Ore Feet

So I did 4 miles yesterday on asphalt, I basicall have blisters on the insides and outside of the balls of my feet. They look worse than they are, but I am conceerned whether I am doing bad form or if it is just what I have to go through to get my feet tougher. I have looked through the forums, and feel a little lost in there.
 
Im with Abide, I thought we

Im with Abide, I thought we had another person running in a mine...

How long have you been running BF? You might have done TMTS resulting in blisterage. It could also very well, and most likely, be due to poor / sloppy form.
 
haha...sorry. Hit control

haha...sorry. Hit control instead of shift.

Yah I think it is a combination of TMTS and poor form. Is it normal to get blisters at the beginning? lol they look pretty horrible. If I keep my distance around a mile how long does it usually take before you can do longer mileage? I would really like to do my 3 mile days completely BF.

Will trails beat your feet up this much?
 
TMo - I had the same issue

TMo - I had the same issue when I first started running BF. All I really have to run on here is asphalt. I found that I was pushing off too much, which led to blisters in the same areas you're describing. Try slowing down and increasing your cadence. I also focus on making as little noise as possible when I run, with the aim being totally silent footfalls. I found that focusing on keeping my footfalls silent helped me stay focused on my form and not drift back in bad habits I'd formed while running shod. Hope this helps and that your feet return to normal quickly!
 
I think in the beginning it's

I think in the beginning it's very common to get blisters. That's how you learn what not to do. Alot of the time it is form related, but then it's also partially that the skin is weaker and takes a while to thicken and strengthen. It's taken me a long time to really develop a good strong skin surface on my soles.

As far as trails, I think it depends on the trails surface. Some trails have lots of gravel, bigger rocks, roots, branches, pinecones, gumballs, etc which can really beat up the feet. Others are dirt and pretty easy to run on. We have a trail here which I like to run on, but for me parts of it absolutely kill my feet and then other parts are just super easy. For those really tough parts I will carry my huaraches if needed.
 
Blisters are our friends,

Blisters are our friends, little teachers of love. Always examine your feet closely after a run. They not only will tell you where you've been but how you got there.

I too believe that after a period of time running barefoot, our skin conditions/thickens, and this is very natural and normal. This conditioning, along with good form, helps us to avoid blistering. But the key and most important part of this lesson is learning how not to blister in the first place. It is at these beginning stages that we stand to learn the most about how to run safely (where to place our weight and how much weight to place; how to step and where to step), so that we can avoid serious injury later down the run. First practice running softly, then allow the conditioning of your skin to catch up to your ability.
 
From my own experience, I

From my own experience, I could only go 1-1.8miles in the beginning and would blister, but once I learned to listen to my feet, the very next time I ran barefoot, I went 5 miles with no damage. My skin wasn't any tougher, but I took all the twist, scuff, push off and toe grip out of my form. Listen to your feet, relax and have fun. That's what worked for me, anyway. Good luck! It'll come...just don't force it, like I did.

-Jonny
 
When I run on gravel I feel

When I run on gravel I feel like my heel and the ball of my foot hit simultaneously. When my blisters started hurting I found myself running more in this manner, but thinking it was the wrong form. Could I have been exaggerating the forefoot strike too much?
 
Jonny - I smell a running

Jonny - I smell a running club franchise in the works - Barefoot Ninjas Running Club. I can already see the logo in my head. :)
 
I am seriously confused about

I am seriously confused about how much of the heel should touch. I am running today in vibrams because the soreness and blisters are not gone. As soon as they are healed I am finding some gravel. Saying that, though, on gravel I also feel like my heel is touching.
 
IMHO, the heel should touch

IMHO, the heel should touch down, but it shouldnt slam into the ground. I would reccomend starting over on a hard even surface, something like cement or asphalt, that doesnt have any "give" or softness to it. This way you are relying on your body to absord the impact, and any flaws will be exagerated.

Running in trails is fun, but only when you have learned HOW to run.

Good luck!
 
The key for me (after mucho

The key for me (after mucho blisters) was to relax my feet totally and lean slightly forward from the ankles. I'm taking a stab here at describing the "form" we've all been referring to. Finally getting my "form" right, which was really just relaxing and leaning forward with good posture of the back and upper body, got me to increase distance, but only after the sole (plantar) skin thickened up a bit with alternating days on/off BFR very short distances. Leaning forward from your waist rather than your ankles is not your friend and will not help.

To get what this "leaning from the ankles" feels like, stand about 2 feet from a wall, facing the wall, with excellent upright posture. Put your hands on the wall and, maintaining your excellent upright posture, lean forward without moving your feet at all. You do this by bending your elbows slightly. As you will notice, were you to suddenly remove your hands, you would hit the wall with your face. While I do not wholeheartedly recommend testing the results of this theoretical process for more than a couple of milliseconds followed by immediate replacement of the hands on the wall, it will give you the feeling for what "the BF lean" feels like.

Unlike traditional running, you are not launching yourself forward muscularly, essentially jumping forward. Instead, gravity and your lean forward provides your forward motion, while your cleanly and smoothly lifting and placing your feet keeps you from the infamous face plant. The degree of lean largely determines the speed of forward motion (there are other factors, but save those for later).

I hope this helps detail some of the great advice everyone has been providing already. We've all been there and would love to help you avoid the pitfalls we've so thoughtfully but painfully already discovered.
 
You WANT your heel to touch

You WANT your heel to touch down, just so slightly, as if a kiss to the ground. Find a flat, hard surface to practice your form on. A flat, hard surface is unforgiving and will let you know immediately if you are doing something wrong, such as bringing your heel down too hard. You need a solid surface such as asphalt or concrete, which will allow you to learn through repetition how to place your feet, where to place your feet, and where to place your weight over your feet.

Get your form down as much as you can first on a flat, hard surface, then move onto gravel. Gravel can help you refine your form later. Likewise, running on soft surfaces like grass and sand and surfaces that are unstable such as gravel have too much give, are too uneven, and unpredictable. You cannot learn a lesson where the answer changes with each footfall.
 
I'd start your check list

I'd start your check list from the head down and not the feet up. Good form starts with good head position and proper posture, just as in all sports. Phil's explanation of the center of gravity lean is spot on, IMHO and exactly how I run and most noticeable going up hill. From there, make sure your hips are loose to prevent uper body rotation, lead with bent knees and land under your center of gravity. If you run too high, your feet will slap the ground. If you have good knee bend, put down the feet and pick them up, starting to pick up before the landing (like when you catch a foot ball...you start moving you hand in the same direction the ball is traveling before it gets there to cushion the landing...same thing.) only your breathing will be audible and you're nearly a Ninja!

The last thing is about efficiency. Save energy, avoid waste and save skin. Make sure your feet, knees, hands, etc move only forward and back and not side to side. This will help prevent any twisting motion that gets translated down to your contact surface...the soles of your feet, where you'll pay the price for any change in direction via blisters. This is more evident quicker on gravel and in the wet...or with socks on.

Good luck, Boss...let us know what you figure out.

-Jonny