How We're Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take Walking is easy. It’s so easy that no one ever has to teach you how to do it. It’s so easy, in fact, that we often pair it with other easy activities—talking, chewing gum—and suggest that if you can’t do both simultaneously, you’re some sort of insensate clod. So you probably think you’ve got this walking thing pretty much nailed. Well, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you: You walk wrong. Look, it’s not your fault. Last year, researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, published a study titled “Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?” Okay, so shoes can be less than comfortable. “Natural gait is biomechanically impossible for any shoe-wearing person,” wrote Dr. Perhaps this sounds to you like scientific gobbledygook or the ravings of some radical back-to-nature nuts. This is especially grim news for New Yorkers, who (a) tend to walk a lot, and (b) tend to wear shoes while doing so. Simple.
HARRA - Houston Area Road Runners Association Houston Running News HARRA Fall Series near complete, Spring Series schedule set The 2013 Fall Series concludes with the Chevron Houston Marathon on January 19th and the Fall Series results will be finalized soon after. Forty-nine members have run all 4 individual events in 2013 and are in the running to win an Ironfoot award if they complete or volunteer at the Houston Marathon. Standings for the Runner of the Season through the 30k can be found at this link. Nineteen running clubs have scored in the Club and Team competition with the Bay Area Running Club, Bayou City Road Runners, Houston Striders and H-Town Runners leading in one or more of the 14 categories heading into the Marathon. The Spring Series schedule is as follows, so mark your calendars to compete for yourself and your Club in one or more of these events HARRA has worked with all these races for many years and they are all high quality. Memorial Park’s New Stretching Deck and Running Trail Center HARRA Membership Renewal
Complete Running Network | Runner’s Information & Advice VIVOBAREFOOT The painful truth about trainers: Are expensive running shoes a waste of money? Thrust enhancers, roll bars, microchips...the $20 billion running - shoe industry wants us to believe that the latest technologies will cushion every stride. Yet in this extract from his controversial new book, Christopher McDougall claims that injury rates for runners are actually on the rise, that everything we've been told about running shoes is wrong - and that it might even be better to go barefoot... By CHRISTOPHER McDOUGALL Created 2:37 PM on 15th April 2009 Every year, anywhere from 65 to 80 per cent of all runners suffer an injury. At Stanford University, California, two sales representatives from Nike were watching the athletics team practise. Unfortunately, it was proving difficult that day as the runners all seemed to prefer... nothing. 'Didn't we send you enough shoes?' 'I can't prove this,' the well-respected coach told them. 'But I believe that when my runners train barefoot they run faster and suffer fewer injuries.' When I was told this anecdote it came as no surprise.
Cool Running | The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan By Josh ClarkPosted Saturday, 1 January, 2011 Couch to 5K ® | Beginning Running First off, you may be asking, "exactly how many miles is a 5K?" A 5K is 3.1 miles. You should ease into your 5K training plan gradually. It's easy to get impatient, and you may feel tempted to skip ahead in the program, but hold yourself back. Start Your 5K Training | A Few Minutes Each Week Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes, three times a week. Be sure to space out these three days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between efforts. Run for time or run for distance There are two ways to follow this Couch to 5K ® training program, to measure your runs by time or by distance. Before setting out, make sure to precede each training session with a five-minute warmup walk or jog. Cool Running’s Couch to 5K ® Program is available for purchase online through iTunes or the Google Play Store. 5K Training Schedule
Library Article What are the best running shoes for your feet? Minimal, no-nonsense running shoes. The running shoes listed below perform well for anyone working on their midfoot strike. They’re all minimal, flexible and light-weight. Adidas Adizero Rocket Brooks Mach II Spikeless INOV-8 Talon 212 or Rocklite 295 Mizuno Wave Ronin 2 New Balance MT100 Newton Isaacs Nike Free 3.0 Puma Cabana Racer II Vibram Five Fingers KSO or Trek VivoBarefoot EVO Remember that when transitioning to minimal running shoes, a gradual change needs to be made. For more detailed information on all of the above shoes, visit Danny’s blog. Resources to help you master the Chi Running basics:
Library Article There is no question, the mind can (and more often than not, does) "convince" the body to run farther and faster than the body wants to. We believe it is one of the primary causes of injury. In an article from this month's Runner's World, the idea of "mind over body" is extolled as a positive thing, forcing you to extend your physical capabilities so that you can accomplish great deeds. In Chi Running we believe that the mind can support the body to "do more" than you would normally think possible — not by convincing or forcing the body to do so, but by supporting the body to do so. There is no doubt that our bodies are capable of great things. All of our bodies, even those bodies that are generally not thought to be athletic, are capable of greatness. Which type of leader would you choose to run your business, home or country? In Chi Running we give you the tools to become a great leader of your own body. Resources to help you master the Chi Running basics: