Born to Run?

Have you ever had an experience that makes you question everything you thought you knew?  Well, I've been running for more than three decades, and I thought I pretty much knew what I needed to know about the sport.  But after reading the book "Born to Run", I find myself questioning whether all I thought I knew is wrong.  That is the impact this book is having on lots of readers as it gets passed along, mostly by word of mouth, in the running community.

It is the story of the Tarahumara Indian tribe in the remote mountains of Mexico that may be home to the greatest ultra distance runners in the world.  Unlike the Kenyans, however, they almost never race.  They run for the joy of it, and there is much that we can all learn, or remember, from that. 

Author Christopher McDougall takes us along on his first visit to the area, and introduces us to unforgettable characters who happen to be real people.  McDougall's only link to the tribe is a runner who goes by the name Caballo Blanco (pictured on the right).  He is just about the tribe's only link to the outside world.  He is the one who sets up the race that is the central story of the book.  It's a 50 mile ultramarathon in the rugged mountains in Mexico where the Tarahumara live. 

McDougall helps recruit and arrange for the handful of American Ultramarathoners who take part in the race.  Among them are Ultra Champ Scott Jurek, and a character  known as 'Barefoot Ted' (shown on the left).  Ted McDonald is an ultramarathoner who runs really well, but is best known for his choice of footwear, or lack thereof.  As he nickname suggests, Ted usually runs without shoes, which flies in the face of common sense for many of us.  It also seems painful and dangerous!

But Ted, and just about everyone else in the book have just the opposite experience.  They find they run better, and are injury-free because they run without traditional running shoes.  When Ted wears shoes they are basically a thin rubber skin that helps protect his feet from puncture wounds.  The Vibram Five Fingers is one model he pushes.

If you are like me, you are thinking, "Um, no thanks".  About the last time I remember someone running barefoot seriously was South African middle distance runner Zola Budd in the 1984 Olympic race with Mary Decker Slaney.  We all know how that worked out for her.  But McDougall makes quite a compelling argument in favor of running without all the support we get from running shoes.  Along the way he also offers a pretty harsh indictment of Nike, which basically invented modern running shoes.

The basic idea is that the foot has more nerve endings, and bones than just about any other part of the body.  Our feet are an engineering marvel designed to support and adapt to all kinds of activities and terrain.  But when we put our feet in cushioned running shoes, we basically nullify our foot's natural ability.  We also alter our running form, because shoes heavily cushioned in the heel give us the ability to land on our heel, rather than the mid-foot, which McDougall says is the way nature intended.

Running shoes have basically been around only a little more than three decades in this country.  Custom Orthodics and other accessories for those shoes have been around an even shorter amount of time.  Before that, Americans still ran plenty. though the running booms had yet to happen.  But it can be argued that Americans were more competitive on the world stage before running shoes offered the chance to run on something other than a platform.  Certainly running shoes are worn by just about everyone around the world now, but in the case of the Kenyans, they don't generally wear them growing up.  McDougall argues they build up strength in their feet running barefoot for at least a decade before encasing them in shoes as they get out into the world more.

He also points out that injuries like Plantar Faciitis (heel pain) never existed before running shoes hit the market.  I'm not sure how relevant that really is, however, because many of these injuries are not exclusive to runners.  But his point is well taken.  He also cites studies that suggest a relationship between injuries and the price of the running shoes you wear.  Contrary to what you would expect, the more you spend on your shoes (which probably means the more cushioned and supported they are), the more likely you are to get injured!

He also says the older the shoes, and the more the cushioning wears down, the better they are for you.  Wow.  Like I said at the beginning, this is contrary to all we have learned for years.  So what should we make of it?  Well, I am certainly not likely to start running barefoot through the streets of the western suburbs, especially in the winter.  But I certainly may try running some workouts on a grassy area a couple times a month this summer.

I was curious what impact this book and the barefoot running buzz is having on the running shoe industry, so I called Dave Zimmer, who owns Fleet Feet Sports.  Dave pointed out that Nike introduced their 'Free' model as a response to all of this several years ago.  He says most of the other running shoe makers are coming out with their own similar models in the next few months.  All of them are pretty basic, neutral shoes.  And he also (correctly) points out that the introduction of running shoes had a great deal to do with so many new people taking up the sport in the first place. 

The debate will rage on for some time, and I'm sure this is just the first of many entries I will have on the subject.

Anyway, the book wraps up with a thrilling account of the race, which ends up with a close finish between Jurek and the great Tarahumara, runner Arnulfo Quiroz.  It is an epic finish, and the telling of it suffers only a little because the author wrote about it from second-hand accounts.  Most of the rest of the story is a first person account, but because he was running the race, and far from the front, he couldn't be at the finish line himself.  I won't spoil it for you, but I recommend checking it out.  "Born To Run" is a pretty quick read, but it will have you thinking for a long time afterward.

See you on the streets....

 

Comments

[Ross]

I have been running in my five finger shoes as well. I started in the summer and into the fall. I really love them BUT I strongly recommend taking it easy the first couple weeks to build up foot and calf strength.

I have the classic version but I want to plunk down some cash for the Sprint version instead.

I dont think I will be going back to shoes if I can help it. I havn't been brave enough to take them into the local gym either.

I've been running forest preserve by my house to start. But after I 'learned' how to run again I could run on black top other hard surfaces with no problems at all.

There is a version for colder weather but I dont think I would like socks at all with them.

After running in my FF shoes I have been landing on the balls of my feet instead of my heal all of the time. It feels like running for has improved from that.

I look forward to more blog posts

[Pat Hoesel]

It probably helps if you start out running that way at a younger age, to build the feet and ankles and harden the soles. It's an intriguing idea, and I ran mostly barefoot when I was a teenager, although not competitively, and could run very fast. The thin sole is a good idea to prevent cuts, though.

[Judy M.]

How interesting! Children often prefer to go barefoot and will take their shoes off every chance they get, as I used to do. Perhaps because it's more comfortable? I agree with Pat that you would probably be better off to start young if you're going to run that way but it doesn't mean you can't build up to it. Hmmm..I wonder how this concept might apply to us old folks who already have foot problems??

[J Scott Moore]

My body has always made me pay with pain when it comes to running, hence my preference for biking and now skating.
Nonetheless, I have a hard time imagining myself going for a run barefoot. Should I try it to see if it hurts less? Ummm, nope, don't think so. LOL
Great post John, very interesting read about the Tarahumara.