Hi everyone
So the running story I'm sticking with is something like this:
- realising as I approached 50 that I'm getting lazier and more out of shape than ever
- do some walking, then start trying to run (padded training shoes, no thought to form etc)
- get really sore knees after each run, so can only do 1 or 2 a week
- read somewhere about front-foot running as a way of making things easier and less stressful
- try running on my toes
- just about cripple myself after 15 mins, big toe hurts for a month afterwards
- go back to walking while thinking there must be a better way
- read "Born to Run" over Christmas break and find it as inspiring a book as I've read in years
- buy some VFFs in January and start with them - gently, slowly
- get really sore calves but, luckily, realise this is to be expected, rather than major damage
- increase how often and far I run
- read lots about style and form and try to tweak how I run, which seems to be working
- somewhere along the way realise that, "Holy sh!t!", I'm actually enjoying running
- run 15km (longest EVER in my life!) and think I'm doing pretty good
- see a physiotherapist who runs barefoot for a bio-mechanics session and get told that, actually, there's lots to improve - stride length, cadence etc
- do a "one step forward, two steps back" thing with tweaked running style and go through the whole sore calves thing again
- start running a few hundred metres at the end of some runs fully barefoot
Oh, and in news that still amazes me and I'd never have believed you if you said I'd be doing this a year ago, I'm running a 1/2 marathon next weekend. Will be running in VFFs. You know, assuming I make it that far
Anyways, have been lurking on the site for a couple weeks now and finding it really useful.
So hi
Mike
So the running story I'm sticking with is something like this:
- realising as I approached 50 that I'm getting lazier and more out of shape than ever
- do some walking, then start trying to run (padded training shoes, no thought to form etc)
- get really sore knees after each run, so can only do 1 or 2 a week
- read somewhere about front-foot running as a way of making things easier and less stressful
- try running on my toes
- just about cripple myself after 15 mins, big toe hurts for a month afterwards
- go back to walking while thinking there must be a better way
- read "Born to Run" over Christmas break and find it as inspiring a book as I've read in years
- buy some VFFs in January and start with them - gently, slowly
- get really sore calves but, luckily, realise this is to be expected, rather than major damage
- increase how often and far I run
- read lots about style and form and try to tweak how I run, which seems to be working
- somewhere along the way realise that, "Holy sh!t!", I'm actually enjoying running
- run 15km (longest EVER in my life!) and think I'm doing pretty good
- see a physiotherapist who runs barefoot for a bio-mechanics session and get told that, actually, there's lots to improve - stride length, cadence etc
- do a "one step forward, two steps back" thing with tweaked running style and go through the whole sore calves thing again
- start running a few hundred metres at the end of some runs fully barefoot
Oh, and in news that still amazes me and I'd never have believed you if you said I'd be doing this a year ago, I'm running a 1/2 marathon next weekend. Will be running in VFFs. You know, assuming I make it that far
Anyways, have been lurking on the site for a couple weeks now and finding it really useful.
So hi
Mike
