If barefoot running was so great, then why are there no elite runners doing it? Why have no world records been broken when running barefoot? Don’t you think that every elite runner and their ‘staff’ have looked at everything that could possibily give them a competitive edge? Why have they chosen not to run barefoot? Even the elite runners from African nations who grew up barefoot choose to run in running shoes – why is that?
The only elite runners that have run barefoot were Abebe Bakila (and we all know that he could only break the world record when he started wearing running shoes) and then there was Zola Budd, but thats one out of how many over how many years? And even she has stopped running barefoot and gone back to running shoes, so I guess the barefoot running community can scratch her off their list of barefoot running pin-ups as well (that leaves them with no one!). As she told the Guardian:
“I no longer run barefoot,” she said. “As I got older I had injuries to my hamstring. I found that wearing shoes gives me more support and protection from injuries.”
I do know that a few elite runners do some drills barefoot, but do distance themselves from the exaggerated and nonsensical claims made by the barefoot running community, as well as the intellectual dishonesty.
I did come across this message posted on Podiatry Arena by a barefoot runner trying to explain why elite runners do not run barefoot:
“Why do most non-elite runners wear running shoes? It’s because of (1) multi-million dollar marketing budgets from running shoe companies – they had me for 20 years, and (2) Fear. Fear stoked by podiatrists such as yourself.”
See how deluded these people are? Do you really think that elite runners and their staff are that stupid that that would fall for running shoe company marketing hype and fear stoked by podiatrists? These sorts of statement are insults to the intelligence of elite runners. Who would you rather want to believe: The eilte runners who go to great lengths to find every edge that they can or those nutters who make statements like that? Who do you think is more intelligent? Who do you think has deluded themselves because the ‘want to believe‘? Do you think they also wear tinfoil hats?
If barefoot running is any good, then the elite runners would be doing it. Ever wonder why they are not? Surely this says something?
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