Born to Run - Christopher McDougall

[giofranchi]

[amazonsearch]Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen[/amazonsearch]

 

The best runner leaves no tracks.

--Tao Te Ching

 

Ok, this book might have very little, or nothing at all, to do with investing, but:

 

1) It surely has a lot to say about healthy living: and, if a snowball needs a very long slope to grow bigger and bigger and assume gigantic proportions, I guess we all can agree on the fact that healthy living might be very important for everything we do, investing included.

 

2) It is a truly amazing story!! 8)

 

I highly recommend this book. ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

 

[yadayada]

I loved this book, it got me interested in running again. I bought those shoes that barely have any soles and got a horrible pain in my foot after a few weeks :D .

 

But once I got over this, he is totally right. if you run like nature intended to, it is actually fun instead of torture. I think one of the guys in this book even invented the running shoe for Nike. But right after that he figured out it was a disaster to go running in it.

 

But I would be very carefull to dive right into it. Your feet will not be used to this new way of running at first, and you have to slowly build it up or your going to have a bad time.

 

And people are actually smarter if they do cardio on a regular basis and are in good shape.

According to thsi book at least

http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Rules-principles-surviving-thriving-ebook/dp/B0041KLCH0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401015861&sr=8-2&keywords=brain+rules

 

 

[manualofideas]

I listened to the audio version, and it was excellent.  It made me want to go visit those remote mountains.  --John

[Guest hellsten]

Good book. A lot of it makes sense, to some degree...

 

Are we built for running on a one inch thick foam mattress in high-heels?

 

Or, did evolution give us something better than what Nike's marketing department could come up with:

 

The human foot and ankle is a strong and complex mechanical structure containing exactly 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated), and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments.[1]

~Wikipedia

 

FYI, it's illegal to claim evolution is better than Nike's marketing department:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/10/_n_5302213.html

[yadayada]

the science behind it is that your forefoot is a natural shock absorber. But because we are not used to it, you will hurt your foot if you do it for the first time and you dont build it up carefully, because your feet and calves are too weak at first. A lot of the people claiming this is all bogus dive right into it and then get hurt, because their foot and leg muscles are not used to it.

 

WIth running shoes you land on your heel because of the thick sole, and the sole of the shoe is not enough to absord the shock, so you will get problems with your knees over time, while your natural shock absorbers are not being used and trained. And your knees take a larger blow everytime you land your feet. But if you go almost barefoot, or barefoot, you naturally land on your forefoot.

 

If that is not enough, if you look at most olympic runners, they dont use these thick sole running shoes.

 

Also would our species have really survived all those years if we constantly would have gotten injury's after chasing wild boars and deers in the wild? You would say natural selection would take care of that.

 

Also a tip if you want to do this, build it up very slowly over months. I was out for 6 months because I didnt build it up slowly.

[oddballstocks]

I've never read the book but had a co-worker who did and was obsessed with it.  He convinced me to get minimal shoes, I have the New Balance Minimus road running shoes.

 

I used to run about 1,800 miles a year on Asics, I never had a problem, but I was also young.  I took a decade off and got back into running 3+ years ago, I reduced my mileage dramatically, I do about 4-500 miles a year running a few days a week.  I run almost exclusively on pavement.

 

Here's what I found, the transition took maybe two weeks at first, but that was for short mileage.  I could go from running 3 miles in standard shoes to 3 miles in minimal shoes without an issue.  Going farther or faster took longer.  I initially started with trail shoes because there was less foam and I wanted to be closer to the ground.  Big mistake, if you do any substantial running on pavement you need a little padding, even with zero drop.  I started to have foot and tendon issues, getting the road running version of the shoe fixed everything.  Also worth noting is that the transition if you live in a hilly area is much longer.  When running in a minimal shoe you're using your calves and ankles more, and if you're going up hills even moreso.  In Pittsburgh it's not uncommon to have 800-1000ft of elevation climb in a 4-5 mile run.  At one point I tore up my calves due to not pacing myself.

 

I had to change my style of running as well, I used to have a larger stride, I shortened it up, I also increased my cadence.  I have no idea if this had any effect on anything.  I know some people say they run slower in the minimal shoes, I have no idea if this is true.  I run at about a 7:20 minute per mile pace which isn't that fast to begin with.  I'll say this, the minimal shoes are awesome in terms of weight, they are very light, I almost don't notice they're on.  I started out wearing them with socks, but now just wear them barefoot.

 

The main attraction to the minimal/barefoot style for me was that my calves instead of my knees would take the brunt of the shock.  This is attractive because I tore a meniscus back in 2009.  I wanted to be active but limit the damage to my knees.  I re-injured the same knee on a bike tour in 2012.  Since changing my running style my knees have felt a lot better.  It's also strengthened my muscles surrounding my knees so that when I bike and ski I'm reducing the impact as well.

 

One last thought, when I was running and racing often I used to have a pair of race flats.  They were essentially minimal shoes for races that were lighter than my daily shoes.  So in some senses the minimal shoes have been around forever in the form of racing flats, it's just that most runners didn't train daily in their flats.

 

 

[yadayada]

what brand do you use? I think I have the vivo ones now, but last pair broke down rather easily.

[ExpectedValue]

The one thing I'd caution people on is you really need to adjust to running with these. A lot of people make the mistake of doing too much too soon and end up injuring themselves. It was a slower process for me - I used the Couch to 5K program to gradually run longer in them.

 

It's helpful to watch the videos on youtube about Pose Running, a big part of switching to minimalist shoes is you need to switch to using a midfoot strike which takes some getting used to. The Pose Running drills really help with teaching you that.

 

I use the Five Finger Spyridons for some of my runs, but also have a pair of Nike Free 4.0s for when I want to go a bit longer/have an easier run.

[turar]

What is a good minimalist shoe for pavement running?

[oddballstocks]

What is a good minimalist shoe for pavement running?

 

It's the zero or near zero drop that's key.  Adding a significant drop to our shoes has changed our running from a natural to an un-natural style.  The key is getting zero drop shoes. 

[investor-man]

I'm also a pretty avid runner. A few years ago I switched to minimums shoes. The transition took about 4 to 6 weeks but then I was fine for about 18 months. Then from out of nowhere I got the worst case of plantar fasciitis of my life. When it came I could barely walk for about a week and the only way I could kick it was by going back to regular shoes. I'm pretty curious if anyone else has had a similar experience

[yadayada]

yeah i had the same thing except i had it earlier. I did the shockwave thing.

http://orthopedics.about.com/od/footankle/i/shockwave.htm

 

It is not some alternative medicine, it is actually scientifically proven, and it got rid of my plantar fasciitis in less then a month. Apparantly they damage your foot a bit more or something, and then your body gets triggered to start repairing all the damage.

[EliG]

 

Science, American legal system confirm barefoot shoes are bullshit

http://www.vox.com/2014/5/9/5695290/science-american-legal-system-confirm-that-barefoot-shoes-are-bullshit

 

Please don't flame me. I'm not a runner. I have no opinion on the subject. I just stumbled across the article and thought I would pass the link along.

[matjone]

Haven't read the book.  I used to run but quit after our family doctor told my mom that it is just a matter of time before a jogger loses all the cartilage in his knee, an opinion he had formed based  on his own experience and conversations he'd had with a specialist.  So I switched to walking.  I do walk barefoot when the weather is nice.  I get a lot of quizzical looks and comments but it makes my back feel better.  If I could figure out a way to run without damaging my knees I'd probably go back.  When I run I feel much better, except for my knees.

 

I saw something once, I think it was in the NYT, about barefoot running.  The gist of it was, "our ancestors ran and our bodies haven't changed; therefore we can run all our lives."  My question was whether our ancestors lived long enough to have knee problems, or  whether when they did develop knee problems they stayed back at the camp and let the young 'uns do the running.

[giofranchi]

"We say the raràjipari is the game of life," Angel said. "You never know how hard it will be. You never know when it will end. You can't control it. You can only adjust."

 

Much like the game of investing! It seems to hear the late Mr. Singleton speaking! Doesn't it?! ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

[infinitee00]

I'm also a pretty avid runner. A few years ago I switched to minimums shoes. The transition took about 4 to 6 weeks but then I was fine for about 18 months. Then from out of nowhere I got the worst case of plantar fasciitis of my life. When it came I could barely walk for about a week and the only way I could kick it was by going back to regular shoes. I'm pretty curious if anyone else has had a similar experience

 

Have to tried wearing insoles in your shoes? I also got plantar fasciitis playing soccer. I had to quit because the pain got pretty bad and I had to limp everywhere for the next two days. I visited a podiatrist who specialized in sports medicine. He recommended I use insoles from Superfeet - but asked me to use only the blue and green ones ( I don't know why). I bought 2 pairs of each from the nearby sports chalet and wore it for the next 6 months and recovered fully.

 

A couple of years back when I was preparing for a half-marathon, I got some custom insoles from Roadrunner because I was afraid that my Plantar fasciitis would be back. It worked really well and I did not have any issues. Maybe you can take a look at it if you are still running regularly.

[Williams406]

Halloween 2011 I read 'Born to Run.' I remember asking myself "I wonder how far I could go?" Up to that point I just ran recreationally/to relieve stress up to 12-14 miles for a long run. 25-35 miles per week. My knees and hips always hurt badly after longer runs. Made a gradual transition to landing on my mid-foot with foot under center of gravity over 2-3 months. Definitely worth taking transition slowly. Just got back from my third 50km race in New Mexico, did one at Snowbird last summer, a running camp at Leadville, CO, a 50 mile solo effort closer to home. I've had the opportunity to run in some very beautiful places.

Planning a 100 mile race in 2015 and perhaps a running trip to Spain's Costa Brava. 

 

The book's discussion of running form definitely resonated with me, but I'm careful not to claim knowledge of the right way to run. That said, my body never could have handled the mileage and terrain I'm running today with my old heel-striking form. I've had some smaller injuries since changing form, but knees and hips feel great.

 

One thing that struck me reading that book is our propensity to limit our thinking of what's possible by how we frame it. The Tarahumara are a fairly isolated subculture that has a totally different paradigm of running. They don't run to get in shape or lose weight. They run because they enjoy it, their culture celebrates it, and in the Copper Canyon, they must to get from point A to point B in a reasonable time. Tell yourself 13.1 miles is far and 50 miles will seem impossible. Existing structures, budgets, old habits can all get in the way of better designs or approaches if you rip it all up and start from scratch.

[Liberty]

One thing that struck me reading that book is our propensity to limit our thinking of what's possible by how we frame it. The Tarahumara are a fairly isolated subculture that has a totally different paradigm of running. They don't run to get in shape or lose weight. They run because they enjoy it, their culture celebrates it, and in the Copper Canyon, they must to get from point A to point B in a reasonable time. Tell yourself 13.1 miles is far and 50 miles will seem impossible. Existing structures, budgets, old habits can all get in the way of better designs or approaches if you rip it all up and start from scratch.

 

Wise words!

[giofranchi]

One thing that struck me reading that book is our propensity to limit our thinking of what's possible by how we frame it. The Tarahumara are a fairly isolated subculture that has a totally different paradigm of running. They don't run to get in shape or lose weight. They run because they enjoy it, their culture celebrates it, and in the Copper Canyon, they must to get from point A to point B in a reasonable time. Tell yourself 13.1 miles is far and 50 miles will seem impossible. Existing structures, budgets, old habits can all get in the way of better designs or approaches if you rip it all up and start from scratch.

 

Wise words!

 

I agree! And words that also have much to do with investing!

1) How much better are the results of people who enjoy the whole process of investing, instead of only seeking a financial reward!

2) How many times we have asked ourselves: “if almost nobody succeeds in getting a 15% annual result consistently, why should we expect to achieve it instead?”

 

Gio

 

[Guest hellsten]

One thing that struck me reading that book is our propensity to limit our thinking of what's possible by how we frame it.

 

It's interesting how easy it's for companies to limit the thinking of humans through advertising. How acceptable is the following behavior in western societies:

- walking barefoot vs. walking in $150 sneakers

- drinking tap water vs. drinking Evian water

- taking the bus vs. driving a BMW

- eating vegetarian food vs. eating 2 pound stakes

 

Much of human behavior is driven by advertising and herd behavior.

 

http://blog.priceonomics.com/post/45768546804/diamonds-are-bullshit

 

The next time you look at a diamond, consider this. Nearly every American marriage begins with a diamond because a bunch of rich white men in the 1940s convinced everyone that its size determines your self worth. They created this convention - that unless a man purchases (an intrinsically useless) diamond, his life is a failure - while sitting in a room, racking their brains on how to sell diamonds that no one wanted.

 

http://toughsledding.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/public-relations-ballyhoos-lebrons-150-sneakers/

 

When you get right down to it, basketball shoes are a parity product. So to gain market share, you have to create perceived points of difference that really don’t exist in the products themselves. This is the the stock in trade of advertising, and a special expertise of Nike and its ad agencies. They “just do it” very well, but at what cost?

 

;D

[mg0516]

Phenomenal book.  - Matt