Howdy from Colorado Springs

[runnaked]

Not new to running, but new to minimalist running and loving it. Currently alternating between the Merrill Trail Glove and the NB Minimus Road. Had been led to believe I needed a stability show after suffering from ITB several years ago in a pair of Air Skylons, but in retrospect, I think those shoes caused the problem. Since then, I'd been running in Mizuno shoes (Alchemy and Nexus) with no problems.

Not as fast as I once was (20:16 5K PR at age 40, but that was almost 20 years ago), but I'm as good once as I ever was. LOL!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Ah, Toby Keith.Welcome!

Ah, Toby Keith.

Welcome!

 

[Phil Hart]

Same Toby Keith story here. 

Same Toby Keith story here. I'm an old soldier who's also relearning running. I'm enjoying it a lot more now, and I've gotten my time down to around 8:00/mile for 2-3 miles, 8:15/mile for 5-6. I don't know that I'll ever get back to my 6:15 miles, but I'm fine with that now that I can run sustainably without hurting and without doing further lasting damage to my joints. I started minimalist with VFFs, but have moved to fully barefoot and - to my surprise - love it. I still like my VFFs for walking and hiking rough terrain, but it just feels better to me to run barefoot. That said, it took me about 4 months of steadily working through a deliberate transition period to get here after 25 years of shod running. I hope your experience is as good, and I hope you'll give truly barefoot a try; it really helps you get your form imbedded into your muscle memory, so it stays with you even in shoes. Welcome to the crew.

 

[runnaked]

You've got me beat by a

You've got me beat by a longshot, but I run for me now, not for speed. Working on rebuilding my aerobic base right now. The transition to minimalist shoes has been easy for me so far, perhaps because I've always been a midfoot striker. Looking to go bare when it gets a little warmer here and I find a route without broken glass.

 

[Phil Hart]

I like the way you put that. 

I like the way you put that. When people ask me "what are you training for?" I always give the simple but true answer, "Life." I no longer run because fitness is a job requirement. I run because I want to be as healthy as I can be to participate in and enjoy life as fully as possible.

You've got a big advantage over most of us in starting out as a mid-foot striker. Learning that skill has been the driver behind my finding BFR to begin with. And I'm still trying to make it instinctual versus thought-requiring. I'm slowly getting there.

Where are you that you can't get decent warmth in late May? Cold most of the year with broken glass everywhere only sounds like Iceland or Amsterdam. I know you'll be able to find somewhere to run BF, though. Stay alert, stay alive, and you can run almost anywhere.

 

[runnaked]

I'm in Colorado Springs,

I'm in Colorado Springs, about 6000 feet above sea level. Spring weather here is like a yo-yo - sunny and 70s one day; a dang wind tunnel on another; and cold, wet and snowy on yet another. I did do a short 30-minute workout sans shoes on my treadmill yesterday (because it was cold, wet and windy outside).

Are you in NC or GA? I moved out here from Raleigh last year (job transfer), but might be headed to Knoxville, TN if another job opportunity pans out.



Bruce

 

[Phil Hart]

Well, we seem to be chasing

Well, we seem to be chasing each other in circles. I grew up near Knoxville (Jefferson City and Chattanooga), I'm in Atlanta until July, then I'm moving to Raleigh (Holly Springs).

That variable a span of weather makes it very difficult, and it unfortunately comes with the altitude. You'll love Knoxville if you end up there. Decent, steady weather all year long, with 4 clear seasons, none of them violent, and generally no weather problems, tornados or earthquakes. The Smoky Mountains are 30 minutes away, and there are several TVA-created lakes and the Holston River for watersports and boating.

Next good day, why don't you try a BF run outside? Start short (1/4-1/2 mile) and finish with some other aerobic, or even just hop off your treadmill 5 minutes early and cap off your workout with a short BF trot. It takes some weeks and months to build up your sole thickness as well as to strengthen the minor muscles and connecting tissues that make your unsupported (unshod) foot work effectively. My experience strongly points toward every other day BF for the first several months. The in-between days give your feet a chance to heal and to consolidate the gains you're making.