The Energizer Bunny has made his mark as one of the longest-lasting endurance bunnies of all time. While he keeps "going and going" due to his proud energy source (and perhaps his bare rabbit feet), his success can also be attributed to the manner in which he moves along. In his first ever appearance in the early 1990s, the Energizer Bunny's commentator states, "A word to the wise, energize." In much the same manner, barefoot runners need to know the way in which their form (or technique) can help them move forward in the most efficient manner, enabling them to run longer and have more endurance to complete whatever goals they might set for themselves.

In our barefoot running book entitled The Complete Idiot's Guide to Barefoot Running (Alpha/Penguin), Dr. Richards and I discuss the way the body can move forward using the "natural springs" of the legs. This combined with a slight lean will allow gravity to carry you forward so that more energy is preserved and therefore utilized when you need it most, usually towards the end of a longer run or race.

The reason that running more naturally works well with barefoot running is that the body can literally teach itself to run more efficiently. When barefoot, the feet must land on the forefoot (and not the heel as in shoes). A forefoot landing implies that the foot will also land more in line with the center of gravity; the foot actually touches down in line with the hips, which are kept aligned with a straight posture and an engaged carriage and pelvis. Landing on the forefoot also means that each landing is supporting the weight of the body equally and more often; the cadence of a runner increases dramatically when shoes are taken out of the picture. The natural springs come into play with each cycle, where the knees stay bent throughout and the quads and hamstrings (the thigh muscles) store energy that is slightly released with each touch down of the foot.

So, the best way to be wise and energize is to start running barefoot before you attempt to change the way you run. Once you have transitioned carefully, then you can begin running in foot apparel that works with the new type of running you do. Finding shoes that work well with a barefoot runner's stride can be tricky. Find barefoot running shoes that give the foot plenty of room, allow the foot to flex with the terrain, and promotes a mid-foot landing. A mid-foot landing is a forefoot-style landing that takes place in shoes.

All of this will contribute to you having more energy over a longer period of time when you run. It can take several months for the entire transition in your form to take place; it can even take a year or more for the actual tissue of the feet and legs to fully strengthen and support your new-found style of running. To outlast your peers, or to at least run further with more energy than ever before, get wise and learn to energize with barefoot running!