To our ancestors, running after things or running away from things was an almost everyday challenge.
Does the popular saying go “Watch TV for your life” or “Wiggle on your WiiFit for your life”? No. It clearly says “RUN for your life“.
Even though running has turned into a pure option that sounds like torture to the average Zoo human (like most other natural movement capacities), or into highly specialized and competitive sport that a billion dollars sport shoe industry can enormously benefit from, running remains a tremendously primal skill.
Of all natural capacities of movement in humans, running is certainly the most vital one.
No wonder all young kids from around the world intensely enjoy to run, playfully chasing and escaping from each others. It is in our genes. It is universal.
So “born to run”…like a hamster in a wheel?
Why is it that running should be lowered to a pathetic, self-inflicted calorie burning punishment for being too fat?
If you narrow it down to a “cardio work out”, you will never really get what running is about. It is about heart indeed, but not just this way. It is about being heartily alive and enjoying your ability to move free and connect with the natural world around. It is about exploring new horizons, including new horizons within yourself.
Instead of being overly mechanical and predictable, running should be exploratory and adaptive.
Rediscover running. Relearn about your true nature. Go for variety. Variety of itineraries, pace, distance, terrains or weather conditions.
Refresh your perception. Run free.
By Erwan Le Corre
Founder of MovNat and Master Instructor
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I really appreciate everything you have shown me so far. It has truely been an awakening. I just wanted to thank you.
I really liked the previous post with Barefoot Ted’s review of Born to Run. I’ve been running barefoot for about 6 months now, and he was part of my research, letting me know that not only was it okay, it was natural. I run 5k races barefoot all the time, and I am always amazed at the surprised reactions I get from fellow racers.
Eric, even if I haven’t trained barefoot continuously, I have started training barefoot 18 years ago already, at age 19.
The perception most people have of going barefoot hasn’t changed the slightest.
It is clear in their mind that someone going without shoes must be some weirdo, some kind of inferior, unsophisticated human animal. Like if it was not part of a conscious approach, like they mentally deny any rationality to it.
Actually, chances are that most of these people won’t ever question wearing shoes, like they won’t ever question anything that is part of their “normal” understanding or habits, so it means that going with shoes on is not even an approach per se, it is just a conventional behavior and they don’t see the point in questioning it.
You see, unless you question your habits and try something different, they’re not even a conscious choice.
They’re the outcome of a conventional behavior indeed and do not display any form of critical thinking. And without critical thinking, there’s no true freedom, because you don’t actually choose, only mimic and follow…while you can be sure that the guy that goes barefoot has actually a very well-thought approach, especially in a society where it is not seen as acceptable.
So between the two, who is the most rational, the guy that goes with his costly, cutting-edge technology fat cushioned shoes on like everybody else or the guy that dares going barefoot because he’s found a different perception of what is “normal” and that his new experience suits him best?
THAT guy has made a true choice. That guy has questioned, myth-busted a normal, commonplace perception and behavior.
That guy has gained some valuable freedom by exercising his reflection, exploring his options and then by making a conscious choice.
What matters here is not barefoot vs shoes. It is critical thinking vs conformism.
I believe such an approach is tremendously more rational that any guy giving you a weird look. So live and let live differently… with a smile.
You are exploring new sensations and new horizons. You are getting a life that is unique. They probably don’t. Their reactions often reveal the limitations of their mind.
Conformity doesn’t expand your mind.
It just shrinks it.
I don’t know who is the author of the following quote, but it just perfectly embodies my perspective:
“The conformist bends his needs to fit the will of society, while the non-conformist bends the will of society to fit his needs. Therefore, all change is left up to the non-conformist.”
How far do you run? in the movie clip,it does not seem like you are pushing fast enough to raise your hear rate to its target zone! can you get more in depth about your training method?
i believe the way you are running,is the FARTLEK way of training? or similar
Mark, this video, just like the first one, is not designed to teach, explain or even prove anything.
It is just an insight in my own practice, doesn’t encompass all aspects of the MovNat training, doesn’t give you any clue about the natural movement coaching system either.
It is simply designed to be inspirational to whom it may inspire, no more.
I understand and value your interest, but I’m not going to get more in depth about my method here just like I cannot reply to the dozens of people that email me for tips everyday.
I do not coach on the internet but people to people only, thanks for your understanding!
Im going to do it!
We are all built to run, especially barefoot! Good stuff!
Mark,
I am not sure if this is in line with Erwan’s methodology but when I watched the video I initially thought of the same question as you; how do you get your heart rate up? Then I thought about it and realized, that the heart is but one of hundreds of muscles used in running, especially barefoot and in rugged terrain. It seems to me if your goal is only to hit a certain prescribed heart rate number; hit the treadmill. If however you want to experience more muscle functionality (including the brain and heart and hundreds of tiny muscles most people don’t even know exist) barefoot running and MovNat (although I have no experience yet) seems to be spot on.
Excellent video Erwan, I have just started running barefoot last week. Tore up my feet pretty badly, but that just goes to show how over-protected they have been.
Kindon, MovNat is not a muscle approach. The brain doesn’t know much about isolated muscles. When you run on uneven grounds and especially barefoot on tough terrains all you focus on is to run the most efficient way and the most efficient way is the one that is the most adaptive.
You don’t run because you want to “work out” such or such muscle or target such or such heart rate. I leave that to sport specialists.
In MovNat you run so you increase your ability to run. Period.
It is all about movement patterns, movement adaptability. You don’t have to think about it. It is a state of flow. It is a fusion of sensations, those from your own body (again, the movement patterns you can feel not the muscles your can picture mentally) and those from your direct environment.
Heart rate is not a goal but merely a by-product of your action and effort. If you want to be able to run fast, run fast, you will soon feel it drumming loudly in your chest. Then your physiology will naturally adapt the next days and you will make progress if you have this kind of intensity (not only in running actually) frequently enough. You can try to control your heart rate as much as you want but you will very soon loose the fun.
Your heart rate should simply adapt to the way you run. Not the other way around! It is an inverse logic that to me is just the way it should be.
MovNat is not conventional fitness and it not a specialized sport and we don’t need cutting-edge science and laboratory experts to train efficiently.
Sean, I would say first “live and learn” but then would recommend a simple principle: moderation.
There is a difference between toughening up and destroying oneself. You’re lucky if as I hope it is only superficial.
You don’t rehabilitate yourself overnight. A “no pain no gain” approach will always lead to failure because of injury.
Even though you want to be able to withstand tough sensations sometimes so you can make progress, you surely want to listen to your body and avoid trauma and build up/toughen up incrementally.
The “live and learn”, trial and error process has some benefits…but also its limits. It is the most simple way, the most accessible, but not the most efficient.
In any case, good luck and have fun!
Dear Erwan,
I’m 17 and I run cross country and track in high school. I came across your method in Men’s Health and I’ve been hooked since. The point about how our feet have evolved over the years why are we tearing them up is one of my favorite points you made. I plan on running cross country barefooted this year, however my team does mostly road runs. Is there any way I can prepare my feet for the concrete and asphalt?
Thanks again for your brilliant insight,
AJ
AJ,if I start answering every individual request for tips I will spend my days doing so. Unfortunately, it is materially just impossible to do so.
You don’t only need to prepare your feet, you need to adapt your running form. I may provide some info about it in the future, but cannot coach that online.
You may find some useful info on barefoot running websites too.
The best to learn with me is to attend one of my seminars where I have plenty of time to reply directly to every individual request and specific questions.
i want to express my respect for your style. I think the way you exercise is the best on earth. Unfortunately, i live in a city without access to the wild. Laredo Texas, never heard of it? I know you dont give tips online but i would apreciate if you tell me how can i do this movements and training in a city. Thanks
with intrest i read your expierences about barefoot running , self i run well not barefoot but i am practically all days winter and summer barefoot .Its very good feeling .its feels better to be barefoot beacuse you feels the muscles f your feet are more stronger and the feet have a better vieuw
Run Free!
Caballo Blanco
Jorge, as for how to train MovNat in a city, again, the essence of natural movement doesn’t change because of the settings. If you don’t know what to do in a city, it is likely you don’t know what to do in nature either, what you want to do is learn a whole method for natural movement that will teach you how to move in an optimum way and make the best of wherever you find yourself. A few tips may help, but not much.
Caballo Blanco! It is an honor to have you here my friend
.
since i wrote my last comment i had been moving a lot and discovering that my enviroment is full of useful things that i can use to explore the capacities of my body. I can tell you Mr. Le Corre that i am surprised of what i am able to do just by using my body in a natural form. I can tell you that i dropped the boring biceps curls in the gym and started to work with my free body instead. I would like to go to one of your seminars in the future because i believe that your way is the way.
Caballo Blanco you were great in Born to Run
Jorge: YOUR way is the way, All you have to do is remember how. Erwan will help you to recall that memeory.
Andale….
Caballo Blanco
Hey Micah (Caballo Blanco), fantastic to have you here my dear Mas Loco brother
!
I was wondering if you (mis?)spelling “memeory” was voluntary or not?
Meme: A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
It would be interesting as I will explain in the FAQ coming soon, that there indeed a coaching method is a cultural thing, since it is not something natural you could pick up in a tree.
There is a difference between what you learn and how you learn it. Some people still have the ability to (re)develop their natural movement skills through a personal journey of trial and error, now a coaching method is designed to have you achieve that in a faster and safer way, and the truth is that many modern human beings need that type of guidance.
So, “meme-ory”, as a mix of “meme” (coaching method) and memory (in this case the ability to remember the natural movement memory of humankind).
Interesting and meaningfully creative!
Jorge, to second my dear friend Caballo Blanco (one of the truest guy you will ever meet in your life):
“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” Friedrich Nietzsche
My way is just mine and even if you were to make it yours to some extent, in the end, it just becomes your way indeed, not someone else’s, because we all have our personal journey
.
i want to thank Caballo Blanco becuase of his comment. I dont think you are loco i just think that you found you way and that you had enough will to follow your dreams. Maybe someday i will have to decide too. That is just our way. Believe.
Mr. Le Corre, I just want to thank you for your words i just needed hear something like that. I had discover that people look at my as a stranger when i am out moving. It feels kind of wierd but yet my body feels better and i feel better too.
Jorge, to be a “Mas Loco” you must have ran the CCUM (Cooper Canyon Ultra Marathon) in Mexico with the famous Tarahumara indians runners, like Caballo Blanco, that is actually the organizer of the event, like myself or other “Mas Loco” guys that have participated in the past. That is actually a confidential club, as not anyone can attend this race. You don’t have to be a champion necessarily, but to have a good heart and good intentions. It is a very special, unique event, which is the core topic of the book “Born To Run”, now a best-seller, by my other friend Christopher McDougall.
Born to Run was an excellent book. I had never considered myself a runner. Weak ankles. But after reading it, I have been feeling quite inspired. My husband and I stumbled upon the concept of MovNat through the article in Men’s Health as well, and have been researching it ever since. We hope one day to begin training with these principles in mind.
i got a couple of questions Mr. Le corre, the book you are writing is about your philosophy of the true nature or just a training book. My other question is if you are consedering bring your seminars closer to the south border or maybe mexico some day.
Jorge:
The book will be about my philosophy and practice of natural movement.
The whole MovNat approach is based on the True Nature philosophy indeed, but I will unfold this philosophy in a different book later.
I might tour the US at some point for clinics in different states, it is likely some will be held in Texas, or Florida, or California, but I cannot provide any additional detail at this point.
Awesome site! Reading this site and Barefoot Ted’s has motivated me to get out and “play” more. I’ve even gotten a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes and have been enjoying some barefoot runs around Bellevue, WA over the past month!
I feel like I’ve totally rediscovered running!
Would love to take one of your MovNat courses/trainings at some point.
All the best.
Ravi
btw…just posted some thoughts on barefoot running/Vibram FiveFingers on my blog @ http://www.sethigherstandards.com/barefoot-running-vibram-five-fingers-are-worth-it/
I’m 50. Started running barefoot at 19, after a 10 mile run at the track on a warm summer’s morning in California. After the run, I cooled down by taking off my shoes and running some light laps barefoot on the grass field inside the track. Felt great. So I thought, ‘Hmmmm…why not do this all the time?’ My brother and I would then run barefoot every morning on the grass just on the inside diameter of the track. Then in the hills.
Then I got influenced by all the propaganda and peer pressure and grudgingly went back to running with shoes. Then, a couple years ago, along comes Barefoot Ted, that whole movement, MovNat, etc…and voila,I tossed the shoes again. My only “concession”, if that’s the word, is my Vibram Five Fingers, for particularly rough terrain. If its just grass, I’m barefoot.
As for MovNat, Erwan is definitely onto something…and it makes so much sense. In fact, it makes the stardard “normal” protocols for physical training seem very weird, artificial, and so disconnected from our natural animal selves — well, I’m preaching to the choir, so I’ll say no more.
By training the MovNat way, I’m in the best shape of my life –and I’ve always been in good shape — and getting better, more agile, and feel better than ever. At 50.
Bravo, Monsieur Le Corre — Je vous felicite!
Denis
I just discovered you’re site today as a result of a barefoot running forum over at runners world, and I have to say I’m enjoying myself very much thus far. I’ve always felt a need to reconnect to the wilderness ever since I started spending less time in the woods / outdoors in general.
I can’t wait for your trainings to come over to the US, and for more information about the MovNat training system to be released!
Are you going to have any canadian seminars?
-Avery
P.S Movnat is awsome!!
Mr. Le Corre,
First I would like to say your videos truly have been inspirational for me along with everything on this website. I used to truly hate running in high school but started running more often more recently in nature and barefoot when possible and I absolutely love it!! I never thought I could enjoy running so fervently! I too had a bad experience running barefoot just three days ago but they’re already better and since I’ve been adapting the general Movnat philosophy to my exercise and life I must say, I am too!
I want to thank you for bringing something to light that I think we all know already, even if that knowledge is hidden deep inside ourselves. I love every aspect of Movnat. Not to be too repetetive here, but it all feels so natural which feels so good. In just a few short weeks Movnat has made a huge difference in both my physical and mental health – I’m always in such a good mood after my sessions and excited for the next one. It also feels so much better to not be reaching for something like an exact heart rate, or body weight, or a goal time or lift. I truly enjoy just ‘doing’ and will continue to ‘do’ for a very long time. I am fortunate enough to be one of those lucky people who this all comes very naturally to and I think I can teach myself quite a bit, but I look forward to an opportunity to meet you, learn hands-on with you, and thank you in person!!
Until then, bon chance Monseuir Le Corre!
Also I would like to thank Mr. McDougall for such a well-written article in MH. I look forward to picking up “Born to Run” sometime next month.