Interesting Piece in the Guardian

I like Chris McDougall but he got ambushed here on this about the Amish...they don't run. Chris probably just went along since he doesn't know squat about Amish people. I grew up around Amish and they would have to give up their native culture to do that... period.
 
I like Chris McDougall but he got ambushed here on this about the Amish...they don't run. Chris probably just went along since he doesn't know squat about Amish people. I grew up around Amish and they would have to give up their native culture to do that... period.

Here's a piece from about a year ago about Amish runners. I don't know much about the Amish, either, but this article seems to indicate that some have found a way to be avid runners without leaving their communities.


http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/running-amish?page=single
 
I don't understand what you mean about ambushed; unless the interviewer just made it all up, he seems to have said it pretty clearly. And there's more about it on the web here: http://www.janetober.com/2012/08/03/running-with-the-amish-and-christopher-mcdougall/

Maybe "ambush" is a little too harsh...I think someone is just using the word Amish to get some attention for their writing....not much in there that's Amish to me. These "fast Amish runners" are farm boys plain and simple it has nothing to do with being Amish or not.
 
Mokaman - CMcD lives in Amish country, and has for years, so I suspect he knows something of which he speaks.

Reading through those links it does seem as though there are different varieties of Anabaptists with the most reformed being the most likely to run. Perhaps you are more familiar with the ultra-conservative sects from your time growing up around them?
 
Mokaman - CMcD lives in Amish country, and has for years, so I suspect he knows something of which he speaks.

Reading through those links it does seem as though there are different varieties of Anabaptists with the most reformed being the most likely to run. Perhaps you are more familiar with the ultra-conservative sects from your time growing up around them?

They would have to be more strict were I lived...around the northeast corner of Allen county, Indiana near the town of Grabill....our Amish neighbors had no electricity or running water...absolutely refused to ride in cars etc...hard to imagine them wearing modern running cloths, competing for prizes and being on Facebook. They weren't really into barefooting much either only the boy my age back when I was 8-9-10 was barefoot like the rest of the local boys... the rest of the family wore black shoes all the time as best as can remember. There were Mennonite people around too and they were about half way between the Amish and us...I suppose the runners in these articles are more like the Mennonites than the Amish.
 
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Good article. I'm glad to see that Mcdougall even admits "Born to Run" is not a book about barefoot running, and not sure how it even transformed into one.
I've often wondered how this happened. After reading the book I went and made my first pair of sandals, I didn't go out there barefoot. That came a few months later.
 
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the people who say it's about running bf don't do it.
 
I think the book just makes such a case for 'running is not an artificial 'sport' it is a natural thing to do'. So even though Ted is the only barefooter, combined with the Raramuri running naturally in their huaraches, the overall impression is that 'this is something that human feet can do' so the shoes that others are wearing kind of fade into the background.
 
I think the book just makes such a case for 'running is not an artificial 'sport' it is a natural thing to do'. So even though Ted is the only barefooter, combined with the Raramuri running naturally in their huaraches, the overall impression is that 'this is something that human feet can do' so the shoes that others are wearing kind of fade into the background.
See, I'm trying to remember exactly, but I think Ted runs in the book in vff's, not barefoot... I think his name is BAREFOOT Ted in the book, but I don't recall him actually going barefoot in the book.
 
See, I'm trying to remember exactly, but I think Ted runs in the book in vff's, not barefoot... I think his name is BAREFOOT Ted in the book, but I don't recall him actually going barefoot in the book.

He actually runs both ways (in the book), VFFs and barefoot. (Sandals later?) Email him and ask him to join us in this conversation. He has an account here.
 
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I've always wondered if Vibram was appreciative for what Ted and Chris did for them. Without those two guys, Vibram may not be experiencing the success they are with the VFFs. I think they should reward Chris and Ted heavily and publicly acknowledge their role in their success.
 
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