Good evening barefoot runners! 
I figured I'd post my introduction. A quick background: hack runner who struggled through most of 2009 with starting up a running regimen. I applied to the military and got accepted in to one of the officer training programs, so I knew that running would be in my future. I only wanted to get comfortable with it, do perhaps a 5k, but certainly nothing astronomical. I've always been in good shape physically, but never been much of a runner. But even on a conservative program like Couch-2-5k, I was crippled with shin splints (something I had battled since high school). I went to a LRS and ended up buying a fancy pair of running shoes, which I was convinced would solve my problems. No dice. Still extremely crippled over even short distances. I got desperate. And eventually I found the barefoot and minimalist running movements and took note. After getting over my initial shock of VFFs, I decided to give them a try since I was at the end of my rope.
Add me to the growing list of people who wish they had gone BF instead of trying VFFs first. I completely avoided BF initially because I thought it was insane. I didn't see the point in skin to ground contact, and if anything, thought it was potentially dangerous. So I eventually got some VFFs and struggled for months and months finding workable running form. Running in VFFs was far better than running in trainers for sure, but I pretty much hit a wall at the 3 mile mark. It seemed to have taken me forever to work up to that distance, and much over that stressed my feet.
Several months ago, I ended up ditching the VFFs for running (still love them for walking around and when footwear is required) and went to a pair of racing flats instead. I'm entering the military very soon, and needed more "conventional" running footwear for training, so I decided to get in the flats early to get used to them. But when I did that, I also started playing around with BFR to keep my form fresh. Much to my surprise, I loved it! I loved the feeling of the ground and how that feedback affected my form right away. My body instantly knew what to do, and immediately my whole perspective on running changed. I wanted to go out and run now, it wasn't some chore I had to accomplish.
Gradually the distances I ran barefoot increased. Initially, I did short stints barefoot at the end of my runs (the majority was done in my flats), then I started splitting my easy three mile runs between the two. Eventually, and just because I was feeling good that day, I did the majority of one run barefoot much to the chagrin of the local traffic. It seemed that once I went over two miles barefoot, that my form dialed in and I was good to go. I went three miles barefoot a few times, then edged up to four. Held at four, then finally edged up to almost five. Today I did five miles, completely barefoot, and completely happy. It's a great milestone for me, because this time a year ago, I could not even fathom going five miles, or even wanting to try. I was struggling so badly to do a mile and a half, but today the five miles was fun and almost effortless.
I'm not fast barefoot. If I have to run for time, then I put on my racing flats and go. But if I just want to go out for a jog and don't care how fast or how far I go, then I am certainly barefoot. I just find it so fascinating that someone like myself, who once thought it impossible to run comfortably, and was recommended for orthotics, could make a transition to barefoot running and be successful. The body is an incredible machine. I was a student of anatomy and physiology in high school and college, so how the body operates is a captivating subject for me. My barefoot runs are interesting, because as I go along, I can't help but wonder at how well it all works. I find that when I start to tire, that I just have to step back mentally and remember that I was out there running on CONCRETE, barefoot (something that non-BFR's say is impossible), and was totally fine. Then I don't feel nearly as tired because it just seems like a small miracle for me.
My running goals are simple: for the next several months I won't be running barefoot due to my military training. But once I'm back in the "real world," I look forward to resuming my barefoot running on my own time. I think I want to try for a barefoot 10k next year for fun. After that, who knows. No real plans on the racing front. I figure I'll just treat it like I treat my fun runs: step out and see how it goes.
So that's my intro and my novel. Kudos to anyone who stuck with it!
I figured I'd post my introduction. A quick background: hack runner who struggled through most of 2009 with starting up a running regimen. I applied to the military and got accepted in to one of the officer training programs, so I knew that running would be in my future. I only wanted to get comfortable with it, do perhaps a 5k, but certainly nothing astronomical. I've always been in good shape physically, but never been much of a runner. But even on a conservative program like Couch-2-5k, I was crippled with shin splints (something I had battled since high school). I went to a LRS and ended up buying a fancy pair of running shoes, which I was convinced would solve my problems. No dice. Still extremely crippled over even short distances. I got desperate. And eventually I found the barefoot and minimalist running movements and took note. After getting over my initial shock of VFFs, I decided to give them a try since I was at the end of my rope.
Add me to the growing list of people who wish they had gone BF instead of trying VFFs first. I completely avoided BF initially because I thought it was insane. I didn't see the point in skin to ground contact, and if anything, thought it was potentially dangerous. So I eventually got some VFFs and struggled for months and months finding workable running form. Running in VFFs was far better than running in trainers for sure, but I pretty much hit a wall at the 3 mile mark. It seemed to have taken me forever to work up to that distance, and much over that stressed my feet.
Several months ago, I ended up ditching the VFFs for running (still love them for walking around and when footwear is required) and went to a pair of racing flats instead. I'm entering the military very soon, and needed more "conventional" running footwear for training, so I decided to get in the flats early to get used to them. But when I did that, I also started playing around with BFR to keep my form fresh. Much to my surprise, I loved it! I loved the feeling of the ground and how that feedback affected my form right away. My body instantly knew what to do, and immediately my whole perspective on running changed. I wanted to go out and run now, it wasn't some chore I had to accomplish.
Gradually the distances I ran barefoot increased. Initially, I did short stints barefoot at the end of my runs (the majority was done in my flats), then I started splitting my easy three mile runs between the two. Eventually, and just because I was feeling good that day, I did the majority of one run barefoot much to the chagrin of the local traffic. It seemed that once I went over two miles barefoot, that my form dialed in and I was good to go. I went three miles barefoot a few times, then edged up to four. Held at four, then finally edged up to almost five. Today I did five miles, completely barefoot, and completely happy. It's a great milestone for me, because this time a year ago, I could not even fathom going five miles, or even wanting to try. I was struggling so badly to do a mile and a half, but today the five miles was fun and almost effortless.
I'm not fast barefoot. If I have to run for time, then I put on my racing flats and go. But if I just want to go out for a jog and don't care how fast or how far I go, then I am certainly barefoot. I just find it so fascinating that someone like myself, who once thought it impossible to run comfortably, and was recommended for orthotics, could make a transition to barefoot running and be successful. The body is an incredible machine. I was a student of anatomy and physiology in high school and college, so how the body operates is a captivating subject for me. My barefoot runs are interesting, because as I go along, I can't help but wonder at how well it all works. I find that when I start to tire, that I just have to step back mentally and remember that I was out there running on CONCRETE, barefoot (something that non-BFR's say is impossible), and was totally fine. Then I don't feel nearly as tired because it just seems like a small miracle for me.
My running goals are simple: for the next several months I won't be running barefoot due to my military training. But once I'm back in the "real world," I look forward to resuming my barefoot running on my own time. I think I want to try for a barefoot 10k next year for fun. After that, who knows. No real plans on the racing front. I figure I'll just treat it like I treat my fun runs: step out and see how it goes.
So that's my intro and my novel. Kudos to anyone who stuck with it!
