Natural Running by Danny Abshire an excellent running book for the minimalist or barefoot runner and not only. Danny Abshire has worked closely with many athletes, from beginners to Olympic elite runners.
Natural Running is a shorter book than the previous ones we talked about, concise, but to the point.
It begins with explaining what Natural Running is, and the evolution of the shoe. I found the latter topic interesting, something I haven’t found in many other running books, at least not as detailed. This isn’t surprising though as Danny Abshire is the co-founder of Newton Running, where Newton shoes come from, so he knows his stuff.
The whole book is excellent, filled with information and very educations. There are three topics in the book that drew my attention in particular:
The science of motion. This is where Danny introduces us to the Three Gaits: walking, running and sprinting. Using pictures he presents the sequence the foot goes through in each gate. Very important if you are a runner.
A close examination of foot biomechanics, talking about how regions of the foot, foot types, foot imbalances, overuse foot injuries and how to avoid injuries with a natural running gait and how running with shoes impacts the foot. Your feet are your foundation, so learning a little about the foot biomechanics is very important for the beginner as well as advanced runner.
The physics of running: whole body kinematics. In short, here Danny talks about running being a whole body movement, the mind-body connection and how certain shoes affect this connection and, consequently, body alignment.
Throughout the book Danny talks about barefoot running or minimalist running style. So if you are a runner wishing to transition or to learn more about the minimalist running style this is the book for you.
Even if you are a runner not interested in minimalist or barefoot running, understanding foot biomechanics and adopting a natural running form can only benefit you long term, in my opinion.
There is also a chapter dedicated to running injuries, as well as strength and form drills to help you built a strong body and running form.
This is a great book for the runner who:
- experiences recurring foot injuries and wants understand what the cause might be and how to manage their foot injuries best.
- wants to transition to minimalist running or barefoot running
- wants to adopt a lighter, more natural running style and reduce the risk of running related injuries
- wants to understand how the shoes they wear affects their running form, their alignment and to understand the connection between shoes and running injuries
Check it out on Amazon. (affiliate link)
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