Time to fess up.
I'm training for a half-marathon at the end of the month, the first I will attempt barefoot. So, I've been slowly upping the distance of my long runs, along with cross-training. Reached 12 miles, but paid a price in both debilitating blood blisters under the ball of my left foot and a very sharp stone which became deeply embedded in my heel. Needless to say, my training got a bit knocked about. But even worse, I'm really beginning to wonder if barefoot running is the way to go for me, given my own physical conditions (Morton's toe, a probably arthritic middle toe, etc). Returning to shod running is out of the question. So, I've been experimenting with some minimalist shoes. The VFF Bikilas are only marginally acceptable and they'll do for the gym. But today I really wanted to run trails, which I haven't done for some time, so I got a pair of Vivo Breathos and took them for a spin. Pretty much everything felt the way it should, as far as cadence, form, etc. And the run was really enjoyable.
My thinking is that I will start the race barefoot, but if I begin to develop problems, I need a backup plan. So, I'm planning to carry some sort of minimalist shoe with me that I can put on if things begin to go south.
Does this dis-qualify me as a barefoot runner? If the point of bf running is to avoid injuries (among other things), but I end up injured (albeit different types of injuries than when shod), isn't that a bit self-defeating? I'm trying to extend my running life, not prove a point, and I think that barefoot running can do that for me. At the same time, I don't want to be laid up for several weeks at a time nursing different injuries. I'd love a bit of perspective from you veterans. I think maybe I'm just a bit spooked and need a reality slap or two.
I'm training for a half-marathon at the end of the month, the first I will attempt barefoot. So, I've been slowly upping the distance of my long runs, along with cross-training. Reached 12 miles, but paid a price in both debilitating blood blisters under the ball of my left foot and a very sharp stone which became deeply embedded in my heel. Needless to say, my training got a bit knocked about. But even worse, I'm really beginning to wonder if barefoot running is the way to go for me, given my own physical conditions (Morton's toe, a probably arthritic middle toe, etc). Returning to shod running is out of the question. So, I've been experimenting with some minimalist shoes. The VFF Bikilas are only marginally acceptable and they'll do for the gym. But today I really wanted to run trails, which I haven't done for some time, so I got a pair of Vivo Breathos and took them for a spin. Pretty much everything felt the way it should, as far as cadence, form, etc. And the run was really enjoyable.
My thinking is that I will start the race barefoot, but if I begin to develop problems, I need a backup plan. So, I'm planning to carry some sort of minimalist shoe with me that I can put on if things begin to go south.
Does this dis-qualify me as a barefoot runner? If the point of bf running is to avoid injuries (among other things), but I end up injured (albeit different types of injuries than when shod), isn't that a bit self-defeating? I'm trying to extend my running life, not prove a point, and I think that barefoot running can do that for me. At the same time, I don't want to be laid up for several weeks at a time nursing different injuries. I'd love a bit of perspective from you veterans. I think maybe I'm just a bit spooked and need a reality slap or two.