First Barefoot Run of the Year

Hey now! After spending the first three months of the year in comfortably warm boots to avoid the rain, I went on my first barefoot run across campus last Saturday at midnight. I was intensely inspired by the book Born to Run written by Christopher McDougall about his expeditions into the tropical heart of Mexico. He went in search of a cure for running injuries, and what he discovered was an unknown semi-utopic tribe,  the mysterious "Caballo Blanco," and camaraderie and friendship with an odd collection of some of the best ultrarunners in America.

In my previous experience with barefoot running, I have encountered countless arguments against wearing shoes when you go running, since for various reasons, shoes cause many running injuries. According to McDougall's book and his account of researcher's opinions and of Barefoot Ted's experiences, shoes actually cause us great injury because they prevent our feet from what they do best: feeling. Besides our face and genitals, our feet are the most sensitive part of our body, and these nerve endings allow us to sense if we are running properly. If our feet hurt, then our body will adjust to run with correct form. If we are wearing shoes with lots of cushioning, then our feet can't tell what are body is doing, which causes us to run with sloppy form. The more padding, the worse off you'll be. (Lesson learned? Don't wear shoes!)

Since McDougall's expedition began with a search for the cure to his running injuries - which no doctor could sufficiently give - I expected him to include more research on the disadvantages of wearing shoes, but I was surprised to find that he barely mentioned it. As I should have suspected from the title, this book was about running and the beauty of running long distances. In any case, you should read this book because it's way cool, and it will inspire you to run out of the study room at midnight without shoes like I did, running!






while I could have put the original springsteen song, I felt that it would probably match my personality to put k-os on here because... he's awesome.