A bit of sibling rivalry...

Barefoot Mary

Barefooters
Jul 27, 2010
340
2
18
Denver, CO
Hey all.

I've been down in the dumps lately about my sister. She bought a pair of VFFs and (after maybe 1/2 a mile of barefoot training, twice outside with her soles on the ground) she's running 6 miles every other day. Sometimes two days in a row. She's never run previous to this, not in years. She has also mistreated her feet with ill-fitting shoes for a long time. She's not the barefoot type. I've been telling her to go slow but she lives a long ways away from me. She says she's feeling great! No pains, no aches, perfect. She just keeps running and running. Some calf pain, that's it.

Meanwhile, I'm the cautious sister. I've been working my way up completely barefoot for going on 7 months. My longest distance barefoot has been 5 miles, once, by accident. Recently my left foot started acting up. TMTS, TOFP. I've been hobbling around, RICEing, and running 1 milers a couple times a week while my tendons are healing. I'm pretty sure I was overstriding only on my left side.

What is going on?!?!? My sofa-loving sister is tearing it up in her Vibrams and I'm stuck icing my feet. Husband says it's because barefoot running is more strenuous than VFF running, but I think she's cruisin for a bruisin...but she says she feels fine. She hasn't read any literature, she hasn't watched any video, she hasn't studied form or been as researched as I have. What gives!?!?!

It makes me feel like a loser.... :puzzled:
 
My guess is that she would be

My guess is that she would be doing even better than she is barefoot, and you would be suffering even more if you were a VFF user.

Life's just not always fair.

She was probably VERY born to run but never even knew it.
 
Yeah, she's probably just a

Yeah, she's probably just a natural.

I suppose I could be mature and say "It's not a competition, we're all here to grow," etc.

But if that doesn't help, she probably thinks you're really tough and cool for actually going BF. :)
 
Either she's a natural or

Either she's a natural or she's building towards a major injury without knowing it. I know a few people who've had a really smooth transition and have been able to ramp up mileage very fast and then, out of nowhere, they've gotten strees fractures and so on. The common denominator here is that they've all been minimal runners, not barefooters.

Then again, actually knowing nothing about running form can be a good thing as your body is free to figure it out for itself, probably coming very close to what we consider ideal.
 
 I don't know how long ago it

I don't know how long ago it was that she bought them but I think I have to agree BB. A few weeks ago I was running 13 milers every three days barefoot (with minor zem usage for rain/sharp pointy rock areas). I built up to that really fast, and would of faster except I was being cautious. Then suddenly I can't anymore. I didn't "injure" myself but the last few weeks I've had to cut down to no more than five at a time usually more like three in a half or I have foot/ankle pain. I've had to call runs quit after a mile because things just didn't feel "right". If I'd kept up that same schedule I'd certainly of fractured or pulled something. She'll probably end up hitting a point where she has to either back down and let herself heal or she'll injure herself.

Besides we all know that being bf is infinitely cooler than VFFs so don't let her get you down :)
 
Thanks ajb.I think I am just

Thanks ajb.

I think I am just having a crisis of confidence today. It's cloudy and cold and snowing and I'm thinking...I suck at barefoot running. And, my foot hurts!

But this is all coming from the place that used to run 15 milers on the weekends.

Patience my son, patience.

I need to remember why I started running barefoot and understand that it will be worth the long transition struggle.
 
It is very well worth it,

It is very well worth it, Mary. Trust me. If I can get there through all I've been through, you CAN too. Hang in there. It gets easier and easier, and soon you'll realize that you are once again running the big miles and runing them barefoot.