Too Much Too Soon

Okay...I started barefooting about four months ago andhave been gradually building up. I'm up to about 3 miles barefoot now andaround 6 miles inmyVibram Five Fingers. All ofthis has happened without knee pain which iswhy I started doing this in the first place. Last weekIdecided I'd stepit up a bit. I would run 1.5 miles to my commuter bus in the morning then I would run home from the bus stop in the afternoon. I ran in my VFFs in the morning because it was dark and barefoot in the afternoons so I could continue to condition myfeet. I figured this way I would get at least 3 miles of running per day even if I didn't get to exercise at lunch. Then I did mynormal 3-4 mile runs during the day on Mon, Wed, and Fri.

I was really focusing on the technique of lifting the feet rather than pushing off. By Friday afternoon I had a good bit of pain in my right foot. I couldn't run and it hurt to walk. I had planned ondoing a five mile VFF run on Sunday morning but figured I would give my foot a rest instead. Here it isWednesday already and sofar the foot pain is not gone.

Looks like I need toquell my enthusiasm some.It's just so nice to runwithout knee pain for achange.



Semper Fi,

Warren

Comments

Well...I haven't run since last Saturday and the foot pain continues. I'm a little concerned because, as a Marine, I'm required to take a Physical Fitness Test twice a year and I'm coming up on that time. Further, as a Marine Officer I'm expected to do really well on the PFT. It's only three miles and I was training to either run it barefoot or in VFFs. The training was going well until the pain. I'm either going to have to take the PFT in late May or early June. I have no choice. I can do the three miles pain or no pain but we have to run it for time. That's where not being able to train is going to be a problem. I thought I would have completely transitioned to this form of running by now but I suppose additional patience is necessary in this case. Sigh....



Semper Fi,

Warren
 
I had some similar issues with similar background. Where's your foot pain?

In any case, I ice a lot. More accurately, I bought some cold packs that go in a sort of Ace bandage so they are easy to apply. Most of my probs have been with Achilles tendons, so I ice them frequently. Recently had a bout with TOFP (top of foot pain). It lingers a bit, but it's on the mend.

Got the ice advice from Dan Lieberman, the Harvard guy who's bf running study got all the press in Feb. He's been at it for a couple of years and does a lot of mileage. He ices frequently and proactively, i.e. before it hurts.

Good luck. My sense is you'll be OK.
 
Hey Warren,

I've been training barefoot since January. I've had good luck with form - only got blisters once. I've been hit with top of foot pain in my left foot sporatically. It's not fun. I'm not as patient as I probably need to be. When it's been bad, I've had to rest for up to 2 weeks. I use ice after runs and daily if I'm in the rest mode.

I had hoped to run a half marathon next weekend barefoot. At this point, I might be able to do it with VFFs, but I'm not optomistic. I'd rather skip the race than have to walk off with a stress fracture or something. I don't want to give barefooting a bad name.

I hope rest and ice get you back into the game soon. Best of luck with your fitness test.
 
Sorry to read your pain. I have been running/training barefoot nearly a year - mostly using Feelmax Panka (1.1 mm sole). When I have change and weather I try to train barefoot - I feel it takes really long time to adapt full barefooting. In my 41 years of living my feet has been in shoes most of the time and muscles are sleeping.

I did my first running totally barefoot now on Saturday (Almost year after starting - maybe I'm too careful, maybe not). I ran on asphalt 1.5 miles (not more) and it went really great. Only thing what I feel is soreness on my skin under my feet. I think if I had run further - it had been blisters.

I run with my Feelmax 5 - 6 miles without no problems 2 - 3 times a week, but I'm really carefully my IntuFlow joint mobility session before running and Prasara Yoga compensating movements after.

I think the you could try the following: sit down in deep squat - keep your heels down. If you feel you don't come down and have no balance you can use table front of you. When you do it - remember to hold your back right upward - don't tip forward - butt is moving slightly backwards at once... Maybe this feels easy to (I don't know), but I used in my physiotherapy clinic to all my clients with feet problem. And surprisingly most of the people can't do this!!

This is the good start to get full movement all of your joints - and when your joints are working properly, so do you too. Take a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjUp43B6iuc&feature=related[/video]"]Prasara cricket-flow with CST Faculty Coach Ryan Hurst - spesially at the beginning after squating - ankle "rotation" when you sat on your ankle.

-Henri
 
I appreciate everyone's advice. I'll give the icing a try, continue to take anti-inflammatories, and rest up for about a week. We'll see what happens.



Thanks again.
 
I find it quite ironic that the only thingsthat give me relief from the pain in my right foot are the very things I was trying to escape in the first place. My expensive, cushiony running shoes. During the work day I wear my combat boots but the running shoes have the cushioning and support that allows me to walk around without being in constant pain the rest of the time. Sigh...I miss running barefoot. I've got to remember this once I'm healed so I don't try to do too much again.
 
Fortunatelythe TOFPappears to have subsided after three weeks of taking it easy. I did three miles yesterday in my VFFs and didn't feel any problem in my foot at all. I've been icing, stretching and wearing my big cushiony running shoes. All of that together seems to have made a difference. Thank goodness. The good news about this is that has reinforced my understanding I have to go slow and really pay attention to what my body is doing if I want a successful transition.



Thanks for all the good advice.



--Warren
 
Hey thanks so much for this blog post. It is really encouraging that someone who is clearly usually in very good shame found that rate of progress TMTS.

I was sitting here feeling very pathetic with my injured tendons after progressing from 0 to 1.5 miles inthree weeks - and I had done no other running for five years. Iwon't give up! thanks
 
Liverpooldreamer,

If you hadn't done any other running for the past five years then you really, really need to take it slowly. I was regularly doing 10 mile runs on the weekends and another 15-20 throughout the week and TMTS got me. If you haven't been running you need to really go slowly.

I wish you good luck. Barefoot/minimalist running has helped me get beyond a lot of knee and ankle pain.



Keep the Faith,

Warren
 
Hello Warren,

I started out barefoot running around a year ago and it is definitely something that has to be done slowly. After getting foot soreness, tendon soreness I realised I had to learn how to run before I put in any kind of distance.

I recommend Romanov's Pose Method of Running, it was the best book I've bought. It basically formalises the way to run lightly on your feet.

I read it once, the practiced the drills to re-enforce the style change in the brain. I read it again 6 months later as there are things that make no sense at first that made much more sense the second time.

Keep the knees well bent, take short steps, have a fast cadence are the main things. Your calves will take many months to adapt to the loads and you will get calf pains and strains, those are the tuition fees you must pay.

I was in the Northern Territory (Australia) around a year ago and was watching some local aboriginies playing Aussie rules footy in 35C temp 80% humidity on bone dry ground with no shoes. They were fast and agile and didn't even think about the rough ground, it was just what they have always done.

After a run the muscle in my leg which has been worked the most will be the hamstring as it has to lift the ankle from the floor quickly and repeatedly. If you can feel that muscle doing the work rather than any other then you will have running style right.



Regards



Neil
 
Neil,

Thanks for the info but I think I'm good now. I've now been doing this for about nine months and am up to 10 miles barefoot on concrete and pavement. Things have worked out really well. I'm so excited to be running again without the blasted knee pain I used to have.

I hope you stay healthy also.



Cheers,

Warren
 
Hey W.



I've been experiencing TOFP as well. I've had to take 5 weeks off... I'm due to start again on Wednesday and I can't wait. Reading so much on this and watching videos, I'm positive I developped it from running/pushing off too much on my toes. I will focus more on landing on my mid-foot and lifting/peeling off instead of pushing off. Not sure if you are a for-foot striker, but it could be the reason behind your pain...
 
Check out this website.... it helped me so much. Notice how he moves his feet in the picture (top right). Also, he talks specifically about the TOFP... cause and solution. Thought it might help you.

http://therunningbarefoot.com/
 
Hello Warren,

I'm a former Marine and wouldn't even have dreamt of going barefoot when I was in (back in the dark ages of the mid-80's). Good for you sticking with it. Have you seen many other Marines who are abandoning their shoes? As an officer, I'd think you are setting a good example.

Semper Fi,

Sara
 

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