Barefoot Runners

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Ed you just had to inspire me didn't you... (Read 252 times)

    Hey all, after meeting Ed in the Boston Marathon I was so intrigued that he was going to wear these crazy looking Five Fingers and even more blown away when he told me he runs all summer long all over the place barefoot, I had never even seen Five Fingers before and honestly never seen anyone run barefoot in any race I have ever entered in the past (I remember seeing one in Boston), wasn't even something that ever crossed my mind in the last 7 years since I took up running.

     

    Anyway, I came home from Boston with it on my mind a bit, after reading some of the posts here, and gleaning some of the discussion, I decided I would like to give it a try, I don't have any Five Fingers yet(will take a week or 2 for shipping), well I'm not one to wait if I can help it, so I decided I would try running in some of these "Water Socks" of mine, (8$ Walmart lol), they look similar to the Five Fingers, just no individual sleves for toes. They basically just have a rubber bottom, with a mesh upper, slip on with a velco strap, Figured they would give me a "good feel", so I get them on my feet, then I start thinking, "Ed says to just go out barefoot and do it". "Not to fast, not too long"

     

    So I decide to give it a try, and carry my Water Socks along just in case (or for when) I need them, I decide on 5ks, start off pretty  conservative, right away I was surprised how natural it felt, I was running slower than my usual 5k pace, and my stride was even quicker, I have a pretty brisk stride to begin with (90 steps per foot per minute), but when I counted how many barefoot it was 101 per foot per minute, I wasn't running as fast but my turnover rate was quicker, just found that kind of interesting. Also I do not have a heel strike so this wasn't an issue. The only issue might be the looks I got from people who saw me running by, I know they must have thought I was loonie

     

    So I go the first mile and was feeling fine, even a little confident at this point, got to the 1/2 way mark and turned round, I wasn't concerned about speed at all, but I was running much quicker than I anticipated, ended up running the whole 5ks barefoot in 23:02, (I would normally break 20:00 in sneakers), only damage done(I noticed after) is a couple of oval dime sized blood blisters on the bottom of each big toe, I'll have to let these heal up before I go it again, but I am already looking forward to it!

     

    Anyway, thaks Ed and all you other barefoot runners who inspired me to try something I would have never considered,  I look forward to this new adventure element to my running passion.

    Ed4


    Barefoot and happy

      Welcome!

      The blisters on your toes are probably caused by pushing off too much with them.  It's a pretty common issue for first-timers.  The one time I convinced a friend to try running barefoot with me, that was her experience exactly.  I think it tends to happen to people who already have fairly good form, since they manage to go pretty far on their first try. 

      Visualize lifting your feet straight up, without pushing down on the toes.  You may find it helpful to go even slower, while you're learning and adapting. 

      And congrats on trying something "loonie".  You certainly will get looks.  One doesn't realize how obsessed people are with shoes until you try going without them. 
      Curious about running barefoot? Visit the new barefoot running group.

        hey man thanks for the tips! I need all I can get for sure. My calves were fairly sore the next day, my wife drained the blood blisters that night (of the run) and they didn't seem to bother me much the next day, although I could certainly feel the effects of a barefoot run on the bottoms of my feet, now with the 5 Fingers would I still get the big toe blisters(if I ran the same)?

         

        Would that area of my foot toughen up naturally (running barefoot) with calouses? Or is the slight push off from the toes just plain bad technique for barefoot running? I like what you said about pushing down not off though, I will try that for sure next time.

         

        I might be getting ahead of myself here but I can see myself running a race this summer barefoot, like a 5k, and mabye even a 10k or half marathon with the 5 Fingers, so I would like to carry over as much of my current tempo/pace as possible in these. But I don't want to risk injury by doing too much too soon, balancing act fore sure.

        Ed4


        Barefoot and happy

          The FiveFingers would probably prevent those blisters.  But of course it's better to just improve your technique.  It has more to do with technique than with tough skin.
          Curious about running barefoot? Visit the new barefoot running group.