Cheers from San Diego, CA

etreas

Chapter Presidents
Aug 28, 2012
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San Diego, CA
emiliereas.com
I've already met a few of you, thanks to IBRD, so a formal introduction is now far overdue. I've been running since about 1996 and only discovered barefoot running less than a year ago. Running shod, I was plagued with chronic hip and achilles injuries, all of which have disappeared after the switch away from traditional shoes. My transition hasn't been easy, however, as I recently suffered two metatarsal stress fractures from a classic case of too-much-too-soon.

I'm a marathoner and usually log 60-70 miles/week. Right now, I'm only logging about half that, as I'm trying to recover cautiously from my last fracture. Roughly 1/3 of my mileage is bare, the rest minimalist.

I usually run solo, but still love to connect with like-minded runners on occasion. I also walk barefoot 99% of the time, so if you stumble across a barefoot girl in Hillcrest, stop and say hi - it's probably me :)
 
I'm afraid NC is a little far away for me to join you on a run, but welcome to the crew. I'm glad to hear you've already been able to connect with some other folks from our group in your area. I hope they can join you on those occasions when you're looking for a running partner.

I had the same metatarsal stress fracture after beginning the transition unwisely. I was a 25-year running veteran who switched over due to a hip which all that running finally wore all of its cartilege away. To keep my mileage and speed up, I started in VFFs, which kept me from learning good BF form, which led to the stress fracture and 10 weeks of no running. This story which we've both experienced seems to be the unfortunate pattern for long-time runners who decide (or are forced) to transition from heel-striking and long-striding to mid/forefoot landing with the shorter, quicker cadence that BF and even minimimal running to an extent require.

As you've alreade unfortunately learned on your own, take the transition slowly and steadily to avoid further injury. We're glad to have you with us.
 
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Welcome! And I'm jealous of your avatar. I grew up in San Diego, and I miss it so much!
 
Phil and TJ - thanks for the warm welcomes!

Phil, I'm sorry to hear about your struggles with the transition, but in a way, it's somewhat comforting to know you're not alone. I'm still experimenting with different amounts of barefoot and minimalist running and seem to consistently find that the aches pop up when I go back to footwear - most certainly due to poor form. I'm curious - how long did the transition take you? Do you exclusively run bare now? Hope the running in NC is as great as it is in CA right now!

And TJ - San Diego welcomes you home any time :)
 
I'm jealous. Still a rainy cold windy weekend here in Michigan even though it's already mid May. San Diego....one day.
Welcome to the BRS !
 
I'm glad you are comforted by my story of foolishness followed by learning. After the false start/broken bone, it took me about 3 months to get up to 3 miles at a 9:30/mile pace. I've been at it for just over 2 years now, and I've gotten to where I can run a "race pace" (if I were a racer, which I'm not) of about 7:45/mile for 10K. My training pace is more like 8:20/mile. My shod pace, pre-hip-joint-failure, was about 6:00/mile, usually going 4-6 miles 6 days per week.

Now I run BF 1-3 times per week (out of 4 runs I usually do each week), depending on the weather, the course, and the speed I'll be running. VFFs (KSOs and Bikilas) and a pair of Sockwa G3s which I'm testing are my shoes of choice for the rest of my runs. Either of these lets me handle faster paces, where the slight degredation of form that lets me pull a little more speed out would cause some sole skin wear. The Bikilas are my choice for rougher terrain like graveled or rocky trails, as the lugs on the bottom of them provide a little more protection than the truly minimal VFF KSOs or Sockwas. 10k is a good 1-2 times per week BF running distance for me, though many of our members are running much farther regularly BF. More than that tends to wear my soles too much for my comfort.

NC running weather is great for midday runs right now, but will soon transition to much hotter, requiring morning runs when truly BF to avoid sole burns. I did that twice before learning my lesson. Blistered soles are unwise and no fun. I hope your San Diego weather stays good for running when you can get out as well.

There are some great folks here, so ask lots of questions as they come up. There are also some nut cases (you'll have to decide for yourself where to draw that cut line among us), so look for what makes best sense in the answers you get. There are BF purists, and then there are lots of folks like me who prefer BF, but often uses shoes as tools, particularly to let us get in more mileage or run with our faster peers on occasion. Just make sure you get the BF form down in muscle memory before mindlessly popping on a pair of something that will better protect your feet. That's my best advice that comes from having failed to do exactly that. Good BF running form is key to successful running, joint health, and thus running sustainability.
 
You're a good guy, Phil. Thanks for being our cheery Welcoming Committee!
 
Phil's been doing a great welcoming job starting from way back in the early days of the BRS.
Many thanks for the positive vibes you bring to all the newcomers Phil.