Have any of you read this book? Born to Run by McDougall. I just finished and all it can say is WOW! I want to find a way to incorporate the description of running in the book into my running - would open up a whole new world. An ultramarathon, probably not but the attitude toward running is what struck me!

I'm brand new to running and have never heard of this book. I'll check it out though.

Western-- do you run on or have access to running on a treadmill?? The easiest (read "quickest" way to incorporate the style of running is to get on the treadmill without your shoes on and GO FOR IT!! Wear socks though (or vibram 5 fingers, if you have em!) Being barefoot FORCES you to strike with the ball of your foot...its just not possible to heel strike (not comfortably, at least) when you run barefoot. Be prepared to be VERY SORE in our calves, prob for several days. I suggest putting the tread at a bit of an incline...1% to 3%... gentle...it will minimize some of the impact, and will also help force you to keep your feet directly under you when you strike. That is also neccessary. if you try to strike with your foot out in front of you, you will end up heel striking.

You wont be able to go too far, but i believe you can benefit from 1X a week doing a barefoot fun....starting with a 1/2 mile to 1 mile, and working your way up.... AS you start to work it in, you will find that you start to run that way even with your shoes on, after a while! Your foot turnover speed will get faster, you will start to land lighter, leaving your foot with less time in actual contact with the ground.
As you run barefoot on the tread, try and focus on feeling/using your foots arch as a "spring" that you use to push of with on each step.
Running barefoot has COMPLETELY changed my style of running..... I used to heel strike so badly and HEAVILY (like almost all of us do--darn you Nike shoes!) that my trainer called me Sasquatch. my gait is much quicker and lighter now. Good luck!

It was a great book, wasnt it?
Runners World Magazine has a feature article this month about Scott Jurerk (featured in the book). Check it out if you can...there is even a picture of Scott Running with Arnulfo (spelling?)

I have two friends who run exclusively barefoot, and have talked about this book. One of them has had problems with Plantar fasciitis and says that running barefoot (well, in vibram 5 fingers anyway) has eliminated the problem.

mkroyer: I do indeed have access to a treadmill so I will give this a try! Thanks for the advice!

The book was awesome on so many levels! I read it pretty much non-stop with out putting it down!! My boys ran high school cross country and their freshman year a senior girl on their team won the state 5A championship. The first time I saw her run I knew there was something different about her - now that I have read this book I know what it was - pure joy and she always looked like she could run forever! I saw her over Christmas break running in a park near my house and she looked the same way - full of joy! A pleasure to see!
Have a great day everybody!

This reminds me of the book "I Am the Messenger." The main character is trying to figure out how he supposed to "help" this one girl, who is a runner but having trouble in her races. He gives her an empty shoe box as a gift and on her next race she runs barefoot, and doesn't win but there was so much joy in it.

Random tangent, sorry xD I'm curious now about this book (Born to Run), I might check it out. I've also heard that "Zen and the Art of Running" is good, but I'm not sure it's completely focused on running.

I am almost finished with it, I totally agree with you...great book! Yesterday I tried hitting on the ball of my foot when I was on the treadmill, wow!!!What a difference, I definitely felt different muscles working and I couldn't run as far, but I felt like I was running effortlessly!!strange feeling, I am going to do it again tomorrow. I was running in shoes though, I'm sure I'd notice a huge difference bare foot, I run in a gym and am a bit nervous to take my shoes off! But I might get some barefoot running shoes.

I've had that book recommended to me... though I actually already do run much more on the balls of my feet than the heel quite naturally. I ran almost exclusively barefoot when I was younger in athletics comps and around the property and I guess it just stuck lol.

I, too, have found it beneficial for my flat feet - I never have problems with them despite the apparent tendency to tendon problems they can cause.

The other great thing about that style of running for me is it makes mountain running a breeze - I "bounce" uphill on my toes/balls of feet and it makes my action so much light and quicker. I float uphill rather than huff and puff and grind away like the people around me do.

I just have to look at where my shoes wear down the quickest to see its very clear most of the action is on the balls of my feet lol.

Okay not brave enough to run barefoot yet but I did really work on this technique yesterday! Felt good while running (no hip pain either which was a relief) and was pretty comfortable. Last night legs were really tired and this morning calves are sore so I think I am on the right track! Easy, light and smooth!

I was running barefoot just a mile here and there and it did seem to help with my achilles problem. I need to get back on it. I used to do it on the tread after I lifted weights but the gym yelled at me.

I would NOT wear socks only on a treadmill, that is slippery. Barefoot or vibrams.

Have you actually worn socks on the tread? Everyone thinks it is slippery, but its not! ive done it NUMEROUS times. oh, and you def dont want to run completely barefoot on the treadmill...the moving belt gets really hot!! That ans the friction combined will BURN the bottoms of your feet

I've run barefoot on my treadmill before, also did a couple of runs at the park focusing on hitting on the balls of my feet. After the second one it took me several days to recover, calves were killing me and I could barely walk...

I ran the ING Georgia Half Marathon last week and finished near a group of barefoot runners, saw several others in Vibrams. Interesting to watch them.

I also read the Runners World article on Jurerk this month. I just might get that book. I started C25K back in January and then injured my knee at the end of week 4, so I've been down and out. But I like to read running stuff for motivation. I really enjoyed running for my brief stint of C25K and I can't wait to lose more weight and get this knee healed up so I can run again.

edit- if you're concerned about socks being slippery on the treadmill you could try these http://www.gaiam.com/product/yoga-st...+yoga+socks.do They sell them at Target and Whole Foods (I don't shop at WalMart, but they're probably there too)

Yeah I tried it several times because my gym wont let me run totally barefoot and I always slip. Not like falling off the treadmill slip but like running on snow where you lose a little bit on each step and I feel like I have to really focus. I always run totally barefoot on my tread at home and at the gym until they growled and have never found it to get hot.