Running Barefoot

Here’s a reference book for your running library that you will use for years to come.

John Jesse was a team mate at USC with Payton Jordon who was the US Olympic head track and field coach in 1968. John wrote this book for you and me, so that we could understand through popular language, and with scientific and technical language kept to a minimum but using diagrams, illustrations or short glossaries so we the laymen could understand should we want to delve deeper.

Thanks to an inquiry on Roadsscholar @ yahoogroups.com by Linda McVetty, the GAPO Theory of Running’s Virtual Running Clinic was created. This is the first exercise.

Virtual Running Clinic Exercise 1

— “Linda McVetty” inquired:

Do you, or anyone else know of any running clinics that focus on form?

and inspired the creation on RoadsScholars of:

GAPO Theory of Running’s Virtual Running Clinic – Marching In Place
Created on the first Sunday of February: February 4, 2001

c. 2001 Austin “Ozzie” Gontang, Ph.D. & GAPO Associates

Instead of looking at life as a narrowing funnel, we can see it ever widening to choose the things we want to do, to take the wisdom we’ve learned and create something. (Liz Carpenter)

The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance — it is the illusion of knowledge. Daniel J. Boorstin

It is theory that decides what can be observed. Albert Einstein

For every problem, there is one solution which is simple, neat and wrong. H. L. Mencken

GAPO Theory of Running’s Exercise 1

Abbreviated:GAPOTORE 1

Pronounced: Ga pot’ o re One

It started with the moniker: RoadsScholars. An idea by Michael Selman. The shared insights of Robert on the kinetic chain that takes place when we run, and a question by Linda McVetty were catalysts. Out of the chaos and immersion in my own folklore of talking about and teaching Proper Form and Style, is created the GAPO Theory of Running’s Virtual Running Clinic.

If it can be taught here, then it can be rolled out. It can be taught anywhere. If not, then it will have been an interesting experiment.

This virtual Running Clinic might possibly allow me and others to create some personal residual value by teaching . I’ve spent 25 years thinking about running form and style. I’ve taught it to learn what works and doesn’t work. The majority of my work has been gratis. The wealth I’ve gained is a treasury of friends, acquaintances, and people journeying along their paths that lucky for me intersected my journey. And so it continues.

Whether it creates residual value or not, it will be an expansion on the San Diego Marathon Clinic established in 1975 and the International Association of Marathoners established in 1984. It is an extension of educating myself so that others can educate themselves. This approach so well stated by Socrates, Wilfred Bion and Pat Murray.

GAPO stands for educating oneself mind/body/spirit. It acknowledges that the search for meaning, if there is meaning, is about folklore that works in one’s own life. If the folklore doesn’t work, then one’s journey continues to find the folklore that does. Or in the search, possibly creating one’s own folklore. If creating one’s own folklore then it is sharing it to see if it works for others.

What others have created from GAPO:

Gravity And Posture Optimization

Gravity Allows Posture Optimization

Gravity Activated Posture Optimization

Graceful Action Produces Obsession

Great And Powerful Oz

Gorilla Arm Pit Odor

Gait-Action-Posture-Observation

Gait Analysis Produces Obfuscation

The biggest difficulty to overcome is the mind traps we set for ourselves. “It’s not what you know that gets you in trouble, it’s what you know that just ain’t so (that gets you in trouble).” E.g. In running the arm never swings behind the body. The running body moves past the forward arm.

So for starters, you will work on the firing of the muscles for creating a better running form. You will play with marching in place for the next 2 weeks.

GAPO Theory of Running: Exercise 1.

Done when you have a few spare minutes or when you would normally be “just standing around.” March in place several times during the day. You are retraining neuromuscular pathways.

1. Stand with feet 4 to 6 inches apart.

Teaching Tip (Posture):

If you are splay footed: \ /. Rotate out the heels first so that you are | | and then bring the feet so the are | | and 4 to 6 inches apart. Rotation of the heels out first allows for the proper alignment of the hips.

During your standing day this is a good exercise to rotate heels out first and then bring your feet 3 to 6 inches apart so your legs are aligned with the feet parallel because the legs are aligned parallel. As you stand you should always be able to wiggle your toes while standing.

2. March in place

3. Crown of the head up.

4. Eyes on the horizon.

5. Hands relaxed at either side

6. Eyes on the horizon.

7. Head balanced on shoulders

8. Eyes on the horizon.

9. Did I say: Eyes on the horizon.

Teaching Tip(Posture):

The head follows the eyes. The body follows the head. A head balanced on the shoulders because the eyes are on the horizon takes approximately 10 minutes off of one’s marathon time. No energy is wasted holding the head. The energy saved by the trapezius and rhomboid muscle groups goes into running the marathon well.

You may now realize the bridle is an aid to keep the head of the horse up. If the horse stumbles and its head is up, it can catch itself. If the head is down. Yep, the body follows the head.

As people age, they become afraid of falling. When you are afraid of falling you look down to make sure you don’t trip over anything. So the very thing one is doing to keep from falling actually puts them more in jeopardy of falling.

MARCHING IN PLACE

Marching in place means lifting the knees up two to three inches.

As knee one is being placed back down you will notice that it touches ball/heel.

An interesting observation for someone who observes that the majority of runners HIT (GAPO’s emphasis) on the back of the heel of the shoe first.
Why do they land on the back of the heel of the shoe first?

10. As soon as the heel of ball/heel of the foot-you-are-putting-down touches, you immediately lift up the other knee.

Notice that the knee lift pulls the foot off the ground heel/ball.

Notice that as you place the foot down ball/heel and instantly lift up the other knee, there is no jarring or jamming or bouncing of the body up and down.

Notice that you don’t need to jump up.

Notice that you don’t need to move your upper body from side to side.

Notice that you don’t need to move your upper body forwards or backwards.

11. Get a cadence with your marching in place.

Lightly touch ball/heel.

Instantly lift up the other knee when the ball/heel of the other foot is grounded. The operational word and work here is: Instantly.

Advanced:

Get a cadence with your marching in place.

Lift the right knee up a 12 inches and the left knee just the normal two or three inches.

Place the right foot down so as to maintain the same cadence.

Make sure that the ball/heel landing is quiet.

You are putting the foot down as quietly as a cat.

You actively have to place the right foot down to keep cadence.

Bring the left knee up to normal quickly as the right ball/heel touches down.

The quicker you can bring up the opposite knee, the quieter you other foot lands.

Now do the same but lift up the left knee 12 inches and the right knee the two or three inches.

Cadence. Cadence. Cadence. Cadence. Cadence. Cadence. Cadence.

Knee up. Knee up. Knee up. Knee up. Knee up. Knee up. Knee up.

Ball/heel. Ball/heel. Ball/heel. Ball/heel. Ball/heel. Ball/heel. Ball/heel.

Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet.

Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet.

Did I say “Eyes on the horizon?!”

End of GAPOTORE 1.

by Austin “Ozzie” Gontang, Ph.D.

Maintainer, FAQ rec.running

Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975

by Austin “Ozzie” Gontang, Ph.D. (1998), Ball Heel Ball is the Correct Way to Run, mindfulness.com