How long before my feet aren't raw by the end of a long run?

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

I'm up to 12.5mi now, feeling good but around 9mi or so my feet are feeling pretty tender

and raw. Should I just stay at this mileage for a while until it isn't until 11-12mi that it feels this way?

Will I run long runs eventually and it not feel like hell the last few miles of my run?

 

[Barefoot Larry]

You should be there soon,

You should be there soon, Zumba. My last 2 half marathons were great with no rawness

 

[mokaman]

 Patience...patience Zumba,

Patience...patience Zumba, you already have progressed very quickly, I would be more worried about TMTS still and would level off on the miles and maybe take some weeks at a lower amount. Remember you have plenty of time...look at all of the newer barefooters who thought they were good but pushed it and ran into trouble!

I would make the long run a smaller percentage of your total weekly miles, maybe 30 - 40% at the most. Once in a while its ok to exceed that but not very often. Later on you'll know how to judge this better but for now I would add more running days a week instead of pushing the long runs.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

thanks for the tip Mokie,

thanks for the tip Mokie, I'll give it a shot. right now my long run is a huge part of my weekly mileage, never thought of that before. I'll shoot for a shorter long run and one extra run day a week, making it 4 instead of 3.

 

[BFWendyBird]

I'm so annoyed at the step

I'm so annoyed at the step back my feet took over the winter. I ran just over 3 yesterday, with the last 1/2 mile at 5K pace and my feet were stinging, grrrr. Oh well, just have to keep running and let them get back up to speed

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Instead of looking at where

Instead of looking at where you want to be at this time in your journey, Zum, reflect on how far you've come. Do you realize how many people can't even run 12.5 miles? Now think about all the people who can run 12.5 miles but can't do it barefoot. You are remarkable and have made great progress in a short amount of time, AND you have managed to do so without serious injury or set backs. Kudos to you for running smart. Don't let your impatience change that. Your feet will toughen up; it just takes time. Either try what Mokie suggests, or run a good long run every other day taking a day (or two if necessary) off in between those long runs. That's what I did last year, before my MN got so damn unbearable, and I was getting into 40 miles per week. You CAN do it too.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

Thanks for the snap back to

Thanks for the snap back to reality TJ. You're right, I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made. I think I'll just ride the wave for a bit before adding more mileage and just let my feet do their thing. Patience is a virtue, as is healthy wise running



Wendy, was this your first winter? How long do you think it takes to get back to where you were? Bet it will take much less time than the initial transition

 

[BFWendyBird]

Yes, this was my first

Yes, this was my first winter. I hope it doesn't take long to get back. I've been somewhat slowed down by the fact that I ran the full in March and the 50 miler on the 17th this month so I have been in recovery mode and not putting in many miles. I ran 4 Tuesday and plan to run another 4 this weekend (warm up and 5K) then hope to put in 20 next week before heading to Orlando for a week of wedding fun. Biggest issue is I have some calluses from marathon training in VFFs and then are making my soles less resilliant. Once they wear off it should be easier.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

Wow Wendy, it sounds like you

Wow Wendy, it sounds like you are well on your way to getting back to where you were. Having run a marathon and a 50miler! Good luck with your upcoming runs!

 

[BFWendyBird]

 Race report is up in my

Race report is up in my blog!

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

thanks

thanks

 

[Footloose]

 I'd have to agree with TJ,

I'd have to agree with TJ, Zumba. 12 miles is a feat. 12 miles unshod is quite amazing. I'm still getting used to taking my Vibrams off for a quarter-mile and then dealing with raw feet for a day and a half. My first few miserable attempts have given me doubts, but reading your progress has inspired me that it is possible.

 

[Matt]

As someone who shot himself

As someone who shot himself in the foot (figuratively) and can now barely run 2 miles, 12 miles is an amazingly long distance. Enjoy where you are at.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

oh Matt! I thought for a

oh Matt! I thought for a second there that you REALLy shot your foot! LOL Sorry you are struggling to build your mileage. I'm not complaining one bit, just wondering at what point you do a long run (or a run for that matter) and dont' have that rawness that comes. To my pleasant surprise, I ran 13.5 this week and didn't have one bit of rawness. Not sure if it was conditioning, the route or a combo of both. It was a great feeling and left me shocked a bit afterward. I'd rushed straight from the run to volunteering in my dd's classroom, and then realized that I had NO rawness. it does happen, we'll all get there

 

[Barefoot TJ]

See there?  Now there

See there? Now there may/will come a time that you experience hot spots again. Just back off for a day or two, heal, and get back out there. Little-by-little, it will get easier.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

Great advice TJ, rest and

Great advice TJ, rest and healing are key I think

 

[Matt]

 Back when I was running

Back when I was running longer distances, I found that foot irritation was related to my cadence. When my cadence was faster, I would experience little or no foot irritation. That's just me, it might be different for other people.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

Hmm, I'll have to keep an eye

Hmm, I'll have to keep an eye on that. Thinking that I'm slowing cadence on the long run, as I get further in miles? I'll see what happens on my next long run

 

[dirtdemon77]

I have to really watch my

I have to really watch my form and cadence as a long run goes on. I find that I start out strong and focused but as i start to get fatigued I get a little sloppy. I can feel it happening now before it becomes a problem, and then I know its time to run thru that mental check list and see where my form is at. Once i find the sloppy spot and make adjustments, I'm usually good again. Its a great way to keep focused on the task at hand and makes my long runs much more effective than they used to be with shoes on. Back then, I could just zone out and as long as I kept putting one foot in front of the other, everuthing else was fine. Now I actually have to think about what I'm doing and make sure I'm doing it right. Quality as well as quantity.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

I totally agree with you

I totally agree with you Dirte, (is that like Joe Dir-tay lol). I find myself doing an occasional form check on my long run, esp if something isn't feeling right I try to fix the problem right away rather than just mindlessly running through it. For instance, my arches started to get sore during my last long run...not sure what I was doing, maybe tensing my feet too much? but I made the change (to relax my feet again) and it went away.

and this:

"Its a great way to keep focused on the task at hand and makes my long runs much more effective than they used to be with shoes on. Back then, I could just zone out and as long as I kept putting one foot in front of the other, everuthing else was fine. Now I actually have to think about what I'm doing and make sure I'm doing it right. Quality as well as quantity."

was right on, maybe that's why I never come back from a long run all sore and achy like I used to...