Forgotten Roots

Since the invention of the automobile the modern world has been covered by an inflexible, unforgiving, and unnatural blanket of concrete to accommodate the machines needs. When this happened people began to ignore the evolutionary tool that had literally carried them through history until then: they had forgotten about their legs. There is a tribe located in the Copper Canyons of Mexico known as the Tarahumara, or The Running People. Unaffected by expansion and modernization, the people of the Copper Canyons do not tread on asphalt roads or concrete floors; they walk on what our feet were designed to walk on, earth. The Tarahumara tribe did not earn the name The Running People for nothing; they are considered the greatest distance runners of all time, holding annual races against neighboring tribes that last forty-eight hours and cover 435 miles. Masters of mind, body, and soul, the Tarahumara do not suffer from crippling running injuries, or heart disease, obesity, war, depression, high blood pressure, etc. So what is their secret? The lifestyle and running techniques of the Tarahumara tribe are ideal but arduous for the modern day long distance runner. The lifestyle of the tribe includes a lean, low-calorie diet, a respect for nature, and the ability to find the joy of running. The running techniques include a fast cadence that flows smoothly and lightly and running barefoot or with minimal covering. Unfortunately in todays world it has become very difficult to follow the ways of the Tarahumara. Technology has changed our

environment for convenience. The human body has not had enough time to adapt to this new world and it is causing serious damage to our health. The human race has survived so long because of the ability to consume a spectrum of food. During the Ice Age the burly Homo sapiens thrived because of their stocky, muscular build that could trap large prey in a corner and kill it with brute force. There was a paucity of vegetation so the early humans diets were dependent upon animal protein and fat to stay alive. Once the Ice Age began to melt away the deep valleys of snow became open, barren plains baked in sun. Without glaciers to trap woolly mammoths, the Homo sapiens were replaced by the scrawny and sinewy Homo erectus. These new bipeds seemed like the endoskeletons of their predecessors but had an evolutionary ability that put them on top. The ability to run is what put the Homo erectus on the evolutionary map. The skinny and scrappy humanoids could not run fast, but they could run longer and farther than all of their prey. The animals that lived on the plains were similar to todays plain animals like the, gazelle, springbuck rams, zebra, etc., who are all quick and agile to evade fast hunters like lions and cheetahs but are not designed to run long distances. The advantage the early humans had on these animals wasnt strength or speed, but cooling. Animals on all fours like gazelles for instance cannot sweat; they expel heat out of their mouths and because of their running form they can only stride once per breath. Humans have millions of sweat glands all over their bodies

that constantly cool them and because they run upright they can stride several times per breath allowing even more cooling. In times of need or when the opportunity came about the Homo erectus would literally run an animal to death, killing them with heat exhaustion. Clearly to run an animal to death would require a large amount of energy so it was done as a survival technique to fall back upon when foraging for vegetation was unsuccessful. It is likely that early Homo erectus straddled the carnivore and herbivore nichesDry season scavenging and wet season foraging may have created a highly flexible adaptive niche for early hominids. This probably provided early Homo erectus with a distinct advantage as different types of hominids competed with each other for survival. (Early Homo) The Tarahumara follow a similar diet. Primarily eating corn and beans, the running people reserve lean meats for special occasions or when the situation demands for the extra fat and calories. This low-calorie diet keeps the running people slender and light, allowing them to travel lightly and smoothly up and down the trails of the Copper Canyons. A runner in good condition weighs not more than two pounds per inch of height. (Fixx) This may be surprising but every pound adds up. Not long ago Runners World published an article showing what extra weight does to running times. One example given was a 161-pound runner who had finished a marathon in 3:13:01. The runner reduced his weight to 147. With no other

changes in his training, he finished his next marathon in 3:04:25. In other words, every extra pound costs some twothirds of a minute.(Fixx) Today in the modern world we are bombarded by countless commercials advertising cheap, high calorie foods, for example fast food, restaurant chains, TV dinners, etc. In the current markets it is more expensive to buy healthy organic fruits and vegetables and less to buy cheap food or a Happy Meal. Our culture would scoff at the low-calorie diet as something only a poor man would eat and label it unhealthy. The truth is that our bodies are designed to run on a low-calorie diet. Wisconsin researchers reported yesterday that rhesus monkeys on a low-calorie diet live longer and healthier lives, a finding two decades in the making that suggests such diets might slow aging in people, too.(Johnson) It is true that humans are able to consume both meat and vegetables but they are not built to eat animals as a primary source of food and only use fruits and veggies as a side dish, but instead just the opposite. Humans no longer need to kill animals to survive; there is no need to consume meat or animal products when vegetation is in abundance. The Tarahumara eat low-calorie meals and eat meat sparingly. Their health and fitness is undeniably remarkable when they can run such incredible distances at the ripe old age of sixty-five and have never suffered from heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, or obesity. Why dont other people follow this diet? It isnt

followed because it is not widely accepted and our environment has been designed for convenience and ease. Consequently convenience has detached man from nature. To meet the demands of the modern world, produce can no longer be grown the natural way, animals are raised in factories, and forests are clear cut to make way for industry. Traveling by foot or horse became obsolete when the car was invented. Soon concrete roads choked the ground and the exhaust from cars clogged the air. Humans have recently made massive changes in the environment. By comparison, society's impact on the concentration of greenhouse gases during the last 150 years has already enhanced the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere by an amount equivalent to the glacialinterglacial CO2increases, documented in the Vostok report, ice-core records described above. (Palais) The glacial-interglacial CO2 concentration the Palais article referred to had been accumulated over 420,000 years. These changes are severely affecting the environment in a negative way by causing climate change and an imbalance in the natural cycles. By having respect for nature distance runners will become advocates of keeping the planet healthy. Breathing clean air is crucial for running, and eating organic food provides optimum nutrition required to refuel a runner. An unhealthy environment produces unhealthy and dispirited runners. Running is what humans were made for; it is what brought tribes together and what people do when times are tough. Three times distance running has seen three booms in popularity, all that occurred during national crisis, the great

depression (marathons), Vietnam, 911 (trail running) (McDougall) The Tarahumara have a clear respect for nature by producing zero carbon emissions and they grow their own food by hand. They do not know the meaning of convenience because if they want something they have to either grow it or use man power to do it. Runners in developed countries have to battle corporate greed and modernization if they want to live in a green environment like the Running People and will only continue to suffer from the adverse effects of the modernized world until they demand change. The benefits of running are not only apparent physically but mentally as well. Dr. Kostrubala published the first use of an aerobic activity, such as running, for the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression (Kostrubala). A theory was developed by Kostrubala known as Paleoanalysis that discussed the mental benefits of running as a therapy and the M.D went on to write the book The Joy of Running which further supported the positive effects of running. The Tarahumara tribe are one of the most peaceful and stress-free groups of people on earth and they find running to be extremely joyful, the same way the modern distance runner should find running joyful. There are too many people who find running to be a punishment and something to be avoided. Running connects our brain with our body to complete mile after mile, and during the connection there is a state of understanding oneself and others. For example, Susan has had a fight with her mom about whether or not she can go out Saturday night with friends. Overwhelmed by the emotional stress of the argument, Susan decides to

leave immediately for a run. At first the only thing she can think about is how wrong and stupid her mother is and how much she hates her. Exhausted emotionally, the negative thoughts begin to ebb away and she becomes aware of the wind against her face and her feet pounding away. A cardinal in a distant bower sings and she notices the beautiful blue skies overhead. Suddenly Susan isnt so angry anymore; the run continues and lulls her into a peaceful, smooth rhythm. As she approaches her house she thinks about her mom and realizes how ridiculous their fight was and decides to compromise. When she enters and apologizes to her mother Susan feels grateful to have someone who loves and cares for her and a smile creeps across her face. Susan has discovered the medicinal properties of running and is filled with joy. There are people who have not found the joy of running and yet they run very frequently. They tend to be robotic, tense, and unhappy while they pound out mile after mile, never taking a moment to become aware of the air entering and exiting their lungs, or the beautiful painting the sunset has etched across the sky. Restricted by their running watches and mile splits, the robot runners will never truly understand why they run and end up wasting their time. In the highly competitive and stressful modern world it is understandable for people to forget why they run. In the Copper Canyons no one wears a running watch, ESPN isnt going to be covering the next race, and there is no prize money. They run because it is part of their way of life. In America many athletes compete competitively for money or glory. They find themselves wrapped up in the demands of the

sport, constantly glaring at their watches to make sure they are hitting their times, and leave fun out of the picture. The modern day distance runner has trouble finding the joy of running because his environment tells him it doesnt matter how much fun you have, but how much money you can make. The best distance athletes lead a healthy lifestyle that strengthens their mind and body, and utilizes proper running techniques so masterfully it could be considered an art form. The perfect candidates are the Tarahumara runners. The Tarahumara run with a completely different running style than those who have grown up and trained upon concrete. Running barefoot forces the body to run the way it was designed to run. Imagine it is a hot summer day. The June bugs are humming and the birds are chirping happily. You are watching the kids play in the sprinkler on the front lawn as you recline with your shoes off on a lawn chair positioned in the driveway, your nose nuzzled in a captivating novel. You look up and realize your three year old is chasing after a ball that has rolled onto a busy street and a Hummer is on a crash course with your baby. The way you run to your child across the pavement is how you are meant to run. Your feet land almost on your toes, knees pumping up and down, and your legs scratching away underneath your hips. This is the way the Tarahumara run. Without shoes to cushion their heels, the Running People must run on the fleshy midsole and balls of

their toes. This causes a short stride with a fast cadence that is great for scrambling up sides of mountains and efficiently expending energy over long distances. Because the foot is landing upon a greater surface area there is an equal distribution of force throughout the foot and leg. In contrast the heel provides a small area which does not absorb impact well. "Most runners, when they land and they heel-strike they land on their heel they generate this sudden impulse, this sharp spike of force. So it's like someone hitting you on the heel with a hammer, about 1 1/2 to 3 times your body weight," Dr. Lieberman says.(Joyce) Dr. Lieberman has conducted studies on the force generated by running barefoot. So by landing on the heel and sending up to three times your body weight through your leg you put vulnerable areas such as the ankles, knees, hips, and lower back in jeopardy. Instead of swinging your foot in front, groping for the next stride, barefoot running keeps your feet beneath your center of gravity.With the foot landing beneath the body, the knee is slightly bent and better able to absorb impact shock. This is easier on the knees," says John F. Connors, DPM, a sports podiatrist whose client base includes Olympic runners from all over the world barefoot running has efficiency advantages. Branded schools of thought like the Pose Method and Chi Running claim that running with a short stride and faster cadence lets you run with less energy expenditure. (Rognli)

The Pose Method and Chi Running styles closely resemble the Tarahumara style; in fact they are arguably the same. Unfortunately heel striking and over striding is taught and practiced in the modern world of running due to the extra padding the running shoe provides the heel to compensate for the concrete in which the runner is pounding upon. The depths of the Copper Canyons have secluded the Running People from the propaganda of products, the damaging effects of concrete, and all of the modern fads that come with running. They have been running the same way their fathers ran, and their fathers, and so on for centuries. The Tarahumara do not wear running shoes; they run barefoot or with homemade, thin sandals. The terrain of the canyons is covered with rocky and precarious trails that push travelers to the edge of oblivion. The Tarahumara scurry up these raw trails, over stones, through rivers, and dangerously descend on the other side without misplacing a single step. To any American just the thought of traveling the way the running people do every day is enough to make their feet writhe in agony. However, that is exactly what our feet were designed to do. The feet are arguably the most resistant, useful, and sensitive body parts humans have. The foot withstands tremendous force with every stride. Weyand and Davis measured how hard runners hit the surface of a treadmill at different running speeds. Men and women alike hit with forces of about one-and-a-half times their body weight at slower speeds and with as much as two-and-a-half times their body weight at a sprint. (Evans) As for their usefulness, feet are an irreplaceable part of everyday life. Except for a few, everyone uses their feet every single day, from walking to work to running an ultra marathon; people wouldnt go very far without using their feet. Next to the face and hands, the feet are one of the most sensitive parts of the body. There are as many nerve endings on the bottom of the foot as there are on the face. This became

very helpful for the early humans who demanded immediate information from their feet to their brains about the terrain they traveled on and how to adapt to the constantly changing environment. So why do people wear shoes? To put a shoe on a foot is like putting a person in a coffin; cramped, blinded, and detached from the world the feet suffer day after day in the solitary confinement. The reason people wear shoes is profit and their environment. The automobiles success created the demand for more paved roads to drive upon. To meet the rising demands, companies continued to pave roads and sell more cars. At an alarming rate the composition of the ground in which humans had tread was changing into an unforgiving, hard, lifeless material. It didnt take long for people to realize that traveling on foot was becoming difficult. The cars seemed to push people off the road or forced them to walk/run on it. Anyone who has tried to run barefoot on asphalt knows how uncomfortable and dangerous it can be. However, humans were born to run, and asphalt isnt going to stop people from doing what they were meant to do. So Nike came up with the idea of a running shoe. The first running shoes were made with a waffle iron in the basement of the University of Oregons track coach Bill Bowerman. Soon the shoes changed to have a padded heel. This design was created through the idea that by landing on the heel the stride would lengthen and cover more ground faster. But humans were not designed to run on their heels, thats why running heel-to-toe barefoot is so painful, the heel isnt designed to take that kind of impact.

Dr Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological anthropology at Harvard University, has been studying the growing injury crisis in the developed world for some time and has come to a startling conclusion: 'A lot of foot and knee injuries currently plaguing us are caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to over-pronate (ankle rotation) and give us knee problems. 'Until 1972, when the modern athletic shoe was invented, people ran in very thin-soled shoes, had strong feet and had a much lower incidence of knee injuries.' (McDougall) Running shoes made by Nike and other major companies all claim to be safeguards for your feet, but do they know that their products are actually hurting runners? In fact yes they do. Nike has come out with a new line of athletic shoe known as the Nike Free, its slogan, Run Barefoot. The company that started by making running shoes has come full circle and is now making shoes that simulate not wearing shoes. Now these new lightweight shoes are about eighty-five dollars at retail price and need to be replaced about every three months. Their purpose is to feel like the runner is not wearing shoes. The hypocrisy is blatant. Heres a free solution that has been proven to not cause injury, make you more agile and light, improve your stride, produces no carbon emissions, doesnt promote child slavery or outsourcing jobs, and youre born with them; run barefoot. So why dont people run barefoot? It all comes back to money. The enormous automobile

industry is most likely not going to stop paving roads as long as there are people to buy and drive cars. People are not going to run on asphalt barefoot, there is broken glass, pot holes, and speeding 3,000 pound missiles to dodge. It is simply not safe. The athletic shoe industry is absolutely massive. These huge companies can afford tons of media to bombard the world with news of how beneficial and necessary it is to have their most expensive shoe. Even as the correlation between the rate of running injuries and the price of the running shoe climbs the companies are still assuring their loyal customers that to run without their product is not an option. Why should these large companies care? Even though their products are causing s 65-80% of all runners worldwide to receive at least one injury annually they are still making huge profits (McDougall). Now imagine a place where people run injury free, they enjoy running, and they eat healthy. This has been achieved in the Copper Canyons by the Tarahumara who run without modern athletic shoes. Dr. Lieberman speculates that without running shoes there would be more people running because of fewer injuries. With more people running there would be less heart disease, hypertension, and most other deadly ailments of the modern Western world. So why cant the modern distance runner imitate the minimal running of the Tarahumara? It sounds simple enough, just take off the shoes right? Wrong, well at least here in America and in other developed countries. In a personal interview with Dr. Robert Levine of the Florida Biomechanics Group, I asked the same question, What do you think about

barefoot running? His response, Big mistake, absolutely not, you are going to hurt yourself. Levine has been a podiatrist for twenty five years and has specialized in foot biomechanics for fifteen years. He has developed a new way of setting foot orthotics that promote correct foot posture to help eliminate running injury and improve performance. But why are orthotics even necessary when humans have been running without orthotics and shoes all together for so long? The reason is because of the environment in which modern people run on does not allow people to run barefoot. The human body did not evolve to walk on flat surfaces (Levine). The constant flat surface that asphalt produces demands a perfect form. Any imbalance, even a small offset, over an extended period of time will cause wear and tear on the body. That is why most people who ran competitively as young adults are most likely riddled with crippling back, knee, and hip injuries that require life altering surgeries when they are as young as forty-five. The Winnacunnet High School Track and Field boys team head coach Jerome Damren is living evidence of this tragedy. Damren ran competitively through high school and college and continued to run to stay in shape. He once went three years without missing a single day of running, thats 1095 days of running. Today Jerome has two knees manufactured out of metal. Although restricted to walking, the surgery hasnt slowed Damren from coaching the sport he loves. But are the athletes he trains destined for the same fate? Unfortunately it seems that nearly everyone who runs today is headed down the same path to the operation table. Why is it that the

running people of Mexico have never even seen an operating room? The Tarahumara not only run farther than my track coach, but their legs last longer. So why is it that Damren who ran less, wore protective running shoes, and ran on safe, sturdy concrete is the one who has to replace his knees when these tribal men run much more, with little protection, no strategy, and on nightmarish terrain? It is because the environment in which the Tarahumara run on is what humans were naturally designed to run on. The environment in which the modern world runs on is simply not what humans were meant to run on. The trails of the Copper Canyons are as unpredictable as New England weather. To save oneself from careening off a ledge or breaking an ankle on a steep descent he must always be able to change the position of his foot at a moments notice. By growing up running in this environment the tribal men and women have strengthened all of the imbalances of their running form and bone structure. Their feet pronate freely to maneuver around rocks, their imperfect bone structure allows them to flow with the changing surfaces, and by striding lightly on the fleshy midsole of their foot they can evade danger with grace. It is natural for humans to run with imbalances, they evolved walking upon an imbalanced surface. But with the invention of the automobile people are being thrust into a world where imperfections are not accepted. Your great-great grandparents never stepped on concrete. And while I am not trying to say that life before concrete was grand, I am trying to point out that there has never been such a profound evolutionary

change. (Levine). Humans havent had enough time to adapt to this new environment and the ramifications are clear when four out of five people are injured every year running in a developed country covered in concrete and tribes like the Tarahumara who have never walked on concrete have never had a single knee replacement in their entire history. In the end, the modern day distance runner cannot run barefoot or with minimal covering unless they can remove themselves from concrete entirely. The solution, Dr. Robert Levine suggests, is by correcting our natural imbalances with orthotics which hold our feet in a position that will strengthen our muscles to hold the feet in proper form to eliminate the wear and tear upon the bones and joints. The Tarahumara live a lifestyle that is the paragon of health with a flawless medical history. They eat a lean, low-calorie diet which keeps them light, fast, and promotes longevity. They respect nature and work together with the earth to live in harmony. The running people find the joy in running, and free themselves from the pressures of the modern world. Their running techniques are time and time again supported by scientific data and a reputation to be the worlds best long distance runners. The modern day runner has great difficulty following the Tarahumara way because of his environment. The automobile brought about the biggest change in the way we run today by introducing our feet to concrete whose lifeless surface demands perfection from an imperfect species. It is true that humans were born to run barefoot, however they cannot because of modernization, and it is causing permanent damage. Corporate greed restrains runners from

learning the truth about their products harmful side effects. Money, pride, and glory clouds modern runners from the real reason they run. Coaches continue to teach their athletes to run heel-to-toe and to keep replacing their training shoes for the next model, which in the end only guides them to an operating table. The media saturates athletes in advertisements, brain washing them to drink this sport drink and to follow that diet. Travel by the use of machines that use dirty fuel continues to grow worldwide, adding to the ever increasing levels of pollution that chokes the Earth and throws wrenches in the natural cycle of life. It is up to the people of the developed countries to make the right choices for a healthier future. They need to choose to eat a healthy diet that doesnt pollute the environment with pesticides or clear cuts forests for grazing. They need to demand a place to run where it is safe, for example public trails or parks to exercise in. Feet have literally carried man through all of the disasters and triumphs of history and for too long have been cruelly neglected. The time has come for people to care about their forgotten roots. The Tarahumara have set the example; its time for us to follow it, for not only ourselves, but for the planet as well.

Works Cited

"Early Homo and Homo Erectus." Maricopa. Ed. Maricopa. Maricopa, 2008. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. <http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/origins/hominid_journey/earl y_homo.html>.

Evans, Jennifer. "Running Speed Linked to Body Mass." Rice University | News & Media. 28 July 2005. Web. 02 May 2010. <http://www.media.rice.edu>. Fixx, James F. "Getting Thin." The Complete Book of Running. New York: Random House, 1977. 77. Print. Johnson, Carolyn Y. "Study of Fellow Primates Stirs Hope for Humans." The Boston Globe. The Boston Globe, July-Aug. 2009. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. <http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/10/st udy_of_fellow_primates_stirs_health_hope_for_humans/>. Joyce, Christopher. "Study: Humans Were Born To Run Barefoot." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 27 Jan. 2010. Web. 02 May 2010. <http://www.npr.org>. Kostrubala, Thaddeus. "The Joy of Running." Thaddeus Kostrubala, M.D. Welcome. Summer 2007. Web. 02 May 2010. <http://www.kostrubala.com>. Levine, Robert. "Interview a Podiatrist." Personal interview. 1 Apr. 2010.

McDougall, Christopher. Born to Run: a Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Print.

McDougall, Christopher. "The Painful Truth about Trainers: Are Running Shoes a Waste of Money? Read More: Http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painfultruth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-wastemoney.html#ixzz0mpMEkBL9." Home | Mail Online. 19 Apr. 2009. Web. 02 May 2010. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk>. Palais, Julie. "CO2 and Temperature over the Last 420,000 Years: Present and Projected Climate Changes in Perspective." USGCRP. USGCRP, 30 Sept. 1999. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. <http:/http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/seminars/990923FO.html>. Rognli, Pete. "Sole Power - Can Everyone Benefit from Running Barefoot?" Trail Runner: One Dirty Magazine. Sept. 2007. Web. 02 May 2010. <http://www.trailrunnermag.com>.