Men’s Health Barefoot Running Article … more of the same

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Men’s Health Barefoot Running Article … more of the same
By Steven Sashen

The recent “Special Report” in Men’s Health about barefoot running has inspired me to help you make a career change.

You, too, can write an article about barefoot running that will appear in a major newspaper, magazine, or television show, if you do the following.

Ten Steps to writing a popular barefoot running article
  1. Open with a headline suggesting that barefoot running is evil or dangerous. Ideally, use some pun about feet, or running that if the reader only saw the title, would suggest that there’s no value in ever running in your bare feet. Even if your article ultimately supports barefoot running, make sure the headline suggests that taking off your shoes could lead to injury, illness, and tax audits.
To continue reading, please visit: http://xeroshoes.com/barefoot-running/mens-health-barefoot-running-article-more-of-the-same/
 
You have to remember that these magazines are basically advertising driven with a bit of crap journalism sandwiched inbetween. Barefoot running doesn't sell anything so to magazines like this, the notion of running without $500 of crap running gear is anathema.
You are fighting against the corporate world when you say that you can run without the garbage they peddle.
I wonder how much the magazine was paid by the industry to run an article like that. Follow the money is always the rule that applies.

Neil
 
There is an age-old saying that is amazingly ignored by so many: "Let the buyer beware." Not everyone selling something is out to take advantage, but everyone has to look out for their own best interests, whether it be in evaluating what a doctor says or deciding how much to pay for apples.
 
Weird: there's a doctor and supposed barefoot runner quoted in the article saying that running injuries come from running, not from footwear, or lack thereof.

And then ya gotta love the infomercial at the bottom of the article highlighting, wait for it, shoes!

Wasn't Men's Health the mag that originally published Christopher McDougall's Born To Run article? Maybe they're trying to make amends to their advertisers.....
 
Weird: there's a doctor and supposed barefoot runner quoted in the article saying that running injuries come from running, not from footwear, or lack thereof.

StJtG, that was

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Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, MD (The Running Doctor)
Two Rivers Treads
www.TRTreads.org
Natural Running Center
Center For Natural Running & Walking
www.naturalrunningcenter.com

He's one of my favorite BRS docs. He pretty much gets it, and if you think about it even that quote is correct. You know any runners that never are injured?
 
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For example, I don’t know of any barefoot running authors or coaches that say “You’ll run faster in bare feet,”
I run faster barefoot. More efficiently too. These authors and coaches you speak of don't tend to run middle distance.

it succumbs to the idea that you need to get a lot stronger, rather than focusing on using less effort/energy
that idea is true, if you want to run fast. It takes years to get there but it's better than slogging around at 10min/mile and running ultras.
 
John and Board, I actually have received running injuries directly caused by the types of running shoes I used to wear...Morton's Neuroma, four of them, two in each foot...so...

Kozz, I agree. I too was so much faster barefoot than I was in shoes, and I had already been running solid for four years in shoes before I started running barefoot.
 
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He's one of my favorite BRS docs. He pretty much gets it, and if you think about it even that quote is correct. You know any runners that never are injured?

I know barefoot runners, like me, who haven't been injured since switching to barefoot. I know runners who have tried just switching to minimalist running who have been injured. I know runners who wear the foot coffins (like I used to) who get injured all the time. Seems like the footwear to me.....
 
I was just looking at it as that you can get injured running no matter what you wear. My personal belief is that you will have less chance of injury if running barefoot.
I can't be sure what the doc meant, or even if he was misquoted in the article, but he's been pretty pro-barefoot in the past. I'd love to hear what he has to say about the article and his quote.
 
I run faster barefoot. More efficiently too. These authors and coaches you speak of don't tend to run middle distance.


that idea is true, if you want to run fast. It takes years to get there but it's better than slogging around at 10min/mile and running ultras.


I'll agree with you Kozz. I never thought it was possible, but I am approaching PR's in the middle distances (not sure what a middle distance is, in my case 10k to 10 miles) barefoot. What got me there was building endurance by slogging around at 10min/mile, 12min/mile, even 15min/mile and running ultras.
 
I am approaching PR's in the middle distances (not sure what a middle distance is, in my case 10k to 10 miles) barefoot. What got me there was building endurance by slogging around at 10min/mile, 12min/mile, even 15min/mile and running ultras.

Middle distance, in the track sense, typically means distance from 800m - 3000m. All run round a 400m track.

As I find running round a track soul destroyingly boring I'll take free running, at any pace, over that.

You're right Rick - it does take a good while to build up the endurance to be able to run an Ultra at any pace but, horses for courses, Kozz likes short runs at a higher speed and most others who post here are happy to run longer distances at slower speeds.

Nobody's wrong - we're just tuned differently.
 
I don't think the article as a whole is that bad. Once again, the headline misrepresents the article and the picture shows an obvious bias.

The article deals a lot with an issue that while not new is one that seems to be a tough nut to crack. People just go too hog wild with something, get hurt, and then blame the activity itself.

Stepping back, it also shows that barefoot running is no longer new. You can't sell and article anymore that just says people are running without shoes. That's not news any more. Writers need a new angle. So, in a way it shows that barefoot running has moved into a new phase.