Combining barefoot and shod running

[James Snook]

Hello All,

Yesterday (Sunday 12th April) I completed the Brighton Marathon, in shoes.

Having carefully considered training up to run it barefoot I knew in my heart I didn't have enough time to get strong enough for a barefoot marathon, so the shoes went on. I am pleased that my feet survived with no injury what so ever, so perhaps the barefoot technique I learnt saved my feet from damage when running in shoes.

Anyway onto my point. I have immediately signed up to run in Brighton next year as I loved the experience and the charity I support offer places and I want to fund raise for them again. I am now thinking whether I can run it barefoot.

In September this year I have an Ironman triathlon (for the same charity) and am intending on running the marathon in that with shoes on. By the time I get to the marathon I will probably be walking as much as I will be running, so wearing shoes makes sense to me.

What I would like to do is combine barefoot marathon training with shod training ahead of the Ironman. Essentially my plan is to combine barefoot runs (starting with small distances and building up) with longer runs which will be shod. The idea will be to slowly increase the barefoot distance whilst still running shod for my Ironman training. I envisage that eventually I will be able to run some of the Ironman training distances barefoot, only putting on shoes for the very long runs.

Has anybody got any experience of combining both forms of training? Any advice or experiences would be graciously received?

Thanks

James

 

[JosephTree]

I do that most of the time anyway, even without sweating the fine technical details. I run BF most of the time in decent weather, but resort to my VFF's (Vibram 5 Fingers Bikilas or Spyridons) for rough terrain trail races anytime or for transitional times, like now, when my feet are still tender from a winter in VFF's full time to prevent frost bite or ice damage.

Just do what feels right in your own circumstances.

Having said that, I can scarcely imagine going back and forth between BF and conventional clunky running shoes.

BTW, my wife's from just down (up?) the road from you in Salisbury. A very nice neighbourhood for running!

 

[mokaman]

I did mixed barefoot / min-shod marathon training a few years back for a late winter trail marathon not knowing how warm it would be on race day. I think its hard to factor in the winter weather because you will need to build up some longish barefoot runs in there somewhere in the last couple months before the race... ideally a 20 miler or so.

Doesn't sound like your fitness will be any issue but getting your sole conditioning well prepared could be so...hopefully if the weather cooperates and you can get some long barefoot runs in at the right time for it to be doable...when your tired over 20 miles and your running starts to go bad its good to know how that feels when barefoot on how to deal with that mentally..

Either way getting as much barefoot time is a good thing and it makes you a stronger min-shod runner...starting your runs barefoot then switching to footwear late in the run is worth a try... that's what i did and made it thru all barefoot some of the time for the long trail runs.

 

[migangelo]

are you the same dude who posted asking if you could do the ironman bf? if so welcome back. i was wondering what happened. make sure to keep us updated.

running bf will help make you a better runner with/out shoes. don't forget to lift some weights. lift smart, not hard. good luck and have fun. that for me is the biggest thing. having fun.

 

[Christian Lemburg]

Transition to huaraches as shoes, then you can switch between barefoot and huaraches during runs, no problems at all. Even very difficult terrain can be run in huaraches, the only problem being wet mud. Of course that assumes that your feet and calves are OK with your goal distances in minimal footwear.