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skedaddle

skedaddle

Barefooters
Sep 3, 2011
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#1
Gravity sucks! I've been running more barefoot lately, and all is well, but I've gotten to the stage where i want to do more focused uphill workouts. In my Merrels i can push hard uphill, so i can get used to being in oxygen deficit, but when i try this barefoot i always get small blisters on my big toes where the extra effort is causing friction between my feet and the gradient.
I know I'm pushing off, but in a way that's the whole point, i'm working hard against the incline, leaning into the hill, and gunning it to get my heart-rate up.
Any suggestions, or is it just a case of waiting for my feet to toughen up more? I can run a steady pace for miles without a problem.
 
#2
I think it is either a matter of waiting for your toes to toughen, or waiting for the feedback of the abrasion to correct whatever form issue you may have. In either case it will probably take care of itself, so just back off a bit until the blisters go away. I got a little niggle on my right foot's second toe for most of my first year of BFR. I felt it most in the winter. I wondered if that toe hung down a bit more, or if I pushed off more with that foot, or if it had gotten frost bit, but in the end whatever it was took care of itself and I don't feel it anymore. Abrasions can be good teachers sometimes, and you don't even have to take notes.
 
#3
Maybe if you focus on driving your knees before you're plant than actually pushing after planting your foot. I've got a decent size hill on one of my routs and I too love going hard up to get my heart going and my legs throbbing......
I haven't had much of a problem with abrasion...but Lee has a point too.
It could be partly your form and partly your sole condition.
Again....think drive the knee forward, not the leg back, or off the foot
 
#4
Man, I love hills. They are great for building good form. I also agree with Lee and Zetti where it sounds like it is more form related. The first few times I got to run hills I wound up with a few toe blisters as well, Haven't seen any lately though (touch wood).
 
#5
skedaddle said:
I know I'm pushing off, but in a way that's the whole point, i'm working hard against the incline, leaning into the hill, and gunning it to get my heart-rate up.
Any suggestions, or is it just a case of waiting for my feet to toughen up more? I can run a steady pace for miles without a problem.
Click to expand...
Push off less - but find a bigger hill!
 
#6
agree with everyone. Keep at it BF till you stop being a sissy, I mean till you build tolerance.
 
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#7
Thanks everyone.

Zetti said:
Maybe if you focus on driving your knees before you're plant than actually pushing after planting your foot. I've got a decent size hill on one of my routs and I too love going hard up to get my heart going and my legs throbbing......
I haven't had much of a problem with abrasion...but Lee has a point too.
It could be partly your form and partly your sole condition.
Again....think drive the knee forward, not the leg back, or off the foot
Click to expand...

I was at a bit of an impasse, i knew i was driving from the foot strike, but i felt i had to do that to get the workout i wanted, i will try to drive more from the knee in future like Zetti suggested.
It seems to make perfect sense sitting here reading your suggestion, if i drive from the knee the force will be absorbed by the trailing leg, spreading the load a bit.

Barefoot Dama said:
agree with everyone. Keep at it BF till you stop being a sissy, I mean till you build tolerance.
Click to expand...

Ha Ha Dama, i'm a bit of a lactic junkie, if i'm not pukin' i'm not movin'! You know how sensitive us blokes are about our macho persona.
 
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#8
..."Macho Persona..."

You'll get over that in time. Running can be gratifying even without pain.

Of course I'm starting to include tempo runs in my weekly rotation now, hoping for a bump in race performance. Consistancy isn not my strong suit.
 
#11
I'm probably just paraphrasing what has already been said, but I find if I continue to let my heel drop to the ground even on steep inclines, and then use my quads to pull my leg forward (drive knee forward) I find I have less tendency to "dig in" with my toes. It's all in the little mental strategies we develop to simplify the mechanics.
 
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