Trail running questions

[jldeleon]

I live in Oregon where it rains 10 months out of the year. I can only speak to non-technical trails.

I started running in Bikilas and I can tell definitively tell you that with regard to barefoot running, they will weaken your ankles and feet if you use them as your primary running shoe. They just have too much support. I cut the top, side, and toe supports of mine, and finally just ditched them all together

I run with my Lunas when the trails are too hard, in the summer (July and August). I can still feel large rocks in my arch, through those, however, but it works great on the sharp gravel.

I wear my Brancas in the winter during the super-slipper season. They might work for technical trails as they have amazing traction - way better than the Bikilas. Their tops have decent traction, but when they get muddy you do have to learn to balance on both the tops of the shoes and the muddy trails simultaneously -which ironically keeps your form in great check. You would probably never feel a rock in your arch through those!
for my Brancas - my running is strongest with sandals.

This last year I bought some Moc3s, they are thinner than my Lunas at 2mm. They work best for pavement runs when I need to keep my feet warm. They are not waterproof, but they keep the heat in really well, so if you don't mind warm wet shoes, they work great for winter pavement runs.

 

[JosephTree]

So how much do you train barefoot vs. minshod? I guess I feel if I'm splitting my mileage between the two I'm not fully trained in either so it makes me less confident to race in either.

Oh, Steph, I seem to remember that you run a lot faster than I do, so it's not really apples to allpes. I don't run hard enough to actually feel any need to consider the "transition" issue, and my VFFs seem to match my feet very well. I run mostly BF, as in +80%. I run BF on trails about 20% of that, sticking to relatively gentle ones.
I just hate getting to stretches of trail and hating how my feet feel, so I make a point of not doing that.

I've had my hands on the VFF Spyridon, which seems like a few micros thicker than the Bikilas. If your feet and VFFs suit each other, you might give them a check out. The Bikila, which is what I where when I wear anything, is plenty heavy enough for my trail running. I have no problem ripping down hills doing the look-sharp-quick-step in them.

Luck!

 

[Tristan]

5t3ph, I'm kind of in the same predicament. So I can't offer much advice. I really didn’t do any non-paved trails for my whole transitional year, except during winter in VFFs or Merrels when I had to wear shoes due to freezing temps. Figured if I'm going to wear shoes anyhow I'd do it on the trail.

This year I've tried to incorporate a close by trail into my weekly routine (1 long run, 1 speed run, and 1 trail run), but it often ended up being every other week. I can do 3/4 of it bare, but hidden and sharp pointy stones are here and there, and then the sections they dumped gravel in. I hate interrupting a run to switch into footwear, so I just decided I'd do the trail all in my Pah Tempe sandals. I would like to get into trail races, and ultras, and just figured I'd have to do some in atleast huaraches, so once a week or so training in them would get me used to em. I think I'm backing out of my first trail race though, so might not see one this year.

I know my feet handled some pretty rough rocky trails on my last mountain trip, but I know I couldn't run in those conditions. It seems down to a walking and hiking pace where I can really concentrate on foot placement that I can handle a lot rougher conditions that running.

SillyC - those signs bring back some memories. Would love to visit the Whites again!

 

[rickwhitelaw]

For those of you that run trails, especially technical trails, what do you run in? Do you train with a mix of barefoot and minimalist shoes? Would it be potentially harmful to do all my weekday roadrunning barefoot and my weekend trail runs in minimalist shoes? I have 2 Half-Marathon road races planned in October & November (that I'll have no problem doing barefoot) and Big Sur in April 2014 but outside of that I would like to focus on trail races- Halfs, Fulls, and eventually Ultras. I truly enjoy barefoot running- 100% of the time on roads and 75% of the time on trails.

I know I've talked about this before but humor me!

Hi Steph,

I went though this in the spring. I really wanted to remain barefoot, but trails and longer distances were calling me. I just did not have the patience to extend the distances barefoot. Since I am far from having good form, I was in a constant state of foot soreness or injury. Going back to shoes helped me on the trails, but I still try to do as much barefoot as possible. My current plan is all shorter runs, barefoot. Medium length runs, sandals. Longer runs, a mix of sandals and shoes. Very long runs, shoes. For me, distance is the factor, not surface conditions. I still have not found the perfect shoe for me. My latest shoes are just ok, it has been frustrating. I do enjoy my sandals and plan to extend my distances in them.

It is possible to train both barefoot and shod (After a successful transition). If you have those road races coming up, and your goal is to complete them barefoot, I would stay barefoot and on the roads. Get those over with and then have fun on trails. Of course a trail run now and then won't hurt, but it is hard to "do everything", some can and you might be able to, but I couldn't. I dropped road halfs and fulls out of my schedule and it really let me focus on trails.

Every time I run a trail, even in shoes, I question why I even go back to the roads, but I don't want to be labeled as a trail only runner. I like variety.

 

[zapmamak]

I love running the trails barefoot. To me they're easier than the road, but they do take a lot of concentration so I don't trip on roots, rocks and such. Sometimes wearing shoes allows me to relax more on the trails and enjoy the scenery. But when I'm in an introspective mood and don't really care about my surroundings or just want to focus on what's inside my head or my form I sometimes go barefoot on the trails to get that contact with the earth and ground myself. Its slow but still relaxing in a different way.

 

[Robin]

After my 8 mile trail run yesterday, and also after my trail Half in April 2012, I have reconsidered running in shoes. While the parts of the trail that are packed dirt with a cushion of dry leaves, cool mud, etc. are extremely pleasant to run on, the parts that are rocky or gravel cause enough bruising on my arches to make me want to strap something on my feet. I actually had my Bikilas strapped to my water belt just in case but I didn't "really" need them. I probably would have been faster and not having to walk gingerly today if I had put them on. My legs had miles left on them but my soles did not.

For those of you that run trails, especially technical trails, what do you run in? Do you train with a mix of barefoot and minimalist shoes? Would it be potentially harmful to do all my weekday roadrunning barefoot and my weekend trail runs in minimalist shoes? I have 2 Half-Marathon road races planned in October & November (that I'll have no problem doing barefoot) and Big Sur in April 2014 but outside of that I would like to focus on trail races- Halfs, Fulls, and eventually Ultras. I truly enjoy barefoot running- 100% of the time on roads and 75% of the time on trails.

I know I've talked about this before but humor me!

I always have something on me in case I hurt my feet.You don't HAVE to run barefoot...

 

[Robin]

I'm pondering this too, but my big sticking point is always the time it takes to stop and change. I'm a lazy runner, and if I stop there's no guarantee that I'll actually start again.

Of course, I'm sure some of the superhero types on this site can slip on/slip off a pair of huaraches and do up the laces without breaking stride.

lol

 

[Robin]

Hi Steph,

I went though this in the spring. I really wanted to remain barefoot, but trails and longer distances were calling me. I just did not have the patience to extend the distances barefoot. Since I am far from having good form, I was in a constant state of foot soreness or injury. Going back to shoes helped me on the trails, but I still try to do as much barefoot as possible. My current plan is all shorter runs, barefoot. Medium length runs, sandals. Longer runs, a mix of sandals and shoes. Very long runs, shoes. For me, distance is the factor, not surface conditions. I still have not found the perfect shoe for me. My latest shoes are just ok, it has been frustrating. I do enjoy my sandals and plan to extend my distances in them.

It is possible to train both barefoot and shod (After a successful transition). If you have those road races coming up, and your goal is to complete them barefoot, I would stay barefoot and on the roads. Get those over with and then have fun on trails. Of course a trail run now and then won't hurt, but it is hard to "do everything", some can and you might be able to, but I couldn't. I dropped road halfs and fulls out of my schedule and it really let me focus on trails.

Every time I run a trail, even in shoes, I question why I even go back to the roads, but I don't want to be labeled as a trail only runner. I like variety.

I like the NB minimus...

 

[Robin]

Hi Steph,

I went though this in the spring. I really wanted to remain barefoot, but trails and longer distances were calling me. I just did not have the patience to extend the distances barefoot. Since I am far from having good form, I was in a constant state of foot soreness or injury. Going back to shoes helped me on the trails, but I still try to do as much barefoot as possible. My current plan is all shorter runs, barefoot. Medium length runs, sandals. Longer runs, a mix of sandals and shoes. Very long runs, shoes. For me, distance is the factor, not surface conditions. I still have not found the perfect shoe for me. My latest shoes are just ok, it has been frustrating. I do enjoy my sandals and plan to extend my distances in them.

It is possible to train both barefoot and shod (After a successful transition). If you have those road races coming up, and your goal is to complete them barefoot, I would stay barefoot and on the roads. Get those over with and then have fun on trails. Of course a trail run now and then won't hurt, but it is hard to "do everything", some can and you might be able to, but I couldn't. I dropped road halfs and fulls out of my schedule and it really let me focus on trails.

Every time I run a trail, even in shoes, I question why I even go back to the roads, but I don't want to be labeled as a trail only runner. I like variety.

I like the NB minimus...

 

[rickwhitelaw]

I love running the trails barefoot. To me they're easier than the road, but they do take a lot of concentration so I don't trip on roots, rocks and such. Sometimes wearing shoes allows me to relax more on the trails and enjoy the scenery. But when I'm in an introspective mood and don't really care about my surroundings or just want to focus on what's inside my head or my form I sometimes go barefoot on the trails to get that contact with the earth and ground myself. Its slow but still relaxing in a different way.

Excellent. Double like, I feel the same way.

Barefoot or minimal on technical trails can be mentally draining. When I get to that point and I lose sight of the scenery (only focusing on avoiding the rough) I stop and put on shoes. Now race situations or runs with time limitations might warrant shoes from the beginning.

 

[Bill B]

Like yourself Stephanie, I carry my EX-L's tucked into the back of my shorts on trail runs, just in case! I run a fair bit of gravel, and it never seems to get easier! Some is worse than others! It's not my soles that get hurt, but the sides of my toes and feet that don't touch the ground! Grass is also evil! Can't tell what's in it! Stepped on something last night that stung me twice on the side of my big toe. Hurt like *uck!! I also find the really steep hills almost impossible to go up or down bare foot,due to slipping(lack of traction) especially if its wet! A real good way to cut your foot IMHO! Good luck!