It’s Easter weekend. It’s Spring. In theory, the weather should start taking a turn for the better.
After our heaviest downfall of March snow since 1979, and the coldest March since 1969, we need something to cheer us up.
HAPPY EASTER
Here’s a 20% discount code to redeem against any VIVOBAREFOOT shoe of your choice.
VIVOEASTER
Now all you have to decide whether you’re going to go for the Neo Trail, the Ultra, an EVO or a Breatho Trail. Decisions, decisions. Take a look at our full range here.
Do you use apps such as Endomondo, RunKeeper, or Adidas MiCoach to track your runs?
Would you like to get £10 off a pair of Vibram FiveFingers? How about 20% off your favourite pair of VIVOBAREFOOT shoes? Or perhaps you’d like a free pair of laces with your new Xero Shoes?
I believe we have a solution for you.
GoRun is a brand new app that is being developed with sports enthusiasts in mind. Not only will you be able to log all of your training, but you will also benefit from exclusive offers from a broad range of retailers for achieving pre-set milestones and training goals.
Get Involved
You also have a unique opportunity to shape the development of this amazing app. But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s Joe, the creator of GoRun, with a bit more info and how you can get involved: See the GoRun video here
Would you like to win a pair of SKORA Base running shoes?
How about a pair of Xero Shoes huarache-style running sandals?
We’re giving away a pair of each once our Facebook page hits 250 Page Likes!
We had originally stated we’d hold on until we got to 350 Page Likes – but rather than test your patience, we thought we’d strip it down to just 250 Page Likes, to give all you barefoot and minimalist runners a better chance of winning!
And to push the boat out a little further, if we hit 250 Page Likes before the end of March, you will also have the chance to win one of three Torq goodie bags (worth £12.50 each!).
Why not head over to our Facebook page now, Like our page, and Share it with your running buddies?
Will there be a film adaptation of Christopher McDougall’s bestseller Born to Run? There has been talk of it for years, with rumours that Jake Gyllenhaal was going to play a lead role, and that his step-brother Peter Sarsgaard (An Education, Garden State) would be in the directors chair.
If you’ve never read the book, here is an overview:
“Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.”
Have we been waiting in vain?
A simple Google search can yield thousands of results covering the possible adaptation, some dating as far back as July 2010. After years of waiting (in vain it seemed) there has been dwindling talk of the film, but this week, several online resources released information that McDougall had taken the reins instead of Sarsgaard:
McDougall told Relaxnews that the film adaptation negotiations have recently been “on the griddle,” with him taking on the project after finding Sarsgaard’s screenplay to be misguided. Sarsgaard also was hoping to make this project his directorial debut, but McDougall, who was excited about working with the “Jake/Peter combo,” said the working relationship with Sarsgaard has become acrimonious.
I would interpret this that it may be many, many years before we see anything come of this. Perhaps this story has been reignited in the media lately to help boost interest in McDougall’s new book.
Another adventure story
McDougall adds that he is also working on a book project, “another adventure story.” While he won’t give away too many details, he said he is looking at how “natural movement played a pivotal role in resistance fighting in World War II.”
Barefoot running has seen a huge surge in interest since the 2009 release of Christopher McDougall’s bestseller Born to Run.
As appetite grows for shoes that replicate the ‘feel’ of running with bare feet, have you taken the time to understand exactly why running barefoot is good for you?
Why Should I Adopt A Barefoot Running Style?
Runners in shoes typically land on their heels, using the cushioning built in to the heel of the shoe. When your foot lands in this manner, it sends a jolt of force though your ankles, knees, hips and spine. This impact is called a transient force spike.
Running barefoot promotes a different technique. Runners who run barefoot tend to land on their forefoot or midfoot. This effectively keeps the landing point closer to your centre of gravity (as opposed to in front of the body, like shoe-clad runners).
When you run, your muscles, ligaments, and tendons in and around your feet will provide you with a natural spring-like mechanism, reducing the impact (transient force) through your body.
It’s All About Technique
Running with bare feet (or with barefoot shoes) will not guarantee injury-free running. Instead, you have to ensure you learn correct technique, focusing on a forefoot/midfoot strike, a shorter gait (shorter, faster foot steps), and only increase your mileage incrementally.
If you tried to run barefoot the same way you do when you’re in running shoes, it would really hurt. You should lose the shoes to understand how to run in a way that feels light and comfortable. Once you have mastered this, start to increase your mileage by around 10% and you may find running more fun and less likely to cause injuries.
There is no science that proves running shoes are helpful. In fact, people lived for millions of years without shoes. Until the 1970’s, runners enjoyed running without padding, orthotics, pronation, arch support, and motion control shoes.
Stephen Sashen from Xero Shoes (rather splendidly) puts it this way:
The three parts of our body that have the most nerve endings are our hands, our mouths and our feet. There’s only one of those that we regularly cover and make numb to the world… does that seem right?
Put a limb in a cast and it comes out of the cast a month later atrophied and weaker. When bind your feet in shoes that don’t let your foot flex or feel the earth, isn’t that similar to putting it in a cast (or as barefoot runners like to say, a “foot coffin”)?
Barefoot Running Shoes
Of course, in today’s world we can scarcely discard our shoes in favour of bare feet. That’s where barefoot shoes come in. They give you the sensation of running barefoot, whilst providing protection from anything nasty you may step on. VIVOBAREFOOT shoes have puncture-resistant soles. Xero Shoes have FeelTrue rubber soles that are guaranteed for 5,000 miles. And of course, Vibram FiveFingers and Merrell running shoes are equipped with Vibram TC-1 rubber – Very flexible, yet extremely durable!
Now our online store has gone live, we have also integrated a brand-spanking new blog in to it. Very shortly, all of the posts on this blog will migrate over to the new one too.
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