Loping Barefoot
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WE4 OUT & ABOUT WEEKENDER, SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2010 Clockwise from main pic: Tan Wah Sing has competed barefoot in 29 marathons; the hardened feet of a barefoot runner; minimalist footwear like the Vibram Five Fingers supposedly strengthens runners’ feet; marathoner James Wong on the Kiara forest trail. Stories by LEONG SIOK HUI uizzical stares, incredulous looks or Qeven sneers — Tan Wah Sing has seen them all. The inquisitive would ask, “Does it hurt?” The sceptics would say, “What’s he trying to prove?” The 53-year-old engineer has been happily running barefoot for the past decade. He has completed 29 marathons and runs about 50 races a year — not bad for a recreational runner. Chuck those trainers Since 2009, the running industry has been abuzz with the barefoot running debate, thanks to the best- selling book, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. After suffering chronic foot pain and being told by doctors to give up running, McDougall set out to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara, an indigenous group living in the deep canyons of Mexico. The Tarahumaras are known for their epic 100-mile (161km) runs It’s supposed to make you run better shod only in thin-rubber strips. McDougall’s conclusion is that and keep injuries at bay. No, it’s not modern-day running shoes — with cushioning, motion-control and the latest high-tech pair of shoes — orthotics — have done nothing to prevent injuries. Today, the former it’s running barefoot! US war correspondent runs ultra- marathons barefoot, minus the pain. But barefoot running isn’t a newfangled movement. For eons, humans have been running barefoot or with basic sandals for protection. Modern running shoes only came into the picture in the 1970s. Loping Barefoot idols, Olympians Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia and Zola Budd- Pieterse from South Africa blazed to the finishing lines sans shoes in the nerves, even more than your tive stress injuries, especially stress 1960s and 1980s. hands.” fractures, plantar fasciitis (a Thirteen years ago, American Learning to listen to our feet common cause of heel pain) and barefoot advocate Ken Bob Saxton, barefoot means when we get more “ouch” runner’s knee,” according to Daniel a. k. a. Barefoot Ken Bob, set up his than “aah”, we know when to stop E. Lieberman, professor of human popular Running Barefoot website and try to fix what’s wrong. evolutionary biology at Harvard (runningbarefoot.org) and a forum Studies dating back to as early as University (http://barefootrunning. in 2001 to discuss and promote the injuries, according to a research your feet muscles and forefoot 1905 say that barefoot running on fas.harvard.edu/) movement. To date, he has almost published in the British Journal of balance,” says Austrian Dr Karl- natural ground is best for the devel- However, the study doesn’t look 2,000 members who are strictly Sports Medicine by Dr Craig Richards Heinz Kristen, one of the foremost opment of healthy feet, Kristen at injuries from running and doesn’t barefoot runners. of Australia’s University of experts in orthopaedic sports medi- adds. conclude that shod runners are Newcastle (2009). cine. The latest study that’s getting injured more often. Also, the injury rate was twice as Dr Kristen first delved into bare- barefoot runners all agog says that Boo to running shoes, high in the group of runners using foot running research when he those who run barefoot, or in mini- studies say expensive running shoes, in a analysed the gait of children in mal footwear (minus the cushion- T he spunky ‘soles’ In recent years, scientific studies University of Bern, Switzerland 1998. ing and support), tend to avoid Tan and others like him are also have revealed that running shoes study of 5,000 participants of a “For people who grew up close to landing on their heels (heel-strik- sold on barefoot running because of aren’t living up to their multi- 16km run. nature and who are able to walk ing) and instead land on their mid- their personal experiences. million dollar marketing hype. and run barefoot, their soles adapt or forefoot, hence avoiding damag- “I was running half marathons in For all their high-tech features, naturally to wear and tear, with ing impact to their feet. shoes but always ended up with modern running shoes may not Aye to barefoot time,” adds the foot and ankle “There is anecdotal evidence that black toe nails that needed extrac- actually do much to improve a So why go barefoot? surgeon in an e-mail interview. forefoot or midfoot striking can runner’s performance or prevent “Barefoot running strengthens “Your feet are thick with sensory help avoid and/or mitigate repeti- > TURN TO PAGE 6 WE6 OUT & ABOUT WEEKENDER, SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2010 > FROM PAGE 4 tion. That meant longer recovery before I could race again,” says the amiable Tan who’s based in Kuantan, Pahang. It’s sheer Despite trying out all sorts of brands, he couldn’t find shoes that fit comfortably. Then he spotted people walking barefoot on Kuantan’s Bukit Pelindung and thought, “Hey, why not go barefoot?” Tan started with a 5km walk up joy! and down the hill once a week. He gradually increased the Above: Barefoot runners wearing frequency of his tunics in a footrace in the ancient walks, followed stadium of Nemea, 100km by a slow jog southwest of Athens (2004); uphill after a (left) when she runs on unfamiliar couple of months. trails, Su Mei dons her Huaraches. “Initially, I — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star, AP suffered from blis- & TAN WAH SING ters and calf muscle pains,” admits Tan. Sharp pebbles also pierced his soft The resourceful Toh fashioned soles. herself a pair of Huaraches, simple “It took me a homemade sandals with a strip of few months to rubber sole and some leather string ‘season’ my soles. to hold it on. She used the I found that I Huaraches for protection when she started landing on ran on unfamiliar terrain (she start- my forefoot, ed trail running a few years ago). instead of heels, Less than a year into her barefoot running with transition, Toh ran a 10km race with smaller strides no blisters, aches, black toe nails or and at a more fatigued legs. rapid cadence.” “I had expected to be injury-free, When Tan heel- but I had not anticipated the sheer strikes, he loses joy of running,” says Toh, who also energy faster. It swims, cycles and hikes regularly. took him about nine months before McDougall’s book.) “It’s also about being aware of he did the full transition to barefoot “Both sites were inspirational and your mind and body — being in a half marathon (21km) and two educational,” says the 37-year-old consciously relaxed and properly years before he ran his first mara- biologist. Like Tan, Toh had also tried aligned. thon barefoot. several brands of running shoes. “I see barefoot running as a life- “Barefoot running increases my “Those shoes (with cushioning and long learning!” endurance and I don’t have to carry support) were making my feet, joints Despite the wide media coverage, running shoes anywhere,” he chuck- and muscles weak instead,’’ says Toh, barefoot running is slowly gaining a les. who has raced in 10km, 15km and following, but in Malaysia, barefoot He trains on asphalt and runs an 21km runs. runners are a mere handful, Tan says. average of 8km daily. The zealous He occasionally gets people walking runner frequently takes part in races up to him wanting to know more in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Fruitful ride about it. Thailand. Her early barefoot experience was “If you want to give it a try, be Tired of suffering yet another ataleofblood,sweatandpain. careful and take the time to strength- ankle sprain or foot injury, Su Mei “A mere 200m to 300m round the en your weak muscles. There’s no Toh of Petaling Jaya thought there block would result in blisters, which magic wand. It’s purely condition- had to be a better way to run injury- would then bleed the next time I ing,” says Tan who has been enjoying free. went out barefoot again because I injury-free running for the past 10 “I was spending more time recov- didn’t have the patience to wait till years. ering from injuries than I was they healed up,” says the gungho “It may work for one person but running,” says Toh, who ditched her lady. not another.” shoes in 2007. It took her a few months to get As McDougall sums up in his She stumbled on Barefoot Ken comfortable running barefoot. website: “Ultimately, the debate isn’t Bob’s and Ted MacDonald’s (a. k. a. “I had faith that my mind and about Bare Soles vs. Shoes. It’s about Barefoot Ted; www.barefootted. body would eventually adapt. After learning to run gently. Master that, com/) websites. (Barefoot Ted is one all, we evolved as runners without and you can wear — or not wear — of the characters featured in shoes.” anything you please.” WEEKENDER, SATURDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2010 OUT & ABOUT WE7 The experts explain GOING BAREFOOT efore we ditch the shoes and Barefoot enthusiasts say that running COMMON FOOT INJURIES hit the road, experts warn that barefoot strengthens your feet, increases your endurance and promotes Iliotibial most arguments promoting band Calf muscle B a running gait that prevents injuries. barefoot running tend to generalise syndrome Subject to Inflammation tearing & too much. What else does it do? of the iliotibial inflammation a) Running band from from overuse & Kuala Lumpur-based podiatrist, Dr friction of barefoot has been tendon against overload Mark Reyneker of South Africa, grew shown to use about bone up watching South African-born 5% less energy than Knee pain barefoot runner Zola Budd-Pieterse shod running.