Running on empty
Anyone can run…but not without shoes.
Although human history could trace back barefoot running since time immemorial while hunting animals for food, modern men and women would rather take advantage of the invention of shoes. In this modern era, only a few good men and women could currently, or should I say, would choose to run long distances without any padded protection for the feet.
Popular barefoot runners are Olympic champions and world record holders Abebe Bikila, Tegla Loroupe, and Zola Budd.
Here in the Philippines, the name that comes to mind when it comes to barefoot running is Manuel Vismanos - a 64-year old retired police officer from a laid-back town called Toril in the vast City of Davao. Yes, 64 years old and he’s been running as far as 50 kilometers since early 1970’s…without any footwear!
Manuel is a common sight in the long stretches of major and minor thoroughfares in Davao and he does it without any qualms about the weather. With his amazing speed and admirable endurance, Manuel was probably born to run.
I first saw the man along the highways of Dumoy, Toril where he was at his best - running barefoot in the middle of the day. I squirmed at the fact that I was trying to seek cover from the scorching sun while Manuel was out there, looking oblivious of the midday heat and of his bare feet getting baked on the cemented road.
Why does he do that?
In my chance to chat with the humble man, he said running barefoot is healthier than running with shoes on. He said his feet are too wide for shoes and that wearing a pair of shoes could potentially hurt him while running. Manuel has been used to barefoot running for many years since he was still in police service, where he would engage in police operations barefoot in the remote areas of the city, including the rebel-infested jungles of Davao.
According to Harvard University’s Skeletal Biology Lab, “scientists have found that those who run barefoot, or in minimal footwear, tend to avoid “heel-striking,” and instead land on the ball of the foot or the middle of the foot. In so doing, these runners use the architecture of the foot and leg and some clever Newtonian physics to avoid hurtful and potentially damaging impacts, equivalent to two to three times body weight, that shod heel-strikers repeatedly experience.”
According to an article about barefoot running, “proponents of the barefoot movement argue that barefoot running is healthier for feet and reduces risk of chronic injuries, notably repetitive stress injuries due to the impact of heel striking in padded running shoes, in addition to other purported benefits. While these health claims are supported by some research, it remains slight. Barefoot proponents point out that there is a lack of research into the benefits, or lack of harm, of running with shoes on as opposed to running barefoot.”
With these new scientific findings about the benefits of barefoot running, Manuel is on the right footing. No wonder why he’s still as healthy as a horse and moves with agility, endurance, and speed like a young athlete. Running fuels Manuel’s zest for life. Stop him from running and he’d be sick.
Reminds me of the movie Forrest Gump where Tom Hanks’s clips where shown as he ran across America while Jackson Brown’s hit song “Running On Empty” was playing. But unlike the song, Manuel is not trying to run from anything. He’s running to embrace life.
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December 17th, 2011 1:35 am
I didn’t know that running barefoot would be so healthy. I always had this misconception that running barefoot would cause many foot problems. But people like us who are already used to footwear, i think for us it would be very difficult to do that.