Another Aussie - from a beach in Victoria

[Larry]

Hi folks,

Thought I should throw in the obligatory intro post. I'm something of an accidental barefoot runner - I started out one morning when I was checking the surf about a year ago. The waves were crappy, so I decided to go for a run on the beach on a whim. My first run in years. I rarely wear shoes outside the office, so I just ran barefoot and I actually enjoyed it. Running on the beach is magnificent! I got keen, bought fivefingers for high tide on the gravel tracks, built up slowly, made it up to a comfortable 8km - and then blew up both feet out of the nowhere about 3 months ago. Shattered!

So, a year on from my start, I'm now on a very slow comeback trail, trying hard to do it properly this time. I'm determined to get back into it, and I'm hoping the forum can give me some answers about where I went wrong, tips to avoid future problems, and maybe just a little motivation if I start gazing wistfully at my old runners.

 

[happysongbird]

I just got back from being able to run on the beach on Maui. After 3 times on alternate days of about 5 miles, my maximum since recovering from taking off a chunk of skin on a rock here at home, I needed a take a couple of days off. Running in the sand is hard work!! Even with aiming for the compacted sand. It was great for getting my first running in since the injury, though. Not quite as abrasive as the asphalt would have been. And my calves got very strong!

Lots of good encouragement and insight among the members here. Keep taking it slowly -

 

[devilnuts]

Welcome.
Running on the beach is something that I don't do often at all. Simply because I always seem to come away with an injury...hahaha. So I just stick to the beachwalks and check out the bodies on the beach...lol.
Hope you have fun getting back into it. As for looking to the forums for answers...yikes...You will get a bunch of advice and a few telling you what you should do, but you will have to sift through it to find what works for you. Never hurts to get ideas for things to try out...right? Good luck on your comeback...

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Welcome, Larry!

 

[Larry]

Thanks guys. The phrase "taking off a chunk of skin on a rock" has made me feel a whole lot better about my sore feet. Ouch! My beach at low tide is very hard, so it's not quite the hard slog that some beaches are. Unfortunately it isn't covered in beautiful bodies at this time of the year, but then again it's not like I'm improving the average with my presence either, to be honest.

 

[Neil_D]

Hi Larry,
I just did 25km run along the beach with a bit of road thrown in along the Adelaide coast. That would be my longest run for over 20 years. I love running on the beach. It's probably better for your muscle development due to the ever changing surface stability. Beach running is easy once you build up to it, just keep it up.

 

[ThomDavid]

Welcome, Larry. I'm a new barefoot runner too, and I can tell you this forum is full of folks who are willing and able to help you make the transition as comfortably as possible. No question is too dumb (this I know from having asked my share of them), so jump on in. Glad to have you here.

 

[Phil Hart]

Glad to have you with us, Larry. I would advise you to ease into BFR slowly and steadily, with plenty of rest time in between runs (every other day or so at first). I didn't follow my own advice and ended up about 2 months into my transition to BF with a left foot stress fracture. Listen to your body's feedback, and I've found that hard surfaces (concrete and asphalt) are the best for getting your form down pat and for letting you build some sole skin thickness that will become your good friend on any terrain. Welcome!