b0rsuk's Comments
I'm a hobby runner (running 10, 12 km at a time, hopefully I'll complete marathon next year). I used to have nasty pain in left knee and had to make a break from running. Changing running technique, shoes and so forth didn't help.
Eventually I came back to the idea of getting some 'barefoot' shoes. You do want some shoes for running barefoot - social reasons, so you don't get kicked out of a building, better hygiene, protection against broken glass etc. Even Masaai people make "shoes" from old tyres - thin and flexible, but sturdy enough to protect from cuts. I remembered Vivo Barefoot from an article, and decided to try them.
It took a couple of weeks to get used to them, but my knee pain gradually faded away. I can barely feel it now, and only at times. Running barefoot is good because it *teaches* you to run properly - or you'll feel pain. Developing proper muscles and humility helps too. I strike the ground much lighter now. Best thing is, however, these shoes are much more comfortable and I don't feel a strong urge to take them off after coming home !
Yes I know plural from anecdote is not proof, but the reasoning they use sounds convincing to me. Evolution is a slow thing and feet are really well suited for walking barefoot. Running in shoes is a bit like running with painkillers. Modern (not just western) habits are often wrong, you should be open-minded if you read Neatorama and seldom accept dogmas. Thinking outside the box is good. Did you know Romans used lead for pretty much everything, including wine spices ? How about radium chocolate http://www.neatorama.com/2008/06/25/radioactive-chocolate-yum/ ? Or potatoes - in medieval ages nobles never ate them, thought they make people stupid. Commoners did and were healthier. What about the idea that water spreads germs so you shouldn't bathe ?
Time and again our civilisation was wrong and overconfident about something.
For more information about going barefoot, wikipedia is a good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running
Eventually I came back to the idea of getting some 'barefoot' shoes. You do want some shoes for running barefoot - social reasons, so you don't get kicked out of a building, better hygiene, protection against broken glass etc. Even Masaai people make "shoes" from old tyres - thin and flexible, but sturdy enough to protect from cuts. I remembered Vivo Barefoot from an article, and decided to try them.
It took a couple of weeks to get used to them, but my knee pain gradually faded away. I can barely feel it now, and only at times. Running barefoot is good because it *teaches* you to run properly - or you'll feel pain. Developing proper muscles and humility helps too. I strike the ground much lighter now. Best thing is, however, these shoes are much more comfortable and I don't feel a strong urge to take them off after coming home !
Yes I know plural from anecdote is not proof, but the reasoning they use sounds convincing to me. Evolution is a slow thing and feet are really well suited for walking barefoot. Running in shoes is a bit like running with painkillers. Modern (not just western) habits are often wrong, you should be open-minded if you read Neatorama and seldom accept dogmas. Thinking outside the box is good. Did you know Romans used lead for pretty much everything, including wine spices ? How about radium chocolate http://www.neatorama.com/2008/06/25/radioactive-chocolate-yum/ ? Or potatoes - in medieval ages nobles never ate them, thought they make people stupid. Commoners did and were healthier. What about the idea that water spreads germs so you shouldn't bathe ?
Time and again our civilisation was wrong and overconfident about something.
For more information about going barefoot, wikipedia is a good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running
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It looks like a pocket pistol, the kind used by assassins.
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http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0215.shtml