Newbie in sweltering NC

#21
MicheleStitches said:
You are absolutely right! I was so pumped up I decided to go ahead and give it a try. It had cooled down to a nice, chilly 92 degrees outside, so I ventured out. I just did a short (2-mile) walk with running intervals mixed in and it felt GREAT! It truly felt so much better than when I try to run with shoes. I had to make myself stop. Near the end, the feeling that I might be working on a blister on one of my toes encouraged me to remember to stick to my "slow and steady" promise & just walk the rest of the way.

I'm pretty pumped! :D And my dear feet are getting rewarded with a nice cold, ice water soak. ;)
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I just wanted to add that you should try alternating surface textures as well. I have actually found that I like something slightly rougher, as opposed to the super smooth stuff. I find that even the smallest pebble feels sharp and/or gets stuck to my foot on the smooth stuff, but when I run on rougher surfaces it kind of "cleans off" anything that gets stuck. Also note that just because a surface seems super rough when you walk on it, it will be a different feeling all together when you run on it.
 
#22
MicheleStitches said:
Thanks for the advice. Here in eastern NC snow is quite a rare thing...maybe once or twice a year and quickly melted away, so assuming that I can continue this journey into the winter, I'm hoping to be able to run barefoot almost year round.
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That is a blessing to have better year round conditions. I'm sure that will help your progress as you begin the journey
 
#23
Welcome - I was going to say you might be closer to my experience starting out, but probably not. I personally had never been a runner before last Fall. I actually started living barefoot as much as possible last summer, and that inspired me to start running to lose weight and get in better shape. I tried C25K last August, but even that first workout proved too much for me. So I started doing lots of barefoot walking, sometimes as much as 3 miles near my office during lunch break. I finally started back on the program in earnest around January this year, and have made steady, but very slow progress. When I started I could barely run 45 seconds, no matter what, shoes or barefoot. Today I can run a solid 13 minutes.

I think the fact that I was not used to running has actually helped the BF process by not letting me go too much. I could go farther/longer barefoot, but right now my heart/lungs, and to a lesser extent my muscles, are what's limiting me.

I would say give C25K a try (or E25K is what I use, see link in sig). If you can do the first workout BF, then you should be able to progress on.
 
#24
Hi & Welcome Michele!
I just saw your blog "first run" entry and wanted to join in the group cheer.
First runs are wonderful and enlightening, aren't they? I remember when my feet felt so "awakened" I thought they'd explode. Most of my first runs were on a fairly fine gravel path, which was particularly exciting.
Regarding Min shoes, I ran for 4 months, starting from "couch" before buying a pair of VFF Bikilas. I bought them to get me through my first race, which was a trail run over some relatively rough stoney stretches. Now, 2 years and some into BFR, I still use my Biks for some trails and most races. Like you, I started "skin to the ground" BF, and I believe that the discipline and feedback served me well, and staved off most of the tmts dangers.
Good luck and enjoy!
 
#25
PatrickGSR94 said:
I would say give C25K a try (or E25K is what I use, see link in sig). If you can do the first workout BF, then you should be able to progress on.
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Thanks, Patrick. Life is really massively hectic at the moment (my son is getting married this weekend) and the weather has been a killer. BUT, I'm definitely considering tackling a C25K sort of training schedule when things are a little more conducive to tackling something like that. :)
 
#26
JosephTree said:
Hi & Welcome Michele!
I just saw your blog "first run" entry and wanted to join in the group cheer.
First runs are wonderful and enlightening, aren't they?
Good luck and enjoy!
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Thanks for the encouragement! My first run was so thrilling that I "overdid" it just a little and got a few blisters. On top of that, I'm battling a sinus infection or something of the sort and haven't been feeling so great. To make matters worse, we've had severe heat advisories in my area every day. :mad: So, I've not made it out for a second run...but I am chomping at the bit! :)
 
#27
Hello...fellow barefooter from NC here, Fayetteville specifically. I started off barefoot about three years ago while living in Hawaii, but since I rarely wore shoes anyway my feet were pretty tough and my initial run was not so bad. I started off fairly slow and short, working myself up to nightly 2-3 mile runs. After moving to Kansas and injuring my knee my running slowed down, but I have now started back up after recovering a bit and am anxious to get some good runs in.

I'd suggest just spending as little time in shoes as possible...lose them at home and just slip them on when you need to (store, restaurant, movie, etc...) and let your feet get used to being "naked." Slowly ease into the running part, maybe toss a few slow and short runs (50 meters or so) into a nice barefoot walk and before you know it you'll be running some longer distances barefoot. Good luck.
 
#30
peacekaren said:
Hello and welcome! Where in NC are you? I'm in the Raleigh/RTP area. If you're nearby I'd be happy to join you for some walk/runs.

Peace,
Karen
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Hi Karen. Right now I'm in Greenville. Thanks so much for the offer. I don't make it to Raleigh often, though. However, my hubby just finished his Masters and we may be relocating depending on job offers. If I get closer to your area I'll be sure to let you know!
 
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