Running Form has Been Forgotten

What do I mean by running form has been forgotten?  Simple... hunter gatherers used to run all day and night.  They had the ability to run back to back to back marathons without any issue at all.  To them, a marathon would have been a nice short run, not some kind of special feat.  Yet, today we think running 26 miles is a major accomplishment.  People train for months or years to be able to run 26 miles.

And worse yet, people get all kinds of injuries when they try to run longer distances, especially sprained ankles, shin splints and knee pain.  What has happened to us as a species that we can no longer run as our bodies were meant to do for hundreds of thousands of years?  Well, we have simply forgotten how to run naturally.

Think about it... these people ran hundreds of miles and didn't have expensive running shoes.  They either did it barefoot or with very minimal protection.  Their feet were rugged and their ankles were strong.  And they were running on natural terrain, not concrete.  Their bodies were mechanically aligned to be able to run incredibly long distances without injury or pain.

Today, we go to a gym or run on sidewalks and think 2-3 miles is a good workout.  We wear incredible stiff shoes that do not allow our feet or ankles to move naturally.  And basically, we are huge wimps that cannot do much of anything without pain or injury.  It's honestly a pretty sad state of affairs, but it doesn't need to be that way.

So, the first thing you need to do is try running barefoot or using minimal protection and very lightweight, thin soled shoes (like Vibram's or Nike Free shoes).  Then, you need to make sure you run on natural surfaces, like sand, grass, tundra, etc...  Don't run on treadmills and don't run on concrete.  The impact is very hard on your knees and ankles.

Lastly, you need to learn proper running form to best protect yourself.  You can't stand straight up and pound your heels into the ground, because that will set you up for a lot of problems.  if you are interested in learning more, check out one of my favorite books on the subject, called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.  It's a great read and you will learn a ton from it, so you can enjoy running without the pain.