Tread Lightly: Form, Footwear, and the Quest for Injury-Free Running

(Paperback)

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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 runningpast and present, with a hopeful look to the future.

Reviews

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

Author Bio

Dr. Peter Larson is an associate professor of biology at Saint Anselm College. He is a Boston-qualifying marathon runner with a passion for studying and writing about running and running shoes. His website, runblogger.com, is recognized as a leading source for information on running shoe innovation. He lives in Manchester, New Hampshire. Bill Katovsky, founder of Tri-Athlete Magazine, has completed the Hawaii Ironman twice and is co-author of the following: Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100; Embedded: The Media at War in Iraq, which won Harvard's Goldsmith Book Prize; and Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead. His most recent book is Return to Fitness: Getting Back in Shape After Injury, Illness, or Prolonged Inactivity. He lives in Northern California.