Thanks to those who have
Thanks to those who have taken a look at the survey.
It's great to have an opportunity to respond to these queries.
Is it legit?
There's nothing I can say here that will prove one way or the other.
If it's not legit, we are wasting loads of our time and that of the runners who have kindly taken the effort to take the survey.
The survey is longer than some, but we are able to build more accurate runner profiles this way.
Of course, there are always going to be more questions that could give more data, but we have to strike a balance.
The data will be analyzed (by humans) very carefully and fed back to those who have provided their contact details.
These contact details will never be passed on to others or abused by us.
Distinction between barefoot and minimalist?
Yes, for sure, we get a measure of proportion of barefoot, minimalist, and shod running for each respondent.
For instance, we can see if there is a particular type of injury that is more prevalent amongst minimalist shoe users or those running barefoot. Or, for instance, those doing 10% barefoot 20% shod and 70% minimalist.
Of course, the combinations are almost endless and again we have to compromise some level of detail to keep the survey completion times within reasonable bounds.
The height anomaly.
The stats a respondent sees after completing the survey are machine generated.
We thought about only allowing height input (and weight) within a specific range so the averages don't get screwed if a joker inputs a figure like 513 inches.
We chose not to; it provides a useful flag for a potential time-waster entry.
When we look at the other data they entered, we get a good idea if they have done any barefoot running or if it's just a mistaken extra keystroke.
With the entry removed, the height average is now a more reasonable 69.6 inches.
For runners who have never run shod.
The survey is particularly looking at transition issues: how and why they are encountered and then subsequently dealt with.
Finally
We are looking to build a good quantity of data, so if you can spread the word via your blogs, etc, then that would be very much appreciated (here's the link to
the barefoot running survey).
Some might say that this isn't 'scientific' research because there is no lab involved; yes, there is a great deal we can learn about barefoot running from the lab, but there's also a huge chunk of information that no lab could ever reveal. The more you control the environment the further you move away from looking at real runners, and their experiences of running in their own real world. I believe that it is this type of collective knowledge that provides more accessible help and understanding.
Thanks again,
Graham
