If you read my long marathon blog post you'll see that I got half way through my marathon training solely in minimalist shoes and decided to mix in my regular running shoes because I was overexerting my feet. For a beginner to minimalist/barefoot running, a ramp-up to a marathon in four months is just too ambitious. I tried my darnedest but before I hurt myself I had to back off. I'm glad I did before I really injured my feet!! This experience has totally and utterly sold me on barefoot running, actual barefoot running, since my feet NEVER hurt barefoot, but it's also taught me that you HAVE TO TAKE IT SLOW or you are bound to hurt yourself. All the barefoot “pros” say to take it slow, but that's for actual barefeet, right? Somehow I assumed that slow did not apply to running in minimalist shoes or not “as slow” at least, that slow was so you could thicken up the soles of your feet. True, but slow most importantly is to give your feet time to become strong, and that my friend takes quite a bit of time.
I really think minimalist shoes are enablers for over doing it. I've heard many stories of people injuring their feet in vibram fives or other minimalist shoes and the common theme always seems to be over-training: either expert runners used to running 50 miles per week trying to ramp up to that same pace in vibrams in 6 months or beginner runners that try to ramp up to 3 or 4 miles in minimalist shoes in a month with no real foot strength to speak of. Once my feet started hurting consistently, I started doing a lot more reading and it really sunk in that most of the true barefooters frown on shoes of any kind, including minimalist shoes. They tolerate minimalist shoes but they are for special occasions like freezing cold days or very rough terrain, and these guys and gals put their time in running barefoot before using the minimalist shoes. And it's true, if barefoot running is so great, then why the heck am I wearing shoes! I could never have run a half marathon barefoot at this point in my training, 1.5 miles at best, but I did run 13 miles in minimalist shoes, and I have sore beat up feet to show for it. I don' think I have any long lasting damage, I just need to pair it down and going barefoot is just the recipe.
Don't get me wrong, my legs are stronger than they have ever been, and the running form I've developed in minimalist shoes is efficient, smooth, and fast… I love it! I am totally sold on barefoot training, but I am also completely sold on the idea of taking it extremely slow so that my weak life-long shod feet have time to adjust…. muscles can do that fast but bones and ligaments need time. My short term goal is to run a marathon, so I'll do it and train mostly in my old cheap running sneakers, but once that race is over, I'm back to the barefoot full time. I'll probably continue barefoot training while I'm training for the marathon but only once my feet are back to normal. I'll keep posting on my journey as I go.
I hope some of this drivel helps other beginners to barefoot and minimalist running. Take your time, do it right, and slow it down at the first sign of pain. We have our whole lives to relearn how to use our exquisitely evolved feet for doing what they do best… running! TAKE IT SLOW.
Here's a link to a blog by Jason Robillard with a great beginners training guide:
http://ethiozoo.com/2010/04/02/how-do-i-start-barefoot-running/
I really think minimalist shoes are enablers for over doing it. I've heard many stories of people injuring their feet in vibram fives or other minimalist shoes and the common theme always seems to be over-training: either expert runners used to running 50 miles per week trying to ramp up to that same pace in vibrams in 6 months or beginner runners that try to ramp up to 3 or 4 miles in minimalist shoes in a month with no real foot strength to speak of. Once my feet started hurting consistently, I started doing a lot more reading and it really sunk in that most of the true barefooters frown on shoes of any kind, including minimalist shoes. They tolerate minimalist shoes but they are for special occasions like freezing cold days or very rough terrain, and these guys and gals put their time in running barefoot before using the minimalist shoes. And it's true, if barefoot running is so great, then why the heck am I wearing shoes! I could never have run a half marathon barefoot at this point in my training, 1.5 miles at best, but I did run 13 miles in minimalist shoes, and I have sore beat up feet to show for it. I don' think I have any long lasting damage, I just need to pair it down and going barefoot is just the recipe.
Don't get me wrong, my legs are stronger than they have ever been, and the running form I've developed in minimalist shoes is efficient, smooth, and fast… I love it! I am totally sold on barefoot training, but I am also completely sold on the idea of taking it extremely slow so that my weak life-long shod feet have time to adjust…. muscles can do that fast but bones and ligaments need time. My short term goal is to run a marathon, so I'll do it and train mostly in my old cheap running sneakers, but once that race is over, I'm back to the barefoot full time. I'll probably continue barefoot training while I'm training for the marathon but only once my feet are back to normal. I'll keep posting on my journey as I go.
I hope some of this drivel helps other beginners to barefoot and minimalist running. Take your time, do it right, and slow it down at the first sign of pain. We have our whole lives to relearn how to use our exquisitely evolved feet for doing what they do best… running! TAKE IT SLOW.
Here's a link to a blog by Jason Robillard with a great beginners training guide:
http://ethiozoo.com/2010/04/02/how-do-i-start-barefoot-running/
