My soles hurt...

[Barefoot Jim]

So I've been barefooting for about 9 months now (vibrams when it gets below about 45), and i've gotten thru calf strains, TOFP, and now my soles (specifically under the heads of the metatarsals of my 1st and 5th toes on my left foot) are killing me. i think i run pretty lightly and have a forefoot/midfoot strike.

since its been warm, i've been barefoot only for a few weeks now, and trying to do 15 to 20 miles a week, but it seems that if i'm on anything other than the smoothest road or sidewalk those metatarsal heads start killing me. and once it starts, the smallest pebble is pretty frigging uncomfortable. seems like before the winter, i could go 5 or 6 miles on chip seal or gravelly road no problem. now its pretty unpleasant. some friends and i are getting a half marathon fun-run together soon, and i kinda want to do it all barefoot, but i'm getting pretty discouraged.

i really hope the only answers arent "run more lightly" and "back off and start up more slowly" seems like i've gone thru this cycle a bunch of times already, and i'm tired of the loss of conditioning that always seems to go along with it.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Sometimes we just hate to hear what we need to hear.

Your typical pre-spring, shod running was 15-20 mpw?

How long did it take you to condition to your soles pre-winter to 15-20 mpw?

If you are going to be going between shod and barefoot throughout the year, it's only expected that you are going to lose conditioning and then have to regain that conditioning, which takes time.

 

[Barefooting Bob]

I agree with TJ, unfortunately even the transistion from Vibrams to barefoot in the spring still needs to be slowly built up. I still have tender soles currently through the spring until I get them conditioned again, and I ran barefoot through the winter plus as much as I could including some indoor track runs . I am up to 20 miles barefoot with tender soles where as last fall I was at 40 plus miles and no tenderness and with the ability to run every day. I expect my feet should be back in shape in about 3 to 4 weeks.

 

[Barefoot Jim]

yep. that's what i figured..
in the meantime you think massaging and golfball rolling would help ?

 

[Barefoot Jim]

ok, now i went and complicated everything. my soles remain pretty sore, and yesterday i was in Paragon buying some shorts....and i wandered over to the evil shoe department and was intrigued by the NB Minumus. i took the plunge, and ran a very pleasant 4 miles this morning with essentially no pain. otherwise, i don't think i woulda run this morning. would it have been better to just lay off for a while and build up slowly barefoot, or can i keep going in the miminus....(minimi ?) til the sole soreness goes away, and then go back to barefoot (but build up those runs more slowly) ?

will i just confuse my feet ?

 

[Bare Lee]

If you live in northern climes, it's part of the natural barefooter cycle to build up your soles every spring. This spring I'm having to do it less because I was able to run barefoot throughout the winter, but I'm still having to condition my heels again because I didn't walk outside during the winter outside of getting the mail and getting into and out of the car. It would be great to live someplace warm again!

 

[The Ramzev]

Question you'll need to ask yourself is what your goal is. Do you want to be a barefoot runner? If so, you'll need to put the shoes on Ebay and run barefoot, even if it means working back into it slowly. I would also recommend working on getting your minimal temp lower, 45 is quite warm for winter. Work on colder runs in the winter so you don't lose as much of your conditioning.

 

[curraheeeasyc]

You don't have to sell the shoes, because they'll be useful in the winter, and if they're Zero than not much different than Vibrams, but Ramzev is right. Do you want to be a barefoot runner? Then be patient through the retransition. If not, by all means do what you want and run in the NBs. Your choice, no one elses.