Running (and Swimming)

So today I went swimming at Pugney's lake in Wakefield.  The Wakefield Triathlon Club train there, every weekend, and they allow non-members to swim with them.  They have a course marked out (500m) and spotters to make sure you are safe.  I did the 500m course twice and appreciated the 'safe' environment in which to have a nice Sunday morning swim.  Vaguely/lazily day-dreamed about joining a triathlon club next year.....  This will almost certainly be my last wetsuited swim this season (though I thought Loch Ness was my last!) and it was nice to experience open water in a relaxed environment, which was also safe.  Not quite Wild Swimming, but no pressure of competing an 'event'.  Just a little swim.   (Amongst the geese and the swans!)

Let's transition to running :-)  I received my minimalist running shoes this week, which should allow me to run with better posture and run as if I were wearing no shoes (will come to the 'whys' later!).  

They have a very thin sole, designed to make you feel like you are not wearing footwear, yet they protect your feet from stones etc You can see here, how thin and flexible they are.

My Inov8 'barefoot' running shoes

I moved onto week 2 of the couch to 5km training plan, which mostly involved running for 90 seconds, then walking for 2 minutes.  As before, I aimed to strike the ground with my fore-foot/mid-foot, hitting first, avoiding striking with my heel first.  This was MUCH easier in my new running shoes.  I experienced some ankle/foot discomfort, but I believe this was simply down to new muscles being used (I wouldn't normally be bouncing around on my toes!) and I was pleased to find my breathing an general fitness, coped just fine!

So this barefootedness - what's it all about?!  Take a moment to try this out for yourself.  Take your shoes off.  Go for a little run, up the lawn perhaps?  Don't think about it, just do it.  Now do it again.  Notice how your foot hits the floor.  What strikes the ground first?  Your heel?  No.. probably not.

Now try it again with shoes/trainers on.  Does your heel strike first?

We are designed (dare I say, evolved?!) to run barefoot.  Of course in this day and age, this simply is not practical and we wear shoes.  If we are runners, we wear running shoes.  But if we take off our shoes, we naturally strike the ground with out fore/mid-foot, not our heels. We have LEARNT to run with our heels striking the ground first, because our trainers provide enough cushioning for us to do this.  60-80% of all runners experience injury at some point as a result of running.  No one can argue that running is a high impact sport and therefore injury is a risk.  But, we were designed to run, we evolved to run, so why do we find we can get injured so easily?  Could the way we have learnt to run, with our heels hitting the ground first, be to blame?  Many people believe this to be the case, although I understand there is still no absolute proof (yet).  However, I am convinced.  As are many.  

Being a stickler for an 'alternative' path for all things in life, I am buying into this.  Dylan has been sold on the idea of barefoot running for a while and has re-learnt to run, avoiding heel striking and trying to hit the ground with the front of his foot.  Dylan does a lot of running and has attempted to barefoot, though has found minimalist shoes work well for avoiding damage to the skin from sharp stones etc.  You can read about his experiences here, in one of his very rare blog posts!

Many of you will know that I have been trying to re-learn my swimming technique, following the Shaw Method, which is based on the Alexander Technique.  Although this has been fantastic and enabling, I would like to NOT have to re-learn how to run and learn the barefoot technique from the start.  I intend to get it absolutely right from the beginning, even if I am slower to begin with.  My aim is to run without risk of injury, in the way we evolved to run, in a natural state.  I intend to maintain good posture and I have no real distance or speed goals, though I suspect this may change in time. 

I have had a lot of support and decent information about this as I already know a few barefoot runners.  Thanks especially to Ang, who sent a load of links my way.

If you can spare the time, have a look at these links which describe/show how to run.  They also show/describe why heel striking isn't such a great idea.....

This link shows the 100-up, which is demonstrated by Chrisopher Mcdougall, author of 'Born To Run'.  Brilliant demonstation of why not to heel strike.

This is a good written description about barefoot running and the role minimalist footwear can play.

This is a great video, showing a running having an analysis done on his (heel-sriking) running technique.  It shows him being taught how to strike with his fore/mid-foot and gives a good description about why to do this.  It also also addresses posture when running and shows what not to do, and gives exercises for how to improve posture.  This is a longer video, but is well worth a watch. 

And this is another good article, which includes a great video side-by-side comparison of what barefoot running looks like, compared to heel striking.

Interestingly, my Couch to 5km podcast has very different views to me.  There was a 'tip' during week two.  This advised against hitting the ground with anything other than your heel first, as this would 'significantly increase' your risk of injury.  Hmm, interesting.  There is much written about barefoot running in order to avoid injury.  Yet there is plenty of disclaimers, saying that as yet there is no documented proof.  To me, this proof isn't needed, it makes perfect sense.  Nowhere have I seen written that striking with your fore/mid-foot DOES CAUSE INJURY.  Not anywhere.  I wonder where this pearl of wisdom has come from.  Then I remember that my podcast is the NHS Choices version.  (There are a few different versions of C25k/couch to 5km).  I have learnt in several other areas of my life to take NHS advice with a pinch of salt.  Once bit of advice does NOT fit all, and it is usually to protect those few that might be considered higher risk, at the expense of the lower risk people.  Because if you are lower risk then the chance are you will be just fine whichever way you choose.  And injury is just part of running right?

Well, no it's not.  We were designed to run.  Humans were born to run barefoot.  So why would we not?!

So, I am not a real runner yet.  But I am absolutely enjoying getting out there and doing it.  I suspect over the winter I WILL get to run 5km, and probably further.  I just need to remember to cycle and swim too!