🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1993Jan26.052826.25334@math.ucla.edu> getachew@yosemite.math.ucla.edu (getachew hagos) writes:
>In article <1993Jan25.150516.21970@kth.se> TordM@VanA.PhySto.SE writes:
>>In article <1k0strINNnq7@savoy.cc.williams.edu>, Thomas.C.Pinckney@williams.edu writes:
>>
>>>     No one has yet replied to my question about the physical
>>>benefits of spending childhood barefoot.  Am I completely off the
>>>wall?
>>
>> okay, I'll bite.. again...
>> it is believed that if you're very active when you're a little kid your
>>body will get more tolerant to stress. The kids in Kenya run all their life
>>from they're small kids, so their bodies are very well adapted to stress,
>>and therefore they can train harder, while most people in the western world
>>sit and get weak, go everywhere by car, and so on...
>> As for running bare-foot, I've only read an article in Runner's World that
>>it's bad for your feet to run with shoes...
>>
Removed lines about Ethiopia vs. Kenyan runners..

The real advantage to running around barefoot is strength.  Living daily
without shoes would help balance and strength of the athlete.  Many runners
in Great Britain actually train barefoot on sand tracks to reap the
benefits of having strong feet/calves.  It is very important to have
strong feet/calves to maintain an active footplant over long distances.

What I mean by active footplant is the forefoot hits the ground first,
not the heel.  When your heel hits the ground first you are effectively
'braking', and slowing yourself down.  If your foot lands underneath you
and your forefoot hits first, you do not slow down and can immediately
push off into your next stride.

If you are wondering about what I'm saying get a tape of Seb Coe/Steve Cram/
Steve Ovett/Carl Lewis/Linford Christie and watch where their foot actually
hits the ground at what part of their foot hits first.

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