Hello, new to the group here. I only started running a little over a year ago, doing the C25K program. I got probably a little more than halfway through the program before I developed some problems with my right ankle. The pain was on the inside of my ankle and would consistently develop around 15-16 minutes of running. I had bought some Brooks Ariels (hardcore motion control shoes) based on a running store's recommendation. Now I know what a bad idea those shoes were. They're heavy bricks and I can't even walk in them now without feeling how they strain my ankle. Waste of $120. I started doing a load of research into proper running form and realized I was doing basically everything wrong (over-striding, heel-striking, etc). I got really interested in barefooting and Vibrams so I got some classics and started doing runs in them. However, by July I peaked at one 5K run and then quit. I was still having the ankle pain and a new hip pain had developed. Now, looking back, I know I was still going WAY too fast (really trying to hit the 10mm pace) and was just pushing too hard. I'm also convinced that the hip and ankle pain are largely due to a tight IT band, since they both occur on the same side of my body, and I have a tight lower back on that side as well (I could also just FEEL that something was not working right in that whole side). So I've started doing some exercises and stretches to hopefully combat the imbalance and stretch out the IT band. Also found some good tibialis posterior exercises online, since that seems to be where the pain in my ankle is. A week and a half ago I started back running in the VFFs, doing a mile a day (6 days) at a 13-14mm pace. I'm feeling WAY more comfortable and haven't had any hip pain, and only had a little bit of ankle pain once. Last night I did 1.2 miles over 16:30, without the ankle pain, which is longer than it used to take to develop. So, hopefully by slowing way down and only slowly increasing mileage (no more than 10% per week and I probably won't try to increase every week) I might finally be able to run consistently and build mileage the way I really want to. The slow pace is still very hard to stick to at times, but I know it's better for me right now. (Got a Garmin for Christmas and OH, how useful it is for making sure I'm not going too fast!). So, that's my story. Probably more detail than you really needed! Oh, and I'll probably try to do some real barefooting once it warms up, but I'm not doing it right now. Too damned cold and wet.

All this information is interesting. I have been battling leg pain of one type or another since I started running last May. I also think my form is probably the cause of it. I hope to try barefoot once the weather warms up here, although considering where I live that could be until at least May.

Yeah but think about what you learned by getting injured. Now you can tell others how NOT to do it. If one person listens, it's worth all the blowing of hot air. Arla

It's still SO HARD to slow down at times, but it really is working for me. And I have gotten used to it to a degree. I actually don't know how I managed to run so "fast" before without killing myself. My heart rate must have been over 200 all the time when I was running over the summer.

running slow is definitely underrated. It's good for a lot of reasons! But you're right, it can be frustrating.