BFR in Santa Fe, NM

[evadenyaw]

Hi All-

just dropping by to say hello, now that i've joined. My name is dave - i am 51 yrs. old & have been running barefoot & in VFFs for exactly one year (+/- a few days). I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico & would love to hear from others in this area. I wear VFFs maybe 75% of the time. It's tough to run completely barefoot in NM due to the crappy sidewalks and unbelievably large amount of stones and debris in the roads, though downtown Santa Fe (ironically) is a really good place to go unshod. I run a lot in Los Alamos, where I work, and it's about the same - roads very stone-strewn, downtown is nice. I typically see 2 or 3 runners wearing VFFs every time i go out for a run... at least one of whom is wearing them on my recommendation.

I worked out in a gym for many years, bemoaning the fact that chronic knee pain, ankle pain & shin splints had been preventing me from running since my college days. Then I read an article about barefoot running & Vibram 5 Fingers in the New York Times & decided to try it (since i go barefoot whenever possible, anyway). It worked for me unbelievably well & it is a real joy to run without debilitating shin splints & totally unpredictable knee & ankle pain. Running barefoot has also helped me save money by reducing my ibuprofen intake. Seriously!

I am here looking for knowledge... I'm basically a beginner who'd like to run faster & with less fatigue (perhaps not possible at my age). I'm currently running in the 9-to-10 minute mile range, with occasional forays into the 8:30 minute mile region. I also bike, play the drums, and lift weights a bit - all either unshod or in VFFs.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I think it's a shame that you

I think it's a shame that you were robbed of being able to run for so many years due to so-called, high technology running shoes. At least you found something that works for you and allows you to maintain a level of fitness, since any level of fitness is good for you.

Welcome!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Btw, what kind of critter is

Btw, what kind of critter is that in your avatar? We have five-band armadillo here in Georgia, but you only see them at night, and they are already dead on the road. Poor things.

 

[Abide]

What's up Dave.

What's up Dave.

 

[evadenyaw]

Hey TJ - that critter is an

Hey TJ - that critter is an echidna - not native to the US... they live in New Zealand.

 

[SaraLord]

Hey Evadenyaw,Sounds like

Hey Evadenyaw,

Sounds like you are on a good path. I haven't tried VFF's yet, but just gave my Zems a trial run the other day - blisters. Will stick to nothing or huaraches for now. While our members are kind of spread out, I'm in Placitas - maybe you want to consider joining the NM Chapter. I'm trying to get a group together to meet/run/trade ideas/complain about shoes, etc.

Like you, I'm a beginner who didn't run for years due to runner's knee/IBS. The little knee band thingy has worked wonders for me, along with a foam roller (my new best friend). My eye is on the San Diego RNR Marathon in June 2011.

Welcome to the BRS!

Sara

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That looks similar to our

That looks similar to our anteater/ardvark critter we have over here in the midwest and southwest, except that one in your avatar has spikes like a porcupine or hedge hog.

 

[evadenyaw]

Hi Sara-I think I joined the

Hi Sara-

I think I joined the NM Chapter... at least i tried to. I think i'm listed as being in the NM Chapter under my avatar, so maybe it worked? I seems like there's no one else from Santa Fe who's joined this site, though I'm told the local runners' club has some VFF adherents...

Anyway - great to meet you online. Until i came to this site, i had never realized there were so many types of 'shoeless' shoes out there! I was only aware of VFFs and non-running, single purpose footwear like Aquasox.



Since joining, I've read some of the really informative articles & blogs here and upped my actual unshod running quite a bit... ran 13 miles in the last 2 days, about half with no shoes at all. I am nowhere near being able to run a marathon, though I am getting to the point where i could do a half-marathon. Let me know if there are any events in the ABQ area...

cheers,

Dave (evadenyaw)

 

[evadenyaw]

Hey TJ - the echidna is an

Hey TJ - the echidna is an extraordinary animal... it lays eggs, has no mammary glands, etc. I think it's not quite a mammal - it has its own category, as does the platypus - they're both monotremes, i believe.

I used to see a lot of dead armadilloes in Texas... always made me sad because they seem so odd and cute. Wish we had anteaters in New Mexico... we are completely overrun w/ants in the summer!

As for running shoes - and your earlier comment - it's funny how counterintuitive the whole relationship between running & shoes can be. It took me forever to figure this out & to listen to what my body had been telling me for many years. People are incredulous when the see my VFFs and even more so when I tell them i also run completely barefoot. I tell them that the extremely padded nature of conventional running shoes causes us to abuse our feet and lower legs (while running) in ways that would be unimaginable if we were barefoot. Changing the running / walking style is the main thing. Some people get this right off the bat & some don't... i nearly always get questions about stuff like arch support from those who don't. Ask any podiatrist... and I've been to a few... normal people usually do not have to worry about arch support! If you're morbidly obese or have osteoporosis or a history of foot injuries (from a car accident or something), then there could be a concern.

So - the way I see it is that the shoe industry has us all pretty thoroughly indoctrinated when it comes to what we need to do to protect our feet from various stresses. The irony is that such stresses would never occur if we were shown how to run in ways that don't cause injuries (...but instead strengthen our lower extremities!) AND if the shoe industry didn't make these lush, foot-caressing, overpadded shoes that give us a false sense of security regarding the consequences of repeated hard impacts on our feet.

 

[evadenyaw]

Hey Abide - well, I'm

Hey Abide - well, I'm definitely a fan of Walter Sobchak!

 

[Phil Hart]

Welcome, Dave.  A word of

Welcome, Dave. A word of caution - I got to about the same barefoot point of development you are at (I had been at it about 2 months), then ran a half-mile hard sprint in VFFs, followed by another week of VFF steady running, resulting in a stress fracture in my left foot. The headline article about Chris McDougal's top 4 hints is very applicable to us both right now, especially the last one. Get the form and the development right, and the speed will eventually come on its own. Easy, then light, then smooth. I'll let you know in a few months how it works once I get this fractured bone healed.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That is a strange critter

That is a strange critter indeed. My four year old saw his first stick bug and said to his older brother, "Look, it's a creature." It certainly is.

 

[evadenyaw]

Thanks for the advice, Phil.

Thanks for the advice, Phil. However, I am too old to sprint... unless there's an ice cream truck involved!

Seriously, though, I am experiencing some heel and calf tightness / pain, especially in the AM. Nothing debilitating, but it's there. Just enough tenderness to remind me to be careful & not to try to too much too soon. I did read the Chris McDougall article (gotta get that book!) and I'm keeping all of it in mind as i run.

 

[evadenyaw]

cute! I used to take my

cute! I used to take my daughter on 'bug hunts' pretty regularly when she was little - we'd lift up rocks & logs looking for every sort of critter we could find. Stick bugs were the Holy Grail... we only saw live ones once or twice. Usually they were floating in the rain barrels, unfortunately.

 

[Phil Hart]

Dave - I had the calf

Dave - I had the calf tightness/substantial soreness until I got the form "right," which for me started with simply relaxing my feet and letting them touch down midfoot first, then setting my heel down naturally and lifting up again. Very important to make sure you do lift them cleanly and high enough to clear anything in the way. Hope that helps.