Born to run - Tarahumara, Barefoot running, POSE method, Chi running, Egoscue...

[PaleoPhil]

Jicama is from S. America, not Africa, I believe. Whether it's beneficial or not for anyone, I don't know. The African tubers have names I doubt I could pronounce, much less remember, and I've never seen them sold in the USA. This is one reason why I'm skeptical of the claim that I've seen some make that eating lots of cooked tubers is optimally healthy for everyone because African Stone Agers ate them. Maybe it's true, maybe not, but modern American tubers are not exactly equivalent to Stone Age African tubers, so it isn't proven.

When experimenting I recommend testing one new food at a time and recording your results. Be aware that negative symptoms don't necessarily show up within minutes or hours or even days.

[Projectile Vomit]

Since most of us don't live in Africa, I wonder if we should be exploring what tubers are edible raw where we live?  I am particularly interested in wild edibles, and eat fair amounts of jerusalem artichoke, burdock root, dandelion root, wild carrot, cattail, and curly dock.  That said, plant foods more generally or roots/tubers specifically never make up the majority of my diet, either by mass or by calories.

[PaleoPhil]

That's what I've basically been doing with jicama, a South American tuber that's edible raw, but there's no guarantee that it will be as healthful as African raw tubers, even assuming the latter are healthful. "Indian potato" grows in North America. Most reports say it must be cooked
(http://www.survivaliq.com/survival/edible-and-medicinal-plants-indian-potato-or-eskimo-potato.htm), but I came across one that said it could be eaten raw without being lethally poisonous, which isn't much comfort. Don't know much about it.

[Ioanna]

"The Running Man could get a load of meat by running, but they couldn't run with a belly load of meat, so most of the time they carbo-loaded on roots and fruits, saving the antelope chops for special, calorie-boosting occasions. Everyone scavenged together... but... [the Running Man was] more likely to dine on grubs than wild game."

i'd definitely rather run with a little bit of meat in my stomach than carb-loaded on roots and fruits... that's if i ate, i'd otherwise prefer to run wo anything in belly probably.

[wodgina]

Went for a two hour run yesterday after not eating all day, about 3/4's of the way through thought, I can't wait to get home and tuck into some meat. That's what I craved.


I'm planning on doing runs upto three hours, I think you get a better perspective on everything including diet, barefoot running and life while doing a long run. I was watching the kangaroos scatter as a ran past and couldn't imagine being able to chase one down their speed and agility is amazing.

[zeno]

After reading Born to Run, I've been going on long aimless jogs or walks, ending up beneath a tree and napping before heading home. 

Imitating correct running technique sure does work out the calves compared to running heel to toe.

[Projectile Vomit]

I can probably run for a bit over an hour, and do enjoy doing these longer runs too.  I run barefoot (actually barefoot, not "barefoot" wearing minimalist shoes or Vibram FiveFingers) and my feet are still in the re-strengthening phase, so I can't go quite as long as I'd like before my form starts to suffer.  I'll keep at it though, and I trust that my feet's strength will improve and I'll eventually reach the 2 and 3 hour marks, and longer.

I echo Ioanna's preference to run on a completely empty stomach.  I purposely run in the morning, since I usually don't eat until 11:00 or 12:00.  I get to run on an empty stomach, then load up on calories with a mix of raw honey and raw bone marrow before filling up with a 0.5 kg of meat or so.  I usually drink a liter or two of water while running, or immediately after.  I've found this to be a great wake-up routine.

[goodsamaritan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnwIKZhrdt4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnwIKZhrdt4

The Tarahumara - A Hidden Tribe of Superathletes Born to Run

Uploaded on Jun 4, 2010
Nestled in northern Mexico and the canyons of the Sierra Madre Occidental is a small tribe of indigenous people known as the Tarahumara. They call themselves Rarámuri, loosely translated as "running people," "foot-runner," "swift of foot," or "he who walks well." They are known for evading the Spanish conquerors in the sixteenth century and keeping their cave-dwelling culture alive and secluded. They are also known for their long distance running and their superior health, not displaying the common health issues of "modern" societies.

A recent National Geographic study (Nov. 2008) states: "When it comes to the top 10 health risks facing American men, the Tarahumara are practically immortal: Their incidence rate is at or near zero in just about every category, including diabetes, vascular disease, and colorectal cancer...Plus, their supernatural invulnerability isn't just limited to their bodies; the Tarahumara have mastered the secret of happiness as well, living as benignly as bodhisattvas in a world free of theft, murder, suicide, and cruelty."

So what is the Tarahumara story and what can we learn from them? How can we use their history as an example for our own primal living? For some they may not be an example of what is considered primal, but they are one of the closest we can find in today's world.

http://liveprimal.com/2009/07/tarahumara-the-running-people/

[TylerDurden]

Ah, the absurd Noble Savage theory all over again! I should add that Tarahumarans do indeed commit murder and theft etc.:-

"Social Control. Social control is achieved informally through shunning, gossip, and scolding. The pueblo's political officials, sometimes joined by local ejido and Mexican-government authorities, hold formai trials in cases of assault, theft, failure to pay debts, and spouse desertion, punishing offenders by scolding, fining, or jailing them. People who commit more serious crimes (e.g., murder) are turned over to government officials for trial and punishment." taken from:-

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tarahumara.aspx

[fanbrits]

I used to be a sprinter, and I will tell you that once you reach certain speeds, tip toe is the fastest and most efficient way of moving.  I'm sure that some long dist runners can sustain these speeds.  But just jogging, yeah, heel-to-toe may be acceptable.