Why barefoot isn’t best for most runners

No dog house..Dave..
What I wrote above meant that I do my fair share of back pedaling…

"I think opposite of the bear, humans are born to be lazy. For a hunter/gatherer, it’s not a smart idea to burn more calories than you are taking in."

Ian, I think you just gave me an excuse, er, reason for my way of life!

"There is often a difference between looking strong and actually being functionally strong."

Spot on. Body building and steroids have warped the perception of what a fit adult looks like. I went to school with elite runners and swimmers and they were all LEAN, with flat muscles. Steroids and body building give you a rounded look.

I saw a photo a few years ago from the 1960s in the US of a large group of 20ish guys who were in the Presidents fitness challenge (?? I may have the name wrong) and I was struck (a) by how fit they looked and (b) how unlike today's ideal body image they were.

My son is quite lean (but he's strong and not at all light) – yet quite a few people have suggested that he's skinny or underweight. He's not underweight, everyone's just forgotten what normal is. Most of his classmates would've been classed as fat when I was his age, but now it's the new normal.