Wandern - Auch barfuß ein Vergnügen

Wandern - Auch barfuß ein Vergnügen

Mittwoch, 14. Oktober 2015

The barefoot running technique

I basically acquired the running style from the Vivobarefoot homepage: 
http://www.vivobarefoot.at/index.php?s=565_Entdecke%20die%20Welt%20von%20VIVOBAREFOOT

Vivobarefoot Barefoot Running Coach Lee Saxby, whom you can see on many interesting youtube videos, studied biomechanics and also learned a lot about what is called Darwinian Medicine (basically evolution and what you can learn from it for the medical field).
Together with vivobarefoot he developed the running shoes that, according to him, had the ideal properties for barefoot running. 

It might be best to watch the videos as well before reading on:

http://www.vivobarefoot.at/index.php?s=552_Laufen%20Lernen

Below, I just want to summarize the whole story with my own words and emphasize the important point:


  • Your posture should be really straight. Regular running shoes prevent that with their raised heels (this leads to a hollow back because otherwise you would fall forward) 
  • The running rhythm should be as close to 180bpm as possible, which corresponds to three steps per second. The easiest way to learn this is on the treadmill, which allows you to look at the time counter. If you do not have the possibility to use one, just try to make your steps really small and quick (you could listen to dancing songs with a beat frequency close to 180bpm, here is a playlist on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBbmAG-_7cg&list=PLSXHgBjCJs9WZ9Ia5Q0qf9rnXBqwEOaHs). Do not land on the ground in front of your center of weight, but just below. Thus, you will automatically land on the balls of your feet. Generally, it is best to try to land really flat, you should not tip-toe either. The heel hits the ground right after the forefoot. 
  • Relaxation: Simply put, if you are to tight you will have trouble breathing and feel a stitch quite soon. This is something most beginners will feel. As soon as the necessary muscles in your legs and feet have developed, the stitches will go away. 

The easiest way to check your technique is by asking somebody to film you running on the treadmill. With speeds below 7,5kph I find that it is hard to keep to the fast running rhythm. 180bpm - or three steps per second - is easier to maintain at 9kph or more. 

Otherwise, I can only encourage you to practice, and then practice some more. The technique gets gradually better since your muscles grow gradually. Pay attention to making small steps - this is key! The rest will come in its own time. 


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