I would like to start running Barefoot again. The last time i tried, i got a bad case of Achilles tension. How do i start again, without having this come back?
Matt
Matt
how to start
- Thread starter themattman
- Start date
your tendon is short, your bones are weak, your skin is soft, and your muscles are all three. go very slow if you don't want this or any other injury or setbacks. carry your shoes. don't worry about distance. take time to roll out your legs and warm up properly. i don't care about how much you work out or how much you ran before, all what i first said is true. shoes shorten and weaken your tissues so take care when going bare. you can stop or slow down injury but it happens to everyone. i feel if you're alive you're going to get injured.
now just go out and have fun. when it's not fun it's time to stop.
now just go out and have fun. when it's not fun it's time to stop.
My mind is like a sieve lately, but this or a closely related thread is on the board within the last couple days. Oh, yes, it was discussing that it's harder to go from shod running to BF (vs getting off your couch and taking up BFR as your initial style) for lots of reasons and hard, very hard, to back off sufficiently on the milage speed, and SELF EXPECTATIONS if you're a hotshot shod runner and think you know better.
See JLDeleon's Deep Thought. Jen's a genius and has a first rate avatar designer.
See JLDeleon's Deep Thought. Jen's a genius and has a first rate avatar designer.
I've done this myself a couple of times - starting up, getting injured, laying off, starting again.
I've found that my achillies tendons were just too short! so, cue nearly 12 months of yoga! It's really helped stretch out my hamstrings, calves, and tendons. Running is always going to shorten them, so I'm going to have to use yoga to achieve some balance. I'm about to start all over again... slowly slowly slowly. I've found that wearing a min show (terra plana aqua) to work over the last 18 momths has helped a lot too - certainly widened my toes!
I've found that my achillies tendons were just too short! so, cue nearly 12 months of yoga! It's really helped stretch out my hamstrings, calves, and tendons. Running is always going to shorten them, so I'm going to have to use yoga to achieve some balance. I'm about to start all over again... slowly slowly slowly. I've found that wearing a min show (terra plana aqua) to work over the last 18 momths has helped a lot too - certainly widened my toes!
I know what you mean...
Developed severe Achilles tendinopathy while doing about 100km/week 2 years ago. Didn't really find anything that helped in particular (apart from maybe calf raises and TENS - google Alfedson eccentric calf muscle strengthening).
I then started (after a long break) barefoot walking (!) in late spring last year. I'm now at about 40min barefoot runs at a time. AT is fine (still feels a little stiff sometimes).
What might (!) help:
Start walking barefoot for 10min,... once you can walk 30min without probs throw in a few 1min runs (maybe 5). Do that every other day.
Then keep walking barefoot but increase the amount of time you run during that walk (so the total time is still 30min).
Go slow and increase your weekly running time by not more than 5% (worked for me so far).
I.e.
Week 1 = 5x 1 min run, 25min walk 3x per week.
Week 2 = 5x 1:06 min run, 24:30 min walk.
Week 3 = ...
As you progress you might be able to increase that weekly mileage more than 5%.
Don't count miles/km's - look how much time you spend running
Go barefoot (not minimal) - stretches out your achilles & strengthens calf muscles, while you still get a good ground feel (and your sore feet will stop you from going to fast to quick).
Try the Alfredson heel drops.
You could also try TENS.
Hope that helps.
Developed severe Achilles tendinopathy while doing about 100km/week 2 years ago. Didn't really find anything that helped in particular (apart from maybe calf raises and TENS - google Alfedson eccentric calf muscle strengthening).
I then started (after a long break) barefoot walking (!) in late spring last year. I'm now at about 40min barefoot runs at a time. AT is fine (still feels a little stiff sometimes).
What might (!) help:
Start walking barefoot for 10min,... once you can walk 30min without probs throw in a few 1min runs (maybe 5). Do that every other day.
Then keep walking barefoot but increase the amount of time you run during that walk (so the total time is still 30min).
Go slow and increase your weekly running time by not more than 5% (worked for me so far).
I.e.
Week 1 = 5x 1 min run, 25min walk 3x per week.
Week 2 = 5x 1:06 min run, 24:30 min walk.
Week 3 = ...
As you progress you might be able to increase that weekly mileage more than 5%.
Don't count miles/km's - look how much time you spend running
Go barefoot (not minimal) - stretches out your achilles & strengthens calf muscles, while you still get a good ground feel (and your sore feet will stop you from going to fast to quick).
Try the Alfredson heel drops.
You could also try TENS.
Hope that helps.
not to thread hijack, but what sort of temps have you been able to BF walk in? it's currently around 0 degrees C here atm (sorry, don't know what that is in F) - I'm thinking it might be painfully cold after a 25 min BF walk.
I actually started in late April, so it was fairly "warm" (never really gets warm in Scotland tbh) - I think at that time we had about 10-12°C and that was ok. You're right, with the temps we have atm (specially since it's supposed to get a lot colder the next few days) barefoot walks might not be the best idea 
Just try to walk around the house bf as much as possible. And do those heel drops I was talking about earlier. I reckon you could start once the temps go up to about 8-10°C. You'll notice that on sunny afternoons you might be able to go with colder temps as the ground warms up a little during the day.
Just try to walk around the house bf as much as possible. And do those heel drops I was talking about earlier. I reckon you could start once the temps go up to about 8-10°C. You'll notice that on sunny afternoons you might be able to go with colder temps as the ground warms up a little during the day.
I second the walking. If I could change anything about my transition to barefoot, I would have spent the first couple months walking and hiking barefoot.
This is really good info...perhaps it should be added to that old 'how to start' doc from the other forum?
