Barefoot Running Workshop

Written By: Scott Stone

Jim Paisner of the Metro Boston Barefoot Runners Group, whose members have been running barefoot on area roads for over 13 years, hosted a free workshop at RVC on Thursday, April 29th at 5:30PM.

 When the modern, running shoe first came to be around 1970, it was much less of a fat-heeled shoe than many of today’s models.

 With advances in technology, shoe companies convinced runners that we need the latest design to run better and prevent injury. Most of the running shoes currently sold are designed with features to control or support the foot to prevent injury.  However, have you ever thought that the foot was designed to do this on its own?

 In fact, some research suggests that today’s supportive running shoes reduce spatial awareness as well as proprioceptive and tactile sensitivity (the body’s feedback system) during movement. This is a bad thing! For example, having extra cushioning in the heel can affect your stride, thereby causing a heavy heel strike that can add up to three times the ground-reaction force to your body.

It turns out that the foot itself is a far better design for running than any shoe designed in a lab.

Having completed over forty marathons since 1994, I know what it is like to be injured and I have often considered that my shoes were to blame. That said, I realize that many factors, such as training progression, foot type, illness, lifestyle and work can contribute to injury and your ability to run pain free.

One of the interesting choices we have today is the “un-shoe.” More specifically, barefoot running. The concept behind this trend is that when the foot is less supported, plantar tactile information is regained.

Given that the foot is ready to take you running, it is perfect for giving runners the necessary and appropriate information with every footfall. Specifically, it can dictate the pressure with which we strike. This is vital information that can help runners adjust their stride and turnover, thereby providing a more natural gait.

Many barefoot running converts believe that running without shoes helps them run with less effort and allows the foot to work naturally — rather than the shoe — leading to fewer injuries.

It is interesting that in some ways our approach to running has come full circle. Even shoe companies are considering the less-is-more approach to running shoes.

If you’re thinking about making the transition to barefoot running, or at the very least would like to assimilate the concept into your training, I suggest that rather than going directly to a barefoot running shoe, you start with what is known as a low-profile shoe. These shoes allow the foot to have more sensitivity and tactile awareness while still providing some level of suppor t.

For me, low-profile shoes are the happy medium, although I will keep an open mind with regards to trying barefoot running shoes like Vibrams. I certainly believe that they are the right choice for many people.

Hannah Shows the Gold at RVC

Written By: Ashley Meunier

Over the last five years, the River Valley Club has supported Hannah on her quest for gold. When she achieved that goal this February in Vancouver, we could not have been more excited and proud for her.

Less than a week after Hannah arrived home from the Olympic Games, the River Valley Club held a congratulatory function for her at the Club. Anyone in the community was encouraged to stop by to meet Hannah and congratulate her on her success at the Games.

Thirty minutes prior to Hannah’s arrival, more than two dozen children and parents were lined up waiting for an autograph and the chance to take a picture with Hannah and her gold medal. Thank you to all who came out and showed their support and excitement. From all of us at RVC, Congratulations Hannah and we look forward to watching you defend your title in Russia in 2014!

Top the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro!

I walked out of the lockers at RVC and this poster caught my eye: Raise $10,000 and climb Mt Kilimanjaro for free. My impulse control flew out the window and I said then and there that I was going to do this. I had spent time in Africa many years ago and I desperately wanted to return. What a perfect opportunity.

Raising the funds didn’t seem an insurmountable task. I had successfully raised funds for charities before. Now, the question was how on earth was this 57 year old out of shape Brit going to get fit enough to do the climb?

I had met RVC trainer Amy Fortier previously through a colleague so I asked her if she would be willing to work with me to prepare for the climb. She agreed and we put together a training schedule.

Thanks to Amy I made it to the top. It was hard work. We climbed for about seven hours a day for five days. The sixth day -the final ascent- was brutal. We got up at 11:00pm, having had no real sleep, and did a grueling ascent up the switchback trail. It was pitch black except for the hikers head torches and freezing cold. I wore six layers of clothing. There were times when I just wanted to stop and rest but our guides knew that if you stopped and fell asleep you would die of exposure. Toward the top my guide literally was behind me with his hands on my lower back gently pushing me up the mountain. Just as we got to the top, the sun rose over the crater casting everything in a beautiful orange glow. I was ecstatic and exhausted. I had conquered Kili before it conquered me.

In retrospect there is no way I would have done it without Amy. All the exercises and the time on the stepmill prepared my body well. I lost about fifteen pounds and have never been more fit. I have actually returned to playing indoor soccer. What’s on the horizon now? I am waiting for a another burst of inspiration. In the meantime, thank you to Amy and to Joe who very generously contributed to my fund-raising efforts. I couldn’t have done it without you. — Paul Foster

RVC Sponsors Olympic Hopeful Hannah Kearney

I made the United States mogul team when I was sixteen years old and a sophomore at Hanover High School. Within two years I was traveling the world to compete. At HHS, I ran track and played soccer. After graduating in 2004, skiing became the sole sport in my life. I didn’t play soccer anymore, I didn’t have track, and I didn’t lift weights. I skied at every opportunity, but avoided the gym like the plague because I was intimidated. I did not have the knowledge or experience to feel like I was in my element in the gym.

I stepped foot into the River Valley Club for the first time in April 2005. It was the off-season before my first chance to make an Olympic team. With the help of a trainer, I learned how to navigate my way through workouts so that the gym became an important tool and not a scary, foreign building. I represented USA at the 2006 Olympics, and then ended my next two seasons with knee surgery and a concussion.

To recover fully from an injury takes time and dedication. The fact that I awoke each day during this process, excited to drive to the River Valley Club and work my way towards my goal of complete recovery reminded me that I was still passionate about mogul skiing. My hard work at the RVC paid off.

I will be entering the 2010 Olympic season as the number one mogul skier in the world. I relocated for the season to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y to focus on attaining my goals and being the best in the world.

In my sport, I am expected to navigate my way down a field of moguls as fast as I can, go off of two jumps and execute the cleanest, most difficult tricks in my repertoire.

The RVC has played an important role in my physical fitness and provided me with all the tools I need to successfully complete structured workouts from my strength coach. The Sports Performance Center gives me plenty of space to move through mobility drills, and plyometric exercises. The cold plunge and hot tub offer my muscles a way to recover after a difficult session. The friendly staff and beautiful facilities make training more of a pleasure than usual. I hope to represent the United States at the Olympics this February and make the country, and Upper Valley proud. A special thank you to the River Valley Club for helping me get the most out of my training. –Hannah Kearney

Photos Courtesy of: Jody Zom