Strong Feet and Glutes Allow Me to Run Without Pain.

I had been running for years in really expensive cushioned shoes. When I was in my 30’s I developed a sharp pain in my heels. I fixed this problem with orthotics as it was a quick fix. My arches were supported and the fascia no longer got inflamed due to the shortening of the foot. Supporting the arch in my foot lessened the pull on the attachment of the Fascia to the heel bone. I ran with these orthotics in my very cushioned shoes for 20 years. Then in my mid 50’s I developed runners knee. I couldn’t run anymore, it hurt too much. So I started bike riding. I found that if I pointed my feet outwards (externally rotating the leg) when I peddled, it didn’t hurt my knees. I took this concept back to my running. I read the book “Born to Run” By Christopher McDougall. In it, I discovered that really padded running shoes gives the body a false sense of protection. When the brain doesn’t perceive danger it does nothing to protect itself from repetitive actions like running with the knees misaligned or a hard jarring heel strike as was the case for me. I switched to a mid barefoot shoe and got rid of the orthotics. I found that consciously using my feet again and having a better connection to the ground was profoundly helpful. I became very interested in posture and mechanical alignment of the body and how it correlates and affects performance.  After reading the book “8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back” by Esther Gokhale. I signed up for the Gokhale Method Foundations Course. This is where I learned to walk a line with my inner heels on that line.  This was the deal breaker for me. I found that this movement along with using my new found foot muscles and engaging my glutes helped externally rotated my leg and align my ankles, knees and hips. I am now 58 years old and I am happily running again without any knee or foot issues. Today, I just came back from a barefoot run along the beach. I haven’t had knee problems for over 2+ years now.

Conclusion: We are meant to move and run. Finding out the best way to do this is important. Our Ancestors didn’t have orthotics or marshmallow running shoes. Yet they managed to hunt and gather their food on a daily basis without all of the injuries that we incur today. Maybe our bodies are not designed to be supported with so many comfortable and corrective external objects. I believe, looking carefully at how the body is designed and relearning how to use it, is the answer.