My first run in Vibram Five Fingers (Read 3139 times)

so a fart would be the thunder down under

that's not bad. i'm still working on a quip to your 'lazarus' ('lazy-a**' was just too obvious)...

so a fart would be the thunder down under

A Thunder in the gazunder - that would be some holy shit.

English alert - this joke may not travel.

I actually do most of my running in water shoes/aqua socks from walmart. I'm not a high mileage runner (still a beginner, I think) but I've never had any injury issues. I also didn't have to make a switch from running shoes since I started off in the water shoes...

Kirk

Both of my second toes are longer than my big toe by a few mm. They're also a bit crooked. I've found no problems with my KSO but there is some guidelines on the Vibram site about the tolerences for how long your second toe can be, if I recall correctly.

 

side note: I agree it's very silly to spend $85 to go "minimalist" but I really do love the KSO's for that added protection against rocks/sticks/ unknown objects that'll puncture my poor feet when I'm not on grass.

Well, at first glance it may seem like it, but we have at least a couple of active members here who have accumulated well over 1,000 miles on their VFFs!!  Actually, that's about as economical as you can get.

And the VFF website does give tolerances for toe length differences.  I sometimes order footwear online, but prefer being able to try them on at a local store...

People who compare racing performance in VFF versus traditional running shoes probably misses the point.  VFF (similar to BF) running is suppose to promote good running form.  Some people are bless with good running form either through genetics or good coaching can run in traditional running shoes without getting injured.  To those few people, my advice is "if it ain't broken, don't fix it".  VFF, IMHO, is a "tool" that will aide in better running form which would lead to less injuries and hopefully to better performance.  VFF like aerobic threshold training requires a lot of patience and building up the miles slowly.

I can share in my own personal experience.  The last time I ran was in 1994 and recently returned to running in 2009.  The reason for the layoff was each time I attempted a comeback, I'd be sidelined with knee pain.  In 2009, I was really committed to returning but again was sidelined with knee pain and plantar fasciitis.  I then stumbled upon BF running and then VFF.  I tried both.  Plantar fasciitis went away and knee pain was milder but I still suffered a variety of nagging pains in my foot.  This was due mostly to me being impatient and doing too much too soon (TMTS).  In the past 3 months,  the combination of incorporating heart rate monitor training (to prevent over-training) and learning to run in VFF better have eliminated the pains I have in my foot.  I am now running pain-free for the first time in as long as I can remember.   My feet, ankle and calves feel stronger now.  I bought a pair of Ascis Gel Hyperspeed 3 racing flat thinking that I may need it to help with the transition but I've only run in them once and never touch it again because the cushion was way too much for me now.  I like the VFF KSO because 60% off my runs are on trails.  I got up to running a 7:24 pace for 4 miles but have scaled back since I am working on my aerobic base now.

Given that VFF has worked for me and numerous others, I would not call this a gimmick.  If you want to check out other people experiences with them, check out the barefoot forum at Runner's World or check out Barefoot Ted's website.  Barefoot Ted ran a 3:20 Boston marathon back in 2006 in the VFF Classics.  There are people who have done 100 miles ultras in VFF.

Don't forget about the fun factor.  Most people (myself included) who have run in VFF find running to be more enjoyable.  We as a running community should be supportive of one another regardless of the footwear (or lack thereof).

HTH.

congrats nergock on getting back out there and finding an injury free solution. 15 years is a long break, must have been hell!

Congrats to YOU Beatieroy!  Now that you've run 158 miles this year, you must know a lot about how hard it is to NOT run much.  Man, you life must be hell too!