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Show AggieLife Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Page 7 Are humans really built to run? H ello, readers. Hi. I'm good, thanks. This week I'd like to deviate from my normal rant of disjointed, bombastic humor and tell you about a book I'm reading. It's called "Born To Run." As of late, I've been telling everyone with a face about this book. Anyway, this book has captured my attention, imagination and my productivity as I've read, thought and stewed about its contents. And it starts out like this: Picture a charismatic, successful, 6'4", 230-pound man. He's a journalist of sorts and, despite his massive frame, loves to run. The only problem with this healthy pastime choice is the fact that with his gargantuan frame, he hits the pavement with enough force to stun a Holstein heifer. Therefore, you can imagine what this does to his ankles, knees, other moving lower-body joints, etc. It's murder. After multiple consultations and a jubilee of cortisone shots in just about every place one can think of, he decided there must be a better way. And so the journey starts as this man, the author of the book, embarks on an intrepid journey in answer to an interesting question: "Are humans built to run?" An interesting question indeed. Studies have shown that impact-related injuries occur to more than 80 percent of athletes. The vast majority of these injuries being those that come from the impact of running. And as you're icing down your sore heels after a long, painful jog, you can't help but wonder: How come my foot hurts? Because, according to doctors, running is bad for you. But why is running bad for you? Because it makes your foot hurt. But why? The book's author, Christopher McDougall, points out: Antelope don't get shin splints. Wolves don't ice-pack their knees. I doubt that 80 percent of all wild mustangs are annually disabled with impact injuries. Well said, Chris. So why should every animal on the planet be able to depend on its lower extremities, but us? We are constantly nursing our stupid legs back to health. Most runners can tell you what it feels like to deal with a long-standing injury that stemmed from running. Large and tall men and women athletes suffer from chronic Ideas: Challenging beliefs continuedfrom page 5 story of when he got his parents' Suburban so incredibly stuck in a creek that even a tow truck couldn't pull it out. "I didn't even try to lie to my parents when I got home," he said. "I figured that by the time they had to call the Army in to pull me out, there was no way to hide it." Kleiner has grown from "You cannot that troublesome teenager into a knowledgeable live a happy educator who believes the and fulfilling capacity for wonder is all life unless you it takes to become a phiengage the losopher. A lover of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Kleiner great ideas." lists his biggest pet peeve as chronological snobbery. — Harrison Kleiner, "I hate the presumption that just because time philosophy has passed, wisdom has professor increased," he said. The texts he chooses for his students to read are proof of this belief. Students are asked to study Plato and Socrates, urged to understand that though these texts may be thousands of years old, they are still relevant today. When asked if he could give one piece of advice to USU students, he encouraged the cultivating of intellectual capacity. "Don't just pursue a diploma, pursue an education," he said. - kellyn.anderson@aggiemail.usu.edu . BELIEVE knee and joint pain. And the question comes again, why? Well the answer didn't come from science, at least not this time. And it didn't come from Nike, Adidas, Asics or any other fancy shoe brand. It came from a small village high in Mexico's Barrancas mountains. It came from a group of people called the Tarahumara. The Tarahumara are a people who's pastime, culture and spirituality are built around running. And they're rippin' good at it. Their intervillage competitions consist of leisurely jogs that could last not two miles, not two hours, but two full days. According to the Mexican historian Francisco Almada, a Tarahumara champion once ran 435 miles, the equivalent of setting out for a jog in New York City and not stopping till you were closing in on Detroit. The most puzzling thing about the Tarahumara is that there are zero running-related injuries among them. It just doesn't happen. And it seems completely counter-intuitive upon viewing their choice of shoes: sandals. How come they're not crippled? The answer may shock you. When most of us were a twinkle in our parents' eye, aka back in the early and middle 20th century, runners wore those classic, simple, thin-soled Converse shoes. Then Nike came along, with the arched shoe design. And unbeknownst to it, created the most destructive force ever to hit the human foot. You see, your foot has just as many sensory nerve endings as your lips, which means a lot if you've ever had the pleasure of doing any kissing in your day. Take off your shoes and walk around for a while. Every grain of sand, rock, blade of grass - they're all felt with exquisite detail. And as you're walking, or running perhaps, your feet are constantly gauging, feeling and using your toes as stabilizers, minimizing the impact. And that's where modern shoes come in and muck everything up: they don't allow any feeling for the foot. So naturally, you plod along, slamming your feet against the ground with unbelievable force, and your knees, ankles, arches and heels take the beating. The solution? Take off the shoes. You'll find yourself instantly running a completely different way: on your toes. Your arch acts like a springboard, launching you forward, minimizing impact and saving energy. So the answer to the question, "Are humans built to run?" is a resounding yes. And not only that, but we are perhaps the best animal equipped to run on this entire earth. Our diaphragms sit upright, allowing more air in, and the air we breathe in isn't pushed out by the movement of our running because we walk and run upright. This gives us literally unlimited access to air. Nothing is stopping us from getting it but our own healthiness. Specialists theorize that ancient humans literally ran down their prey, running for miles and miles until an exhausted deer or antelope would simply collapse, unable to run any further. Lately, the world has caught on to this and started making shoes that handle more like our bare feet. They're called The Five Finger Vibram, and you can buy them anywhere you buy running shoes. They're like toe socks, but in shoe form, and allow much more feeling and sensitivity, without the pain of running around barefoot. I hope you enjoyed this brief synopsis of "Born to Run," and my subsequent musings. I can't help but smile as I think that we, as humans, are the land-dwelling organism that can run the longest distances for the longest periods of time. That's incredible to me. So I'm going out, buying some of those Five Finger Vibram shoes and training up. I have a goal of running from Logan to Salt Lake City. How awesome would that be? Let me answer that: dang awesome. Questions or comments can be sent to James Rasmussen at Jamesrasm us@googlemail. corn. Driving: Law cracks down on drivers texting continuedfrom page 5 tracted by the usage of a hand-held cell device or similar activities. Perry said these activities include the use of iPods, radios, cell phones and anything else that would distract individuals in a vehicle. Perry said he often looks at the driving pattern of vehicles - improper lane changes or following a car too closely, for example - and if police officers can't prove texting while driving, they can prove careless driving. States with laws banning texting while driving ■ All drivers banned Bill banning all drivers passed but not yet enacted Novice drivers only banned Bill banning only novice drivers passed but not yet enacted awe No ban 1111111. ft r( A iedio SEE IT. HEAR IT. FEEL IT 01041 IT. iire• Tp. N191-11" vs. Boise State 7 PM DEE GLEN SMITH SPECTRUM Admission is FREE with USU Student ID! vt, 930 N. Main Logan 435-753-9755 cvwwjerriclisfinejeweiry_com "This includes everything we shouldn't be doing while we are driving, such as talking on the phone, putting makeup on and eating," he said. "We shouldn't be doing any of those things. It is distracting and there are serious ramifications from doing it. The innocent can even be injured because of it." Shaw has been across the state and country working to get the message out about the dangers of texting and driving. He has given presentations in Washington, D.C., and had appearances on "Oprah" and the "Dr. Oz" show. Shaw said he feels it is important to get the message out. He said as long as people will let him talk to them, he is willing. "It has changed everything," he said. "I wouldn't be doing anything I do today had that accident not happened. I can't really explain it. There is a lot of bad and it haunts me every day. Some days I can't even sleep. This has changed a lot of people's lives and it's hard. Be more aware behind the wheel. It can change lives so fast." - courtnie.packer@aggiemail. usu.edu |
