Comment

Comment by Paul Deveau on September 12, 2011 at 6:36pm

I read BTR last summer, and it was an amazing read.  I had run for years, from casual jogging to full marathons, but this book got me excited to take things to the next level.  Funny enough though, I never really dealt with any injuries until I started trying to go barefoot.  Nothing too serious, just blisters and other bumps on the soles of my feet, as well as some calf pain and patellar tendonitis later on.  I enjoy the barefoot runs on the soft ground, but I've had some complications with VFFs and some chafing against seams.  That being said, I've definitely changed the way I run, and feel better for it.  I'm now using Nike Frees almost exclusively (with the occasional VFF Bikila run in there) and am following Eric Orten's Marathon Training Program, and am still hoping to reach my sub 3-hour marathon time goal this December (PB 3:09).  Thanks for the encouragement!

Comment by Michael Boeke on August 23, 2011 at 9:35pm

Eric - I am one of the people whose live were changed by BTR. I would have loved to tell you that in person in Chicago. I hope you and the Naked crew will reschedule a stop in Chicago sometime in the future. There are lot of natural/barefoot runners here. You see them everywhere on the lakefront path.

Comment by Ryan Tate on August 9, 2011 at 12:57pm

I picked up BTR last year after doing some training last year (2 weeks for a 5.3 mile leg of Belfast marathon), having enjoyed the (admittedly short) training and the craic on race day.

 

I think there is quite a mental block about running, certainly distances, from cross-country stuff and school, and it was difficult to shift those feelings. But after reading through BTR, I started thinking 'these are humans too. They may be exceptional, but even Chris McDougall (who labelled himself broken) was able to get through his race without consequence. It had me thinking that there is no good reason I couldn't get out there and just run. So I did.

 

Until my ITB had me in considerable pain. There was me thinking I had it cracked, and then I couldn't move. So a trip to the physio and I decided to try the barefoot thing. Have spent the last 3 months running in VFF and haven't had any pains. Right now I'm not quick at all, but its pure joy, which to me was an important thing to lift out of BTR. Taking things in as you go along and performing systems check on the body as you go.

Comment by Tim White on July 6, 2011 at 1:02pm

Eric,

Born to run has totally given my fitness lifestyle a new lease on life. 

 

I discovered barefoot and minimalist running 6 years ago through a friend. I loved it! Only problem was I thought I could simply switch over 100% to BF and minimalist shoes with no transition. So despite loving it, I totally baked my lower legs and quit the BF thing.

Not only did I quit the BF thing, over the last six years I got totally away from running. Thought a guy my size (like Chris ) should not be running. Started lifting weights and swimming.

Anyway, just finished BTR, and the education on easing into BF running, along with the inspiration of the stories, has me stoked to rebuild myself as a runner, and to integrate running with all of my other activities (being an athlete, not a runner). I think your advice through out the book was really what got me on the right track. Along with Dharma Bums and mt dew and cheese pizza after hard workouts :)

 

Thanks !

Tim

Comment by Jerome Scott on June 21, 2011 at 3:21pm

My friend told me about BTR in April. I had binned running after getting terrible knee pain from doing a lot of beach running the year before.

Next thing I know I am reading the book in every spare minute. Wait for kettle to boil, read BTR, wait for lights to change, read BTR. A week later and I go prancing round the local park on my toes in a pair of flat plimsoles. Apart from destroyed calves there were no other ill effects, particularly noticeable was lack of knee pain.

At this point I realised I needed some structure and found RWE. The upshot of all this is I have finished the 6 and 8 week plans and am now on the 20 week marathon plan ahead of the Auckland marathon at the end of October.

Injuries? No recurrence of knee pain at all and even more amazing is that my chronic bad back of 6 years completely disappeared after 2 weeks of the 6 week plan.

At 6'6" and 100kgs I thought like Chris that i was just not a runner. Today I ran for 90 minutes and i felt like I could easily do 90 more. Totally amazing, so thanks to EO for the training, CM for writing BTR and my mate Steve for saying "read this".

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