I am a high school XC runner. I run barefoot and in Vibram SeeYa LS. My cross country coach has lectured me several times on the "dangers of barefoot running." Culminating in him yelling at me today for taking off barefoot on our smooth grass xc course. In order to appease him I slipped on a pair of trainers and took off for my run. I love the articulated toes of my fivefingers and the lightweight foot strike I can run barefoot with. What do you people know about the Merrell Vapor Glove? If I am going to keep running at this school I need less obvious shoes than my fivefingers which he claims, "do not have cushioning and support and I will get injured." My form is good, I stretch and ice, there is no reason I will get any more injured than the 5 runners that are already out injured (they run in Brooks Adrenaline). Help?
Cross Country Runner With Anti Barefoot Coach
- Thread starter unixrunner
- Start date
Maybe we can tell our stories for him and you can print it out?
Coach-
I was a high school and college cross country runner. I was fast. All throughout my career, I was hampered by horrible shin splints and knee problems. I was injured at the end of every Cross Country season, ruining our chances as a team and my chances as an individual at State. I wore Nikes. Pegasus, and then after I was put in orthotics, Air Structures. I assure you, the heel-striking form they allowed caused years of suffering.
I went to college, got fast, and broke. The trainers explained that with the patella tendinitis and chondromalasia would end my college career and end my life as a runner. I was crushed. As any runner who has lost his ability to run will tell you, my life ended. My reason to jump out of bed was gone, my reason to eat right was gone, my desire to maintain my GPA evaporated; and I turned to alcohol and "other" chemical distractions. Became a lifelong smoker...
Now, 17 years later, I read about barefoot running, I stumble across this forum, and I learn there is a way to run in such a way to limit these chronic injuries. I try it out, have a reason to, and successfully quit smoking. I became a barefoot runner. I was able to take up training again. And after 10 months was able to run my first 50 mile ultra - all without injury. Which would have been impossible in the trainers. 10 months no injuries? It would never had happened in the shoes. I was lucky to go 2.
We are all an experiment of one. Many of us are willing to trade the risk of cuts and scratches for the chance to avoid life-altering chronic injuries like I had in the trainers. Let the youngster try it. His avoidance of chronic issues will make him/her a better runner by avoiding down time.
Coach-
I was a high school and college cross country runner. I was fast. All throughout my career, I was hampered by horrible shin splints and knee problems. I was injured at the end of every Cross Country season, ruining our chances as a team and my chances as an individual at State. I wore Nikes. Pegasus, and then after I was put in orthotics, Air Structures. I assure you, the heel-striking form they allowed caused years of suffering.
I went to college, got fast, and broke. The trainers explained that with the patella tendinitis and chondromalasia would end my college career and end my life as a runner. I was crushed. As any runner who has lost his ability to run will tell you, my life ended. My reason to jump out of bed was gone, my reason to eat right was gone, my desire to maintain my GPA evaporated; and I turned to alcohol and "other" chemical distractions. Became a lifelong smoker...
Now, 17 years later, I read about barefoot running, I stumble across this forum, and I learn there is a way to run in such a way to limit these chronic injuries. I try it out, have a reason to, and successfully quit smoking. I became a barefoot runner. I was able to take up training again. And after 10 months was able to run my first 50 mile ultra - all without injury. Which would have been impossible in the trainers. 10 months no injuries? It would never had happened in the shoes. I was lucky to go 2.
We are all an experiment of one. Many of us are willing to trade the risk of cuts and scratches for the chance to avoid life-altering chronic injuries like I had in the trainers. Let the youngster try it. His avoidance of chronic issues will make him/her a better runner by avoiding down time.
Run how you want to kid...he can't force you to injure yourself, which you will do if you run in stiff overly padded shoes that bind the toes and foot in a way that will deform your foot over time.
Be respectful to him, but tell him his ideas about shoes are outdated and not supported by research.
Get the book 'Born to Run'...read it, amd maybe lend a copy to your coach.
Win him over with researched facts....Facts win arguments with rational people.
I'm sure your coach does not want to hurt you, and that he believes he is trying to help you, its just that he was taught something about shoes that is now known to be incorrect.
Here you go...ask him very respectfully to watch this youtube video presented by a podiatrist...a foot doctor.
Here is another video for you to show Coach. Its a Harvard proffessor that studies running physiology. His name is Dr. Daniel Lieberman
How do we educate the clueless? sigh.
Ask him if he's ever heard about Zola Budd or Abebe Bikila.
Then tell him you don't need cushioning, motion control, stability, arch support, and all that other nonsense. God gave you what you need to run...your feet!
Ask him if he's ever heard about Zola Budd or Abebe Bikila.
Then tell him you don't need cushioning, motion control, stability, arch support, and all that other nonsense. God gave you what you need to run...your feet!
Here in California, the local running stores have deals with the local track and cross country teams, that probably involve some kind of kick back to the coach.
He said all his other teamates have the exact same shoe, so I wonder if the coach has some financial 'skin in the game' to push those shoes.
He said all his other teamates have the exact same shoe, so I wonder if the coach has some financial 'skin in the game' to push those shoes.
And if he mentions that 'all the world class runners' wear the type of shoes he recomends, tell him that:
A: They are mostly desperately poor people from undeveloped countries who are getting paid to wear those shoes.
B: Most world class runners wearing name brand and model shoes have 'custimized' versions of those shoes that make them more minimalist.
I think schools are under obligation, no matter how misguided, to look after the students welfare, there is also the fear of lawsuits if a student gets injured.
These issues are always way more complex than just the rights of an individual. School are hierarchical institution with rigid rules that the coach has to adhere to.
Maybe try to set up a meeting with the school head and other involved parties to discuss your convictions and rights in a more focused and constructive way. Even if that fails at least you would have sewn the seeds of awareness and represented.
I wear Merril trail glove off road and love them.
These issues are always way more complex than just the rights of an individual. School are hierarchical institution with rigid rules that the coach has to adhere to.
Maybe try to set up a meeting with the school head and other involved parties to discuss your convictions and rights in a more focused and constructive way. Even if that fails at least you would have sewn the seeds of awareness and represented.
I wear Merril trail glove off road and love them.
What are your reasons for running Cross Country? You could do your own thing. I didn't play football in High School because I couldn't stand the drill sargent coaches. At times I felt like I was missing out with friends and the team thing and being a jock and so on, but later in life it made no difference at all. In fact, probably saved myself injuries. Of course running is different. I did end up playing baseball, doing well, making 2nd team State and still no scholarship offers.
You will probably get nowhere with the coach, so if you want to fight you will have to go over him like skedaddle mentioned. Then you will have the coach upset at you and favoring the conforming shoddies.
Other option is to find some shoes. It's not the end of the world. After a year of barefoot purism I transitioned back to shoes with minor problems and my distance and speeds increased. I still run a few times barefoot each week because I love it.
You will probably get nowhere with the coach, so if you want to fight you will have to go over him like skedaddle mentioned. Then you will have the coach upset at you and favoring the conforming shoddies.
Other option is to find some shoes. It's not the end of the world. After a year of barefoot purism I transitioned back to shoes with minor problems and my distance and speeds increased. I still run a few times barefoot each week because I love it.
Sure he would have changed if it was possible. Buy a pair of barefoot like shoes and keep going. But don't stop trying to convince him. There are lots of them. Mizuno Wave universe 5, Skora, Inov8. Zemgear, vivobarefoot, merrell etc. There are lot of brands to choose from
When my youngest daughter ran track and cross country a couple years ago, the deal was that shoes were required by the political body that governs these things. Don't know who put them in charge, but it would have taken Herculean effort to fight it. The coach was minimalist and barefoot friendly to a point. He frequently had the kids do cool down work barefoot in the grass. He also was quite agreeable to our daughter wearing Moc3's for workouts. She raced in flats with spikes, men's size for the wider toes, not that it helped that much. Sh would not run in regular shoes, as she said it just sucked the life out of running for her! She was one of his top runners, but even with that, decided to forego being on the teams her senior year. The coach said if she wasn't going to be on the team he was accepting another job on another state! Now, she and one of her sisters run regularly together, as well as often with me and we all have great fun. Like Rick was saying, the team may have been interesting, but in the long run it didn't matter.
Unixrunner - check out the Vivobarefoot stuff. Looks like a "normal" running shoe, but with a super-thin, flat sole. A number of folks here swear by them.
New Balance is still doing their Minimus line, so that mat be worth checking out (and easier to get in a local store).
Also, Altra makes 0-drop running shoes - though to be fair, the altra's have significantly more cushioning and aren't minimalist by any means.
New Balance is still doing their Minimus line, so that mat be worth checking out (and easier to get in a local store).
Also, Altra makes 0-drop running shoes - though to be fair, the altra's have significantly more cushioning and aren't minimalist by any means.
I think the problem here is not to wear something on the feet but to have traditional tennis on them, the problem is the way of thinking of the coach, it seems that for him the only adequate shoes are the cushioned ones and there are reasons to believe that maybe is not an informed coach, after all, if he doesn’t know anything about good form, technique and cause of injures, then, what does he knows???
