Synopses & Reviews
Praise for the work of Peter Larson
"Larson presents a wealth of balanced info on the raging debate over proper running form and minimalist running shoes." —Erin Beresini, Outside Online
“Peter Larson is both a scientist and a realist when it comes to running shoes, and that's a good combination.” —Amby Burfoot, Peak Performance Blog, Runner's World
Humans evolved over the millennia to become one of the most exceptional distance-running species on Earth. So why are injuries so common? Are our shoes to blame, or is it a question of running form, training, or poor diet? In this groundbreaking book, Peter Larson and Bill Katovsky explore the reasons why runners experience injuries and offer potential solutions to the current epidemic of running-related injuries. Their findings, gleaned from research studies and conversations with leading footwear scientists, biomechanical experts, coaches, podiatrists, physical therapists, and competitive runners, are informative and enlightening. Topics include:
- How modern runners differ from their ancestors
- Why repetitive stress causes most injuries, and how runners can safely reduce their occurrence
- The pros and cons of barefoot running
- Why its time to move beyond the pronation-control paradigm with running shoes
- How certain running-form flaws might increase injury risk
- How footwear has evolved over the past 10,000 years
- The recreational runner
- Why running shoes are not inherently evil
Tread Lightly is a highly readable, multifaceted investigation of running—past and present, with a hopeful look to the future.
Review
"The must-have desktop book--like Born To Run on steroids--for runners interested in the subject matter. . . .Tread Lightly will definitely go on my most important bookshelf." Amby Burfoot, editor-at-large, Runner's World magazine, and winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon
Synopsis
Distance running is booming in this country. Marathons and half-marathons are selling out and interest in the sport is at an all-time high. Yet runners are still succumbing to foot and leg injuries at an alarming rate. Despite decades of technological innovation, running shoes are failing in their job of protecting runners.
Now there is a better way! By embracing simplicity runners have found that relief from pain and chronic injury comes from actually casting aside overbuilt running shoes and orthotic inserts in favor of more minimalist designs that allow the foot freedom to work as nature intended.
Runners in barefoot-style shoes feel reborn by running more naturally, much like early man did for millions of years. Picking up where the national bestseller, Born to Run, left off, the coauthors offer compelling evidence why this new minimalist approach to running is here to stay, and is not merely some passing fad. Based on interviews conducted with top running lab researchers, shoe experts, elite runners, and coaches, Tread Lightly is sure to be a groundbreaking book for all runners.
Synopsis
Praise for the work of Peter Larson
"Larson presents a wealth of balanced info on the raging debate over proper running form and minimalist running shoes." Erin Beresini, Outside Online
Peter Larson is both a scientist and a realist when it comes to running shoes, and that's a good combination. Amby Burfoot, Peak Performance Blog, Runner's World
Humans evolved over the millennia to become one of the most exceptional distance-running species on Earth. So why are injuries so common? Are our shoes to blame, or is it a question of running form, training, or poor diet? In this groundbreaking book, Peter Larson and Bill Katovsky explore the reasons why runners experience injuries and offer potential solutions to the current epidemic of running-related injuries. Their findings, gleaned from research studies and conversations with leading footwear scientists, biomechanical experts, coaches, podiatrists, physical therapists, and competitive runners, are informative and enlightening. Topics include:
- How modern runners differ from their ancestors
- Why repetitive stress causes most injuries, and how runners can safely reduce their occurrence
- The pros and cons of barefoot running
- Why it s time to move beyond the pronation-control paradigm with running shoes
- How certain running-form flaws might increase injury risk
- How footwear has evolved over the past 10,000 years
- The recreational runner
- Why running shoes are not inherently evil
Tread Lightlyis a highly readable, multifaceted investigation of running past and present, with a hopeful look to the future."
Synopsis
Evolution, footwear innovation, and the quest for injury-free running.
Synopsis
Form, footwear, and the quest for injury free running.
About the Author
Bill Katovsky, founder of Tri-Athlete Magazine, has completed the Hawaii Ironman twice and is coauthor of Embedded: The Media at War in Iraq, which won Harvard's Goldsmith Book Prize; and editor of 1,001 Pearls of Runners' Wisdom: Advice and Inspiration for the Open Road, as well as co-founder of the Natural Running Center.Dr. Peter Larson is an associate professor of biology at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. He is a Boston-qualifying marathon runner. His website, Runblogger, is recognized as a leading source for information on running shoe innovation and the science of running.