Barefoot and Racing

Dirtbag

Dirtbag

Barefooters
Oct 17, 2010
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#1
After reading some of the discussions going on in the other threads, especially the Quit Barefoot and Half Marathon in VFFs threads, I had a thought. It seems like the people less concerned with speed are more willing to barefoot all the time while the people more concerned with PRs are more likely to trend minimalist.

I know for me its much easier to run fast with something on my feet. Not sure I'll ever actually do a tri barefoot because I am interested in pushing myself to go faster and I think my VFFs will allow me to do that more than barefooting, even if I trained bare and got very used to it (which may or may not be true). Barefooting is for more fun, relaxed runs.

Thoughts? (I know there's at least one or two BFR speed demons out there dying to jump on this.)
 
#2
I don't know that I can run

I don't know that I can run faster with something on my feet. I was able to take 15 minutes off my half marathon time after 10 months of running barefoot. But I seriously have no urgency to run fast. I wish I did though because then I could get home before dark and stuff like that. But since going barefoot, I have shed not only the shoes but the heart rate monitor, the MP3 player, the GPS, the hydration pack, all in that order.

I know that people can run barefoot fast though, such as the Brothers Romero, but until our numbers increase, we won't have any true comparisons.
 
#3
TJ,Do you think that part of

TJ,

Do you think that part of the reason your half marathon time dropped after going barefoot was that you were enjoying running more? Not trying to argue your point, but it seems like a lot of the barefoot revelation stories involve some sort of "I kind of didn't like to run and/or it hurt to run and then I took off my shoes and the clouds parted and angels sang and all was right with the world again." My VFF/barefoot story is similar. This kind of abrupt change in attitude is sure to impact speed, right? So even though you have no interest in going fast, fast happens because fun is happening.

'Course, now I'm not sure how that fits in to my whole half-baked theory...
 
#4
I'm not sure, to be honest. 

I'm not sure, to be honest. It could be that I had 10 more months of running under my belt; therefore, I was a better runner than I was 10 months prior. It could be that the ground was so freezing cold that November race, I just wanted to get it over with. It could be because there were thousands of more specators than the previous half marathon. Am I running faster because it's funner now? That's possible too.
 
#5
For me personally, I run

For me personally, I run barefoot for fun/enjoyment and I did it to learn proper form for when I run in shoes. I still run in my VFF's and traditional running shoes. I know for me I can run the fastest in my nike frees (with the heel cut off of course) because I am less worried about being afraid to step on something like pebbles and rough roads. If speed is not an issue for me/not trying to PR I will wear either my VFF's or huaraches to races because I dont know how the roads are. If I am just going for a nice easy run and I know the location, I run barefoot. I cant remember where I heard it, but I use the "shoes as tools" approach. Will I ever give up my shoes completely? No. Will I ever stop running barefoot? No. For me, they both have their place.
 
#6
I train mostly barefoot in

I train mostly barefoot in the summers, and in vff's in the colder months. But I pretty much do my track speedwork and races in vff's. I find that even the slightest break in form from the increased pace causes some pretty ugly results on the bottom of my feet. I'm not a good enough runner to go that fast and maintain perfect form. So I compromise and race in vff's. That allows me the freedom to focus on racing and tactics, rather than form.

I have run several 5k's barefoot, on golfcourses, trails and asphalt. All were faster than my best shod times on the same courses. All of them could have been even faster if I had been wearing my vff's. I spent alot of time druing the race worrying about making a tight turn, or getting thru a twisty part of the course, at speed, without leaving the soles of my feet behind like some cheap retreaded tire.

I'm sure there are other, more accomplished barefooters out there that can go faster than I do and still have their feet look human when they finish. This is just what has worked for me.

My biggest concern about making the transition to BF a little over a year ago, was the whole idea of starting over. I didn't want to give up everything I had gained and start from scratch. I love being a consistent age group winner, and even stealing an overall win from the young guys now and then. So I found a compromise that allowed me to run healthier, faster, and longer, without giving up the conditioning and speed I had already developed.

I'm a hybrid barefooter
 
#7
Hey DB...just once some year

Hey DB...just once some year take a whole running season off of racing and just run barefoot...on all types of terrain...no watches, specified distances etc...just run what you feel like...you wont regret it. You may find you are faster after that without training to be faster.



On pavement its a matter of comfort and conditioning, if the pavement is smooth enough I think I'm slightly faster barefoot but its hard to tell...there is a point where shoes become faster depending on your speed and the distance...for the elites anyway. I'm not fast enough to tell much difference on smooth pavement so I go barefoot for for pavement races. I'm much slower on trails barefoot so I wear shoes for trail races but do most summer time slower trail runs barefoot. I do want to do some trail marathons and ultra's someday fully barefoot...when I get more time for training.

For some barefoot runners there is a little magic that happens somewhere during/after the adjustment phase...barefoot running is so enjoyable they forget about race times and being fast... races are more social events with other runners.
 
#8
I think there are a couple of

I think there are a couple of factors, obviously surface type and then experience running barefoot. For example I can run a 5k about a minute faster barefoot than shod on a track. On the road barefoot is probably a little slower.

However with time and tenacity a lot of people have been able to overcome this. Spooner for example. I think he is much faster barefoot than he was shod.
 
#9
mokaman wrote:For some

mokaman said:
For some barefoot runners there is a little magic that happens somewhere during/after the adjustment phase...barefoot running is so enjoyable they forget about race times and being fast... races are more social events with other runners.
Click to expand...

Well said ! That happened to me and I have been a happy runner ever since :smile:
 
#10
When I wore shoes, I actually

When I wore shoes, I actually ran races to be competitive. Now that I don't wear shoes, I run the races to be even more competitive. My times have gotten better in the marathon. I haven't raced a 5k in a while, so I don't know how much faster I would actually be, but according to my marathon times, I should be able to beat my PR from high school.
 
#11
Racing is what makes running

Racing is what makes running fun for me. I raced bmx bikes in the 70's, ran cross country in the 80's, drove stock cars in the 90's, and now I'm running cross country, racing on snowshoes, running races over any terrain, at any distance from 5 to 100K.

If I take a year off from racing, it will also be a year off from running. The excitement of the next race is what keeps me getting up at 4 in the morning to sneak in a few miles before work, and keeps me going till well past sunset. I don't go to races for the social aspect. I go for the competition. Thats what drives me to eat right, get enough rest, and train hard.

I took up barefoot/minimal running because by ditching the extra weight on my feet and finding a more efficient form, it has allowed me to run faster and farther.
 
#12
I have not tried to run fast

I have not tried to run fast in shoes since going barefoot. I wear minimal shoes in the cold here in Iowa but otherwise its just for those times when I get outside to run and need foot protection.

All of my race times got better after going barefoot. I think it had to do with being able to run more miles and get better as a runner period. In big padded trainers I couldn't get over 5 miles without horendous shin splints.

I would not risk running in shoes again to race. I really think I would end up letting my form go and hurting myself. Besides, its an even better feeling to blow past people in those last meters barefoot!
 
#13
For me this is my barefoot

For me this is my barefoot year. I enjoy racing barefoot and will continue to run barefoot in races.

I do not expect to PR this year.

Some are faster barefoot some are not.

Agree or not, this is what I think is the reason for this.

If your form is bad with shoes and you are prone to injury, then going barefoot may make you faster.

If your form is good with shoes and you are not prone to injury then going barefoot may not make you faster.

But then the fastest runners in the world spent their first ~20 years running barefoot.

I know where I'm putting my money. We got it wrong 30 years ago with the modern running shoe and it will take time to set things right.
 
#14
I think I've slowed down

I think I've slowed down quite a bit until recently. My latest challenge is barefoot fartleks. I'm getting better at sprinting (on sidewalks, various roughness w/ gravel sometimes) and not developing blisters. Magic! I'm sure it takes years & years to perfect strong soles & technique for sprinting, but I'm digging it right now.

I don't believe I'll ever be a Adebe Bikilia running fast! on cobblestones but one can dream... :innocent:

Tomorrow I'm doing my 2nd barefoot race, a St. Patties 7K, so I can't compare it to any other races. Not many 7Ks out there. Lol.

I think for almost everyone minimal shoes are faster. There's less to worry about terrain-wise. But it takes the zen out of running.
 
#15
I would like to be

I would like to be competitive in the barefoot running but when you are up against shod runners who don't have to worry about sharp obstacles in front of them it can be tough.

I just ran in a short beach race, The Henley Beach bash, a 4km race on the sand.

I improved my time from last year from 24:11m down to 20:41m but slipped back in placings from 18th to 30th out of 116 this year.

The winner recorded 15:41m so i would have to make a huge improvement to catch up.

I'm sure I can get my times to below 20 minutes.

I was hoping that on sand, being barefoot is an advantage but you do slip around a bit and I think the adrenaline of being in a race made me a bit stiffer in my form that normal, it was hard to relax
smile.png




Neil
 
#16
I have to agree with everyone

I have to agree with everyone else in saying "it depends". My base speed and what level of training I have to put into achieving it has turned for the better. But there is a threshold past which running fast just scrapes up my soles. In those cases where I really want to run fast (for me - not really fast for most people), I need to wear shoes. I also have issues with shoes, though, in that the faster I run, the more pinchy my VFF's get, so no good solution right now. I can run really fast BF on the indoor rubber track, though, so that's where I do my speedwork.
 
#17
Personally for me running is

Personally for me running is just all about the fun and little 5k races in town are pretty fun. If I were a serious runner going for fast times I would probably go with minimalist shoes.

But me, face it. I'm never going to be a "fast" runner, I"m not going to do it competitively. So I just have as much fun as I can. :)
 
#18
I have become a faster runner

I have become a faster runner once I started running barefoot. I ran about 5 races last year a half marathon, a few 20k's, and a few other things. I blew away my shod times on every race.

Running fast barefoot is much effortless than shod. I think this all comes down to locking into a good form, running fast barefoot leaves you no room for error, if you do get slobby you certainly will know it and slow down.

My outlook on running has changed alot, running is strictly a hobby and I run for fun. I started getting a bit competitive with myself and was expecting to PR at every race, it started taking a toll on me. My family has grown and couldn't put the time and energy I needed.
 
#19
I guess it would depend on

I guess it would depend on the surface, but most of my races have been road races, and it's hard to imagine running faster with extra weight. It's not just the weight, but the natural elasticity of the foot is dampened when something is on your feet.
 
#20
Effortless is such a good

Effortless is such a good word for it. Running shod at 10:00 is pretty much impossible for me right now, but I ran a 10mm easily on a 26 lap/mile track the other day despite the relentless turns. I am less beat up running fast barefoot than I was in shoes.
 
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