Thanks TJ and Phil. I've
Thanks TJ and Phil. I've been doing lots of reading on the site and am super glad I found it. My biggest problem is going to be the TMTS as you suggested Phil. I used to run x-country in HS - that was 20 years ago!! - but in my mind, I feel like I should be able to just pick it right back up!! Plus I am just naturally competitive, so the mind games I play with myself will definitely be the hardest thing to control.
I am a bit concerned about cutting way down on mileage while transitioning from shoes to BFR. In the past year and a half or so I have gone from a 245lb couch potato to a much more active and healthy 190. I lost about 30 pounds just with diet, the rest has come with exercise. I do not remember feeling this good...ever. Plus, with all the stresses of life, I have really come to enjoy my runs, especially the one "long" run I do a week. Work, kids, money...they all melt away and I just feel good - present. So I think the transition will be tough, and I am afraid that I will start to gain weight or something, though my daily diet is much, much better than it ever has been.
What I have been doing for the past month or so is a 2 - 3 mile run in VFF (Tues), 4 - 6 mile run in shoes (thurs), 2 - 3 mile run in VFF (fri), and then 8 or so mile run in shoes (sun). That is what I did last week. I have been adding about a mile or two every week. This week, I ran 2 miles barefoot on tues (my feet started to get a bit sore, so I stopped), but then we got hit with some crazy weather and I did not go on Thurs, but plan to do another 2 miles today. After what I have been reading, I thought I would stick with the 2 miles BF 3 or 4 times a week for a few weeks and then start adding the 10% or so a week. I am convinced that BF is the way to go - it just plain makes sense. So I want to give myself the best chance at a full conversion. Any thoughts?
Thanks again.
Joseph