I'm returning to running after not running for several years. I used to run all the time (in the Air Force), but when I was about 23 I suddenly developed severe foot/leg pain. I'm now 31, and after years of trying tons of different shoes, orthotics, physical therapy....I finally discovered minimalist shoes (Altra's mainly -- I tried VFF's when they first came out but I have long toes that do not fit in them). I've seen a reduction in pain, but I feel I need to get back into exercise and start using my feet/legs the way evolution intended.
So a week and a half ago I decided to start the barefoot journey. I'm taking it slowly. I've been walking every other day for about a mile and plan on doing this for several more weeks. I've done two light jogs of 200 yards or less. The problem is I live in the city and there's not a lot of grass around.
My question is, how dangerous is it to run on concrete? Walking on it is ok, but on those super short jogs I could tell immediately that running barefoot on concrete was not a good idea. Asphalt is a little more comfortable but there's too much debris on the roads. Where do you guys run if you live in the city and don't have time to drive far away to get some grass or dirt under your feet???
So a week and a half ago I decided to start the barefoot journey. I'm taking it slowly. I've been walking every other day for about a mile and plan on doing this for several more weeks. I've done two light jogs of 200 yards or less. The problem is I live in the city and there's not a lot of grass around.
My question is, how dangerous is it to run on concrete? Walking on it is ok, but on those super short jogs I could tell immediately that running barefoot on concrete was not a good idea. Asphalt is a little more comfortable but there's too much debris on the roads. Where do you guys run if you live in the city and don't have time to drive far away to get some grass or dirt under your feet???