Need Advice

CharlieGreen

Barefooters
Jun 19, 2019
42
23
8
45
Hi All,

I am new to bare feet running and need advice.

I have been running with trainers on and off for 15 years running 7.5km twice a week.

I changed to bare feet running and now run once a week 4km as I really can feel it on my legs. I run once a week and have a week break in between to get my legs time to heel.

Is there any advice you can give me that will help me in the transition to bare feet running. I am at the moment comfortable running 4km once a week only bare feet as my legs need that 7 day break, I feel my legs sore for days afterwards. I don't want to pick up injuries so I want to slowly move into bare feet running. I am running on the front and ball of my feet bare feet on tar roads.
 
well, it takes patience and self awareness. It took me about six months to run my previous mileage at a much lower speed, but it felt so great I didn't look back.

You may try to run just 1 km, walk 1km and run 1km instead of 4km altogether and RUN VERY SLOWLY, two times per week. When at home be barefoot (if possible) and make easy movements and exercises like heel elevation, play with tennis ball, etc. If 1km makes you feel pain/sore then run just 500m!! You should give to your body to adapt.

If your are healthy it is just a matter of time and practice.

I'm not therapist, doctor or whatwever, just a barefoot runner

keep running barefoot!
 
I am running on the front and ball of my feet bare feet on tar roads.

Well, there's a wrong way to run on front and ball of the feet, which is, unfortunately kinda intuitive thing to do - straightening your ankle so that front of the feet hit ground first. Instead, keep your ankles relaxed and in natural position and bend your knees, just so that heels stay in the ground, but there's not much of a weight on them. Achilles and calves tightens a bit, but while running they feel just ok.
 
Well, there's a wrong way to run on front and ball of the feet, which is, unfortunately kinda intuitive thing to do - straightening your ankle so that front of the feet hit ground first. Instead, keep your ankles relaxed and in natural position and bend your knees, just so that heels stay in the ground, but there's not much of a weight on them. Achilles and calves tightens a bit, but while running they feel just ok.

Thanks for the advice Flammee! Much appreciated!
 
I'd try running more often, less distance and focusing on form. Say one day on, one day off. The pace and distance would be something that allows you to recover in one/two days. You can increase distance/pace when you feel fresh and with energy, maybe once every two weeks and wait for the body to give you feedback if you can take this as your new running level. Activate your butt muscles and make sure they are in use when running.

It takes patience because it is too much fun and you don't want to stop but there are muscles and tendons that need you to take it easy. Taking care of form is important to avoid getting injured and improve self awareness.

Ken Bob has a website with lots of information about how to run so it is better to learn from someone with plenty of experience. https://barefootrunning.com/
 
I'd try running more often, less distance and focusing on form. Say one day on, one day off. The pace and distance would be something that allows you to recover in one/two days. You can increase distance/pace when you feel fresh and with energy, maybe once every two weeks and wait for the body to give you feedback if you can take this as your new running level. Activate your butt muscles and make sure they are in use when running.

It takes patience because it is too much fun and you don't want to stop but there are muscles and tendons that need you to take it easy. Taking care of form is important to avoid getting injured and improve self awareness.

Ken Bob has a website with lots of information about how to run so it is better to learn from someone with plenty of experience. https://barefootrunning.com/
Welcome, Janne!
 
I'd try running more often, less distance and focusing on form. Say one day on, one day off. The pace and distance would be something that allows you to recover in one/two days. You can increase distance/pace when you feel fresh and with energy, maybe once every two weeks and wait for the body to give you feedback if you can take this as your new running level. Activate your butt muscles and make sure they are in use when running.

It takes patience because it is too much fun and you don't want to stop but there are muscles and tendons that need you to take it easy. Taking care of form is important to avoid getting injured and improve self awareness.

Ken Bob has a website with lots of information about how to run so it is better to learn from someone with plenty of experience. https://barefootrunning.com/


Thank You for the advice everyone! Much appreciate it.

Running bare feet once a week 4km on tar road, I can really feel my calf muscles and hamstring muscles days afterwards, so I feel most comfortable at the moment taking 7 day rest days between my runs. When my legs feel stronger and I recover quicker I run more often. I don't want to run even on muscles that are little sore as I don't want to pick up any sort of injury and then be put off bare feet running for life.

Once a week, when the stress of work has build up, I like to get home from work, go for a road run bare feet in my neighbourhood when it is starting to get dark and there are not many people around. It is an escape from suburbia, an escape from the stresses of everyday life. it is liberating running bare feet on tar road. You feel like you breaking out of suburbia, you breaking out/away from modern day life. I run a circular road which well lid with street lights and we have neighbourhood watch camera's and a good neighbourhood watch and there are few people still walking their dogs and I don't carry any valuables on me to get robbed so it is safe. It is also getting lighter here in the evenings at 5.30pm after work to run.

Running bare feet in Cape Town is not big at all, I haven't seen anyone else doing it.