Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Altra Footwear and the Freedom of the Run


Confession time: I'm not a runner by nature.  I'm more fish than gazelle, more porpoise than cheetah.  Traditionally, I've always been far more comfortable in large bodies of chlorinated water than I have been on any track or run course.

Granted, running has always been part of my training regimen, and I always used it as a component of my cardio routines.  Yet the reality was that every time I tried to embark upon a lengthy run program, my body would tap out a few weeks in.  Without fail, my knees and lower back would succumb to increased pressure and pain.  The shin splits would kick in, and the distance running would come to a crashing halt.  


I wasn't built for running.  My knees weren't built for long miles across the asphalt.  My long lenky frame was better suited for a life of almost any athletic endeavor outside of running.  At least that's what I told myself.

Then, two years ago, I stumbled upon 
ALTRA Footwear and the concept of Zero Drop Footwear, and all of my preconceived notions of running melted away.  

To understand ALTRA  it helps to understand the "minimalist run movement" that has firmly grabbed hold of the running world.  At the crux of the movement is the notion that the foot can do a better job at self-stabilizing and balancing the weight of the body when it can move freely and is allowed more, relatively unencumbered, natural contact with the ground than when it’s in a shoe that is thickly cushioned or overly correcting by design.

Unlike traditional overbuilt running shoes, the "zero drop" footwear by ALTRA is built on a 1-to-1 ratio meaning that the heel and forefoot are the same heights off the ground.  This encourages a more natural stride allowing the runner to land on the midfoot or forefoot -- the way Mother Nature originally intended.  Their shoes do this all while offering cushioning and protection.

In my own experience, the results have been dramatic.  Gone are the days of suffering through shin splits, weary knees and a tight lower back.  Gone are the short mile runs followed by long sessions of ice packs.  The pain and frustration of running has been replaced with new goals, new challenges, and a passion for the running experience.     

And this is why I'm honored to be an ALTRA Ambassador for 2013.  I believe that the ALTRA family is fostering a revolution of better running techniques through a line-up of footwear  that mimics the natural shape and heel-to-toe ratio of the foot thereby allowing the body to run more naturally, more efficiently.  It's a revolution that's changing the way people everywhere view the running experience, and it's a revolution I look forward to sharing in the year to come. 








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