ex·per·i·ment (ĭk-spěr'ə-mənt) n.: a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, etc.
To try something new, especially in order to gain experience _____________ The Barefoot Experiment: A professional sword swallower's journey from one extreme sport to another. Think swallowing swords is difficult? Try running 100 miles - barefoot.
The Skeptoid blog treats the question of barefoot running. There can be no doubt that I’ve fully embraced this barefoot running practice. I’m obsessive. I sing the virtues that I’ve thus far discovered. Frankly, I’m quite stunned at my continuing success. But I’m also skeptical. Skepticism permeates the very fabric of my being, and though I’m pushing forward full force with my barefoot experiment, it’s precisely that – an experiment. No, it’s not a “well controlled”... (more...)
The sport of running is a dangerous one. An ironic statement coming from the likes of someone like me, I know. But seriously, it’s filled with risk. And I don’t mean the concerns of plantar fasciitis, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, blisters, stress fractures or back problems. Those are minor, treatable, in many cases avoidable and, most importantly, often predictable and understood. What concerns me is this – stupid, lack-of-common-sense-induced injuries. Accidents. And dumb ones at... (more...)
My career brings me to a great many cities and towns. Some of them are big, some of them are small, and some are delightfully obscure (Buckfield, Maine, which with a population of 1,700 boasts an enormously creative community, and Union, Connecticut with a population of 693 has the coolest little bookstore/restaurant you’ll likely ever see.) The one thing that I like least about my travels is the comparatively little time that I get to spend in each location. I swoop in, load into the venue,... (more...)
Anyone that’s interested in barefoot running, and in particular those with a biomechanical interest and not just a “lifestyle” interest, will have undoubtedly run across two of the more popular systems of “proper” running form. These are the Pose method and ChiRunning. During my injury-induced downtime I had plenty of time to read about running, even if I couldn’t actually run. Naturally this is a healthy as well as frustrating situation. The more I read, the more I wanted to go... (more...)
Location of stress-induced foot pain as a result of too much, too soon. I am a wimp. One barefoot run and several walks in – both barefoot and in my Vibram’s – and I find myself disabled already. I know that I should take it slow, but as is the downfall (as it turns out) of many runners, I’ve been a bit too enthusiastic with both time and distance. I have to remind myself that not only am I adapting my feet and body to barefoot running, I’m adapting it to running in general. Having never... (more...)
It seems that in the wake of Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, many of the mainstream news sources that I read every day are awash with articles on running, running barefoot and running long distances. The New York Times is one of those publications, and today saw a great article on barefoot running by Gretchen Reynolds titled, simply, Is Running Barefoot Better for You? screenshot of October 21, 2009 edition of The New York Times online Harvard professor of human evolutionary biology... (more...)
As I wake Monday morning still irritated (mentally and physically) with my injured foot (more on that to come this week), I’m nonetheless thrilled to see Christopher McDougall, author of Born To Run, featured in a New York Times video segment. Christopher McDougall runs with The New York Times in Central Park The NY Times “Roving Runner” Brian Fidelman met up with McDougall for a six mile barefoot run through Central Park. McDougall opens the segment with what has to be my favorite... (more...)
Roderick's Feet in Vibram FiveFingers KSOs A mere two days after locating and ordering my new pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSO’s from New York Kayak Company, they arrived on my doorstep. Efficient and pleasant service from NY Kayak Co and, for the first time in a long time, UPS delivered a package as scheduled and to the proper address! I was thrilled to unpack these and pleased to see that they do indeed look precisely as I had hoped. My original trip to Appalachian Outdoors turned up... (more...)
I’ve barely begun my own journey, and it remains to be seen if I’ll ever be able to push myself to the limits of endurance that some of the great athletes of the past have seen, but from my training in other areas I know well that in addition to the physical struggle there is an enormous mental struggle to all great endeavors and challenges to the human spirit. Mind Hacks – a great little blog (and book) if you haven’t yet seen it – recently posted a small bit entitled... (more...)
