Sunday, May 09, 2010
F4 Head Coach, Scott Fliegelman, sends Letter to the Editor of the Daily Camera following the latest irresponsible piece of 'journalism' on the subject of barefoot running.
Ryan Thorburn’s “Group to run Bolder Boulder barefoot” is yet another piece of irresponsible journalism on this latest running fad. By not including even one quote from a physical therapist, podiatrist, or credible expert on the subject of biomechanics or even running for that matter, you’ve now added to a growing pile of misinformation on the subject and will surely contribute to many injuries as a result.
As a coach who has help guide over 3,000 runners over the past decade, I am aware of the temptation that many athletes have to jump on the latest trend in an effort to get faster... quicker, and it is my job to help them make prudent decisions accordingly. By glorifying these extreme few who make the individual choice to run barefoot, you make it that much more difficult to provide unbiased and trustworthy advise on this controversial subject.
While there are surely benefits to limited barefoot running on soft surfaces like grass or sand, common sense should tell us that we need a protective layer between our feet and pavement, glass, metal, rocks, and myriad other modern day impediments that were not an issue 75,000 years ago when we chased down our food.
I’m sure Sandler and Lee thoroughly enjoy running without shoes, and if they want to write a book about it that’s fine with me. I would like to think, however, that the media should be doing a much better job of offering a more objective look at this issue, instead of continuing to present such one-sided sensationalist coverage which just adds even more fuel to the fire.
Scott