Kenny Landes | Graphic Design | Web Development | San Francisco

Anybody who knows me knows that I have really gotten into running the past few years. It’s been a great experience. I’ve lost some weight, released some stress, and found a great way to get my mind and body in sync.

Unfortunately, I am prone to overdoing things, so I ended up getting a stress fracture a few months ago. It was my first-ever sports injury. I guess that makes me officially a jock, after 43 years.

Anyway, during my vacation to Mexico in April, I read a book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s a true story about his encounters with a remote tribe in Mexico’s Copper Canyon whose main claim to fame (besides their dislike of outsiders) is their ability to run incredible distances barefoot, or nearly so.

In reality, the book is about the barefoot running phenomenon that is becoming increasingly popular. One of the characters wears a pair of Vibram shoes, which are essentially a foot glove intended to protect the feet from pebbles and glass, while allowing for a natural running experience. It is our natural way of running, after all. We’ve done it successfully for thousands of years! Well-constructed shoes have only been around for a few hundred hears. Modern running shoes came to market in the mid-1980s with structured heels and arches. Coincidentally, since then foot and ankle injuries have increased to unheard of levels. Some argue, as McDougall does in the book, that it is no coincidence.

I found the book very inspirational, and decided to give them a try. I was training a lot at the time, trying to get ready for a Boston Marathon-qualifying time (3:30) in the San Francisco Marathon. That is when I got my stress fracture. It was a frustrating setback. Several people tried to make a connection between the stress fracture and the barefoot running. I now realize I was simply running too far, too often, not giving my bones time to recover. It has been a very important lesson.

Now that the injury has healed, I am back to running in my Vibram FiveFinger Bikila shoes. They are amazing! It has taken me some time to adjust, though. I find that my lower legs and arch get more of a workout than before. I’ve had to relearn how to run, moving off my heel forward to the front and middle of the foot. I’ve discovered that kicking forward a bit helps me put my foot down properly before using my arch to push off again. The meditative experience of mind-body connection has increased. All-in-all, it’s been a great experience. I’m enjoying running more than ever, and running bare everywhere!

Overachievers beware! This post may cause slight discomfort because it may force you to reconsider the limit of your abilities. In my case, I stepped on the limit of my ability, resulting in a march fracture. It is my first official running injury. Though it is a serious thing, deep in my heart, I know I am now officially a jock. It only took 42 years!

According to Wikipedia, a march fracture also known as fatigue fracture or stress fracture of metatarsal bone is the fracture of the distal third of one of the metatarsals occurring because of recurrent over stress. It is more common in soldiers, but also occurs in hikers, organists, and even those, like hospital doctors, whose duties entail much standing. It mostly occurs in the second metatarsal of the right foot. It is a common cause of foot pain, especially when people suddenly increase their activities. I am thrilled to learn this information, aren’t you?

So as a result of this ingenious discovery, I am now sentenced to the punishment commonly known as “the boot.” The latest apparent evolution of medieval-style devices of torture, the boot is made by a company known as Össur, which specializes in orthopedics and prosthetics. Fortunately, I do not need the latter. My boot, specifically, is known as the Equalizer Air Walker. According to Össur, “Among the many foot and ankle supports that Össur offers is the Equalizer Air Walker — a comfortable alternative to a traditional cast. The Equalizer Air Walker is a simple, adjustable walking boot that combines functionality and superior fit into a comfortable product. You can rely on Össur‘s foot and ankle products to assist in the rehabilitation of sprains, fractures and trauma injuries.” I would describe it as being more like wearing an astronaut boot in full gravity.

So I am going to just go along with this. What other choice do I have? I start a new job on Tuesday, so I will have the opportunity to really make a dramatic first impression. Fortunately, I know my new place of employment will embrace my, boot and all, and make me feel welcome. I could have had a lot worse injury. For instance, a clean break of the metatarsal would have resulted in surgery, a cast, and a long rehabilitation. I expect to be out running again in just 3 — 6 weeks. That’s not so bad.

During my recent trip to Mexico, I read a wonderful book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It was a great story with interesting characters, all apparently true-to-life, centered around a tribe in Mexico’s Copper Canyon known as the Tarahumara. They are a fascinating culture that has retreated away from modern society after a history of conquest following the arrival of the Spanish in the New World. A big part of their culture has always been about running, and they are possibly the best runners in the world. Amazingly, they run in the barest of sandals, which only protect their feet from the jagged rocks they run on where they live. The book, in addition to telling the story of their history and culture,  was really about the current barefoot running phenomenon.

An avid runner myself, I gobbled it right up. As soon as I got home, I got on the waiting list at my local running store for a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes. They are barefoot-style running shoes, a foot glove, really, complete with separate toes. The idea is that the foot, as it has evolved over millennia, is all we really need to run. All the extra supportive heals and arches promoted by athletic shoe companies for the past 30 years have not led to a reduction in injury. If anything, there have actually been more injuries among people wearing “running shoes” than back in the day when we just ran in ordinary flat shoes.

As anyone who really knows me is already aware, I have a tendency to overdo it with new ideas. I enthusiastically went out and started running in my new “barefoot” shoes. It really is a great experience I would have to recommend. However, I pushed myself too hard, too fast. I forgot that as a result of wearing very well-structured running shoes these past few years, my feet and lower legs have atrophied and lost the ability to run au naturel. So I got my first bona fide running injury after just a few times out. I have not been able to run in any shoes for the past week. It’s a total drag. I am limping around town like an 80-year-old man. It’s horrible, embarrassing and a bit humbling. I just hope my feet will heal and forgive me for my enthusiasm to try something now in time for me to run the San Francisco Marathon at the end of July.