Barefoot Running

I think I'm going to give this a try very soon.

Let me first state that I don't get foot or leg pains when I run. I'm just slow, and a bit overweight. However, I'm always open to improve my running form, as I've been running for +3 years now and it seems as though I've gotten slower over the years. Last time I ran, I tried using the Chi Running technique of "falling forward". Basically this allowed me to shorten my gait and I focused on a slight forward lean the entire run. I was amazed at how much faster I could run with less effort. Instantly, I knew that I'd been running wrong for too long and needed to open my eyes to different techniques if I was going to run my sub-4 hour marathon this year.

Tonight, I got an email from an old buddy who linked me to a study on barefoot running. I read the study and it has opened my eyes. I've heard a lot about barefoot running, and actually suggested barefoot running it to him a few months back. He stated he was having very bad shin splints, and a few of my running buddies have resorted to barefoot running as a way to avoid various running injuries and get back in touch with their caveman roots. I had no experience with it myself, and I was merely suggesting it to him in passing. To my surprise, he took my (untested) advise and has become a very big advocate of barefoot running. It seems to have fixed his shin splints.

Here is a nice video that shows some of the benefits of barefoot running:



So if you see me out running with no shoes this spring, you'll know why. :)