tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217670599100952035.post8054842526055881154..comments2024-01-23T05:10:35.472-05:00Comments on Reading, Running, and Red Sox: Running and Formgibsonmeigshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16094122509371844728noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217670599100952035.post-41644384270307214452011-06-02T23:23:00.063-04:002011-06-02T23:23:00.063-04:00The book Born to Run, which gave birth to the bare...The book Born to Run, which gave birth to the barefoot running trend, is almost certainly responsible for the current focus on form. <br /><br />Which is ironic. Because, at least the way that I read it, Born to Run definitely does NOT advocate paying attention to particular rules about form. It advocates running joyfully, and listening to your body to determine what is right and wrong. Indeed, MacDougall tells numerous stories of runners who had absolutely crazy form, but were still great runners.<br /><br />But then, MacDougall is also only talking about one kind of running -- long distance running. For someone who is focused on speed over relatively short distances, I imagine that form becomes critical.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11308509561834397951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217670599100952035.post-26152828670554609722011-06-02T22:54:38.572-04:002011-06-02T22:54:38.572-04:00btw, thanks for writing about this. i've been...btw, thanks for writing about this. i've been meaning to myself... and i would say no question related to running is more on my mind than that raised (or implied) in your post.erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02002087469616786196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217670599100952035.post-4702027842495194962011-06-02T22:49:35.925-04:002011-06-02T22:49:35.925-04:00i think, first and foremost, you should read the b...i think, first and foremost, you should read the book "born to run" by chris mcdougall. for a long time i bought into the whole "gait analysis" method of curing your running woes with technology... only to find myself with completely unbalanced muscles that won't support proper running unless i'm strapped into shoes of a particular stature. of course, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but just how much, i don't know.<br /><br />the question i have personally, and another angle at the runner's world article is... what do i do if i've been running WRONG for all these years? just deciding to run with "proper form" (who defines that) isn't going to work, as the legs and leg muscles aren't accustomed to it (per the article, and more importantly, my experience, this leads to injury). <br /><br />now i run with a less structured shoe, but not a completely free moving show. i'm gradually working towards the barefoot model, though... and relish the opportunity to run barefoot (usually on a beach). i think learning proper running form is the key, as you indicate... with this i totally agree. but the process of getting there after all these years of running the "other" way... well, it's not as easy as it would have been, say, in high school.<br /><br />i AM curious to see, as they ponder in runner's world, whether this leads to more or less injury...erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02002087469616786196noreply@blogger.com