Prince of Fatness
Not at it at all.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
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Half Fanatic #846
"I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk. "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt". I ran half my last race on my left foot!
Barefoot and happy
Transitioning is a hard thing to do without some real barefoot running, so hang in there. Spring will come eventually, and then you'll be able to make much faster progress. My first winter was kinda rough, because I had a hard time finding a good form with even light shoes on. This year I'm finding it much easier, because the form is much more ingrained from a year of barefooting.
Saucony Kilkenny is a shoe I wear and like. It is a flat but also is a spikeless XC shoe. Eastbay currently has them on sale for $20. Very lightweight and will help with grip in the snow. I had to order one size larger to get the right fit.
I bought myself a pair of these. They are a little on the narrow side, but not too bad. I ran a couple of miles in them Friday. It's definitely a different experience. I run exclusively in cushioned trainers. I just started mixing in some light weight trainers, and would like to mix in flats at some point. I need to be careful though, as I noticed some stiffness in my calves after the run Friday.
I do an hour of yoga twice a week, and I am thinking of adding in some barefoot running as a warmup for those sessions. Nothing much to start, like a quarter mile at most. I'll report back on how that works out.
Well today was a yoga day. Normally on Tuesdays I get up an hour early and get a run in so I can do yoga after I get home from work. Today I didn't feel like getting up, so I went out and ran this afternoon before yoga. So I get home from the run and I figure now is as good of a time as any to try this barefoot thing. I just did 2 tenths of a mile, not much, just down the middle of the street as ways and back. But that was enough, as I can feel a tiny bit of aching in my feet. Certainly nothing to worry about, but it is there. I am glad I didn't go any further, because as I was running I really thought that I could go further.
It's interesting. I actually found it easier to accustom myself to running barefoot in that short time than I did with a couple of miles in flats. I'm going to stick with this. A short barefoot jog before yoga twice a week will do nicely. I'll just keep adding a little more distance as I start getting more comfortable with it.
I'm getting a little worried about my barefoot progress now that chillier temperatures are looming in the not so distant future. My longest barefoot run is now up to 2 miles and it feels fantastic. I took a barefoot run last Sunday morning when it was in the 60's and it hurt!! I had to put on my VFF's much earlier than I intended. My feet felt creaky and it was hard to get into good form. Also, eash pebble I stepped on was way more painful than normal.
Is the cold something else you can get yourself accustomed to? If not, it looks like it's going to be a long winter of Vibrams. Which stinks because I enjoy being fully barefoot so much more than VFF's and I'm worried it's going to undo all the progress I've made.
Anyone have any thoughts or insights? Also, has anyone tried the Flows yet? I just ordered a pair and am a little anxious about it.
veggies on the run
Flows are in my future as well.
As for the cooler weather, I haven't gotten much here yet, but what I have gotten has been very welcome.
I imagine that your body is going to need to adjust the cooler temperatures, just like it does the hot.
Creator of RunForth | @robraux | shodless.com