Barely Running

I am old.  I am over weight.  I do not run.

… until a few months ago when my son made me aware of a book called “Born to run” about the Tarahumara people of Mexico.  These guys and gals just take off and run 100 miles!  They are incredible!  While running they are generally barefoot or wear huarache sandals that they make from old tires.  What!?  No $150 Nike engineered foot tools?  Nope.  Actually it seems that the more people spend on running shoes the more injuries they have!   That is why Nike and others now sell expensive non-shoes… ah… what…?

A few years ago my son’s father-in-law made me aware of barefoot running and I have been walking with and with out shoes with that method ever since (not all the time because it is hard in healed shoes and you do look a little odd  : )?  So, I went in the back yard where no one could see me and tried out barefoot running… whoa!  That was cool!  So, I did 1/4 mile in my neighborhood.  No pain not during or after!  So, I worked up to 3 miles.  Super!  Now I am trying to get those miles to be under 15 minutes… each… yea you got it, I run really slow… you could even say that I am barely running (sounds like the title of a blog…) but I am getting faster.  I got tired of waiting to get below 15 min miles so I pushed  to 4.  That felt so good, I went for 6!!! … soon 26.2 and running a marathon!  Right now it would take more than 8 hours and I would not officially finish!  I walked the Portland Marathon in 1999 in 7:01:52.  That included potty stops and stretching stops, so you can see that I was cruising along compared to my running pace for just 3 miles… oh bother!   I recently measured my “speed” walking pace (another post about my heart problems…) and it was 16:30, just where my running mile is!  Go figure!  Currently I am trying to do 2, 3 mile runs during the week and a 6 mile each weekend… not bad for a slow, fat, old man.

If you want to try it out, here are the main ideas and some references.

Barefoot style running and walking:

If you can, practice this barefooted at least some, even if only on grass.  It is a little intimidating to go out on the streets and trails barefoot, so that is why I use minimal foot ware most of the time.  Some people have embraced the barefoot lifestyle and never wear shoes no matter where they are or what the weather is!  I have been watching toddlers and young children for the last few years and they walk and run just like this!

Step 1 — The Barefoot walk (with or without sandals is the same)

1) Climb stairs.  Whether going up or down you will find that you almost never strike on your heal!  Do a few steps up and down to get a feel for it.  Try striking on the heal… don’t fall!
2) Walk in place.  Just start… See?  Your heal does not hit the floor first.  It is the ball of your foot that hits first.
3) While walking in place, practice not staying on your toes.  Let your heal smoothly take your weight.  If you stay on your forefoot you will kill your calves and tendons when you run!
4) While walking in place lean slightly forward at your ankles, not waist.  You are now barefoot walking!  Watch it!  If your heal starts to touch first, go back to walking in place to correct it.
5) Practice this for 4 years… just kidding!  Do it until you can do it without reverting to heal striking.  Your feet are very sensitive and will protect themselves because they can now feel the ground.

Step 2 — Barefoot run (with or without sandals is the same)

1) Walk in place without the heal strike and rolling smoothly to your heal.
2) Begin to “hop” slightly to the other foot – i.e. run in place.  Per the Olympic rules, the difference between running and walking is that when you walk, at least one foot is on the ground at all times.  When you run, both feet are momentarily off the ground.
3) While hopping, practice landing on the ball and rolling to the heal as when walking.  You are now barefoot running in place!
4) While running in place, lean forward.  That is it!  You are barefoot running! >>> Quit that heal strike!  Do you want to hurt yourself???
5) Think about running with quick light foot changes, rather than a hard pounding long gait.  Think of a fast waltz rhythnm – right at 180 steps per minute, or 3 per second.
6) As you run, sense the world rolling by.  It should be smooth.  If it jerks, you are getting too much impact.  A mid foot strike is fine.  Just watch the world go by and make sure it is smooth.

For videos and more info Google “POSE Running”,  “Chi Running”, and “Evolution Running”
At YouTube, search for those and for Tarahumara for videos of these amazing runners.

The POSE technique teaches one running “Pose” with one foot on the ground and the other calf parallel to the ground having been raised by the hamstring muscle.  I would like to think of this as poses 1a and 1b!  You hop from foot to foot, or pose to pose, then just lean forward.

Even at my weight and age, after running I have had no aches, pains, joint soreness, back soreness… almost nothing!  While training for the marathon in 1999 I could not run except a few paces without pain.  I also had severe metatarsal pain that almost knocked me out of training and the race.  My doctor  said he would only bless my participation if I promised to stop and stretch my feet to avoid a stress fracture.  I stopped a lot in training and in the race.  With this barefoot style I have had entire runs with no pain!  If I start to have pain, I can just stretch my toes to the side while continuing to run!   Woo Hoo! No Shoes!  I am now usually having no pain while running or afterward.  Within 10 minutes of a 6 miler (about 10k),  I can sit down and eat a big meal.  Incredible!

Try it, you’ll like it!

Barely Running