NaturalRunning.ca Blog

Bracing = Caressing = Injury-free

naturalrunning — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:53:31 +0000

The squat-scoot technique of mid-foot running as instructed by Coach Jeff depends mainly on bracing the body from mid-chest to mid-thigh. To do this, one must compress the upper body into the lower body (as in the Jack-in-the-box). You are essentially coiled & ready to drive forward.

Once you have perfected BRACING, it becomes almost automatic that you will caress whatever surface upon which you run (think of Steppenwolf’s Magic Carpet ride as opposed to the POGO Stick pound!). If you can hear your feet as they impact Mother Earth, you know immediately that the bracing/caressing component of your running technique has faltered. Mentally go through the checklist of “am I in the proper squat/scoot position?” & adapt where necessary.

The better you get at the process, the less likely you are to suffer an avoidable running injury. For more information on this or any other aspect of barefoot running, contact Coach Jeff at coach@natural running.ca or thru his website www.naturalrunning.ca.

Check out next week’s blog – what’s the difference between ‘minimalist’ & ‘barefoot’ shoes…or is there any? Does it matter to your running or is fully barefoot the only way to go?

coach Jeff

‘Coffins Progressing to Barefoot’

naturalrunning — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:04:57 +0000

Is it possible to run mid-foot in the squat/scoot wearing ‘coffins’? In a word, yes. Is it easy & practical? In a word, NO. The biggest problem is that ‘coffins’ weigh too much. The other problem is they’re heel-dominant. Thus, as your body is trying to work vs. gravity to prevent ‘pounding’, the ‘coffins’ are contributing to the downward ‘pounding’ & deadening of the feet. In other words, get the hell out of the ‘coffins’ immediately. Progress as follows:

* run your finger lightly along the sole of your ‘coffin’ whilst wearing it

* do the same thing with only your sock on

* then, do the same thing barefoot

What do you notice? Make note of the sensory difference & discover what this means re: your running safely & efficiently.

There is nothing to replace the sensation of the neurons of the feet firing in sequence whilst caressing Mother Earth barefoot. Gradually, work your way out of the coffins into a zero heel-drop shoe then to the Tarahumara Sandals then the Vibram FFs then barefoot. Not everyone needs to go this route BUT most probably should…to be on the safe side. Personally, I simply went barefoot & then adapted tot he Canadian winter as needed re: protective foot wear (Nike Frees, Vibram FFs). The difference going BACK from barefoot to ANY kind of running footwear is dramatic. You immediately lose all sensory feedback, muscle firing from the feet to the calves etc., balance over your centre of gravity & the protective instinct of your mind over your body.

First, strengthen your feet off-road by doing all of your drills barefoot. You don’t need a fancy gym for this. Second, gradually build up the skin by roughing it up on gravel &/or pavement before running on these surfaces barefoot. Third, once you feel that you can CARESS the surfaces, then start with a few 100 metres barefoot. Finally, with patience & gradual progressions, you will get to the point of no ‘coffin’ return.

Contact the coach @ coach@naturalrunning.ca for the next barefoot running clinic in Port Credit, Ont., Canada. You can also book specific one-on-one training or group training with the coach.

coach jeff

Barefoot Science Inserts – What’s the Deal??

naturalrunning — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Humans are basically lazy – especially 21st Century humans! We simply look for the easy way to do everything. With the explosion of social media, the easy, fast, sedentary way of doing everything has taken over the majority of humans’ daily ‘actions’.

As a result, something as difficult & physically challenging as running barefoot safely, efficiently & powerfully is beyond the scope of most humans. The barefoot science technology (www.barefoot-science.ca) has been around for 22 years BUT is just recently gaining a foot-hold (pardon the pun!) in the medical & physical fitness realms.

Quite simply, the system works as an ongoing stimulus for the nerves firing from the foot arch. This in turn activates the muscles in the foot which in turn stimulate blood-flow, improve balance, take pressure off joints – well, you get the picture. It’s the lazy person’s answer to barefoot training, running, exercising etc. The results in a # of research studies re: the benefits of the graded pad inserts are impressive. Thus, for those who run barefoot or (God forbid, in ‘minimalist’ shoes or coffins), these are a perfect corollary to fit inside your work &/or dress shoes as well as your hockey skates, rugby & soccer cleats etc.

Many of my athletes & business clients have shifted from ‘cement- encasing’ orthotics to the B-S inserts with consistently better results re: low back pain, ‘itis’ injuries etc. Check them out on-line; they are available for purchase there & in various retail outlets (such as Runner’s Mark in Port Credit, Ont., Canada).

Here’s to ending your needless soft tissue pain…! Next week’s blog will feature Caressing the Pavement. In the meantime, contact the coach @ www.naturalrunning.ca to book in a private training session, a seminar or workshop or join a running clinic.

Stay tight & low…

coach

ATB TOTT Training Report

naturalrunning — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:04:34 +0000

As we head into February, my Team Over The Toppers training for the 30 km. Around The Bay & spring 1/2 – full marathons are right on course! With the mildest winter on record upon us, we have been spoiled by the elements. Our veteran members have been killing the Bay course on our early training runs whilst our teenaged gang are relishing the challenge. The ‘newbies’ are adapting well to the squat/scoot & gradually understanding how to control such a tough monster as the Bay.
I trust those who have registered understand the nuances of the oldest road race in North America & possibly the toughest 30 km road race on the continent. If you haven’t God help you on March 25th!
Let me know how you are progressing with your training. Are u getting in the work? Are u fitting in the tough hill work? Are u running hard deep into tough runs? The coach wants to know…

coach Jeff

Barefoot in the Canadian Winter?

naturalrunning — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:37:13 +0000

…I don’t think so!! Even though I have run barefoot over 6 to 9 kms. in -10C temps., I don’t recommend it. As much as I’d rather say otherwise, it’s simply too tough & dangerous re: frostbite etc. for the vast majority of humans.

Having said that, I am proof positive that if you start ‘warm’ (i.e. after warming up indoors), keep the feet moving for the whole run & avoid the cold/slushy pools created by ice melter mixed with snow & ice, you CAN run barefoot in sub-zero C conditions.

For those experienced in running barefoot, you know that shifting to ‘footwear’ as minimal as the Vibram FF Classic is a major impediment to safe, efficient squat/scoot mid-foot running. My recommendation is to go as minimal as you can tolerate (assuming you know how to brace your body & caress the running surface) in the harshest of conditions & pray for the onset of spring weather! If you follow the ‘tight/light/compact/forward’ technique of the squat/scoot, your body will survive until you can directly re-activate the proprioceptive, neuromuscular firing of your feet.

Look for details on the BAREFOOT-SCIENCE stimulus inserts in my next blog. Here’s to safe & efficient, baby!!

coach jeff

Contact The Coach

naturalrunning — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:46:36 +0000

If you &/or your group are interested in hiring coach Jeff to conduct a barefoot running seminar or a workshop on mid-foot, balanced movement as it applies to any sport or if you want to work one-on-one with the coach or, finally, if you want to join one of his running or T-Team circuit training clinics, contact him @ coach@naturalrunning.ca. You can also get clinic details from the website @ www.naturalrunning.ca.

Barefoot Off-Road Drills to Strengthen The Foot Arch

naturalrunning — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:39:08 +0000

As most of us have grown up wearing ‘coffins’ (see earlier blog) on our feet, it is no wonder that we have ‘flat feet’, ‘itis’ issues, sore backs, hips, knees etc.
It’s especially disconcerting to me when I see our youth hobbling & struggling with foot-related soreness/injury. There is simply no reason for this. If you fall into the above category, put in place the following circuit DAILY for 15 minutes:

* double leg hops on the spot (land on the SAME spot). Try to work up to 1 minute
* 1-legged hops on the spot as above
* box double leg hops (the box should be only 3 to 4 cms. square)
* box 1-legged hops as above
* step-ups on 1 stair – alternate lead legs
* 1-legged hop-downs from 1 stair (make sure to tighten your core & flex @ the knee upon landing (cushion!)
* stationary running with knees up to hip height & landing on the same spot each time

Make sure you land on your mid-foot during the drill. Do these barefoot on a somewhat soft surface (carpet or mat) to start. As your feet (& arches) get stronger, you will be able to do these on any surface. You will notice that your arches will become more pronounced, the neuro-muscular stimulus in your feet will activate, your calves will strengthen, your balance will improve, your Achilles Tendons will not ache etc…This is a process that requires regular commitment & focused effort. Here’s to your ‘new’ arches!!

coach jeff

Running With – Not Against – Gravity

naturalrunning — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:35:52 +0000

As humans, we are kept in contact with Mother Earth via the effects of GRAVITY. As runners, we must learn how to work with gravity to land lighter & push forward more efficiently. By doing this, we will run safer & more powerfully over longer distances.
Remember – anytime you are airborne, bad things happen. Thus, it is imperative to learn how to brace the core, fire from your gluts in proper sequence & caress Mother Earth. As you perfect this (the squat/scoot), you will run injury-free with efficiency & power…AND gravity will become your friend, not your foe!
To register for Coach Jeff’s running clinics, book him in for seminars, workshops or presentations on barefoot &/or squat/scoot mid-foot running, go to www.naturalrunning.ca or e-mail coach@naturalrunning.ca.
The fun starts here…

coach Jeff

TOTTers Off & Running…

naturalrunning — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:31:49 +0000

Team Over The Top clinic members started their training for the 2012 Around The Bay road race last Sunday with a sling-shot workout on the ‘Valley of Death’ (the 26.2 km. mark of the race!). The focus was on technically controlling this monster by doing backwards, side-to-side & side-to-side crossover drills up AND down. After these, going forward up & down was almost a relief! The team then completed an intense 75 minute barefoot gym workout on Wednesday. Balance, core, cadence, upper body endurance & plyometric drills were the order of the day. Early indications are that this crew mean business…in other words, look the hell out – here we come!

coach Jeff

‘Coffins’ Explained

naturalrunning — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:38:08 +0000

I mentioned ‘coffins’ in my previous posting but didn’t offer much in the way of explanation. Thus, please note:

* the more material you put on your feet, the more you deaden their response to natural stimuli

* the more you deaden their response, the more you weaken the running muscles from the calves to the gluts

* the more you deaden the running muscles, the more strain you put on tendons, ligaments, joints to compensate

* the end result is USUALLY some type of ‘itis’ injury or worse

* thus, any type of footwear deadens your feet muscles, nerves, tendons & ligaments…thus, the ‘coffin’ analogy

The bottom line is keep your feet stimulated &, thus, strong. Nothing but good results!!

coach Jeff