Newbie....with orthotics and PF!

Hi Monny, glad you're, welcome!
Sorry to hear about your troubles, first of all, I think you should start by ditching the orthotics, secondly, try running barefoot in place, that way you'll know how to lift the knees feel like. Also, you might want to look into the 100 up technique it's another way of learning how to lift and land safely, lastly, you want to venture outdoors and try to run barefoot, as in naked feet(no "barefoot" running shoes) try going five minutes and no more than that for one day, take notice how your feet are feeling the next day and if everything feels good then do it again the day after. Play it safe and try running every other day. I know five minutes is not much but it's a start and better than nothing.
If it helps you I must tell you that I went cold turkey and it worked wonders for me that was almost ten years ago? since then I have done several marathons/half marathons and countless of other shorter distances.
Good luck!

I started into my barefoot journey with some similarities - I had PF and frustrated (especially since I had just bought the most expensive pair of running shoes I could find lol). I'm not entirely sure it was PF but that was what the doc said plus I had very tender lower legs, especially on the inner side it was very sore to the touch... I remember a few times laying on the bed reading or watching tv and my son climbing around and bumped my legs and the pain would send me through the roof lol!

Barefoot was just not my style before, so it was a huge change. My feet were very sensitive and soft, they always lived in shoes and socks even on a hot summer day, indoors. So I was about an un-barefoot as they come, and the transition took ages but I pulled it off.

I pretty much went cold turkey barefoot. But I did rehab my PF first, I don't think it was as bad as yours. Well it was really bad for a few days couldn't even walk without using hiking poles, but it faded in a couple weeks (I did work on stretches and self massage, etc). That was late spring/early summer. I didn't read up about barefoot running for a few weeks, and got back into regular running but very easy runs only. I decided to buy a book, Jason Robillard's The Barefoot Running Book. It was excellent for starting out, and I wager Ken Bob's is as good so your fine there, but I have not read that one. I did buy some zero drop shoes, not to run in, but just to start walking around my daily life with more minimalist shoes. I had a 5k I really wanted to run in late summer, and decided it'd be my last run before going barefoot. But first, a couple weeks before my cold turkey date, I started walking barefoot. My road is very rough old asphalt and chip seal. Just walking on it was ouchy at first. But I went out and walked for a bit each day, sometimes morning and night. After a couple weeks of barefoot walking and I did that last shod race, I ditched the shoes and went for my first barefoot runs. Very short at first - just down the road a couple utility poles and back. I only did it every other day, but kept walking every day I could. After 3x runs of the same distance I would add another utility pole or two. It was slow progression but for my super sensitive footsies it worked well. I think it took me about half a year to get up to 5k, at least on my chip seal road. In the beginning I also did some of the activities that Jason's book mentioned to help strengthen the feet and practice coordination and whatnot.

That was summer/fall 2011. I ran my first barefoot race, a 5k, the following spring. Since then I've worked up to a few full marathons barefoot, as well as multi-day hikes in the mountains all barefoot (like in my current avatar).

I have had a few times I thought the PF might be coming back, it still can be problem barefoot. Learning to run barefoot might feel magical for many of us but realize it isn't actually magic and you'll still have plenty of problems and regular old stuff that bothers shoddies can still get us too. Sometimes long term damage is already done to our feet by the time we are the age we are wearing shoes our whole life, or our individual bio mechanics might predispose up to certain conditions and injuries. But I think relearning to run barefoot gives us the best shot and good natural form. I've really struggled with sore calves along the way, so sore after my earlier marathon that it clenched tight on the achilles and strained it. For the last couple years when I ever I do really intense runs or really big races my one right calf and achilles still has some pain. Might just be something I have to live with. But it's only under extreme conditions it gets bad. But I am so happy I took the crazy plunge, I've been able to run so much longer than I thought possible (my longest run prior was a 10k). And it's been so fun too! Yeah, their is often some hecklers out there or folks just freaked out by the whole barefoot thing but that doesn't bother me I grew up the kid that was picked on all the time I have a tough skin, (figuratively, but now literally too ). Wow I guess I ended up writing a book! Sorry

Welcome to the forums and hope you stick around, ask questions, and good luck!

Tristan said:

Wow I guess I ended up writing a book! Sorry

Welcome to the forums and hope you stick around, ask questions, and good luck!

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Good grief Tristan, you could easily have ran a 10 miler in that amount of time you spend writing the "book".

Hi MsM. Welcome.
That's an interesting back story.

For what it's worth, and bearing in mind that there are members on this forum that are way more qualified and/or experienced than me to point you in the right direction, my two cents worth based on my own journey experiences is:-

Firstly, you mention a couple of injuries –calf strains and PF. I am fortunate enough not to have suffered with PF, so I don’t really have any knowledge of that. I do believe, based on what others have said however that it can be quite debilitating. Tristan has mentioned it above -which sounds reasonably positive, so hopefully with that input and any other tips that people might chip in with you'll be ok to deal with that.

Regarding calf pain, I would say get clear of your injury as your first priority if you can. Maybe go to a good physio to check that there’s nothing serious underlying the problem and then get a decent deep massage on them if the physio thinks that’s appropriate –it’ll probably be a bit of an uncomfortable experience, but it should loosen you up (it did for me!)..

Then work on your re-hab. So do regular stretching each day, start to perhaps build in some unweighted squats to your routine and some heel raises too.
Walk barefoot as much as possible -your calf muscles need to become accustomed to working at that length, as opposed to with your heel being permanently raised from the ground in a shoe.

Then aim to progress really really slowly –walk distances barefoot first, then introduce some runs, then increase distance very gradually. All the time have in mind that if you feel pain, rest and go back down a level. –Yes it is a long process… I know mine was.

Keep at it & try and be patient (easier said than done..).

You might find your goal of 10km by the end of the year is too much (of course you might not too) –I would say just aim to be able to run comfortably so that you can enjoy it first –distance will hopefully follow.

Can't think of anything else (& it's all just anecdotal of course!).

Good luck & have fun on your journey...

Barefoot Dama said:

Good grief Tristan, you could easily have ran a 10 miler in that amount of time you spend writing the "book".

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Well I was at work so no running