Do You Know How to Run?

I didn’t.

And I’ve been an athlete all my life. I played basketball competitively beginning in third grade, learned from great coaches and attended top-notch camps. I also played a variety of other sports in high school including volleyball, softball, and track on occasion.  After college, I took up longer distance running, even training for a marathon in 2004 and getting up to regular 13 to 15 mile runs.

I never made it to the marathon as I was injured about 8 weeks before the event.  And I dealt with perpetually rolled ankles and aching feet for as far back as I can remember.  Eventually, I accepted that I had “bad ankles” and was simply a slow runner.

Then I came across an article about the benefits of being barefoot by Tim Ferriss in early May of this year.  As I started researching the topic more, I found articles such as this one in the NY Times linking chronic ankle injuries to poor balance.  It didn’t take me long to visit the nearest Whole Earth Provisions and purchase my first pair of Vibrams.  Within a few days, I could feel the difference as my feet ached much less than normal.  Nearly three months later, I wear my Vibrams more than 60% of the time during a variety of activities (including kayaking in the Belize rainforest) – and my foot and ankle pain is gone.

In June, I found Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and was introduced to a whole new cast of characters (including Barefoot Ted, Caballo Blanco, and the Tarahumara Indians) that could essentially run forever.  I wholeheartedly recommend the book, but if you don’t get it, here are two great summaries from Wired and US News.

Before I finished reading the book, I was convinced that I wasn’t doomed to have chronic pain or be incredibly slow.  First, I tossed the expensive running shoes.  I took the lessons from McDougall even further and added Chi Running to my library.  I am far from perfecting my form, but this reformed heel-striker has already seen tremendous results.  In addition to being pain free, I’ve reduced my per mile time by nearly three minutes.  For years, I struggled to run a mile in less than thirteen minutes. Last week, I ran three miles in thirty minutes for the first time I can remember.

So, ask yourself, “Do I know how to run?” Your breakthrough may be just around the corner as well.