Hi from Southampton, UK

[MattWill78]

Hi all,

another new member here from the UK, currently living in Southampton, home of the Titanic, although I hope my attempts to run will have more success than that.

I recently picked up a pair of VFF's in the USA because they were dirt cheap and I used to enjoy running (20years ago I was in the top 5 cross country runners for my age in my county), but had fallen off the wagon. Normally, I'd do a lot of internet research into a product before buying them, but they were just so darn cheap in REI that I paid first and did the research later.

With that research came a few references to a certain book (I'm sure you can guess which), which I read through very quickly and did some more reading elsewhere.

On my return to the UK, I decided to take up running again to keep fit (we also bought a home cross-trainer for rainy days), and, in an effort to give myself motivation and something to aim for have recently signed up to the Great South Run 10miles in late October, and my intention is to do the whole run in my Bikilas. Am comfortably up to 3mile runs in my local area and looking to increase that bit by bit before the run.

Looking forward to joining into this little community.

 

[Phil Hart]

Welcome, Matt. Keep researching, particularly into the value of actually going barefoot before getting too heavily into VFFs or other minimalist shoes. The form you'll burn into muscle memory comes best from truly barefooting. Minimalist shoes like VFFs can be great tools, but they can also be very dangerous early on, as they may make you feel capable of much more than you can safely do after years of atrophying fine motor control tissues in your feet (which, amazingly, seem to strengthen back up over the same few months it takes to build the thickness of your bare soles). I say this from experience, in which I earned myself a left 3rd metatarsal stress fracture by switching from traditional shoes to VFFs when barefoot was not progressing fast enough for my taste; that gave me the opportunity to start over after 10 weeks of limping painfully to even walk. I would strongly recommend following my advice rather than my experience. And you'll find - unfortunately - that my experience has been all too common, particularly for those of us who have run distance before switching over. Glad to have you with us!

 

[MattWill78]

Thanks Phil,

I have been doing some (a little) barefoot running too, but am very wary of the UK road/pavement/sidewalk surfaces in this area, as they're dreadful. Am more than aware of the risk of doing TMTS, so am taking it very carefully for now. 10miles target in October is plenty of time to take it slowly but surely. I do need to try and find somewhere locally where I can do more true barefoot running.

Does a plan with barefoot mixed with VFF work?

 

[NickW]

There are those that have made a barefoot mixed with vff plan work. The trick is even when running in the vff's don't do anymore than what you would do in your barefeet. Good luck and welcome!

 

[Phil Hart]

What Nick said, plus there's the factor of how long-time shod runners like me have a hard time overcoming deeply-ingrained heel-striking muscle memory with any cushioning that makes it less painful (i.e., huaraches, VFFs, Altra Adams, etc.). I use them sometimes now when I need them due to temperature issues or rough terrain problems, but I've come to love BF and will always go pure BF if I have a reasonable option because it's so much more enjoyable. Minimal shoes in the early stages, as Nick alludes to, are like a killer off-road 4x4 - it will take you places you might not ought to go and from which you might not be able to return.

 

[MattWill78]

Thank you both. I particularly love the 4x4 analogy! Have been for a barefoot walk around the streets today, going to run later and hoping to do at least some of that truly barefoot. Even in the VFF's the contact with the road is so much more enjoyable than in 'traditional' running footwear. Am hoping that the true barefoot takes it to the next level!

 

[Phil Hart]

My experience says you won't be disappointed. It's a great feeling. Just stick to hard, even surfaces until you get the feet built up thoroughly. Grass looks tempting, but the ground underneath it can be treacherously but invisibly undulating, making it very potentially dangerous at this stage. Have fun!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Welcome, Matt!

 

[terence arnold]

Welcome Matt from a fellow Brit and lapsed runner, also fairly new to barefoot and am only training barefoot atm as I haven't managed to find a shop that caters for BFR. I like the look of the vivobafrefoot ultras and would love a pair of Unshoes but as I said its purely BFR atm!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Oh, and be sure to join the UK Chapter through the Chapters above.

 

[BFwillie_g]

Welcome to the BRS, Mate! Be sure to check out the Chapters section and join whichever ones are appropriate for you

 

[DNEchris]

Welcome from another Brit - albeit one living in New York for the last 20 years
I see you took your profile photo on a fine summer day

 

[MattWill78]

Already joined the UK Chapter! And yes, that's a typical summer's day in England sadly...

 

[bobblesop]

Welcome Matt. Lots of great advice already, but don't forget to enjoy it!