Doctors join forces to host a
FREE 12 WEEK BAREFOOT RUNNING CLINIC AT THE WATERFRONT- DONATIONS BENEFIT MERCY CORPS,
“HAVE MERCY ON YOUR FEET”
Portland, Ore., July 9, 2012 — Drs. Sanatan Golden, PT, DPT, CSCS and Ray McClanahan DPM, and their respective staff at Therapeutic Associates Downtown Portland and Northwest Foot and Ankle are excited to announce their clinics will be offering a new program on how best to benefit from barefoot running techniques. The condensed new 12-week “Minimalist Mondays” curriculum will feature weekly clinics.
Who: Clinics are FREE and open to anyone interested in reducing injury and increasing running efficiency, regardless of running experience or current footwear.
What: Doctor of Physical Therapy Dr. Sanatan Golden of Therapeutic Associates and Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan at Northwest Foot and Ankle will help participants understand the safest and most effective methods of transitioning to minimalist and/or barefoot running.
Where: Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Downtown Portland, OR at the Salmon Street Springs Fountain.
When: Every Monday from 12:00 to 12:30pm from July 23rd through October 22nd. Each clinic is followed by optional break-out run.
Minimalist Mondays will also feature a charitable partnership with Mercy Corps, global leader in humanitarian aid, to create awareness and support for the people of Ethiopia and Somalia through, “Have ‘Mercy’ on Your Feet: Barefooting for the Horn of Africa”. This unique program raises funds by collecting donations based on the distance walked or run barefoot while completing the Minimalist Monday curriculum. On the last session, the group will present donations at the Mercy Corps World Headquarters at the end of a 5k fun run/walk down the Waterfront. Ethiopia is home to many of the world’s great runners, including 1960 Olympic marathon gold medalist Abebe Bikila, who ran his winning race completely barefoot!
Drs. Golden and McClanahan are both avid barefoot runners and have been recognized as regional experts in transitioning to minimalist running, often speaking publically on this increasingly popular topic. Dr. Golden got the idea for Minimalist Mondays as a community-education project last August, when his clinic began seeing an increase in new patients sustaining injuries attempting the transition to running in more minimal footwear. He describes, “It broke my heart seeing people hurting themselves trying to return to running how humans have for millennia, with minimal to no footwear. Unfortunately there is a lack of useful information readily available and many people dive into this technique unprepared and under-informed, which may lead to injury. Ray and I designed Minimalist Mondays to be the solution. We want Portland to be ground zero for the natural running movement, so its citizens become the healthiest, happiest, and most well-informed runners in the country.”
Many participants in Minimalist Mondays are very impressed with the results after taking part in the clinics. A recent participant states, “I had near-constant knee and foot pain, and was told that I would always need orthotics. Now I am stronger than I have ever been and not only do my feet no longer need outside support, but I can count on them to support me in my running, biking, stair workouts, and boot camp classes.”
For detailed information on Minimalist Mondays, including a curriculum outline, please visit http://www.therapeuticassociates.com/locations/oregon/portlandvancouver/downtown-portland/minimalist-mondays/
Watch examples of barefoot running techniques and drills used in this program. http://www.youtube.com/MinimalistMondays
