For the past couple of months, my barefoot runs--that means, all my runs--have been limited to about 3.5 miles max and probably average just above 2 miles. Also, I seem to be limited to about 4 days/week of running.
I've been working on cadence, bending knees, posture, relaxing calf muscles, lifting feet before footfall, and all those other things recommended on this board and by Barefoot Ken. Never could seem to get past the 3.5 mile mark without too much foot pain. (Other than two marvelous runs on the beach while on weekend vacation.) Still I kept plugging away.
This coming Saturday (October 10) is a 10k race I'd decided to run again months ago--before I started exclusively barefoot running. The past month I've been resigned that I wouldn't be running it. There is now a certified 5k option available, but I would rather run the 10k. And my wife wants to see me run again, which she would probably have seen more of if I hadn't caught the barefooting bug.
This past weekend I decided to see if I could break past the 3.5 mile barrier and have any hope of running the 10k on Saturday. So on Sunday, I stepped out the door and started running like any other run. First four or five minutes is on relatively smooth concrete, which only causes pain when I step awkwardly on a pebble. Then I transition to asphalt. And the first patch is among the roughest on my usual routes. Felt just as bad as it usually does--I have to really concentrate on my form to make it more bearable. About a minute later I'm to some smoother asphalt and am able to relax a little more. Five more minutes and I'm pretty much warmed up and relaxed.
The first test comes about twenty minutes in when I hit the roughest stretch of asphalt on my usual runs. Remarkably, it doesn't hurt. I can feel the texture, but the road doesn't feel like it's jabbing me with lots of tiny knives. Since the run is going well, I turn off onto roads I haven't run on in months, onto what used to be my 6.1 mile route.
Going up the longest uphill of the run (around 3 miles in), disaster seemingly struck. In a moment of inattention, I stubbed my right big toe into the road and drug it along the asphalt for a second. Instant pain! I hobbled to the side of the road to take a look. The front of my toe was all bloody, but the damage seemed to be limited to the top front of the toe--just in front of the toenail.
As I was at least a mile from my house, I decided I might as well see if I could keep running. Turned out to be no problem. The toe throbbed much of the run but was a dull throb, not a sharp pain. I checked it every few minutes and wiped away the blood.
I noticed during the last mile of the route, my legs were getting tired and my form a little more shaky. The rough patch of asphalt (from the beginning of my run), though, felt much better on the way back. I ended up running the full 6.1 mile route and actually felt pretty good, other than the big toe.
The two runs since Sunday have also gone remarkably well. My form seems to be smoother than it was. I don't know if my form just finally clicked on Sunday or if I smashed through some mental block, but barefoot running just became easier and more enjoyable. I still have to work my mileage back up, and I'm sure I'll still have some crappy, painful running sessions, but I'm looking forward to the challenge more than I have been.
I still won't decide on running the 10k until Saturday (game-day decision), but as of now I am planning to run it. I'll be sure to post a race report.
John
I'm still waiting for my breakthrough run. I see that you have about 168 miles of barefooting, I am only at about 28 miles. I'm trying to just take it slow and I figure my breakthrough will come eventually. I have been barefooting for 3 months now and my long run is only 2.35 miles. I don't have the patience to go all barefoot even though I know that would speed up the process. I am far too competitive to give up my racing while I wait for barefoot perfection. I considered doing this weekends 5k barefoot just for fun but I have decided to go for a PR instead.
Barefoot and happy
Congrats, nice work.
I'm with you on this one I think. My long runs are about 2 miles right now, with a couple other 1-1.5 milers per week in there too. I dont want to give up my mileage to go fully barefoot, but am patient enough I think to go slowly and build it up.
during one run a week I take my shoes off for the last part of the run (it is some really rough asphalt unfortunately though), and each week I try to take my shoes off a little earlier. Today I did about 1.6 from there, and while the cold/rough asphalt made my feet feel tender by the end I think I do feel them conditioning a bit each time. I am hoping to get my long run up to 3.5 miles by the end of October and then I can have 1-2 fully barefoot runs a week, with the rest of my mileage made up of shod running.
though I am having issues with teh cold and could really use my Vibrams that I am getting for Christmas. But again, for me it doesnt seem so much the muscles in teh foot as it is the tender bottoms of my feet after running on asphalt for a few miles.
But again, for me it doesnt seem so much the muscles in teh foot as it is the tender bottoms of my feet after running on asphalt for a few miles.
The tender foot is my main limiting factor, also. The only muscle soreness I've had was sore calves after my 5k race in August, and some all around leg soreness when I started upping my running cadence.
As far as the tender feet, my feet recover much more quickly from the tenderness than they used to. Back in July they would sometimes feel tender for couple of days and would force me to rest. Now the tenderness, at worst, lasts half a day.