Current "In" Study Prompts Most Ridiculous Headline Yet

[Longboard]

Every day now there seems to be at least two new articles published based on the recently discovered heel striking African tribe.
The authors pretty much treat it as the new "Born to Run", a tide-turning revelation that changes everything we thought we knew.
This one takes the cake......how in the world did the research prompt this headline?
http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_c...oot-running-research-says-keep-your-shoes-on/

 

[Ahcuah]

You know, whenever I google for pictures of the Daasanach (the tribe they talk about), I get something like this:

Somehow that doesn't look to me like they are always barefoot.

 

[randicoot]

The author of the article says at the beginning, "you never caught me with my piggies hanging out," but then at the end says, "no single element will make us run like a lean Kenyan. Trust me, if that train comes to town and it’s legit, I’ll be the first one in line to buy a ticket." The barefoot train came to town and she still opted for shoes. I left a comment that is awaiting moderation.

 

[Sid]

It just a sensational headline created to generate hits.

The article has some good points, too. Though it has a very clear editing mistake that suggests the article was posted in a hurry, or that the author was careless.

Anyway, those shoe store owners were equally complicit in the injuries. How many of those owners told those overweight people to start off slowly? When I bought my relatively fast car, the salesman told me to be careful, and I appreciated the genuine concern behind the advice.

 

[Bare Lee]

It looks like she read Well + Good NYC's report of the research and not the original research itself nor any other research about barefoot running. A very shallow article, and poorly edited as Sid noted, typical of the 'net. (But at lease the editor chose an enticing BFR photo). She totally misses the point of greater proprioception leading to better form, not to mention the sensuous pleasure, and focuses purely on performance, as if greater running economy has nothing to do with that.

I did like this response in the link to the coach interview:

"So, should runners stop focusing on landing on their forefoot? When I do form work with my athletes, I never tell them to focus on what part of their foot they’re landing on. In many cases I tell them to increase their cadence. In most cases I tell them to focus on having their foot land beneath their center of gravity rather than out in front of them. And I stress that as their stride length increases, it should come from greater hip extension rather than their foot landing farther in front."

I agree the 'land on your forefoot' rule is kind of silly. I even heel-strike a bit at really slow speeds, then mid-foot 8-10mm pace, and then more and more forefoot when I go faster than that. But I always land just in front of my COM.

 

[PB Junkie]

I think a lot of these folks citing the latest study on Kenyan runners are missing the point. I think most barefoot and minimalist runners are NOT running barefoot and minimalist to be fast or a race winner. Most of us are doing it because its more enjoyable and makes it easier to utilize good form.