Review of Barefoot Running DVD

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YunusB

Barefooters
Jan 8, 2012
19
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Carlisle, PA
Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth by Jessica Lee and Michael Sandler is a combination instructional DVD, documentary, and persuasive argument. The couple's philosophy of barefoot running is based on three pillars: having fun, connecting with the earth, and being intuitive.

The footage is beautiful as most scenes were captured in Maui. Jessica and Michael were clearly supported by an experienced team of professionals. I thank the producers, directors, editors, film crew, and others who joined forces to make this a joy to watch. Quality sound, crisp filming, and varied shots and perspectives came together with the end result an excellent viewing experience.

One drawback is the DVD's transitions between chapters. Watching the film on my laptop was mildly cumbersome, as it seemed like the DVD drive had to stop and think with each transition between chapters. My DVD control panel always displayed chapter 1 of 1 and I was not able to see the elapsed or remaining time at any point during the film. However, this is a minor issue and wasn't much of a bother.

The film is composed of seventeen short chapters, ranging in length from approximately one to five minutes each. The chapters include topics like the anatomy of barefoot running, proper form, drills, warm up, recovery, the benefits of barefoot running, to footwear, syncing with nature, and Jessica and Michael's stories. Without divulging too much, Michael's story is remarkable and lends substantial credibility to his argument for running bare.

The film is perfectly suited for someone interested in barefoot running, new to barefoot running, someone who wants to ensure they're developing good barefoot habits, or someone who wants to join Jessica and Michael's shoeless celebration.

The film clearly contains a bias for running barefoot in natural environments without much discussion of how urbanites can navigate concrete jungles without shoes. The instructional aspect of this DVD avoids coverage of specific distances or training schedules and instead suggests runners rely on their internal voice to guide how often, how long, and how fast to run. Some runners, especially those who obsess over training calculations, might find this aspect hard to swallow or implement.

Some of the best, at least from a practical perspective, features of the film are the easy to understand and apply instructions for running form and drills. Many complex movements are given catchy names--like `string to the sky', `chicken wings', `hot coals', or `the monkey jog'. I think runners will find these much easier to recall and put into practice than if the explanations were wordy and dry.

While Jessica and Michael do recognize a time and place for shoes, their overall perspective suggests barefoot running reigns supreme; it's an unparalleled vehicle towards personal and social transformation. Barefoot running is purported to open up new worlds both within and around you. My experience agrees. As they say, "When you're running barefoot, you're running aware foot." If you want to know more or deepen your relationship with barefoot running, I suggest Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth by Jessica Lee and Michael Sandler. Visit their website (runbare) for more information.
 

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Reactions: johan131
Wonderful review, YunusB! Very well thought out and considerate. Loves this: "When you're running barefoot, you're running aware foot." Kinda goes with Ted's "A numb foot is a dumb foot." Hee. :barefoot: