Barefoot Running
Today I tried barefoot running for the first time; the first few strides I was still using my heel to absorb my stride shock, which felt awkward in bare feet. I remembered the research I had done and focused on absorbing my stride shock on the balls and front of my feet instead. Instant change in my stride and momentum. I'm never running in running shoes again. Here's why:
1. When I used the ball of my foot to absorb the impact, I had more momentum because I was directing my energy forward, rather than backward onto my heel. I was shocked at how much more energy-efficiently I could run barefoot.
2. I could feel my pelvis tilting in a different, forward direction while running barefoot, which seemed to help direct the impact of hitting the ground forward into greater momentum, rather than up into my knees and hips. It just felt more natural.
3. I recognized that the ability to roll the shock of hitting the ground off the balls and front of my feet would be nearly impossible in my running shoes due to the fact I would trip over the excess amount of shoe in front of my toes.
4. Through the nerve endings on my feet, I was able to distribute the weight and shock of hitting the ground in a much more efficient manner. In comparison, wearing running shoes is like kissing through a napkin.
I am an experienced runner, so I am familiar with how my body feels and uses energy while running. My left knee used to get very hot when I ran, prompting my doctor to tell me to stop before I permanently injured my knee. I didn't stop running for that reason, but it has been about 2 years since I've run more than 5 miles in one session. That's gonna change very fast, I can already tell.
I did my research first, by reading websites and watching videos about running barefoot. The best advice I took from that research was to hit the ground with the balls of your feet, not your heel, and remember how you ran as a child barefoot around on your lawn. That's how you should run barefoot now, too. My heels only lightly touched the ground.
Here's a great website at Harvard about barefoot running if you're interested in trying it. Great job, feet designer! You sure knew what you were doing. Oh, and I ran on a high school track, so it was a safe surface for my feet. Not ready to run on asphalt yet by any means.
1. When I used the ball of my foot to absorb the impact, I had more momentum because I was directing my energy forward, rather than backward onto my heel. I was shocked at how much more energy-efficiently I could run barefoot.
2. I could feel my pelvis tilting in a different, forward direction while running barefoot, which seemed to help direct the impact of hitting the ground forward into greater momentum, rather than up into my knees and hips. It just felt more natural.
3. I recognized that the ability to roll the shock of hitting the ground off the balls and front of my feet would be nearly impossible in my running shoes due to the fact I would trip over the excess amount of shoe in front of my toes.
4. Through the nerve endings on my feet, I was able to distribute the weight and shock of hitting the ground in a much more efficient manner. In comparison, wearing running shoes is like kissing through a napkin.
I am an experienced runner, so I am familiar with how my body feels and uses energy while running. My left knee used to get very hot when I ran, prompting my doctor to tell me to stop before I permanently injured my knee. I didn't stop running for that reason, but it has been about 2 years since I've run more than 5 miles in one session. That's gonna change very fast, I can already tell.
I did my research first, by reading websites and watching videos about running barefoot. The best advice I took from that research was to hit the ground with the balls of your feet, not your heel, and remember how you ran as a child barefoot around on your lawn. That's how you should run barefoot now, too. My heels only lightly touched the ground.
Here's a great website at Harvard about barefoot running if you're interested in trying it. Great job, feet designer! You sure knew what you were doing. Oh, and I ran on a high school track, so it was a safe surface for my feet. Not ready to run on asphalt yet by any means.
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