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Readers hit the ground running with this comprehensive guide to the age-old art of barefoot running–and learn the go slow to go fast RunBare technique from two of its pioneers. Chapters address getting grounded, starting out slowly, navigating through rough weather and rugged terrain, injuries, building your feet into living shoes, and understanding minimalist shoes.
How could something we have for free–our bare feet–be better for running than $150 shoes?
The truth is running in shoes is high impact, heel-centric, promotes bad form, is relatively unstable and inflexible, tends to weaken rather than strengthen feet, knees, and hips, which leads to injury while dampening a runner’s connection to the world.
In contrast, barefoot running is low-impact, toe-centric, promotes good form, enhances stability and adaptability, strengthens feet in miraculous ways, and provides delightful sensory and spiritual connections to the earth.
Book is directed toward novice runners, advanced runners, ultra-marathoners and anyone who walks or jogs for exercise.
Book contains 17 chapters with a Special Greeting from Barefoot Ted and Foreword by Danny Dreyer, author of ChiRunning.
What others say . . . praise for Barefoot Running:
Dear Readers, enjoy the insights this book has to offer to help you to remember to run in an easy, light, and smooth way, with or without footwear of your choice. It is about form, joy, and the love of running. Run free!
~Micah True, Caballo Blanco de la Sierra Madre.
Barefoot Running is the best book on the market on how to begin and excel at barefoot running. I highly recommend it.
~Dr. Nirenberg, podiatric physician and surgeon, and author of America’s Podiatrist Blog.
Michael Sandler’s exhaustive treatment of the topic celebrates the amazing evolutionary success that is the human foot and serves as a comprehensive user’s guide for its rehabilitation and proper maintenance.
~Dr. Joseph Froncioni more info
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June 1st, 2010 at 4:18 am
Fantastic Book – 5 Toes Up!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What a fantastic book!
Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee was much more than I expected. It covers everything I wanted to know about getting into barefoot running. It’s step by step approach is super-easy to follow, and the pictures make it incredibly easy to get started. They also covered timely topics I never thought much about…such as why kids should be barefoot (there’s a whole section devoted to kids) and why seniors can recover balance and health by going barefoot (I’ve gotta share this with my parents).
However, they’re not barefoot evangelists. They strike a great balance between going barefoot or in a shoe, stating straight out that barefoot running won’t be for everyone, but that it will help strengthen your feet or legs whether you choose to run in our out of a shoe. On that note, they cover transitioning into Vibram Five-Fingers in great detail, shoes I’ve always wanted to try (waiting for my local store to get them in stock!). They cover do’s and don’ts of footwear, overcoming injuries (primarily from running in shoes) how to get into barefoot running when you’ve got plantar fasciitis (as I did), and how to strengthen your feet, legs and core. When they say help you run “light and free” it’s no exaggeration. They share tips on running in all types of terrain, from ice and snow (not that I’ll try that!) to summer’s melting asphalt, along with racing and even ultras.
There’s a healthy dose of science throughout the book, sharing the latest science and backing things up with studies. They even cover the science of getting “grounded” or why it feels so good to get in touch with the earth. Last, they cover the more meditative side of things, or why barefoot running helps quiet your mind (something I could definitely use more of in this hectic world, and a big reason why I run). I wish they included a review of different minimalist shoes in this book. However, they still share a wealth of information about different shoes and categories of shoes.
I’ll be referring to this book for years to come as I progress from a newbie to an experienced barefoot runner.
June 1st, 2010 at 3:06 pm
The definitive guide to barefoot running and running in general
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this book! I have been running since high school and as I approach 50, I want to continue running. I am convinced that my switch from “shod” running in high tech running shoes with orthotics to a barefoot stride will insure running for years to come. This book is an exhaustive treatment of the subject in a great format. I found out many things I did not know that have helped me as I transitioned out of traditional shoes. Now I look at runners who are heel striking knowing for certain they could have a better running experience. The authors state that you should start slow. I could not emphasize this enough and by going slow it will pay off. Your feet have been trapped in shoes and need to learn how to be feet again and have the feedback with the brain and your kinesthetic awareness heightened. Since running barefoot and with the help of this book, I have gone through many phases of “healing” and have completely changed my attitude about feet and how tough they are.
I think even if you still buy the myth of running shoes, you should improve your stride by using this book and translate that new brain learned response back to your traditional running shoe regimen. Although I think you’ll find your old running shoes to feel unnatural and clunky like I did. I can’t go back. The neat thing is that there are plenty of minimalist shoes to choose from for all seasons and conditions.
This book will also serve as a reference. I often flip through the pages to learn more about something like their advice for difference surface types. It is a good companion for people who want to know if their experience of barefoot running is normal since there are not a lot of people out there to share experiences with (yet). I also joined the barefoot running group. It is an easy way to share experiences.
I know there is a lot of interest in barefoot running. I often get stopped and hit with questions about my experience. They have all been positive. It is not necessarily easy to transition and it is more than worth it. It has completely redefined my running game and brought more fun and another dimensions to my runs.
June 1st, 2010 at 3:59 pm
The best guide you’ll find on the subject…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
“How is running in your bare feet better than doing so in a $150 shoe thats specifically designed for running?”
While Born To Run was a fantastic story and did a good (and convincing) job at answering why its better and even goes into describing good running form, unfortunately McDougall’s chapters on the subject were somewhat limited in detail on how to transition into barefoot running, and do so properly, as barefoot running wasn’t the overall focus of his book. Many runners and non-runners alike were introduced… please visit my blog to read the rest of the review:
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Caleb “El Llama” Wilson
June 1st, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Tear Your Shoes Off
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Hey, you don’t have to be a runner to go without shoes. I have been using the Barefoot Running method to ease into aerobics class without shoes. And my knees haven’t hurt like they did when I was wearing those highly padded athletic shoes. Michael Sandler covers every possible question anybody could have when making this revolutionary change in thinking and physical activity.