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Chris McDougall: I Never Meant To Start A Barefoot-Running Fad

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by Kevin Kirby, May 16, 2014.

  1. Peter

    Peter Well-Known Member

    Pretty poor that he has to throw around some stats showing there is less stuff to injure barefeet. I would hate to run barefooted where I live, roof nails, paper clips, tacks, fragments of glass, metal, the list is endless!
     
  2. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

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    ...because its full of misquoting, misinterpretation, misunderstanding and misuse of the research. The fan boys were gullible enough to fall for it and actually believe it.
    ....'burden of proof' fallacy.
    What scientific evidence is he talking about? What claims for running shoes are he talking about? The traditional running shoe manufactures never made any claims about the evidence..... I notice he never spoken out about the claims for the evidence that the minimalist manufacturers were making when their was none.
     
  3. William Fowler

    William Fowler Active Member

    I have seen a number of comments elsewhere along the lines of "disingenuous" to describe the comments by him
     
  4. JB1973

    JB1973 Active Member

    *beep beep beep*. Writer reversing. Writer reversing.

    Never read so much rubbish. He MIGHT not have intended to start it but boy did he fully embrace it. Now the brown stuff has hit the fan, it's " well it wasn't me. Big boy did it and ran away"
    And chariots of fire is a great film. Twat
    JB
     
  5. Wish he had not of defended it so strongly then.

    ps after the last 2 years any chance PA can get back to talking Biomechanics again ?
     
  6. blinda

    blinda MVP

    Yep, what he said. Might even encourage the old regulars to return.
     
  7. Mike:

    I think that some of the best discussions on biomechanics have come when individuals have asked questions that spark controversy.

    There is no reason why you, or anyone else, can't pose a question on Podiatry Arena to direct the discussion more toward topics you are particularly interested in. Is there??
     
  8. BEN-HUR

    BEN-HUR Well-Known Member

    Yes, that has been my feelings on this matter. Whilst aspects of the "Barefoot Running" issue have been at times a real pain in the rear end... I certainly think that we (or at least myself) have come through it all-the-wiser... helped us think outside the proverbial box &/or from a different perspective... help us rethink a few things &/or have strengthened our philosophy/theories due to the tests/questioning they've been subjected to over the past 8 - 10 years (particularly since 2009).


    Yes, I thought that was always the case for Podiatry Arena... then again, distractions pertaining to some aspects of the "Barefoot" issue may have been a drain on cognitive resources... not to mention time. There's that saying... "have to take the bad with the good" (or something like that).

    I don't know what it is about McDougall... but it seems nearly everything I read or see (i.e. YouTube) of his I don't resonate with. I've tried to be objective as possible relating to the guy (& his views) but I just don't gel with most that I've been exposed to. Besides, he can be downright rude... & hey... he's the one I see exhibiting evidently aggressive/antagonistic behaviour (i.e. aggressive language on YouTube & articles) on many occasions...

    I personally found the running scenes in the Rocky movies inspirational... running was an integral part of the character's training. Whilst Chariots of Fire could be regarded slow in parts (certainly not intended as a Rocky type movie)... these parts had a purpose & overall it was/is a great movie... certainly captured the spirit of running/competition. Besides, it was nominated for seven Academy Awards & won four, including Best Picture & Best Screenplay. I heard a rumour that there could be a "Born to Run" related movie coming out... I somehow doubt this will come anywhere close to such achievements.

    Yes, & McDougall was knuckle-walked down the (pseudoscientific) garden path in some areas... by an apparent Biomechanics inept evolutionary anthropologist in the form of Daniel Lieberman.

    Anyway, I don't need a 'theological' (i.e. evolution – so deemed "academic") reason to persuade me that running is "fun" & why it is "fun"... all things can potentially have their fun & not-so-fun moments... varies from person to person... & from time to time.

    Be inspired to run & give it a go – watch Rocky or Chariots of Fire :rolleyes:... &... "Just Do it" (thanks Nike ;)).

    It seems McDougall is now taking a back step on the evangelistic fervour of the barefoot doctrine. At the time, possibly carried away by the fame of his book & the "quirky fad" that ensued (hey, we're all human). No doubt now because the empirical science has now caused the pendulum to swing back to a more neutral/logical position... science has a tendency to do that to fads (some earlier than others :rolleyes:). Anyway, the following seems to be a more neutral attitude on the subject...

    Don’t recall McDougall espousing such a conservative (middle-of-the-road) take back a few years ago.
     
  9. Here's my take on all of this:

    1. Chris McDougall writes this book, "Born to Run", by cherry picking all the scientific literature that supports his theory that barefoot and minimalist shoes are good and thick soled shoes are bad, interviewing only those researchers/people that support his view (Dan Lieberman and Irene Davis), and twisting the truth that he saw before him into something that would be more convincing and entertaining to the general public and sell more books. He accomplished this goal.

    2. Chris McDougall becomes famous as he rides the barefoot/minimalist running fad, getting interviewed by magazines, journalists, television shows and making a name for himself, continually touting the idea that barefoot running is "natural" and that running in thin-soled shoes is better than running in thicker soled shoes.

    3. Unfortunately, for Chris McDougall, the scientific evidence starts piling up that all he said in his book is, just as many of us knew, was poppycock. His beloved Vibram FiveFingers shoes starts being sold on the clearance aisle at the shoe stores and the Vibram gets hit with a 3.75 million dollar class action lawsuit. In addition, the most talked about and exciting shoe to hit the running shoe market, the Hoka One One, is exactly the type of thick-soled cushioned shoe he said was bad for runners.

    4. Chris McDougall, realizing that he may be rapidly approaching the end of his "15 minutes of fame" of his life, starts to backpedal saying things like "I never meant to start a barefoot running fad" in a vain attempt to try to convince others he wasn't responsible for people getting injured by selling them the lies and half-truths from his book, "Born to Run" which repeatedly emphasized the message that barefoot and minimalist running was more natural and, or course, better, than running in thicker soled shoes.

    5. Chris McDougall, in fear that his income may revert back to his pre- "Born to Run" days, feverishly tries to find some other subject he can cherry-pick, twist the truth and write a book about since he realizes that his barefoot running fad he started is rapidly ending.

    6. Agonizingly, Chris McDougall solemnly starts to realize that that he will likely be known only as one of those "one hit wonders", fading into the same obscurity that he had before "Born to Run" was published. He puts on his thick-soled running shoes, and goes for a long run.:cool::craig::bang:
     
  10. toomoon

    toomoon Well-Known Member

    I thought Dr. Nick posed an interesting question in his magnificent diatribe on Podiatry Today.. it was.."should Chris McDougall also be sued"?
    I think a fairly strong case could be put that yes.. maybe he should.. along with a few others who peddled information that injured people, even after it became clear this was the case. Kinda like continuing to surgically implant faulty hip prostheses even after it has be proved they would cause injury?
     
  11. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

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    SImon; you and I are restricted by our registration with AHPRA when in social media to
    ..and a whole range of other obligations. Break those, then we are subjected to sanction and in the worst case, being struck off .... its shame that others are not held to the same standard.
     
  12. David Wedemeyer

    David Wedemeyer Well-Known Member

    The rats are abandoning the sinking ship :sinking:
     
  13. Dr. Steven King

    Dr. Steven King Well-Known Member

    Aloha Peter,
    I think we have a reasonable solution for you if you are interested.

    When will the minimalism market revert to true maximalism of maximizing stability, protection, energy return??


    "There is no reason why you, or anyone else, can't pose a question on Podiatry Arena to direct the discussion more toward topics you are particularly interested in. Is there??" Yes, if there is an angry podiatrist limiting the discussion...

    Born to Run Faster,
    Steve
     
  14. Phil3600

    Phil3600 Active Member

    Some pretty colourful language in the interview and he calls Kevin angry...

    No decent running books? He hasn't searched hard enough and obviously hasn't read Jim Thompson's biography. I would presume he's read Gordon Pirie's Run Fast and Injury Free as it's essentially Born to Run without the Mexicans.
     
  15. BEN-HUR

    BEN-HUR Well-Known Member

    Yea, well... as far as I'm concerned, this here is the best Born to Run book... & it came out well before McDougall's book...

    Sebastian Coe: Born to Run : The Authorized Life in Athletics:
    [​IMG]

    Then there is the Born to Run 'movie' (not really a "movie" mind you - more a documentary)... but great viewing. Coe is by far a more classy & interesting athlete to read & watch than some ultra distance hackers in the form of a journalist (come again jogger) & some "mysterious" (journalist's language) Mexican tribesman (but then, that's just my view)...



    Speaking of movie & Sebastian Coe... I believe there is a movie coming out...

    Lord Sebastian Coe Not Happy With Daniel Radcliffe Casting?

    In fact the above is not quite true... Ovett won the 800m (Coe's best/favourite at the time) & Coe won the 1500m (Ovett's best/favourite at the time) at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

    Anyway, have to agree with him - Daniel Radcliffe is not suitable - looks different... not only that - Coe had a running style... some say it was "poetry in motion"... I say it looked pretty darn good & was exciting to watch... you just can't act that sort of movement/style (you need a history of conditioning & track running behind you). Yet, it is important because it what made Coe - Coe (not just winning performances & fast times)...

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 22, 2016
  16. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

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    Here is a video of the launch of Chris McDougals new book, 'Natural Born Heros'.

    The start of the video is worth watching for the whinging:

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 22, 2016
  17. toomoon

    toomoon Well-Known Member

    Is that introduction by Galahad Clark?
     
  18. toomoon

    toomoon Well-Known Member

    God.. I am sooooo sorry i took the time to watch that.. what a bunch of weiners
     
  19. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

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    I did say only the first bit was worth listening too.

    It was interesting that they claimed what an awful job they have done getting the message out evidenced by the London marathon ... maybe, just maybe that they were wrong and runners have wised up to the rhetoric and propaganda and it was nothing to do with doing an "awful job"!

    My understanding is the Vivobarefoot only sell ~350 000 pairs of shoes a yr; that is only a blip on the radar in comparison to Hoka's et al.
     
  20. Chris McDougall - a legend in his own mind

    New book? "Born to Squat with a Goat on your Shoulders...."
     
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