and art of
barefoot running.
We’ll pick our favourite for the winner!
email: [email protected]
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Technical tip The ins and outs of breath by Anna Toombs
why, although it’s something
that’s taken for granted so we
don’t really consider it on a regular
basis. The human body needs
oxygen to survive; oxygen is part
of the chemical reaction that
occurs when glucose is broken
down to release and provide
energy. If oxygen is in short supply,
the body doesn’t function as well
as it should. Therefore, having
access to ample amounts of
oxygen means more efficient,
more comfortable running.
The trouble is that the body is
slightly off sometimes when it
comes to instinct. Think about
what you do when you’re sitting
in traffic and late for a meeting,
or on the sofa watching a scary
film. Do maintain nice long, slow
exhales or do you draw your
breath in and hold it? For most
(if not all) it’s the latter. Regular
breathing is the first thing that
seems to go out of the window
in a stressful situation – which is
fine if it’s resolvable in a few
seconds (turn the TV off or hide
behind the sofa) but if you’re
running a bit too fast and
stressing your body but still have
several miles to go, something
has got to give. Your heart
beats faster, your alignment
falters, limbs begin to hurt and
you long to get home and
collapse in a heap.
Shallow, quick breaths are
associated with panic whereas
long, slow breaths equal calmness and
tranquillity. You may think
that being calm and serene
t’s interesting that in so many
disciplines, breath control
plays an integral part in the
system. In Pilates and yoga, for
instance, the inhale and exhale
are specified as part of each
movement. In the martial arts,
there is emphasis on exhaling
as you punch or kick to maximize
your energy and make you
‘denser’.
Conversely, when runners run,
many of them will just allow
their breathing to happen whilst
focusing on other things, such
as their posture or cadence.
However, it can be extremely
useful to incorporate breath
control into your running training,
as well as practising it when
you’re not running.
One particular type of breathing,
often referred to as ‘nose’ or
‘nasal’ breathing, is becoming
more popular in the running
world. It basically means
breathing through your nose
rather than through your mouth.
Why would I want to do that?
You may ask. It’ll make me run
slower! Well, for some people,
this has been the key to improving
aerobic fitness as well as reducing
the likelihood of injury (see
Alan Thwaits great blog:
barefootjourney.org and also:
nomeatathlete.com/breathing
-when-running/).
Think about what happens when
you run and start to push your limits.
What’s the first thing that changes?
Your breathing pattern. Your breath
becomes quicker and often more
shallow, you begin to inhale and
exhale through your mouth and if
you continue to force the pace,
you’ll start to snatch breaths as
your form begins to diminish. How
many runners do you pass who
seem to be breathing that way
throughout their entire run,
habitually fighting for breath
but not getting anywhere?
We all know breathing is essential
for staying alive. We also know
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 3 5
can’t translate into running,
but you’d be wrong! In fact,
if you can manage to control
your breathing, you’ll achieve
a much smoother, more
enjoyable ride.
So, how do you improve your
breathing quality and breath
control? Well, there are several
ways. Both Pilates and yoga
are beneficial for promoting
deeper breathing and better
use of the muscles associated
with breathing as well as freeing
up the ribcage. Pilates breathing
focuses on lateral breaths, getting
movement into the sides and
back of your ribcage, whilst yogic
breathing promotes using the
lower lobes of the lungs and has
more relaxing qualities (see our
chapter on breathing in our book).
It’s important to practise both
types and you can do it anywhere,
any time. In both types, be more
aware of the exhale. You can’t
take a deep breath in if your
lungs are still full of air! When
you’re running, this is also useful,
i.e. if you feel you’re struggling
for breath, do two or three
significant inhale-exhale cycles
– focusing on a long exhale –
and it will help to bring your
breathing back into a rhythm.
You can also try nose breathing,
as mentioned earlier. Whilst
you’re out on a run, try inhaling
and exhaling through your nose.
You’ll probably find it pretty
tough and will need to slow
your pace. It’s a bit like barefoot
running in this respect – it initially
forces you to slow down. It’ll
make you aware of how much
you usually push yourself and
can be quite an eye-opener.
There are many runners who
incorporate an ‘easy’ run into
their schedule but enjoy pushing
the limits so much that the easy
run becomes just another tempo
run! Next time you’ve planned
an easy run, try just breathing
through your nose and it will
lead to a pace that’s naturally
comfortable – and easy! – for
you.
When you’ve tried this a few
times, you can start to play
around with the rhythm.
Hopefully you run at a steady
160-180 cadence, so try
breathing in for 2 steps, out for
2. Or try 3 and 3. You might
even want to extend the
exhale and try a 2 and 4 inhale
/exhale pattern. As a variation
that’s slightly easier, you can
also try breathing in through
your nose and out through your
mouth and progress towards
complete nose breathing. It’s
quite an individual preference
and the rule, as with barefoot
running, is to experiment and
find your own formula.
As referenced above, Matt
Frazier (www.nomeatathlete.
com) has been experimenting
with nose breathing and slowing
his breathing rate from around
30 breaths per minute down to
around 12. He’s noticed a
significant change in his heart
rate, maintaining it at about
120bpm when in previous,
similar circumstances (terrain,
music, etc.) it would elevate
above 140bpm.
A word of caution: if you’re not
used to taking deep breaths,
it can make you feel quite
lightheaded at first. It may also
cause discomfort if you begin
using previously under-used
muscles and do too much too
soon.
So, as with barefoot running,
patience and listening to your
body are wise rules to follow.
If you take the time to experiment
with this, you will undoubtedly
discover a new element to your
running and enjoy it even more.
Have fun!
P a g e 3 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
magnesium citrate) included, which
should be ideally between 2-
4:1 calcium to magnesium. This is
known to play an important role in
skeletal maintenance, but more
importantly is essential for cellular en-
ergy and optimal muscle function. Con-
sumption of dairy protein powders will
help to boost calcium content but is
often otherwise easily attainable
through natural diet.
Vitamin K-2 (MK7), more readily ab-
sorbed than MK4 and has a longer
half life, is also highly recommended as
it is only found in trace quantities in
foods. It has a number of impor-
tant key functions such as prevent-
ing a build up of plaque within the arter-
ies therefore preventing some
forms of cardiovascular disease.
At the same time it removes any
excess calcium in the blood and de-
posits it into bones.
Look out for products which contain
ingredients such as
become depleted leaving you run
down and susceptible to illness or injury.
So, it is with this in mind that I’ll recom-
mend a few basics.
A good multivitamin geared towards
an active lifestyle, but remem-
ber that not all multivitamins
are created equal. Active individuals
simply have different needs be-
cause in order for us to perform
at our best it is imperative
for us to have the correct nutrition; even
slight deficiencies can cause us
to under perform. Most multi
vitamins available in the market today
have scientifically researched
levels of ingredients based on the RDA,
so any bought from a reputable
manufacturer should be of a decent
standard as long as they contain at
least the RDA of the follow-
ing vitamins B1, B2, B3, B12, C, D and
Folic Acid.
Ratios of calcium and
magnesium (preferably the more
bioavailable form of
Bioperine (or piperine extract – a form
of black pepper which aids absorp-
tion).
Omega 3, one of the most widely used
supplements in the
UK today. Most of us are aware that we
should be taking it for the numerous
health benefits it offers. But it is impor-
tant to know what you are looking for
in a supplement and in this case, don't
just go for any old fish oils. It simply isn't
necessary to supplement with Omega
6's and 9's as they are much more
readily abundant in other foods,
so it really is just the Omega 3 you need
to look for. Then it is important to check
the information on the label as there
are a variety of kinds out there which all
offer varying levels of health bene-
fits. What you are looking for here is the
EPA and DHA content, ideally between
500-1000 mg per day. These have been
proven to be the most effective
forms of Omega 3 for improving heart,
brain and immune function as well as
being known to work as an anti-
inflammatory.
In addition to this it is also impor-
tant to know the purity in terms of
heavy metal contamination.
What this means is that some of the
waters in the world are subject to high
levels of contaminants such as mercury
and other toxins and it is this
which is the other variable you
can encounter. Naturally we all
know that heavy metals are toxic and
should not be consumed, so it
is important that the fish are
sourced from declared clean water
sources. If you are unsure contact the
manufacturer who should be able to
provide you with this information
and even a copy of the certifica-
tion which will come with each batch.
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Nutritional nugget Detoxing 101 for maximum benefits by Leigh Rogers
anuary, the month everyone
earmarks to start the obligatory
New Year detox. In our practice
we see so many of our clients ready
to start the year off a little healthier
than they left the previous one,
especially after all the festive
season silliness.
But how good are detoxes really?
Well it depends on how you define
a detox. Of course cutting out
alcohol, sugar, wheat and dairy
and only consuming veggie
juices is going to help alleviate
some of the stresses on your body,
but it’s not going to make a huge
impact if it’s only for 2-3 days
before you bounce back to your
previous diet. We believe a
better approach is to minimise
these foods in your diet instead
and adopt a more long term
approach to detoxing.
So many people don’t realise how
“toxic” they are already and that a
few simple dietary changes could
help alleviate a number of common
issues such as fatigue, muscle and
joint aches, headaches, multiple
digestive problems such as
constipation, gas and bloating
and various skin complaints.
Our bodies have a detoxifying
system in place, namely the skin,
lungs, kidney, colon and liver. If too
much waste builds up, our bodies
struggle to eliminate it and we
generally get sick. Many serious
diseases are related to toxicity in
the body such as Alzheimer’s,
Rheumatoid Arthritis and
Fibromyalgia.
Your key focus should therefore
be learning how to improve the
detoxification process in your body
and at the same time, reducing
the toxic load over the long term.
So what is the toxic load? This is
basically a build-up of stressors on
the body that are not necessarily
only due to food. Environmental
factors can also play a huge part
in contributing to internal issues. It
may be a result of many years of
exposure to poor diet, heavy metals
(amalgam fillings contain mercury)
and pesticides, moulds, unnecessary
medications, stress ( emotional
stresses such as anger, jealousy,
loneliness), food allergies, etc. We
can live with this for years without
realizing what state our bodies are
in and rather like the cup runneth
over, our bodies may be processing
and detoxifying fine until one more
stressor hits us and the cup over
flows.
Each individual has their own
biochemical make-up so what
may be high levels of toxic stress
for one person may not have that
big an impact on another. This is
one of our key philosophies - bio
individuality; what works for one
person may not work for someone
else. You need to get in touch
with your health and learn to listen
to your own body a lot closer.
So down to the nitty gritty and
detoxifying the body. What should
you be doing to improve the overall
health of your detoxification system?
Understand what the specific toxins
are for you: is it environmental, diet
or emotional. How about your job,
is it causing huge amounts of
unnecessary stress with little
enjoyment in return? What about
your diet- are you a sugar junkie
that needs your next fix to keep
you going through the day? Really
get to grips with what is adding
unnecessary toxic load on your
body and put an action plan in
place to start reducing or limiting
your exposure.
Analyse your gut health: Be aware
of your digestion and start to focus
on what foods don’t do so well with
you. What makes you feel bloated,
gassy or uncomfortable? One
recommendation is to start with
the top 3 foods you eat the most.
See if eliminating one of those at
a time from your diet makes any
difference. Try two weeks with
each food and be particularly
aware of any issues when you
reintroduce it back. Most people
without knowing it generally feel
better off wheat. Think about it,
in the average diet you are eating
it at almost every meal, toast or
cereal for breakfast, sandwich for
lunch and pasta for dinner. Try
removing it for two weeks and see
if you notice any difference. Make
sure you are strict and read all the
food labels, especially processed
foods or sauces, as these generally
contain gluten which is the protein
in wheat. Worst case you have
had two weeks of eating more fruit
and veg to fill you up instead.
Finally, exercise: One area that so
many people don’t put enough
emphasis on. You can eat a well-
balanced and healthy diet but
unless you are active on a regular
basis you won’t gain the benefits
of true health. Exercise is a great
way to improve circulation, remove
toxins through sweating, increase
energy levels and reduce stress.
But what does this mean in terms
of practical day to day living?
1. Drink water and lots of it. At least
8 glasses a day to flush out the
kidneys. Start each morning off
with a warm mug of lemon water.
Great for alkalising and detoxing.
2. Try and eat organic where you
can but especially animal protein.
Grass fed and free range should
be your key decision influencer
when buying meat.
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 3 9
why not reduce your coffee intake
by one each day for the first week
and build from there. Switch out
your rice for brown rice and give
quinoa a try. Or simply change
that afternoon chocolate to a
handful of almonds.
We recommend you try
incorporating each of these
suggestions into your daily routine
instead of simply doing your short
term detox this year and we are
confident you will be feeling heaps
better by the time 2014 comes
around.
If you have any questions or feel you
need more support in giving your
health a kick start this year, please
contact us on [email protected].
We have all the tools and tips to
support you in creating a healthier,
more energised lifestyle. Plus
for all Barefoot Running Magazine
readers we will be offering a FREE
45 minute Breakthrough session on
SKYPE plus 10% off our programmes
if booked in the month of February.
To stay updated with tips, recipes and
health news, like us on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/#!/meorganic?
fref=ts
3. Up your intake of fresh fruit and
vegetables. Each plate should
have multiple colours on it,
especially green leafy vegetables
like kale, spinach and collards.
Often the most forgotten, yet the
most nutritious vegetable group.
4. Garlic and onions are great in
aiding detoxification too so add
some to your cooking on a regular
basis.
5. Make sure exercise is a regular
part of your weekly routine. Aim
for 4-5 sessions a week and make
sure it’s a combination of stretching,
cardio and weight training as each
one offers its own benefits.
6. Eliminate anything starting with
‘white’. White bread, white sugar,
white pasta. These foods have
zero nutritional value and often
are the cause of most dietary
issues. Instead, go for healthier
options such as quinoa, brown
rice and millet.
7. Avoid any unnecessary stimulants
like caffeine an nicotine as much
as possible. Also, limit your intake
of alcohol. As you know, a social
glass of wine actually has
significant beneficial properties.
It’s the binge drinking 3-4 nights a
week that our livers do not favour.
8. Make sure you are regular. If
you are not going to the toilet
everyday try adding more fibre
into your diet. Ground flax seed
is a great one for sprinkling on
smoothies, soups and salads for
an extra dose of gut cleansing
fibre.
9. For that extra kick, try and take
a sauna or steam bath a few
times a month or for a great
home remedy, soak in an Epsom
salts bath. Not only great for tired
muscles but a strong detoxifier
too. Add in dry body brushing,
particularly over the lymph
nodes for an extra detoxifying
ritual. Remember, your skin is an
organ of detoxification too and
brushing those dead skin cells
away helps keep the toxic load
down.
10. Finally, find at least 30 minutes
EVERY day to simply relax. A
deep and genuine half hour for
you to simply rest and recharge.
All these are actionable changes
that can be made, as long as you
start small. We focus on making
long term lifestyle changes that last
and that make a difference one
step at a time. So to get started
P a g e 4 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
me organic is a holistic health and wellness
business based in Richmond, London. We
focus on transforming the health and
fitness of our clients through 1to1 nutrition
programmes, personal training, cycling
coaching, health workshops and more.
Contact us for your FREE session and
receive 10% off all our programmes for
all Barefoot Running Magazine readers.
Plus 10% off all workshops, using code:
barefoot12.
Visit www.meorganic.co.uk for more info.
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 4 1
www.caughtintheweb.com/winter2012/13/page40
Caught in the web
hese three day events, organized by Balanced Body, will be taking
place all over the US as well as one in London, UK.
They are a fantastic opportunity for any level of Pilates enthusiast,
whether teacher or student, to learn from experienced teachers
and progress their own practice.
There will be small classes with plenty of equipment to try out, as well as
the chance to buy discounted equipment that has been used at each
conference.
The course dates and venues are as follows:
Atlanta, Georgia – 1-3 February Phoenix, Arizona – 5-7 April
London, UK – 26-28 April Denver, Colorado – 12-14 July
Washington, DC – 16-18 August Chicago, Illinois – 27-29 September
Visit the website for details and bookings: www.pilates.com
he legacy of Micah True ‘The
White Horse’ will continue as
the legendary 50 mile race
will again take place this year
on Sunday 3rd March 2013.
The route winds through the
Copper Canyon in Mexico, with
local Tarahumara runners taking
part as well as keen ultrarunners
from the rest of the world.
This event is all about giving
back to the Raramuri people,
helping them to sustain their
independent community and
pure, simple lifestyles.
This year there is also a children’s
race taking place on Saturday
2nd and all runners who complete
the course will receive a medal
and T-shirt. The course is around
3km and has been called: ‘Corrida
de Los Caballitos’, meaning ‘Run
of the little horses’.
There is plenty of information and
interesting stories, photos, etc. on
the website: www.ultracb.com
n the world of elite sport, there are many
names and faces behind the champions
that ultimately deliver the goods. This
conference is aimed at anyone who is
involved in a team of people working
towards sporting success and there will be
useful input from coaches at the highest
level as well as from athletes themselves.
The conference takes place on 21st and
22nd March at the National Football Centre,
St George’s Park and includes a guided tour
of the facility.
For more information, visit:
www.mdtconference2013.co.uk
P a g e 4 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Ev
en
ts
Stu
ff t
ha
t’s
go
ing
on
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 4 3
Stu
ff tha
t’s go
ing
on
Ev
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his race will be taking place in Ireland on 16th and 17th February.
The race route is the 26.2 mile distance that’s run every December
at the same place, except that this time, after doing the marathon
on the Saturday, you have to do it all again on the Sunday!
The route is a scenic one and the sea is visible throughout the race,
save a few miles at the beginning and the end.
The race organizers describe it as, “A unique opportunity to truly ‘find
yourself’ and test your endurance.
The entries for this year’s race are now closed but next year’s registration
opens at the end of February and places get booked up fast, so be
ready to enter and be equally ready to train hard!
More details at: www.clonakiltyback2backmarathons.com
his annual event will be held
on 9th and 10th February in
Canberra, Australia, to mark
the 50 year anniversary of SMA
(Sports Medicine Australia).
The two day conference, taking
place at Australian Institute of
Sport, will cover a whole range
of topics ranging from specific
training protocols for athletes
through to more general health
topics relevant to public health
and well-being.
The keynote speaker is Professor
Karim Khan, sports physician and
editor of The British Journal of
Sports Medicine.
For bookings and further details,
visit: www.actconferenceblog.com
nly the brave survive’ is the motto – or warning! – for this extreme
event. It takes place on Saturday 9th March in Redhill and you
can choose either the 5k or 10k race.
This is one of those fun yet challenging events that seem to have particular
appeal to barefoot runners! The race will see you crawling through mud
under barbed wire, climbing over walls and carrying tyres on your back as
you struggle through bogs and test your endurance to the limits.
You are told to ‘expect the unexpected’ which sounds daunting, but all
photos of previous runners show them with big smiles on their faces, having
had a lot of fun and feeling smug at what they’ve achieved!
For more information and to sign up, visit: www.back2thetrenches.co.uk
A conversation with… One of the original barefoot revolutionists Yanni Papastavrou
How long have you been running
barefoot and what led you towards
it in the first place?
I first thought about running barefoot
in the autumn of 2004 in my early 30’s.
In the previous year, I had decided
to run a half marathon, wearing the
best training shoes I could afford,
that were specifically fitted for me
in a running shop and matched to
my style of running. Before that
I was very sedentary despite really
enjoying sport at school. Anyhow,
the challenge of running a half
marathon was a new adventure:
I had a specific goal to aim for
and therefore had to plan carefully
to reach the required level of
endurance to get there. I found a
beginners training plan and dutifully
followed it. Initially, I could not run
for more than few hundred yards
without feeling out of breath,
despite running slowly. But as the
weeks passed, I noticed that I
could run a few miles comfortably
without feeling winded. My first
big breakthrough was having the
experience of running along at
“steady state” pace - one that
felt comfortable and possible to
continue without any need for
stopping. Everything progressed
well during the initial part of my
training, I was building up my
stamina, fitness and also
losing weight. Then, as the weeks
went on, I found I had intense
pains in my knees whenever I
did a long run of more than 7
miles. The pain was so bad that
I could not continue running and
sometimes had to walk home.
The pain would linger for several
days afterwards, making going
down stairs almost impossible. But
I was determined to complete
the training to be able to run for
13.1 miles, so I visited a sports
physiotherapist. She treated my
acute pain - and diagnosed it as
ITB syndrome - a very common
overuse injury for runners. I tried
doing the stretching exercises
that she recommended, but it
didn’t help much. I tried strapping
my knee too, and again, this
didn’t help much. I managed to
complete my training through
gritted teeth by running only once
per week and taking painkillers in
order to complete the Half Marathon
that I had entered: it was a matter
of foolish personal pride. The rest
of the week, I cross trained in the
gym in order to build the necessary
ack when many of you had yet
to even hear about the
benefits of barefoot running,
Yanni Papastavrou was already
on his way to injury-free running
after making the leap and
shedding his shoes.
Indeed, Yanni was amongst the
‘first wave’ of barefoot running
enthusiasts; the UK version of
Barefoot Ted and Barefoot Rick
from the States. He’s met them
both and can be seen later in this
piece with Barefoot Rick, having
just raced together in bare feet.
As a scientist, Yanni approached
his new venture with plenty of
research, patience and carefully
monitored progress, easing off
when necessary. He doesn’t tend
to shout about his achievements,
but he can happily run a marathon
barefoot, including the Snowdon
marathon in snow!
We met up with Yanni a few years
ago to discuss barefoot running
and our aspirations for making it
more accessible to runners and
Yanni was fully supportive of our
project. We caught up again
with him recently to put these
questions to him and hope that
you find some interesting tips
and inspiration from his honest,
well-explained answers.
P a g e 4 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
endurance using other forms of
exercise that didn’t injure me.
Once I completed that half
marathon I decided simply that
running was not for me. I wondered
why so many people continue to
run through the pain, as I did - and
this seemed perfectly normal to
them: in numerous articles people
speak of “punishing” themselves or
of “suffering” and so on - a punitive
mindset that taken too far seems
an unhealthy approach to me -
both physically and psychologically.
There are certainly instances in life
where suffering is inevitable, so it
seems like a form of insanity to
actively seek it!
Basically, I figured that I was not
designed for running.
So I decided to quit running and
take up cycling to keep in shape.
After a few weeks, I began to miss
running and started to do some
research on running related injuries.
I came across “Running fast and
injury free”; a book by a post
WW2 British Olympic runner called
Gordon Pirie. I was fascinated by
how dismissive he was about
modern running shoes. In it, he
advocates racing flats and running
barefoot as a training exercise.
He also spoke about running form
and advised working on this before
building up either distance or speed.
This was contrary to everything I’d
known or had thought about until
then about running. I became
fascinated by barefoot running in
principle in the autumn of 2004,
reading as much as I could,
particularly Ken Bob Saxton’s
informative website and the
Running Barefoot Yahoo discussion
forum where much useful advice
could be found. Since December
2004 I've been running barefoot
and haven't looked back!
How long do you think it took you
to adapt and what obstacles did
you tackle along the way?
For me there were several stages
of adaptation. The initial thing I
noticed in the autumn of 2004 was
that I had hypersensitive feet. Even
walking along a concrete path
with very little in the way of small
stones and other debris seemed
extremely difficult. I would practice
walking outside in such places
barefoot just to get used to this
best part of a year for my body to
adjust to. Whilst this transitional
phase was frustrating at the time,
it is now long forgotten.
What benefits have you experienced?
Are they purely physical or have
you noticed a change in your mental
approach to running?
All measurable aspects of my
running improved: both my speed
and endurance. Barefoot running
simply enabled me to be able to
put in the required training to run
huge distances. I had found a way
of running without being injured.
And it is by running long distances
that one builds large aerobic
capacity.
and also spent as much time as
possible at home barefoot. This
hypersensitivity phase lasted a short
while, perhaps a few weeks.
But the great thing about barefoot
running is the huge extra amount
of sensory information available
when you run that can act as
feedback to help you run more
gently - feet have an incredible
number of nerve endings to help
us feel and interact in real-time to
help us with our running form. It
has been said that they are our
two best coaches, so better not
keep them shut in the dark!
When I first ran barefoot, I wanted
to examine my running form. So
I went to the park and took off my
shoes and tried running. Bang Bang
Bang! I was slamming down heel
first. If I put the flat of my hand
firmly on the top of my head, I could
literally feel the shock waves pulsing
right through my skeleton! So I tried
running as lightly as possible barefoot,
landing on the forefoot and lifting
my feet up. I could manage this
for only a couple of minutes per
session initially, since my calves/feet
etc were so poorly conditioned.
However, but after two months of
gradual build-up I could run up
to 10 miles by this new method.
I sometimes felt the odd pains in
my feet - particularly on the tops
of my feet and I would be careful
not to overdo it, since I realised
that I could create stress fractures
in my weakened feet that had
only just been liberated from a
lifetime of being inside a cast.
I did have to be very patient during
this period, since I didn’t want to
exchange one set of injuries for
another. I had to focus a lot on
form at this point. I initially had
some blood blisters on my toes, so
had to curl them up slightly in the
manner that one would do to do
a martial art kick. A major problem
I had after about three months
was with my Achilles tendon, that
became sore and I had to be
patient for quite a few months to
allow the whole structure - calf and
Achilles - to adapt gradually to
running barefoot. I also noticed
some pains in my hips caused by
running with my feet being splayed
out: I learned that good form for
me involved running with my feet
as close to being parallel as possible.
All these adaptations took the
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 4 5
I was able to run distances that were
unthinkable when I used to run with
shoes, including several marathons.
After running my first Marathon, I felt
so good I and went for a short run
the following day to unwind! I also
noticed a difference in the level
of enjoyment - a sense of liberation -
when I run barefoot. I could describe
it as the “holiday feeling” you get at
the beginning of a holiday when
you arrive at the beach and take
off your shoes and head for the sea.
We lay aside the cares of the world.
Well, even after a hard day’s work,
when I set off home-bound for a run
and take my first few steps, I often
get that same “holiday feeling”.
It has been an interesting and
questioning journey and one that
has enabled me to ponder certain
aspects of what it means to be
human; particularly since I tend to
live in a somewhat abstract world
in my work as a scientist, doing
something that educates me in
a different way is fascinating. Of
course, education means much
more to me than learning - it once
meant “to bring out” - so in that
sense, for me, it has been a form
of fulfilment. And therefore satisfying!
That it runs so contrary to common
consumerism that says that fulfilment
is just around the corner, embodied
in our next purchase is particularly
appealing to me.
Is all your running done barefoot or
do you sometimes wear shoes?
I mostly wear footwear when
it gets cold. I have a pair of
neoprene surfing socks for this
purpose, and have owned them
for 8 years without wearing them
through. They cost me around £10.
So I guess I probably don’t tend
to use them much. I sometimes
wear them when I am running in
areas I am not familiar with or
when I am running in town and
wish to blend in with the crowd.
Certainly there are times when
I seek moments of solitude in
London, this great City I live in,
to run in the desert, in some
figurative sense.
What sort of mileage do you cover
and what’s your running schedule
like?
My mileage depends a lot on if I
am training for a specific event
and also on other factors in life.
I tend to train in cycles leading up
to specific events. When training
for a Marathon, I don’t think I’ve
ever done much more than 50 miles
per week. I find also that I cannot
consider my running in isolation - that
endurance is also connected to all
other aspects of our life and in our
relationship to work, family and
loved ones.
Do you do any other types of
exercise? What does running bring
you that other forms of exercise
don’t?
I enjoy playing sports such as
squash, football, Frisbee and so
on but life being as hectic as it is,
I rarely find the time for it. I’ve
P a g e 4 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
the health benefits, it is nice to see
the change in people’s perception.
When you turn up to a race
barefoot, people are less likely
to react and say: “You must be
insane!”. These days people are
more informed and curious, asking
things like “Well done! How long
did it take you to learn?”.
Specifically, I have thought about
the wider uses for minimalist
footwear. I wonder if such footwear
could improve the balance of the
elderly, for example, thereby
minimising the likelihood of them
injuring themselves through falls.
I hope that research is done by
health professionals in how footwear
affects posture and balance. So
I hope this “boom” can somehow
filter down and help some of our
frailest and least mobile members
of society.
What’s your opinion about ‘minimalist’
shoes?
I only wear shoes when I’m not
running and have worn minimalist
shoes for many years. I find
traditional shoes uncomfortable
and cumbersome. In my opinion
and the contours of my own life
experience, there are many times
when shoes are very important -
both from a physical point of view -
to keep warm, for example - and
from a cultural point of view - shoes
have meaning and significance
that differs according to contexts
and it seems to me an example
of human creativity.
However, the various kinds of
“barefoot” running shoes such as
Vibram Five Fingers and so on do
strike me as being an overpriced
gimmick. I think they combine the
worst of both worlds - they mask
tactile feedback (required for
good running form) but don’t
offer any form of cushioning to
protect - at least in principle -
the wearer from their poor running
form. For people who wish to
push the envelope and run ultra
distances beyond 50 miles or on
terrains that are more challenging
to the barefoot runner such as fell
running, where there are many
small jagged rocks that would be
impractical to navigate barefoot,
they are probably useful. It’s the
difference between cost and
value, I think I was once focussed
too much on the former.
Lastly, what advice would you give
to someone just starting out with
barefoot running?
It is so hard to give specific advice
since we are all so different. But
I have noticed that many people
who like running tend to be very
target orientated. For some, it can
be very difficult to renegotiate
one’s targets right back to square
one, particularly if the previous
targets were very high. For a
person used to running many miles,
it can be extremely challenging
to reconcile that basically, a part
of your body has been bound up for
years, underused, underdeveloped,
weakened and essentially a
destabilising foundation of your
whole structure. So you have to
bear in mind that if it took you several
years to acquire a good level of
fitness, then it does seem reasonable
to suggest that when you start out
with running barefoot, then to take
the long-term view and expect
that for many months, you will be
building up again from scratch.
I often hear people say things like
“I have entered a marathon in 4
months time and keep getting
injured when I run beyond 10 miles.
Is there time for me to switch to
running barefoot to solve my injury
problem?”. Such pressurised,
goal orientated thinking will be
counterproductive: I think it a bad
idea to presuppose how long the
adaption would take place. My
suggestion would be to take a
complete break and start from
scratch. The specific advice I’d say
would be to “Listen to your body”.
How we learn to do this and what
advice we take from it is uniquely
personal. It does help to gain
wisdom from others, for example,
through the Yahoo barefoot
running group. And, enjoy!
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 4 7
always enjoyed cycling, since I
grew up in Cambridge, the city
of bikes. For me, running seems
to be the most complete form of
exercise in a way that cycling is
not. I have found that if I am in
good shape achieved through
running, then I can perform well
and cycle long distances on a
bicycle at reasonable speed.
But I do not find the converse
is true for me. For a change,
I sometimes cycle to work for a
few months to have a break
from running. I aim to have the
equivalent exercise by cycling
to work. After these breaks from
running, despite putting in a similar
effort in terms of training, I find that
my running endurance has rapidly
diminished and I have to build up
again, almost from scratch, which
I found a little surprising initially.
Having been running barefoot for
such a long time, do you feel that
you still need to focus on your form
or does it come to you completely
naturally?
I find that my form has settled
but I still work on it periodically.
Keeping my spine stretched
vertically upright. Looking towards
the horizon. Picking up my feet.
Feet parallel. Gentle steps. It’s a
form of active meditation on the
run to keep perfecting it. I still have
to remind myself of form. When I
come back to running after a
period of cycling, I sometimes find
my running form has gone to pot.
However, I do find it soon returns
swiftly, since it has been practiced
over the years. I suppose it is rather
like playing a musical instrument: if
you become accomplished as a
player and proficient in the technique
at some point in your life, then you
still have to work on it to remain on
top of things. And if you have a
break from playing, your technique,
coordination and so on will become
worse and it can take some practice
to get back up to speed again.
Again, having been in the world of
barefoot running some years prior to
the ‘boom’, what’s your opinion on
how it’s developing?
Now that so many runners have
heard of barefoot running and
have at least some indication of
hat a lot of flip flops! What
can I say, there are 30 pairs
in this picture (yes, count
them and spot the duplicate and
fairly well hidden pair!). Literally
within half an hour of having the
picture taken I found another 4
pairs at the back of the cupboard
that I had over looked - 34!
I have been called the ‘Imelda
Marcos’ of flip flop collections
many a time - I suppose I can
see a slight correlation here
although Marcos had well in
excess of 2,900 pairs of shoes in
comparison. Perhaps one day my
current simple collection of 34 pairs
of flip flops will find themselves
alongside the 765 pairs of Marcos’
shoes in Marikina’s shoe museum!
It’s certainly not an FFF (flip flop
fetish) although some of you out
there with narrow minds might
disagree. That’s your choice -
that’s nice!
I have been buying flip flops in
their droves for years. I love the
feel of flip flops with toe posts
P a g e 4 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
end of season sale, 5 Euros for a
pair of very light and soft spongy
comfortable flip flops. What colour
to choose? Red, green, blue?
Sod it, buy the lot. They are easy
to co-ordinate with different
clothes, colours and styles and
of course the main aim is being
almost barefoot and keeping
your feet cool and not being
squashed in a rigid shoe. Of
course a big benefit of having a
reasonable number of flip flops
is they don’t lose their shape
so quick and become imprinted
with your foot prints and look
cleaner longer (and for a big
footer like me you can also use
them as bats if you have a ball.
Me and the kids have used flip
flops on the beach many a time
and had a bloody good laugh
doing so).
Interestingly enough when I
climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for
charity back in January 2005, there
were some porters who literally ran,
yes ran, up the mountain carrying
baskets on their heads in flip flops.
We are talking very rough paths,
rocks and extremely uneven
surfaces and not once did I see
a porter in flip flops trip, fall or
have a cut foot. I take my hat
off to them. I have tried running
in flip flops and believe you me,
if you haven’t tried it, it can be
quite hazardous (barefoot every
time when possible).
So I appreciate wearing flip flops
is not being totally barefoot and
is not everyone’s cup of tea but it
is close and for someone like me
who prefers to live barefoot as
much as possible as it feels great,
these are a good compromise.
As Lady Gaga sings in her hit,
You and I: “Sit right down where
you belong, in the corner of the
bar with your flip flops on” (okay,
I changed high heels to flip flops
<LOL>).
Ricardo
P.S. I have been looking for an
orange pair of flip flops, size 12
but still finding this difficult so if
anyone can help please send to:
PO BOX FF12
County Orange
(can’t stand the other type).
They are generally so comfortable
and they come in different weights
and most importantly many
different designs. I love Havana’s
but at the right time. They are
heavy in comparison to other
more spongy varieties and made
of solid quality rubber which is
why they won’t change shape.
However, barefooters will relate
too, I have to be in the mood to
wear these due to weight and
feel which in a way couldn’t be
any further from that barefoot
feeling.
I certainly wouldn’t wear these
if I wanted something really light
on my feet for example. Surprisingly
some of the best flip flops I have
bought are like £4 a pair from high
street shops (just be aware of the
really cheap type with the rubber
that feels tacky as these have a
habit of cutting the skin between
your toes where they rub bad).
Why do I have so many pairs
of flip flops? Well as I mentioned
above there are many types of
flip flops, of which many are so
reasonably priced, so I tend to
see a pair I like and well, just buy
them. Oops, collection has gone
up again [smiley face].
Magaluf was a classic example:
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low amplitude spring system; a
proprioceptive system better than
any traction control or ABS sensor
and a remarkably efficient air-intake
system. The only thing that seems
to be lacking for long distance
travel without having to carry food
around is a large enough fuel tank,
as any ‘bonked’ marathon runner
will know well. This does make me
suspect the proponents of the
palaeo-diet might have a point
that we are better adapted to a
protein and fat metabolism than
to burning primarily carbohydrates.
When I took that second look at
my puny, white and overly
sensitive feet it all suddenly made
sense; we are well adapted, but
not to the world we have created
for ourselves. Nietzsche is credited
with having said that what does
not kill us makes us strong. I would
probably add the proviso that it
stands a better than average
chance of crippling us too!
However, he did have a point in
that the more we remove hardship,
the more we support and make
things easy, the weaker we get.
For instance, we simply aren’t
adapted to sit down all day or
change, but only when enough
people engage in an activity for
it to no longer seem strange. In
a sense, these attitudes actually
evolve over time.
As a vertebrate palaeobiologist,
evolution is a concept that lies
at the heart of much of what I do.
It is also an important concept to
the barefoot running movement,
where the idea that technology
cannot improve what nature
has already provided us through
evolution is central to our philosophy.
Nonetheless, even as a researcher
in evolutionary theory, in the past
I have been guilty of thinking of
the human foot as a bit of a lame
(pun intended) design – too many
bones, not enough heel cushioning.
This viewpoint seems to be pretty
common among people who
habitually wear shoes and cannot
conceive of their feet ever being
capable of running on smooth
concrete, let alone sharp gravel,
and it must partly account for that
shocked ‘Look’ we get.
Chris McDougall’s Born to Run
made me look at the human body
in a different light. Rather than
being poorly adapted for bipedal
locomotion, we’re actually
supremely well adapted for it.
Using a motor vehicle-like analogy,
everything is there – power from
large and powerful muscles that
also hold complex joints such as
the knee stable; an efficient
cooling system courtesy of large
areas of naked skin with plenty
of sweat glands; legs and feet
that form a complex energy-saving
useum folk are a pretty odd
bunch, all things considered.
Having been reasonably odd
all my life I fit right in working in
such an institution. Nonetheless,
there’s ‘odd’ and there’s ‘odd’,
and walking around without
shoes even away from public
areas is possibly one barefoot
step too far on the oddity scale.
Most colleagues humour me, but
I still get ‘The Look’ from time to
time. Anyone running barefoot
will be well acquainted with
‘The Look’. It normally starts with
the sort of shocked expression one
might show to someone intent on
carrying a loaded crossbow down
Kensington High Street, then as
the shock melts it’s replaced by
disbelief – the kind of look normally
reserved for someone who wraps
their head in aluminium foil to
keep space-alien brain-control
signals out. ‘The Look’ is just one
of those occupational hazards.
As the barefoot revolution
gathers pace (and certainly
cadence!) it seems that a
growing number of runners are
opting to wear minimalist shoes
rather than to get their sweaty
feet out in the fresh air. I can’t
help wondering whether this is
because few of us are brave
enough to challenge established
cultural attitudes – ‘The Look’
can be very discouraging,
and may be as much of a
psychological barrier to ditching
the shoes as the perceived risk
of landing on something sharp.
However, cultural attitudes are
never static; they can and do
P a g e 5 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
“what does not kill
us makes us strong.
I would probably add
the proviso that it
stands a better than
average chance of
crippling us too!”
The Green Room Has the human ‘race’ gone off course? By Dr Stig Walsh
to be carried around in vehicles.
After all, a car is basically a comfy
chair on wheels with something
other than the passenger to
provide propulsion. Our bodies
are adapted to take a beating,
so it’s little wonder muscle
imbalances and joint problems
arise if those stresses are removed.
I find it fascinating that these
weaknesses are often blamed
on evolution rather than our
unnatural environment. There
does seem to be a deep-seated
idea that humans are somehow
incompletely evolved, or not
properly thought through in some
way. I have often heard the
notion that our descent from the
trees was so recent that we
haven’t quite adapted to walking
upright. Those who promote this
idea also often point out that
our feet are little use for gripping
branches, meaning that one
environmental adaptation was
lost without others being fully
developed for the new posture.
This is clearly nonsense. Animals
do often show evidence of
previous adaptations that are no
longer of use, such as atrophied
wings (e.g., in the ostrich) or digits
(e.g., the dewclaw of a dog),
but they always possess enough
adaptation to a particular
environment to survive. There
are no halfway houses in
evolution, it either works or it’s
a gonner.
This ‘unevolved’ idea contrasts
strongly with the other deep-
seated view that is frequently
found alongside it, and that is
that humans are actually more
evolved than the rest of the
animal kingdom. This view
partly stems from the belief
that the size of our brain and
our intelligence sets us apart
from the rest of the animals.
Because of this, most features
to have been regarded as
separating us from non-human
animals have been behaviour -
and intelligence-related, such
as spoken language, self-
recognition, and the manufacture,
use and carrying around of tools.
However, as we spend more time
observing animals in the wild it
is becoming apparent that these
characteristics are less unique
than once thought. For instance,
magpies have demonstrated
self-recognition in experiments
using mirrors, chimpanzees use
tools, and some species of crows
actually manufacture, use and
carry tools with them. How long
will it be before we recognise
auditory signals in other species
as forms of non-human language?
The idea that humans are ‘more
evolved’ is also a result of a
commonly held view that
evolution is some kind of process
of perfection that ultimately
culminates in the genesis of a
superior species. This is actually
a misconception. When Darwin
wrote On the Origin of Species
the prevailing view was that
humans occupied a position
on a natural ladder-like scale
somewhere south of the Angels
and a long way south of God.
Even after the work of Darwin
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“I’ve always liked
the Barefoot Runner’s
Society’s slogan,
‘Changing the
world one odd look
at a time’”
Dr Stig Walsh is Senior Curator
of Vertebrate Palaeobiology
at National Museums Scotland
in Edinburgh. His research
investigates the evolution of
the central nervous system
in fossil animals, a branch of
palaeontology called
‘palaeoneurology’. Stig’s
palaeoneurology research
uses X-ray micro computed
tomographic analysis to peer
inside fossil skulls to reconstruct
the external shape of the brain.
He is specifically interested in
determining how the brain
and senses of modern birds
have evolved from their
theropod dinosaur ancestors.
Contrary to popular belief, the
brain of living bird species is
neither small nor stupid, and
many avian species show levels
of intelligence that match and
exceed those of most mammals.
The last common ancestor of
birds and mammals probably
lived around 330 million years
ago, so the structure of the
avian brain is different to that
of mammals. Because the
level of bird intelligence in
some species is close to that
of living primates, the evolution
of the bird brain makes an
interesting case study with
which to compare the
evolution of our own hominid
brains and senses.
These views and misconceptions
about evolution, and human
evolution in particular, are
essentially pervasive cultural
attitudes similar to the one
that elicits ‘The Look’ when we
run barefoot. I would like to
see them change, and I believe
that the barefoot movement
can help to make that happen.
I’ve always liked the Barefoot
Runner’s Society’s slogan,
‘Changing the world one odd
look at a time’ because it sums
up our task so well. Those outings
of ‘The Look’ do gradually alter
the cultural attitude that shoes
are a prerequisite for running,
and by so doing help to change
the assumption that humans
are in some way not fully evolved.
Likewise, recognising that modern
humans are essentially running
apes not so dissimilar to early
representatives of our genus
brings us closer to the rest of the
animal kingdom, challenging
the attitude that modern humans
represent the pinnacle of
evolution. As our cultural attitudes
continue to evolve, perhaps we
can guide the human race back
to a more natural course.
and other great evolutionary
thinkers, there remained a
tendency to refer to other
animals as being ‘higher’ or
‘lower’, and this view appears
to have stuck as a cultural
attitude.
Today in palaeontology and
zoology we tend to use the
words ‘primitive’ and ‘derived’,
with no implied sense of one
being superior to the other.
Derived characteristics are
thought to arise in order to
make an organism better
suited (i.e., fitter) for a particular
environmental niche, and they
don’t necessarily have to be
more specialised. For instance,
pigeons in Trafalgar Square can
fly, but their extinct relative, the
dodo, lost that ability because
its island habitat made flight
unnecessary for finding food or
avoiding predators. It instead
evolved better adaptations to
life on the ground (e.g., a
stouter set of legs and pelvis)
while its wings became smaller
– all of which we would regard
as derived characteristics
compared with those of its
relatives in ‘The Smoke’. There
seems no reason for the species
not to have been around
today had hungry sailors not
arrived in the 17th century
looking for a takeaway.
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1. Not enough research to
explore the various aspects
of the question
2. Poorly designed research
I can’t say much about #1 other
than to hope that more research is
done. But if more research is done
poorly, then what’s the point.
So what makes some of the running
research, especially the studies
that examine barefoot running,
so poor?
A number of factors:
1. Bad cohort (the people in the
study). Many of the studies
solicit “barefoot runners” who’ve
never actually run with barefeet.
They may have spent some time
in Vibram Fivefingers or, worse, in
Nike Free…but wearing those is
not the same as being barefoot
he barefoot running boom has
heated up a debate about
the best way to run.
Barefoot? Shoes? Barefoot shoes?
Midfoot strike, heel strike, forefoot
strike?
Recently in New York Times Online,
Gina Kolata (whose writing and
name I adore) goes after this
question.
Really, you can stop reading after
the first sentence of the 2nd
paragraph… and since that’s
the most important sentence,
I’ll just quote it here:
Most of the scientific research is
just inadequate to answer these
questions.
The reasons that the research is
inadequate are two-fold:
(as many readers of this article
can attest). Many of the studies
have too few runners. Many of
the studies have runners that are,
say, between the ages of 18-22
and on the college cross-country
team (they’re not typical runners).
And if the number of runners in
the test is small enough, it may
be hard to extrapolate from
their results.
2. Missing factors. Many of
the studies will look at one
aspect of gait and ignore
many others, and then try to
conclude something about
running mechanics. Rodger
Kram’s recent study on
cushioning, for example,
doesn’t look at foot placement
(overstriding or not), doesn’t
consider weight (which can
effect the value of cushioning),
type of cushioning, etc. I’m
not saying that it’s even possible
Minimalist shoes • Supplements • Books • Huarache kits • Vitamins
www.barefootbritain.co.uk P a g e 5 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
to design a study that accounts
for all these factors, but when
you isolate things too much,
it’s hard to draw a useful
conclusion… though everyone
around you will draw it and
then fight to the death
defending or attacking it.
2. Arbitrary variables. Many
studies are done with runners
on treadmills running at a fixed
pace. The obvious question:
Is running on a treadmill identical
to running on a track? Not in
my experience. Also, is, say,
5 minute/mile pace my usual
pace? We know that if you
increase your cadence without
increasing your speed, you can
reduce force on your body and
decrease the amount of time
you spend on the ground… so
by controlling one variable, you
could be affecting the results of
the study.
Suffice it to say, I’m always glad when
the media talk about running, and
barefoot running in particular. But I
find it unsatisfying when they merely
regurgitate the “results” of a study
without telling the reader whether
the study is worth considering in
the first place.
Then there’s the straw man
problem, which is when you
make up a person (complete
with opinions) and then argue
with that fictional person.
There’s a lot of that going on.
Many barefoot writers (including
myself, Pete Larson, Bill Katovsky,
Mark Cucuzzella) have noticed
that individual differences may
be more important than “one
right way” to do things, and that
it’s hard to get useful data by
looking at genetic freaks (like
Olympians). Yet the media
loves to present these studies,
and studies of studies, as if
there’s no reasonable thinking
on either side of the fence.
Not true.
Again, as the article said up
top: Most of the scientific
research is just inadequate to
answer these questions.
Let’s hope that changes.
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 5 5
Minimalist shoes • Supplements • Books • Huarache kits • Vitamins
www.barefootbritain.co.uk
Assorted goodies Products worth a look
P a g e 5 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 5 7
1. Oakley glasses are synonymous with quality
and performance and this latest design is another
great example. They include the Switchlock™
technology which allows for easy lens changing
and the frames are super-light, yet durable, with
a comfortable, secure grip that helps them stay
put even when you’re sweating it out on the
toughest run. There is optimum clarity across the
entire lens with ample UV protection and a shape
that provides maximum vision alongside protection
from the wind and rain. For more information,
visit: www.uk.oakley.com
2. This little hydration pack is very handy for those
long runs. It fits four small bottles to spread the load
and they snap easily in and out of their pods. There
is also room for keys, cell phone and an energy bar
– all in one little package. For more information and
other products, visit: www.camelbak.com
3. Running skirts are becoming more and more
popular amongst the running community. This
one is geared towards the ‘busy’ woman who
doesn’t necessarily set aside time to ‘go for a run’
but includes it seamlessly into the rest of her day.
It includes inbuilt, no-chafing shorts so you can
do just about anything in it: running, Pilates,
Yoga, dance....you name it. It looks fantastic too!
Available from www.skirtsports.com
4. Pulsin produce a whole range of healthy
food, including these great little snack bars.
They come in 8 different flavours, our favourite
being the ‘Raw Choc Brownie’, about which
Pulsin say, “we rebuilt the brownie concept
by introducing healthy ingredients.” At 200
(delicious) calories, the bars: are vegan –
have no added sugar – are dairy free – are
gluten free – have no trans fats – are non
GMO. Visit: www.pulsin.co.uk for more info.
5. These are the ultimate gloves for fitness
enthusiasts tackling their chosen sport in the
extreme cold. They offer great freedom of
movement without compromising on insulation
and have a four-way stretch for a comfortable,
snug fit. They have silicone grips on the fingers
and palms, meaning that you can use even
the smallest touch screen device without
exposing your hands to the cold. With an
understated design and without any frills,
they will just get the job done well!
Available from www.uk.thenorthface.com
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Na
tio
na
l n
ew
s
Th
e la
test
na
tio
na
l n
ew
s
it looks as though this may be the
case. The area used to have a
variety of surfaces and was popular
with runners who used to love the
challenge of the hills. At the moment,
the park is now a flat, muddy and
desolate place, currently closed to
the public.
The Games Organizers, Locog, are
being blamed for not employing
enough staff to enable the re-laying
ondoners, particularly those who
used to frequent Greenwich Park
to run, walk their dogs or just chill
out, are rather angry.
The park was used for the Equestrian
events of the 2012 Olympics, despite
appeals against the disruption and
modification to the park.
There were concerns that the park
would be changed permanently and
Understaffed and over-stretched:
An investigation by the Care
Quality Commission has found
that 17 UK hospitals are
understaffed and not able to
meet the needs of their patients.
Courtesy of News Shopper
of the grass before the Winter (the
promise was to have it returned to
its original state by December 2012).
It now looks as though the Park will
not re-open until summer.
Locog are reassuring the public
that the park will be returned to its
former glory and any delay is due to
the poor weather and concerns not
to rush the transformation which may
lead to mistakes being made.
London has been announced as
host for 2017 IPC Athletics World
Championships This event will take
place one month before the IAAF
World Athletics Championships,
also being held in London at the
Olympic Stadium.
P a g e 5 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
s obesity becomes more of a problem
globally than malnutrition, Shadow
Health Secretary Andy Burnham is
calling for legal limits on fat, sugar and
salt in food.
At the moment, there has been increased
encouragement for manufacturers to
display more clearly the quantities of
the above in their products but this
does not appear to be having any
impact on the levels of obesity in the
UK, where one third of children are
either overweight or obese by the time
the leave primary school.
Mr Burnham proposes that there are
legal limits of fat, sugar and salt in foods,
particularly those aimed at children.
He does not deny the essential input
required by parents but believes the
government has a responsibility to
intervene, both to improve the health
of the nation as well as reduce the
impact on the NHS.
The
late
st Na
tion
al n
ew
s Na
tion
al n
ew
s
on Valley Stadium in Sheffield
is under threat of closure as
Sheffield City Council considers
various options to cut their yearly
budget by a whopping £50 million.
The 25,000 seat stadium is like a
second home to Olympian,
Jessica Ennis, who attended her
first summer athletics camp there
aged 10 and has continued to
train there throughout her career.
Closure of the stadium would be
a big disappointment to the
community, especially considering
the fact that the number of children
who’ve joined the City of Sheffield
Athletics Club has doubled since
the 2012 Olympics.
The decision regarding the fate of
the stadium will be made in March.
Let’s hope yet another part of the
‘Olympic legacy’ is not destroyed
along with the hopes of young,
potential, future champions.
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restricted in heeled shoes, you’re
limiting the benefits and progress of
your running. This also applies to
your level of daily activity; you might
religiously run for 40 minutes, 3 times
per week, but if you sit at a desk at
work all day and travel significant
distances sitting down, you’re still
limiting your potential. So, assess
your daily activity and pinpoint
areas where you could increase it.
Think about your everyday footwear
too; if you can wear a flexible, flat,
light shoe during the day, this will
make a huge difference. If your
boss won’t allow it – have a word!
As mentioned, calf muscles can
be tight, so releasing the soft tissue
of the calf complex will help. You
can use a foam roller or rolling pin
to do this, as many of you probably
already do. It’s a simple and
effective method (unless you have
the luxury of regular massages).
Remember that everything in the
body is linked, so it’s also worth
spending time releasing the soles
of your feet which again, is very
simple, if rather uncomfortable.
Use a tennis ball to begin with
and progress to a hockey ball
and golf ball.
i.e. too much sitting and not enough
daily activity, plus the so-called
‘technological advances’ that
allow us to be lazy (cars, washing
machines, dishwashers, etc.).
This ankle stiffness is not only
relevant at the ankle; it will have
an adverse effect on the entire
body. As the whole body is an
interconnected unit, tight calf
muscles (which will inhibit dorsi-
flexion) are often accompanied
by tight quadriceps /hip flexor
muscles and a tight lower back.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that
you can always blame your
ankles for these other restricted
areas, but a restorative programme
should include exercises that
improve your range of movement
at your ankle joints and by freeing
up your ankles, you may well
notice improvements elsewhere
in your body.
So, the big question is: how do I
improve my ankle mobility? Well,
there are a number of specific
exercises that help and we’ll come
to some of those shortly. As always
though, you need to think more
globally as well. For example, if
you’ve taken the decision to run
barefoot, that’s great, but if the
rest of the time your feet are
s barefoot or minimalist runners, if
you previously ran in conventional
trainers, you will no doubt have
experienced some discomfort in your
calves, ankles, and feet as your body
adjusted to the change in
mechanics.
In traditional shoes, which invariably
have a heel, your calves are placed
in a shortened position and the joints
of your feet are restricted. In a shoe
with a heel (which includes most
trainers), your ankle is placed in a
position that is known as ‘plantar-
flexion’ (pointing the toes) and over
time this restricts the opposing
movement, known as ‘dorsiflexion’
(heel down and toes up). When this
plantarflexion/dorsiflexion movement
range is decreased, it leads to a
compensatory increase in the
rolling inwards or outwards capacity
of the foot at the ankle joint (known
as eversion and inversion respectively).
This is partly why many people suffer
ankle sprains when running in trainers,
because their natural flexibility has
been ‘skewed’, along with the fact
that the ankle takes more of a hit
if you stumble because the foot is
unable to sufficiently play its
stabilizing role.
Another contributing factor to ankle
stiffness is the modern way of living,
Calf rollering
Place your lower leg onto
the foam roller or rolling
pin, foot relaxed. Lift
yourself up, using the
other leg for support,
and roll you lower leg up
and down on the roller,
allowing it to turn in and
out to reach the entire
calf complex. You may
want to hold position on
particularly tender spots,
allowing the discomfort
to decrease by 75%
before you move on to
the next one. You can
also cross the other leg
on top for increased
pressure and deeper
work.
Start with one leg first.
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Foot and ankle mobility exercises
These can be done almost anywhere and are extremely useful for maintaining healthy movement.
Sitting with your legs out in front of you, point and flex your feet, trying to increase the range of motion gradually with
each repetition. Then alternate pointing with one foot whilst flexing with the other (to challenge your coordination a
little). Then take rotate your ankles in circles, doing 10 in one direction and 10 in the other
You could also do this standing, focusing on one foot at a time and holding it slightly off the floor to do the exercises
Foot rollering
Standing up, place one foot onto the ball, controlling
the amount of weight you put through the ball using your
standing leg. Roll your entire foot on the ball, stopping and
holding position at particularly sore spots and waiting for the
discomfort to subside by at least 75% as the tissues release.
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Toe splaying – alternate
spreading your toes as far
apart as you can with
squeezing them together
as tight as you can.
Repeat 10 times on
each foot – it’s harder
than you might think
but improves with
practice
Heel bounces – with your knees bent and holding onto something for
support, do tiny, quick bounces allowing your heels to just kiss the floor
each time. You’ll find that this gradually loosens your calves and ankles
and improves the ‘spring’. A good one to do prior to a run. You can
also do this one leg at a time which is harder so progress to single leg
only when you’re ready. Repeat until you feel a sufficient release –
usually after around 20 or 30 bounces
Foot doming – similar to the above exercise, but
keeping your toes straight so that the bend comes
at the point where your toes join your foot. This is
like a cupping motion. Repeat 10 times on each foot
and again, you may experience cramp to begin with
Toe scrunches – standing up and focusing on one foot at
a time, bend your toes and ‘scrunch’ them underneath your
foot, then release them. Repeat this movement about 10
times. Warning: you may get cramp in your foot if you’ve not
done this one before!
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 6 3
P a g e 6 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Tribesman’s stretch™ – you can either begin standing or on
the floor but your aim is to get into the position in the picture,
which shows a deep squat with the heels on the floor. This is
quite difficult and you may want to hold a weight in front of
you to help with balance. You can also try it on a step or
curb, so that your toes can hang off the edge. Try sitting in
this position several times a day. It’s a very natural position
and something you see kids doing all the time, but many
people lose the ability – basically because they stop doing it!
Finally, if you don’t find any improvement doing these exercises, seek out
an experienced body worker who may be able to initiate a release which
you can then continue to work on yourself.
Calf raises on step – with the balls of your
feet on a step and holding onto something for
balance, raise up as high as you can keeping
your feet and ankles straight (rather than
letting them kick out at an angle) then lower
down, allowing your heel to drop below the
step height. Your focus is to achieve as full
a range of motion as possible, without forcing
it. You can progress this exercise by working
one leg at a time
Images taken from: Run Strong, Run Free: An introduction to the science and art of barefoot running by Anna Toombs and
David Robinson. The book contains a full exercise programme for runners to improve mobility, strength, stability and flexibility.
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 6 1
Exercise and Movement Therapy is about re-educating your body to move as it was
designed to move. It’s about releasing your body from restrictions that result from
past injuries, emotional issues, tension and stress. Imagine how a dancer moves; with
elegance, grace and control. Using physical exercises, visualisation and breathing
techniques, Exercise and Movement Therapy teaches you to move naturally, with
more agility, balance and coordination.
We use variations of this technique with all of our clients – everyone benefits, whether
they are sports people, people in pain or those who just generally would like to feel
better. Rather than traditional “gym” training where movements are very one
dimensional, we teach you more natural, spiralling movements, often put together
into sequences to encourage whole body, multi-directional movement patterns,
similar to how you move through your daily life.
Website: www.trbalance.com tel: 0845 226 7303 email: [email protected]
How to:
Choose the correct minimalist shoe
P a g e 6 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
How to
have a confession to make; I’m
pretty geeky! It doesn’t matter
what I’m looking to do or looking
to buy, I’m guaranteed to research
it to death. This is partly a desire to
make the best possible choice, but
also because I’m so indecisive.
Let me save you from my plight
and share with you what I know.
As a bit of background, I’m a
personal trainer, sports scientist
(biomechanist/physiologist), and
most recently a sports shop owner.
As such, I’m hoping that you can
take on my advice safe in the
knowledge that I’m fairly well placed
to give it. That being said, it’s always
wise to question, and no one knows
your body like you do, so if any
advice you hear doesn’t resonate
with you or seems plain wrong,
don’t disregard your own common
sense for someone else’s “expertise”!
I am not someone who considers
myself a runner. I do run regularly,
I have run a marathon, but it was
never one of my main focuses as
I have always enjoyed all sports.
However, I now live in a beautiful
part of the country and I’m
beginning to understand the simple
pleasure of running and of exploring
whilst doing it. I previously was a
typical bounding runner, making
full use of my long leg length.
I was told many years ago, during
a biomechanics lab session how
bad my technique was and why.
My change was driven by wanting
to improve performance and
make running easier. I’ve always
liked practising skills, and I saw run
training the same way.
How far down the route to truly
barefooting is optimum varies for
each person. Most of us can
associate with the pleasurable
sensation of running barefoot on
the beach, but not as many see
the appeal in winter frost or snow.
So do you want a shoe to keep
you warm? Do you want the
increased levels of sensation
and feedback, or do you want to
take advantage of the improved
mechanics and injury prevention
often talked about when referring
to minimalism?
Selecting the shoe:
First of all, I cannot recommend
highly enough going and trying
a variety of shoes on. If you are
going to be spending any amount
of time in your chosen shoe, the
primary concern is comfort. If it’s
not comfortable for you then
nothing else matters. Nothing.
I can’t emphasise that enough!
Generally speaking minimalist
footwear is very light and very
flexible, so there isn’t really a
“breaking in” period. If they are
not immediately comfortable ditch
them! The other reason that you
absolutely must try these shoes
on is that they tend to bend and
flex with the foot and it’s therefore
imperative that you get the absolute
best fit. As always, brands vary in
their sizing and as an example I
take a half size smaller in many
Inov8’s, a half size bigger in
Where to start:
My first piece of advice is to really
distill what it is you want your
minimalist footwear to do for you.
Only once you have that answer
can you start to choose a shoe that
matches your need. I know this
sounds obvious, but it’s often
bypassed and it’s very difficult to
be truly self critical of your current
abilities. I know as I’ve done it
myself. It’s human nature to want
the best, but the best is subjective,
and what the elite runner’s review
in Runner’s World said was that
person’s perspective based on
their own wants and needs.
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Merrell’s and pretty much spot on
my size in Vibram FiveFingers.
I also know through experience
that this pattern isn’t the same
for everyone.
What about transitioning?
You may be delving into this for
the first time and looking for a
“transition” shoe, which you’ve
heard is a good idea. The concept
of a transition shoe is an interesting
one for me. What does that mean?
I’m not sure I know! The shoes in
this category are normally still
fairly well cushioned with smaller
differentials in forefoot/rearfoot
height than seen in a typical run
shoe.
It’s why this should be deemed
a good transition that I find
contentious. For some people it
means they can start developing
a more efficient forefoot/midfoot
running gait whilst retaining some
of the comfort levels they are
used to and incrementally
changing the range of motion
at the ankle. Is this a good thing?
Maybe, for some. Vague I know!
The people that I see this being
most useful for are runners who
are looking to become “minimalist”
whilst maintaining a high volume of
training miles. If this is you, Inov8
F-Lites and Merrell Bare Access
are worth a look amongst the
minimalist brands, as are any
racing flat from the traditional
run shoe companies (they are
very, very similar!).
In my opinion the best transition
shoe is one you can wear all day
– literally. VivoBarefoot do a great
range of lifestyle shoes for any
occasion. By wearing them all
day, you’ll allow your feet to
adapt to the increased ankle
range of motion and allow the
foot to strengthen and become
more flexible without subjecting
them to the higher impacts of
running. If you are unsure whether
or not to start a minimalist or
“barefoot” journey, this is the
best way in bar none.
If you are like me and willing to
take the time out to learn running
as a new skill and build your
training volume steadily, I see
no reason why you need to go
for a transitioning shoe, dive
straight in!
Some non-negotiables,
whatever the shoe:
Wiggle your toes! They
should be able to move
fairly unrestricted. If you
are in a traditionally shaped
shoe with a sole and upper,
the toe box should be wide
and roomy to facilitate this,
if you’re in a FiveFinger or
other close fitting shoe, they
should fit closely and not
fold awkwardly or restrict
toe movement. This is very
important in running as your
toes and forefoot splay on
impact as a mechanism
for dissipating force.
Move around forwards,
backwards and side-to-side.
Your foot should not move
around inside the shoe. If it
is try retensioning the laces
or strapping and do it again.
If you are still moving around
in the shoe it’s too big, try
the next size down.
Talking of strapping, this is
what stops your foot shunting
around inside the shoe,
however you may find some
designs restrict your natural
movement. Experiment with
different styles and models
and if at all unsure I’d steer
clear. You ideally don’t want
to be aware of the strapping,
or even the shoe, around your
foot.
I hope this helps to empower you
in choosing the shoe that’s right
for you. I know I haven’t provided
many specifics, but everyone
is different and so are their
requirements. If you stick with
the “non-negotiables” feel free
to apply your own sense after
that! As a parting shot, it’s also
worth noting that shoes without
cushioning don’t have a “lifespan”.
You’ll want to replace them once
you’ve put a hole in them! That
can only be an added bonus
surely?
Gareth is a Sport Science graduate
with 14 years of experience in the
health, fitness and wellbeing
industries. In that time he has
worked as an exercise physiologist
for BUPA, a wellbeing consultant
to Sussex Police and many years
of personal training and class
instruction both privately and at
top health club chains such as
David Lloyd and Nuffield Health.
Currently finishing off his masters
degree in biomechanics his areas
of expertise are postural analysis
and chronic injury rehabilitation,
exercise for illness, sports specific
training and strength and
conditioning.
“I’m really interested in how we
change our behaviours to achieve
our goals. I’m like everyone, and
I really struggle to be virtuous much
of the time. If you want to succeed
it’s about finding what works for you
and what you enjoy. If you pit your
willpower against temptation, you’ll
always lose out. Find what you
enjoy and stick at it, because life’s
too short for anything else. You
should think of exercise as medicine,
it is specifically prescribed to provide
specific results, you want the
minimum effective dose. Outside
of that we should engage in as
much fun and recreation as we can.
Embrace your inner child!”
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 6 5
Running and Biomechanics
Specialists
Workshops and individual tuition to
help improve running performance
and reduce injury.
Visit the website or contact us for
more details.
www.barefootrunninguk.com
0845 226 7302
e rarely celebrate holidays.
There, I said it. It’s Christmas
day and our plans consist of
going to a local park, hanging out,
maybe hit the hot tub later. Have
a glass or two of wine.
In short, today is no different than
any other day.
We weren’t always holiday non-
celebrators. Early in our relation-
ship, Shelly and I enthusiastically
celebrated holidays. We put up
the Christmas tree, exchanged
presents, and attended Christmas
parties. We did the same for
Easter, Independence Day, and
Thanksgiving.
Eventually things began to change,
though. On the surface, it would
seem we lost our “holiday spirit.”
In reality, the opposite occurred.
We started questioning the logic
of changing our behaviours a
few days each year.
Why should we only eat turkey and
mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving?
Why should we only feel compelled
to give during the holiday season?
Why should we only dress up in goofy
(or slutty) costumes on Hallow’s Eve?
Why should we reserve overt
affection and romantic gestures
It’s common for people to ask
“What did you do for [insert holiday
here]?” The answer is tough
because the real answer is usually
“Nothing out of the ordinary.”
That answer then requires an
explanation of the philosophy
behind our non-celebration. I
haven’t found a diplomatic way
of describing the non-celebration
without making it offensive to those
that DO celebrate any particular
holiday. Others typically don’t
believe that I really don’t care if
they celebrate a holiday or not…
I’m not silently judging their
decisions. Our decisions don’t
make us somehow superior, just
different. Just because it works
for us doesn’t mean it would
work for all.
Anyway, I’m curious about other
people’s take on any holiday. Are
there others that don’t celebrate
holidays? I’m sure all of us have
some holidays we don’t celebrate.
I don’t recall seeing too many
people buying Arbor Day
decorations. I’m more curious
about the big holidays.
Jason Robillard
www.barefootrunninguniversity.com
for Valentine’s Day?
That thought process slowly eroded
our desire to participate in holiday
celebrations. Eventually we
generalized this idea to every
aspect of our lives. Why reserve
travel and adventure to a finite two
week vacation period? That’s the
idea that led us to quit our jobs and
take the path we’re on right now.
Gift-giving underwent a similar
erosion. Historically, humans gave
gifts to each other for a variety of
reasons. Reciprocity builds society,
after all. However, two points made
gift-giving undesirable.
First, gifts just add to the material
crap we worked hard to eliminate.
We don’t need another toaster, flat
screen TV, or Clapper. Adding more
crap isn’t going to improve our lives
in a meaningful way.
Second, gift-giving is often attached
to deeper feelings. People often
give gifts as a means of showing
affection. That’s not a bad thing.
However, that idea gets severely
warped. The actual gift is usually
used as an indicator of the level of
love or friendship of the relationship.
Our solution- we rarely give each
other gifts. Or greeting cards.
P a g e 7 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Write back at you Holiday non-celebration: A tough concept to describe by Jason Robillard
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 6 7
Original Barefootware
A high-tech upgrade of the Tarahumara
huaraches.
As almost barefoot feel with protection. It's so light you hardly feel it.
- Los Angeles Times
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Enjoy the fun and freedom of natural barefoot
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Prices start at $19.95 USD
P a g e 7 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
What’s On
Sunday 24th Heartbreaker Run Festival Fordingbridge, Hampshire www.racenewforest.co.uk
Saturday 23rd TuffMan Trail Run Pippingford Park, E. Sussex www.humanrace.co.uk
Saturday 16-17th Clonakilty Back 2 Back Marathon West County Cork, Ireland
Sunday 17th Barcelona Half Marathon Barcelona, Spain www.barcelona.de
Sunday 24th Tokyo Marathon Tokyo, Japan www.tokyo42195.org
Sunday 24th The Beast Melton Mowbray, LE14 3PF www.thebeastrun.co.uk
Sunday 17th Rock ‘n’ Roll Nice du Carnaval Nice, France www.fr.competitor.com/nice
Sunday 17th Brighton Half Marathon Brighton, East Sussex www.brightonhalfmarathon.com
Sunday 17th Hagg Lake Mud Run Forest Grove, Oregon. USA www.haggmud.com
Saturday 16th Hog Wild Mud Run Tampa, Florida. USA www.hogwildmudrun.com
Sunday 17th Valentines 10k Chessington, Surrey www.26point2.co.uk
Sunday 24th Land Rover Malta Marathon & ½ Mdina, Malta www.maltamarathon.com
Sunday 3rd BFR UK Group Run Moat Park, Maidstone See page 81 for more information
Saturday 9th Run Strong • Run Free workshop Bacon’s College, London See page 81 for more information
Sunday 10th Milton Keynes Half Marathon Buckinghamshire www.mkhalf.co.uk
Sunday 10th Brutal 10 Windmill Hill, near Frimley www.brutalrun.co.uk
Sunday 24th Hastings Half Marathon East Sussex www.hastings-half.co.uk
Sunday 3rd Eastbourne Half Marathon East Sussex www.eastbournehalf.co.uk
Friday 1-3rd Triathlon Show Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey www.triathlonshow.co.uk
Sunday 3rd Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon Northamptonshire www.adidashalfmarathon.com
Sunday 17th Fleet Half Marathon Hampshire www.fleethalfmarathon.com
Sunday 17th Mizuno Reading Half Marathon Green Park, Reading www.readinghalfmarathon.com
Sunday 17th Wild Warrior Obstacle Race Wild Park, Derbyshire www.xrunner.co.uk
Sunday 3rd Copper Canyon Ultra Urique, Chihuahua, Mexico www.ultracb.com
www.clonakiltyback2backmarathons.com
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 7 3
Saturday 6th BFR UK Group Run Richmond Park, London See page 81 for more information
Sunday 14th Rock ‘n’ Roll Edinburgh ½ Marathon Edinburgh, Scotland www.uk.competitor.com/edinburgh
Saturday 20th Run Strong • Run Free workshop Brighton, Sussex See page 81 for more information
Sunday 14th Brighton Marathon Brighton, East Sussex www.brightonmarathon.co.uk
Friday 5-15th Marathon des Sables Sahara Desert, Morocco www.marathondessables.co.uk
Monday 15th Boston Marathon Boston, Massachusetts www.baa.org
Saturday 27th Lost Worlds 50/100K Tuscany Crossing, Italy www.lostworldracing.com
Sunday 28th Rock ‘n’ Roll Madrid Maratón & Half Madrid, Ireland www.es.competitor.com/madrid
Sunday 5th Bristol 10K Bristol, United Kingdom www.runbristol.com
Friday 31st Jungle Marathon - Vietnam Dong Hoi, Vietnam www.junglemarathon.com
Sunday 5th International Barefoot Running Day www.thebarefootrunners.org
Monday 6th Deep Riverrock Marathon Belfast City, United Kingdom www.belfastcitymarathon.com
Sunday 5th Richmond Park Marathon Richmond Park, London www.richmondparkmarathon.co.uk
Sunday 26th EMF Edinburgh Half Marathon Scotland www.edinburgh-marathon.com
Sunday 26th BUPA Great Manchester Run (10K) Manchester City Centre www.greatrun.org
Sunday 5th Richmond Half Marathon Richmond, Surrey www.ranelagh-harriers.com
Saturday 18-19th Triathlon Show North Bolton, Lancashire www.triathlonshow.co.uk
Saturday 1st BFR UK Group Run The City of London See page 81 for more information
Saturday 29th Water Wipeout Obstacle Race Nottingham www.xrunner.co.uk
Saturday 1st Tillingham Valley Rockabilly Nr Rye, East Sussex www.nice-work.org.uk
Saturday 16th Estes Park Marathon Estes Park, Colorado www.epmarathon.org
Sunday 23rd BFR UK Group Run Edinburgh, Scotland See page 81 for more information
Saturday 5th Rock ‘n’ Roll Oslo Half Marathon Oslo, Norway www.no.competitor.com/oslo
Saturday 22-23rd Trans Pennine Challenge (100k) Manchester - Sheffield www.transpenninechallenge.com
Monday 24th Midnight Sun Half Marathon Reykjavik, Iceland www.all-iceland.co.uk
Saturday 29th Clif Bar 10 Peaks - The Lakes Brecon Beacons www.10peaks.com
Saturday 22nd Run Strong • Run Free workshop Edinburgh, Scotland See page 81 for more information
Saturday 11th Lost Worlds 50/100K Ladonia Crossing, Sweden www.lostworldracing.com
Saturday 4th Lost Worlds 50/100K Causeway Crossing, Ireland www.lostworldracing.com
Sunday 7th Marathon de Paris Paris, France www.parismarathon.com
Sunday 21st Virgin London Marathon www.virginlondonmarathon.com
Saturday 22-23rd The Wall Ultra Run Carlisle - Gateshead www.thewallrun.com
Saturday 25-26th London 2 Brighton Challenge(100K) www.london2brightonchallenge.com
Friday 5-7th Balanced Body Pilates on Tour Phoenix, Arizona www.pilates.com
Friday 26-28th Balanced Body Pilates on Tour London, United Kingdom www.pilates.com
Wednesday 12th Marathon des Sables 2014 Registration www.marathondessables.co.uk
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Saturday 3rd Inca Trail Marathon Machu Picchu, Peru www.andesadventures.com
Sunday 11th BFR UK Group Run Sheffield, Location TBC See page 81 for more information
Saturday 17-18th Leadville Trail 100 Run Colorado, USA www.leadvilleraceseries.com
Monday 5th Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon Dublin, Ireland www.ie.competitor.com/dublin
Sunday 25th London Spartan Sprint Pippingford, East Sussex www.spartanrace.com
Friday 9th Swiss Irontrail Graubünden, Switzerland www.irontrail.ch
Sunday 18th Kimbolton Castle 10k Cambridgeshire www.nicetri.co.uk
Saturday 24th Reykjavik Marathon Reykjavik, Iceland www.marathon.is
Sunday 4th Brisbane Running Festival Brisbane, Australia www.brisbanemarathon.com
Saturday 13-18th Transrockies Run Buena Vista, Colorado www.transrockies-run.com
Saturday 7th BFR UK Group Run Brighton, East Sussex See page 81 for more information
Saturday 28th Run Strong • Run Free workshop Bath, Somerset See page 81 for more information
Sunday 29th BUPA Great Yorkshire Run Sheffield City Centre www.greatrun.org
Sunday 29th Baxters Loch Ness Marathon Scotland www.lochnessmarathon.com
Saturday 7th Mattoni Prague Grand Prix Old Town Square, Prague www.praguemarathon.com
Sunday 22th Rock ‘n’ Roll de Montréal Marathon Montreal, Canada www.ca.competitor.com/montreal
Sunday 29th BFR UK Group Run Bath, Somerset See page 81 for more information
Saturday 21st Great Gorilla Run London, United Kingdom www.greatgorillarun.org
Sunday 8th KamiKaze. The Banzai Challenge Mapperton, Dorset www.votwo.co.uk
Saturday 27th Australian Outback Marathon Yulara, Australia www.australianoutbackmarathon.com
Saturday 13-14th Race to the Stones Oxfordshire www.recatothestones.com
Sunday 14th Surrey Badger Half Denbies Estate, Dorking www.eventstolive.co.uk
Thursday 4th Sandy 10 Bedfordshire www.biggleswadeac.org.uk
Saturday 6-7th Gold Coast Airport Marathon www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au
Sunday 21st USN Eton Dorney Triathlons Eton College, Windsor www.votwo.co.uk
Sunday 14th The British 10K London Run London City www.thebritish10klondon.co.uk
Saturday 27th La 6000D Savoie, France www.la6000d.com
Monday 1-5th Northwest Passage Marathon & Ultra Nunavut, Canada www.arcticwatch.ca
Saturday 20th BFR UK Group Run King’s Parade, Cambridge See page 81 for more information
Saturday 10th Run Strong • Run Free workshop Sheffield, Location TBC See page 81 for more information
Monday 15th Badwater 135 Death Valley, California www.badwater.com
Saturday 14-15th Thames Path Challenge (100k) Putney - Henley (London) www.thamespathchallenge.com
Saturday 14-15th BUPA Great North Run Gateshead, Newcastle www.greatrun.org
Friday 12-14th Balanced Body Pilates on Tour Denver, Colorado www.pilates.com
Friday 27-29th Balanced Body Pilates on Tour Chicago, Illinois www.pilates.com
Friday 16-18th Balanced Body Pilates on Tour Washington, DC www.pilates.com
Gold Coast, Australia
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 7 5
Saturday 5th BFR UK Group Run East London See page 81 for more information
Sunday 27th Steeplechase Norwich, Norfolk www.muckyraces.co.uk
Sunday 6th Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run Glasgow, Lanarkshire www.runglasgow.org
Monday 28th Dublin Marathon Dublin, Ireland www.dublinmarathon.ie
Saturday 19th Run Richmond Riverside 10K London www.thefixevents.com
Sunday 13th GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon Victoria, British Columbia www.runvictoriamarathon.com
Sunday 6h Royal Parks Half Marathon Hyde Park, London www.royalparkshalf.com
Sunday 20th BUPA Great Birmingham Run Birmingham City Centre www.greatrun.org
Thursday 3 -12th UVU Jungle Marathon Brazil www.junglemarathon.com
Sunday 6th Rock ‘n’ Roll Lisbon Marathon & ½ Lisbon, Portugal www.pt.competitor.com/portugal
Sunday 6th MBNA Chester Marathon City of Chester www.chestermarathon.co.uk
Saturday 16th Anthem Richmond Marathon Richmond, Virginia www.richmondmarathon.com
Sunday 24th Norwich Half Marathon Norwich, Norfolk www.cityofnorwichhalfmarathon.com
Saturday 9th London Spartan Beast Pippingford, East Sussex www.spartanrace.com
Sunday 3rd ING New York Marathon New York, USA www www.ingnycmarathon.org
Saturday 2nd BFR UK Group Run Clapham Common, London See page 81 for more information
Saturday 30th 24 Ore Del Sol Palermo, Sicily www.asdmol.it
Monday 18th Conwy Half Marathon Conwy Quayside, Wales www.runwales.com
Saturday 23-24th The Running Show Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey www.therunningshow.co.uk
Saturday 20th Antarctic Ice Marathon Ellsworth Mountains www.icemarathon.com
Saturday 20th Antarctic Ice Marathon Ellsworth Mountains www.icemarathon.com
Thursday 26th Sønndersø Rundt Vaerloese, Denmark www.puls96.dk
Saturday 7th Winter Sun 10K Moab, Utah, USA www.moabhalfmarathon.com
Thursday 26th Cockleroy Chaser Cockleroy, West Lothian www.lothianrunningclub.co.uk
Sunday 1st Grim Challenge (2 Day) Aldershot, Hampshire www.grimchallenge.co.uk
Thursday 19th Patagonia Running Adventure Patagonia, Chile www.andesadventures.com
Saturday 14th DAM Jingle Bell 10K/5K Dash Orinda, California www.wolfpackevents.com
Saturday 14th Santa’s Scamper Calne, Wiltshire www.calneleisure.co.uk
Sunday 8th BCS Marathon and Half Marathon College Station , Texas www.bcsmarathon.com
Saturday 7th Aspen PE City Marathon Port Elizabeth, South Africa www.crusaders-athletic-club.com
Thursday 19th Urban Jungle Mdina 2 Spinola Mdina, Malta www.maltamarathon.com
Sunday 8th Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon San Antonio , Texas www.runrocknrollcompetitor.com
Saturday 9th Run Strong • Run Free workshop Bacon’s College, London See page 81 for more information
Saturday 7th BFR UK Group Run Clapham Common, London See page 81 for more information
Sunday 3rd Lancaster Half Marathon City of Lancaster www.shoestringresults.com
Saturday 26-27th BUPA Great South Run Southsea, Portsmouth www.greatrun.org
P a g e 7 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
On
tra
ck
N
ew
s fr
om
th
e s
po
rtin
g a
ren
a
third place when one considers the
rest of the contenders – many would
be expecting Mo Farah to be in the
top three with everybody the world
over knowing how to do the ‘Mobot’.
Andy has worked extremely hard
however and brought home Olympic
Gold as well as winning the 2012 US
Open Tournament.
The Duchess of Cambridge presented
the awards, either having overcome
her extreme early-pregnancy sickness,
or bravely ignoring it as she stood on
stage and chatted further backstage.
Sebastian Coe was presented with
a lifetime achievement award,
presented by David Beckham, in
recognition of his achievements in
competitive sport as well as organizing
such a memorable 2012 Olympics.
he annual Sports Personality of the
Year awards took place on Sunday
16th December, with an incredibly
talented line-up of possible winners
(see right).
If the award truly goes to the greatest
personality, Bradley Wiggins was a
deserved winner. He made us all
laugh with his controversial yet honest
speeches after his victories in this year’s
Tour de France and after winning
Olympic Gold.
Jessica Ennis (who has also recently
had a book published) came second,
although this came in recognition of
her amazing first place and gold
medal in the tough sport that is the
heptathlon.
Andy Murray was perhaps a surprise
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
2012 shortlist.
From top left: Boxer Nicola Adams,
sailor Ben Ainslie and heptathlete
Jessica Ennis
Row two: Cyclist Sarah Storey,
wheelchair athlete David Weir
and golfer Rory McIlroy
Row three: Runner Mo Farah,
rower Katherine Grainger and
cyclist Sir Chris Hoy
Final row: Swimmer Ellie Simmonds,
tennis player Andy Murray and
cyclist Bradley Wiggins
he sporting world, particularly the cycling
world, is still reeling from the latest
developments in the controversy that
surrounds renowned cyclist, Lance Armstrong
and the allegations about his use of blood
doping throughout his career.
In a recent, emotional interview with Oprah
Winfrey, Armstrong attributed his final decision
to ‘come clean’ to the discomfort and
awkward position that his children are in.
He had heard that his 13 year old son, Luke,
had been defending him at school and via
social media and felt that he could no longer
continue with his current status regarding his
drug use.
For the most part, his fellow athletes are not
sympathetic and the general public are
finding it difficult to forgive what seems to
be an entire sporting lifetime of lies. Armstrong
still has his fans and admirers, mostly due to
his successful battle against cancer and his
subsequent work to help other sufferers.
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 7 7
Hole in one! Irish golfer, Rory McIlroy, looks
set to be the new face of
Nike with a ten year deal
worth a staggering £156m!
2020 Olympic bids have begun. Bids have begun for the role of host
country for the 2020 Olympics.
The current favourite is Tokyo which
narrowly missed out on hosting the
2016 Games.
Ne
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o Farah, British athlete and winner of the 5,000m and 10,000
Olympic gold medals in London this year, was detained
for questioning at US customs in December when he was
on his way home to visit his family for Christmas.
Farah, who makes his home in Portland, Oregon, was stopped
by officials because of his Somali origin and even showing
them his two gold medals did nothing to convince them that
he was not a suspicious foreigner.
This is not the first time that US customs have stopped Mo Farah
from entering the country. On his return from Canada with his
valid US resident’s permit, he was refused entry and informed
he was being investigated for being a potential terrorist threat.
Luckily his coach (Alberto Salazar) intervened, contacting a
friend at the FBI to rectify the problem.
Maybe he should employ an entourage to travel with him doing
the ‘Mobot’ and then they might recognize him?!
©Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
P a g e 7 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Inte
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his event was created by the legendary Haile Gebrselassie
back in 2001, when 10,000 runners registered to join in the
10km race through the streets of the Ethiopian capital,
Addis Ababa.
It has grown in size and popularity since then and the 2012
November race saw over 36,500 entries. It is an event which
is now spread over several days, with a number of children’s
races held prior to the main event and the atmosphere is
one of celebration, with the children warming up for the
races by dancing to Ethiopian music played from a stage
in the middle of the events field.
The main race draws many international, elite runners and
the female winner of the 2012 race was the Berlin Marathon
2012 victor Aberu Kebede in a time of 33:27. The male
winner, Hagos Gerhiwet, equalled the race record with a
time of 28:37.
For more information, visit the facebook page:
www.facebook.com/GreatEthiopianRun
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 7 9
The
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n Wednesday 14th November,
Rae Heim completed an
amazing challenge. She
ran from Boston, Massachusetts
to Huntingdon Beach, California
in an incredible 228 days. Not
only that, but she ran the
majority of the route barefoot!
Rae has only been running for
two years but quickly discovered
the merits of barefoot running and
prior to this mammoth distance,
had already completed a half
marathon and two marathons
barefoot.
Rae’s aim was (and is) to raise
money for the charity ‘Soles4souls’
(www.soles4souls.org), which
provides footwear for those in
need of protection for their feet
but do not have the resources
to buy shoes.
The charity helps people the
world over and has distributed
over 19 million pairs of shoes to
those who need them.
Rae’s facebook page has lots
more information about her
journey, including photos, links
to her blog posts and how to
donate. She’s currently raised
over $10,000 for the cause.
Search ‘Rae’s run across America’
on facebook and also visit: www.
raesrunacrossamerica.tumblr.com
A no-nonsense approach has been
taken with overweight police officers
in Indonesia. Any officer weighing
more than 15 stone (100kg) must
carry out a compulsory, twice-
weekly exercise regime.
China is under a foggy haze of pollution
which has reached hazardous levels.
Many people are wearing masks as
they walk the streets and the Chinese
government is being called upon to
take serious action.
hinese children are under pressure
to achieve future Olympic success
after China’s astonishing collection
of medals at the London Olympics.
Children are hand-picked from
around the country to attend
specialist sports schools and begin
their training as early as 4 years old.
The schools are notorious for
following strict, demanding training
regimes for their students, to ensure
the best possible chance of success.
© China Foto Press
We are thoroughly enjoying
teaching the workshops because
they’re different every time.
Barefoot running isn’t a miracle
cure to running woes but is an
incredible catalyst for re-thinking
and re-learning your approach
to your health and your running
practice. Attendees are usually
starting from very different places
so each workshop involves plenty
of discussion and analysis so that
each person understands where
they are at the moment, where
they want to get to and how to
do it.
Barefoot running is a valuable tool
for all levels of runner. It doesn’t
need to be the only way that you
run but it should form at least part
of your training and it needs to be
tackled correctly. This is important
– so many workshop students have
already tried barefoot running but
made some errors that have resulted
in negative experiences. All they
need is some good grounding and
guidance to help them move
forward safely.
The dates and locations of this
year’s workshops can be found on
our website, but please do contact
us with any specific questions.
recent add-on to the other
movement methods that we’ve
been teaching for 15+ years.
David is an accomplished martial
artist, dancer and sports fitness
specialist whilst my teaching is a
diverse mix of traditional, quite
‘hard core’ training at one end of
the spectrum and Pilates, injury
rehab and weight management
at the other.
n 2013, we are continuing to travel
around the UK with our one day
workshop, the basis of which is
formed from our book and the
‘extras’ are layered on top
according to what elements of
health and fitness our students
wish to discuss.
As some of you know, although
we’ve been running barefoot
for several years, it is a relatively
P a g e 8 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Barefoot Running UK The latest from Barefoot Running UK
ur facebook group has reached
250 members and become a
lovely little community of people
who are passionate about their
running and reaping the benefits
of taking off their shoes and running
barefoot.
We have a real mixture of abilities,
ages and running histories, which
makes for great stories which are
not only interesting to hear but also
very helpful to other runners.
It’s a place where runners genuinely
feel that they have support and can
ask any question knowing that several
people will be able to help them with
an answer.
The other thing which we’re very
pleased about is people taking the
initiative to form their own groups
and their own group runs all around
the UK. We receive quite a number
of emails asking us if we know of
barefoot runners in a particular
area and we always direct them
to the facebook group where
they’re bound to find someone.
With this in mind, as the group
continues to grow and other
groups keep sprouting up across
the UK, we’ve decided to
sponsor a ‘Club Directory’ within
Barefoot Running Magazine. This
will include as many barefoot/
minimalist running groups as
possible from not only the UK but
worldwide, so that the network
becomes more solid.
If you have formed such a group
that is free to join (and anybody
can join in if they happen to be
in the area) then please email us
with the info and we’ll try to add
you into the next issue.
Saturday 7th BFR UK Group Run
10.30 am
Clapham Common , London
The Bandstand
Saturday 2nd BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
West London - Richmond Park
Saturday 9th
Run Strong•Run Free: An introduction to the science and art
of barefoot running.
A running workshop based on our book
with the same title
Bacon’s College - London
December 2013
Saturday 6th BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
West London - Richmond Park
Saturday 1st BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
London - City - Location TBC
Saturday 22nd
Run Strong•Run Free: An introduction to the science and art
of barefoot running.
A running workshop based on our book
with the same title
Edinburgh, Scotland - Location TBC
Sunday 3rd BFR UK Group Run
10.00 am
Moat Park, Maidstone , Kent
March 2013
Saturday 20th Run Strong•Run Free: An introduction to the science and art
of barefoot running.
A running workshop based on our book
with the same title
Brighton, Sussex
Unity Studio, Lewes Road
Saturday 9th
Run Strong•Run Free: An introduction to the science and art
of barefoot running.
A running workshop based on our book
with the same title
Bacon’s College - London
April 2013
Sunday 5th
International Barefoot Running Day
10.00 am
Brighton, Sussex - Location TBC
May 2013
June 2013
Saturday 23rd BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
Edinburgh, Scotland - Location TBC
July 2013
Saturday 20th BFR UK Group Run
10.00 am
King’s Parade, Cambridge
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 8 1
Saturday 10th
Run Strong•Run Free: An introduction to the science and art
of barefoot running.
A running workshop based on our
book with the same title
Sheffield - Location TBC
Sunday 11th BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
Sheffield - Location TBC
Saturday 7th BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
Brighton, East Sussex - Location TBC
Saturday 28th
Run Strong•Run Free: An introduction to the science and art
of barefoot running.
A running workshop based on our book
with the same title
Bath, Somerset - Location TBC
Sunday 29th BFR UK Group Run
10.00 am
Bath, Somerset - Location TBC
Saturday 5th BFR UK Group Run
11.00 am
East London - Location TBC
August 2013 November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
y Pilates teaching took a bit of a back seat whilst we focused on the
barefoot running side of things last year but now I’m creating space
to start teaching clients using the Pilates reformer and rehabilitation
frame (see picture), something that has given clients great
results in the past.
If you live in London, do email me about the opportunity
to work on this fantastic piece of kit – it takes Pilates to a
whole new level and is such a useful complement to
running as well as being a tough workout!
On a personal note, my running goes from strength
to strength as I continue to focus, tweak and learn
from my practice. I’m careful to achieve a balance
too and have been doing plenty of
yoga, Pilates and swimming as well
as ‘natural strength training’ outside
in nature!
P a g e 8 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
barefootrunninguk.com
Group Run Most club runs are between 5 and 8
miles, around 9 minute per mile pace.
Any footwear is fine!
Please email us prior to a run if you’re
planning to attend.
UK tel: 0845 226 7302
Overseas tel: +44 (0) 208 659 0269
email:
website:
www.barefootrunninguk.com
youtube:
youtube.com/bfruk
facebook:
barefootrunninguk/facebook
Bespoke talks and
workshops If you would like to organize your
own talk/workshop for your running
club, please call or email us to set
something up.
Workshop bookings
All the workshops are available for
booking online so please visit the
website. If you’d like to attend a
workshop but can’t make any of
the dates, please email us as we’ll
be adding more dates and venues
according to demand.
ay back in 2000, David helped a friend of his, Len Woplin, set up a martial
arts school in South East London. Since then, he’s been a guest Sensei
as the club has developed and new venues and locations have been
added.
In the last few years, Len has expanded his coaching and entered the world
of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) or what it’s known more brutally as: cage fighting.
Last year, he asked David to come on board as Head of Strength and
Conditioning, so each Friday evening sees David at the club, overhauling
the fighter’s current gym programmes and swapping endless barbell curls
and chest presses for more natural, body weight movements. David is also
a kick specialist, so his role includes explaining the importance of flexibility,
reaction speed and utilizing the ground for energy.
Personally, David has been barefoot running in the snow and also getting back
into off-road cycling – the muddier the better!
Thu 13th: 6.30pm - temperature
just above freezing, decide to go
for it with a 20 minute run along
grass at back of flats. Feel absolutely
ridiculous in bare feet with gloves,
and scarf, and woolen hat. Call lift
and nobody in it thank goodness,
feet absolutely freezing and not
yet left the building, toes just about
glued to the floor of lift. Nobody
sees me fortunately and I get on
to the grass which is rock-hard,
but it's dark and nobody can
recognize me. I do my run and
my feet surprisingly warm up a bit.
Manage to get back to the flat
without seeing anyone - I feel so
self-conscious!
Fri 14th: 6.30pm - meeting my
boyfriend at 8.30, but decide to
go for another 20 minute run.
Temperature a bit higher.
Unfortunately lift stops at 3rd floor
and an old woman gets on. She
stares but doesn't say anything,
but I feel myself going scarlet.
Run a disaster - trod in some dog
poo, absolutely disgusting and
feel sick. Clean my feet as best
as I can on grass and return.
Decide never going anywhere
again that's dark - couldn't go
through that again and also think
there could be broken glass.
Sat 15th - depressed, no running.
Sun 16th - 7am - decide to go for
a 2 mile run on pavement while
its still dark, but at least can see
with the street lights. Went slowly
as first time not on sand or grass.
Feet a little bit sore after. However
got my first bit of luck: another
jogger caught up with me and
started all kinds of questions,
though he has agreed to go
running with me on Wednesday
evening in his bare feet.
Hope I've not bored you with all
this - my feet have come through
quite well, but other problems such
as extreme self-consciousness and
selfish dog owners seem to be the
main challenges.
Julia, Scotland
Hi,
I'm Julia, and hope to find out
very soon if I've got a place in
next years London Marathon
through my work.
I am a keen runner and have
done 2 half-marathons and
one marathon before, but in a
moment of madness decided
to run the next one barefoot for
charity. My boyfriend thinks I'm
off my head!
I live in Scotland, but if I am
selected I would like to come
down for a session with you as
am in London fairly often.
I have been running on a
beach a few time since middle
of November, but last week
was first time out of the flat
without shoes and socks, and
although my feet held up well
it was a bit of a disaster as my
diary shows.
Mon 10th: 6.30pm - too cold (-2)
Tue 11th: 6.30pm - too cold (-3)
Wed 12th: 6.30pm - too cold (-2)
Ed-
For your chance to win a copy of
Run Strong • Run Free email us your
letters to [email protected]
P a g e 8 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
It’s
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B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 8 5
Barefoot beach run this morning,
it was 1.5 degrees Centigrade,
20 mph wind gusting to 32, giving
us a minus10 wind chill and light
snow. It was pretty painful on
the feet for the first mile but then
they warmed up or became
numb, not sure which but they
felt better anyway. Not surprisingly
I had the beach to myself.
Loved it!
Gary, via facebook
P a g e 8 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
We sell these in our clinic!:
www.naturalfeet.co.uk
The new ultra-lightweight
multi-terrain running shoes giving
maximal proprioceptive sensory
ground feedback, independent
suspension front to back,
excellent off-road toe grip,
pliable self-regenerating soles
with lifetime guarantee.
They are water-proof and
quick drying, made from an
evolutionary fabric which
has been in research and
development for 4 million years.
They are strong yet soft to the
touch, with excellent durability
and amazing adaptability over
uneven terrain. They are the
ultimate technique shoe because
they help you to connect with
the running surface, enhancing
posture, and stimulating muscle
function.
Price= £priceless
Stephen Bloor, via facebook
Kicked off my training for the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14th 2013.
Barefoot of course! Made the Dutch local newspapers.
My goal is to collect as much money as possible for the Dutch cancer
foundation (below is a link where Dutch individuals can donate):
http://www.staoptegenkanker.nl/Rotterdam-Marathon-op-blote-voeten
I’m sure that there are some commercial companies who would like to
sponsor me (t-shirts etc.) Maybe Adidas and Nike will not! [smiley face]
If you have any tips who to contact, that would be great. All proceeds
to KWF (Dutch Cancer Foundation).
Peter Reus, Netherlands
The
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I have come to crave running
physically, intellectually, emotionally
and even spiritually.
And now, I can’t run. I can’t run,
#1, because I have no energy. It
takes almost all my energy just to
get up, pee, take my vitamins, and
eat. I can’t run, #2, because I have
an enlarged spleen. I am a trail
runner and all it would take is one
wrong slip on the mud and if I hit
my abdomen/rib cage just right,
“pop”– I would rupture my spleen.
Not my idea of a good time. And,
no, I don’t enjoy pavement running,
because it exacerbates most of
my body’s imbalances, whereas
trail running actually decreases
them.
I battled years of back problems
prior to running, and as long as I
run about 15 miles a week, they stay
away. What aggravates them more
than anything is lying in bed longer
than 8 hours a day. Initially, the
mono caused me to sleep all day
and night. Then 12 hours, followed
by an hour or two up, followed by
another 12 hours. Now, I sleep more
like 14 hours, upon which I have to
DRAG myself awake, followed by a
VERY strained and exhaustive 6 hours
up, followed by going right back to
sleep for 14+ hours.
So, I was SHOCKED that my back
did not really start to bother me
until about the 7th day of this
ridiculousness. I have to attribute
this miracle to the balance my
musculoskeletal system had
achieved through running these
prior 18 months. If this illness had
happened to me 2 years ago, I
would have been practically
paralyzed with back pain/tension
by day 3 of this kind of extreme
inactivity. But on the 7th day I
began to panic. My upper back,
o I was diagnosed with
mononucleosis about a
month ago. For those of you
unfamiliar with this virus, it causes a
litany of symptoms -the highlights
of which are low, low, low energy,
an enlarged spleen, and an average
recovery time of SIX weeks. And yes,
it is contagious, and although only
moderately so, the contagious time
is only a guess. Therefore, I will be
missing at least two weeks of work –
as the ramifications of spreading this
around are so much worse than a
cold. I have also been blessed with
itching. I mean, everywhere, all the
time, moderate to extreme – and
nothing I can do about it.
When I am able to stay awake, I
worry all the time about the state
of my body as it relates to my, now,
inability to run. For the last 18 months
I have been running, regularly, and
I have become the strongest and
most agile I have been in my life.
P a g e 8 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
The society pages What’s happening within the Barefoot Runners Society
www.blurmediaphotography.com
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 8 7
neck, and hips were starting to
lose control of themselves. I was
starting to lose control of my mind
worrying about what was going
to happen to my body. I was
convinced that the positive effects
of 18 months of running would
reverse in a matter of 2 months and
I would be reduced down to a
slithery glob of painful, lardish,
jello-ish muscles, and ooze onto
the floor.
One thing about running is that…
nothing else is like running. My
body works best with long, slow trail
runs. It takes a long time for my
body to “shake out” and get to a
point, alignment-wise, where it can
then begin to reap the benefits of
the run. I knew that inactivity
would be the death of me, running
or not. I finally concluded the
swimming pool would be the
“safest” place to exercise as it is
difficult to fall when you are already
in the water. So on day 7, I used my
ration of energy for the day, on the
swimming pool. I just did some super
slow laps at first. Then I remembered
I used to “run” in the pool and I
started doing that. I did it with a
twist though, I would run in a circle,
like around and around in one spot.
That way it gave a little “trail” variety
to the running. I walked back and
forth through shallow water. Without
gravity able to do its thing, like in
running, I found that it took a lot
longer to achieve similar results
with regard to my musculoskeletal
alignment. After at least 2 hours, I
felt a distinct improvement. I went
again the next day and again,
about 2 hours was what it took.
So as I am doing the incredibly
slow, careful laps, my body is
repeatedly drawing to my attention
the fact that my upper body sucks.
Yes, it does. I was just thrilled that
running did so many positive things
for the imbalance in my hips –that I
pretty much disregarded my upper
back, shoulders, neck, etc. I’d
occasionally try to add in some
exercises for them but, mainly,
my running kept it tolerable.
From lying on shoulder blades for
so many hours, they are “winging”
out away from my back - which,
in turn, strains my back, neck,
and hips and causes a lot of
trigger points, everywhere. It
takes a full hour of laps, mainly
back-strokes, just to get my
shoulder blades back where
they belong. And it is not until
they are back where they belong
that I can even “begin” to start
to exercise. Once they are
re-positioned, everything feels
better, including my hip alignment.
Then I feel like I am getting better
benefits from running in the water.
So what is the moral of the story?
I dunno. I guess it’s that I have
managed to convince myself that
the results of 18 months of running
is not going to disappear over
the next couple of months. Also,
perhaps this is a wake-up call to
pay more attention to my upper
body. And of course, as always,
it is an exercise in patience, because
now I have to spend TWICE as long
exercising to get similar results. It’s
also a reminder in what priority
exercise should take when push
comes to shove. And this is a HUGE
push and shove situation. Physical
inactivity is the killer of the soul. I
won’t allow my soul to be killed. I
will save my energy for physical
activity, over ANYTHING else! Thank
goodness I even have a few hours
of (albeit low) energy a day to
devote to it. Otherwise, I would
seriously be in the loony bin.
He has written a book about
coping with chronic pain (Cheating
Mother Nature) and is currently
working on a book specifically for
runners, relating to running form
and injury.
Dr Charschan joins a fantastic team
of barefoot friendly doctors in the
‘Ask the docs’ forum, so be sure to
visit that section of the BRS website
to find the answers to your injury
woes.
The Barefoot Runner’s Society
welcomed a new doctor into its
home back in November last year.
His name is Doctor William Charschan
and he is a certified Chiropractic
Sports Physician with well over twenty
year’s experience. He often holds an
official physician position at many
different sporting events and is
Medical Director for USA Track and
Field New Jersey.
fter much debating, to-ing and
fro-ing, International Barefoot
Running Day will be held on
the first Sunday in May (5th May)
as per the last two years. There is
another celebration on the 5th
May, Cinco de Mayo, which was
why some people wanted to
change the date. However, after
a vote and some discussion, it
has been decided that those
celebrating IBRF and Cinco de
Mayo will have double the fun
and a very memorable day!
Bob Nicol (Barefooting Bob) is
coordinating IBRD as part of his
new position as Administrative
Vice President.
f you fancy some company as
you polish off your post-run
beer, check out the Barefoot
Pub forum, where members meet
up to talk about anything and
everything. You can just enjoy
reading the threads or join in if
you’re feeling sociable!
P a g e 8 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
It's that time of year again! Time to
start the IBRD Tee Shirt design
contest!
What is your vision of International
Barefoot Running Day? What does
IBRD mean to you? How would you
represent IBRD to the world? If you
can envision it in design, perhaps
you can share it with us.
If you have skills, and we know you
do, please consider putting together
something for the 2013 IBRD T-Shirt
design contest. We will begin
accepting your submissions right
away. We will collect them and
then present them to the BRS
members on February 21. We will
vote on these designs immediately,
and the contest will run until March 7.
We will announce the winner and
then place the winning design in
our Store. There, you will be able to
purchase t-shirts (they have micro
tech shirts too!) and other
merchandise with the winning
design on it. Remember, these
are the official 2013 IBRD t-shirts
and will be worn all over the
world! (These dates are not set
in stone and may be shifted just a
tad one way or another.)
The winner will receive lots of kudos
from their peers and a 2013 IBRD
T-Shirt with their own winning design
on it.
Please email your designs to both
Thanks!
Let the games begin!
S u m m e r 2 0 1 2 I s s u e 5 P a g e 8 9
P a g e 7 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Don’t ju
st w
alk
by
Parts & servicing
Race preparation
Modifications
Custom builds
Expert advice from a friendly team
82 High Street London
SE20 7HB 07711 015102
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 9 1
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 9 1
Appalling. Not worth
unpacking. The box is
probably of more use.
Very poor. Under performs in
every area. Significantly
flawed.
Poor. Under performs
in nearly all areas.
Not recommended.
Off the pace. Below
average in nearly every
area.
Acceptable. Average
in most areas but has its
disappointments.
Good. Above average
in some areas but very
average in others.
Very Good. Recommended
in all areas.
Excellent. Highly
recommended in all areas.
Fantastic. Almost flawless.
A must have.
We are an independent magazine
and unaffiliated with any particular
brand or product. This means that
our reviews are honest and unbiased,
written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts!
Pro
du
ct re
vie
w h
nb
bk
jbb
Name:
Preferred footwear: Barefoot or Minimal
Tester initials:
Name:
Preferred footwear: Barefoot or Minimal
Tester initials:
Name: Gareth “Gadget” Underhill
Preferred footwear: Minimal
Tester initials: GU
Name: Anna Toombs
Preferred footwear: Barefoot
Tester initials: AL
Name: David Robinson
Preferred footwear: Barefoot
Tester initials: DR
We are looking for two more long-term product testers
to join our team. If you review products on your own
blog that you’d like to promote, or enjoy writing, please
send us an email with a sample review and we’ll be in
touch with more details. We hope to fill these positions
to include reviews for the Spring issue in April/May.
Min
ima
l re
vie
w
Ou
t-o
f-th
e-b
ox r
ev
iew
: IN
OV
8 B
are
- X
™ 2
00
UK EU US-M US-W
WEIGHT (UK8) FIT UPPER LINING
200G / 7.1OZ ANATOMIC SYNTHETIC, TPU MESH
FOOTBED MIDSOLE SHOCK-ZONE™ DIFFERENTIAL
3mm N/A 0 0mm
SOLE COMPOUND GENDER PRODUCT CODE
BARE-X™ STICKY UNISEX 5050973233
4-12 (inc ½) 37-47 (inc ½) 5-13 (inc ½) 6.5-11(inc ½)
P a g e 9 2 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
some people off, this is a shoe that
anyone can wear and not feel
that they’re making a statement,
either when running or just paying
a visit to the local shop for some
milk. It also has a very ‘unisex’
quality to it so would suit either
male or female wearers.
Fit
As a seasoned barefoot runner,
I often find shoes very restrictive
and they consistently feel too
narrow. Innov8 shoes have been
criticized for this in the past.
However, I found the Bare X200
shoes to be very roomy in the
toe box and they were immediately
comfortable – like a pair of slippers!
The cut of the shoe around the
ankle suits me well too, allowing
my feet and ankles to feel free.
I also find that I can wear these
with or without socks and they fit
well either way.
I’m not sure if this will be the same
for everyone, but I did need to go
half a size up compared to my
usual size, although I must admit
that I only very occasionally buy
shoes and I know that my feet
have changed shape with
barefoot running, so maybe my
natural size is bigger now anyway!
As I say, the shoes were immediately
comfortable and I have not
suffered with any blisters or areas
of rubbing as I’ve worn them in.
Ou
t-of-th
e-b
ox re
vie
w: IN
OV
8 B
are
- X™
200 M
inim
al re
vie
wnnov8 shoes have long been
synonymous with quality and
performance which was why I
was excited to try their first zero
drop shoe, the Bare X200.
Nicknamed by some as ‘the purest
barefoot running shoe’, it weighs in
at just 200 grams (7.1 ounces) and
has a slim, 3mm sole.
Other attributes that give this shoe
a ‘barefoot feel’ are its generously
wide toe box, flexibility and ‘sticky’
rubber sole, aiming to achieve a
grip level similar to that of bare
feet. It is also possible to remove
the midsole which will give you a
further 10% reduction in weight,
although the midsole itself is
relatively unformed, in other words
not asking your foot to conform to
a preconceived shape.
Here are my thoughts on the shoe,
having tested it for three months:
Styling
There is actually a new model on
the way but the look is very similar.
My shoe is pure white and I love
the classic, no nonsense ‘80’s
trainer’ look. It is a simple design
that looks great as a training shoe
as well as an everyday shoe.
The newer colours are blue/white
or black/red.
With so many minimalist shoes
on the market that have a more
distinctive look that may put
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 9 3
Build quality
Innov8 shoes are known to be a
high quality brand and I find these
shoes live up to that reputation in
their build quality. The gluing and
stitching are thorough and secure.
I’ve washed them twice in the
washing machine and have not
had any trouble with them having
done so.
One issue I often have with shoes
is the lacing coming loose, but it is
not the case with these shoes.
Performance
Some people have commented
that there is not enough grip on
the sole of these shoes and that
they are slippery on wet surfaces.
Initially, I also found this to be the
case but as the manufacturer’s
‘sheen’ wore off, the soles became
duller and therefore provided
more grip. It took a matter of a
few weeks for the shine to reduce
and the grip to improve and it is
now absolutely fine. I have tried
shoes in the past that remain
slippery in the wet so I was
pleasantly surprised that the grip
improved with these shoes. They
just take a bit of wearing in as far
as grip is concerned.
In terms of running performance,
I tend to take the inner soles out
UK EU US-M US-W
WEIGHT (UK8) FIT UPPER LINING
200G / 7.1OZ ANATOMIC SYNTHETIC, TPU MESH
FOOTBED MIDSOLE SHOCK-ZONE™ DIFFERENTIAL
3mm N/A 0 0mm
SOLE COMPOUND GENDER PRODUCT CODE
BARE-X™ STICKY UNISEX 5050973233
4-12 (inc ½) 37-47 (inc ½) 5-13 (inc ½) 6.5-11(inc ½)
Fit
Build quality
Performance
Styling
Overall rating
I would recommend this shoe.
I’ve done around 100 miles of
running in them, as well as worn
them for day to day living. I’m
looking forward to trying the
newer version of these shoes,
which apparently is very similar
but weighs even less!
They were comfortable from the
off and I forget that I’m wearing
them (which is unusual as I tend
to find most shoes restrictive
these days). Having people
stare doesn’t bother me, but for
those of you who want to steer
clear of the more ‘out there’
minimalist shoes, these ones
blend right in. They are a great
shoe for those wanting to keep
their feet protected and don’t
want to go completely barefoot,
but are ready for a more flexible,
less structured running shoe.
which takes the thickness down
to just 2mm. This makes for a
very light, slim shoe which does
not interfere much at all with my
natural running mechanics.
Barefoot simulation
Due to the slim sole, I am able
to get quite a lot of feedback
from the ground and can feel
variations in the terrain. Again,
the flexibility of the shoe allows
my foot to adjust, to a certain
extent, to the ground beneath
me.
Most shoes fall down in this
category, simply because
it’s very difficult to simulate
barefoot running in a shoe!
However, this was one of the
thinnest soles I’d tested and
I was quite impressed with it.
Price
The price is probably somewhere
right in the middle of the price
range of similar shoes, retailing
at around £90 and in my opinion
is very good value for money.
The quality and comfort make
for a long-lasting shoe that is
probably one of the best
minimalist shoes out there at
the moment and comes from
a very well-respected brand.
P a g e 9 4 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
Min
ima
l re
vie
w
Ou
t-o
f-th
e-b
ox r
ev
iew
: IN
OV
8 B
are
- X
™ 2
00
Barefoot simulation
Price
Overall rating
Sizing
Slippery when new
Limited colours
3mm sole
Lightweight
Comfortable
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 9 5
Minimal review results Out-of-the-box trail test results
www.trekoblog.com /
P a g e 9 6 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
The method and the images presented here are owned by Scott Hadley, PhD, DPT. Copyright © 2011, Scott Hadley, PhD, DPT.
All rights reserved.
My Foot
Trail Glove
Classic Sprint
Ra
tin
g
Pric
e
Pe
rfo
rma
nc
e
Sty
ling
Fit
an
d M
od
el
Sim
ula
tio
n
Ma
ke
Ba
refo
ot
Bu
ild Q
ua
lity
Ove
rall
Vibram FiveFingers
(12/2011)
Bare X 200™
INOV8
Xero Shoe
Tri Black
4mm XeroShoe
KSO
Merrell
6mm XeroShoe
(12/2011)
(01/2012)
(02/2010)
(01/2009)
(01/2013)
(06/2011)
(11/2012)
Ozark Sandals
Kigo
(06/2012) Drive
Min
ima
l re
vie
w r
esu
lts
Ou
t-o
f-th
e-b
ox T
rail
test
re
sults
Human Foot
Test
ed
by
D.R
D.R
D.R
D.R
A.T
D.R
D.R
A.T
D.R
Min
ima
l rev
iew
resu
lts Ou
t-of-th
e-b
ox Tra
il test re
sults
The method and the images presented here are owned by Scott Hadley, PhD, DPT. Copyright © 2011, Scott Hadley, PhD, DPT.
All rights reserved. Luna Sandal Company 1108 19th Ave E. Suite B, Seattle, WA 98112 | 206-395-8238
www.lunasandals.com
$85.00 plus shipping
The Equus 2mm premium shell cordovan upper
and 2mm Vibram rubber sole with
the new elasticized leather
laces.
The “Rolls-Royce” of huaraches.
No more
tender feet
on those long
rocky trails.
The ATS
Combining the 8mm or 10mm
Leadville Vibram sole with a
non-slip footbed on top.
Perfectly designed for wet,
muddy and rugged conditions.
Vibram FiveFingers
$124.95 plus shipping
INOV8
Xero Shoe
Merrell
Ozark Sandals
Kigo
Drive
Human Foot
ee Majors – what a guy! While
growing up he was my action
hero. My friends and I could
often be found running in slow
motion across the playground as
though we were the six (or in the
case of my friend Alan P, ten) million
dollar man. Then later he became
the ‘Fall Guy’ – “the guy that might
jump an open drawbridge or
Tarzan from a vine, 'cause he was
the unknown stuntman, that
made Eastwood look so fine”.
Blowing our little tiny minds!
Back in the seventies and early
eighties they never suggested
“not trying something at home”
and so we did. If there was a
garage roof that could be jumped
off, it was. We would even jump
our bikes over bonfires, imagining
them to be Colt Seavers’ pickup
truck.
Gone were the days that my
friends and I wanted to be
cowboys and astronauts when
we grew up; instead we longed
to be stuntmen, without fever
and full of action. Of course, as
we approached adulthood and
became more sensible, we forgot
about such things and conformed
to a standard life.
But a few people didn’t lose that
lust to become that unknown
hero of the silver screen and
one of those people was a chap
named Ben Bellman. I had the
pleasure of meeting Ben at the
Running Show back in November
when he was led to our stand by
one of the organisers, David.
As he approached, he looked out of
the corner of his left eye and asked,
“What’s this barefoot running about?
I’m not angry!” He continued to
explain who he was and how he had
ended up with injuries that had taken
most of his sight and nearly his life.
He had been an up and coming
stuntman working on films such as
Gladiator, Charlotte Gray, The
Count of Monte Cristo and even
getting a nomination for his sword
fighting sequence in the James
Bond movie ‘Die another day’.
Sadly, on one fateful day in 2002,
a parachute jump went seriously
wrong, leaving him with horrendous
brain and bodily injuries.
Ben told us, “In 2002, on my
thousandth jump, I fell out of the
plane. I don't know if the parachute
opened. Every bone in my body
was smashed and my brain came
out. I'm made of metal now.
I make machines beep.”
He went on to say, “I was in a coma
for months. They thought I wouldn't
be able to walk, see or speak. I've
got no memory of the accident or
being a stuntman. I had a white
horse – I remember my horse. She
was lovely.”
“Every day I do stretching and
exercise in my room. I used to
teach sports and do triathlons.
I swim, do fencing and yoga.
I spent a year learning it in India.
P a g e 9 8 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
“I used to teach sports
and do triathlons. I swim,
do fencing and yoga.
I spent a year learning it
in India. I don't remember
that. I used to teach yoga.
India’s lovely!”
How many of us can say the
same about ourselves? Ben is an
inspiration and I am sure that he
will not stop trying until he
achieves it.
I feel it’s only right to finish with
some words of wisdom from Ben.
“I love ballet. Caravaggio, Goya,
Chekhov. And I read Shakespeare.
I don't know why, but I do. I read
sports books every day too. I have
to hold them close, because I was
blind after the accident. My sight
is getting better and my days are
full. I lived; I'm happy about that.
I lack memory, but everyday
I wake up and feel a bit more
human.”
Keep battling on Ben and I hope
we meet again!
If you wish to learn more about Ben,
please go to Headway East London
at www.headwayeastlondon.org
Even though I could see that Ben’s
injuries had left him with speech
and movement difficulties, he
was still filled with a passion for
everything sport-related and his
ambition is to one day get back
into the world of film as a stunt
director. He chatted away for over
half an hour about how his life is now,
the people in it and his love of music
and travel. Ben’s sentences would
often stop with sudden concern
and he would worriedly say, “I’m
not angry” or “Do I scare you?”
but, once assured and encouraged
to continue, his face would light up
again as he continued to speak
about his passions and ask us
questions about our own interests.
That night, while travelling home,
Anna and I chatted about the
hectic day and all the people
we had met. Ben and his injuries
monopolized the conversation.
In him, one sees so much love
for the world and all things in it.
He found everything ‘lovely’ and
he didn’t seem angry about
his situation or the accident
that had created it. He had
followed his dream regardless
of the outcome and even after
being seriously impaired both
mentally and physically, he’s still
determined to live his dream.
The inspirational Ben Bellman
B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 P a g e 9 9
“Ben is an inspiration
and I am sure
that he will not stop
trying until he
achieves his dream.”
Headway East London is at the forefront of support for brain injury survivors, their families and carers. We run Headway House, the only
brain injury centre of its kind in inner London to offer specialist services and therapies.
We believe that everyone has something to contribute within Headway and the wider community – that every person with a brain injury
should be valued, respected and deserves every opportunity to live a full and active life.
Visit our blog www.headwayblog.blogspot.co.uk to get a flavour of what we’ve been up to recently.
P a g e 1 0 0 W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 B a r e f o o t R u n n i n g M a g a z i n e
©TRC Publishing UK
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