Your Stories of the Joy of Teaching Barefoot Running

I am still finding many ways to improve my barefoot running performance. So I took the step of teaching some basics to a friend quite seriously. He rows in my crew in Cambridge and had stopped running after injuries sustained in the London Marathon. I shared some articles and took hime running with a focus on a few core principles. I was thrilled to see he is now back into running and just completed a 10K in under 50 mins...which is pretty good at age 55.

Whate are your stories about teaching barefoot running?
 
He's barefoot or minimal

He's barefoot or minimal now? Regardless of shoes or no shoes, the fact that he's running again is a win, perhaps thanks to a bug you planted in his head? Wonderful!
 
My wife had tried to run

My wife had tried to run serveral years back, before I knew her. She did a 5K and a 10K, but her knee started to hurt her in the middle of the 10K and she jokes that they were closing up the water stations one by one, after she'd pass by. She had already paid for a half, but bailed on it and quit running all together. When I got into running in the Vibrams, she gave them a try and has been running since May of this year. She's done a slew of 5Ks, a 10K, a 15K and we are doing another 10K next weekend and her first half the weekend after AND she's already signed up for the half in March and the Full in SanDiego, CA in June! The Galloway Run:Walk, her Vibram Bikila LS and better from are letting her run almost pain free. Once she gets the form down solid, she'll be golden!

She and her BFF, Abby, went to the SanAntonio Rock N Roll Marathon with my running club where I did my first half. Her Bestie, Abby, took an Ambien the night before the race to help her sleep. 3 of us were watching "Running the Sahara" and listening to her in a less than concious state, proceeded to call her Dad, a 60something long time marathon runner, and discussed why she couldn't do a marathon next year. She ended the call with her Dad's blessing and assured help in completing one. The next morning, she awoke to be told of the conversation, which, with her Dad, is as good as being commited to run a marathon...she thought it was a dream! LOL. She's joining my running club and working towards her running progression, so minmalist, barefoot or boat shoes and regardless of drugs being involved, I'm calling this one a win and claiming it! LOL!!

-Jonny
 
JosephTree wrote:Maybe I

JosephTree said:
Maybe I misunderstand, but from my reading of your post, she's going to need to get her own pair of VFF's one of these days.

You know how it goes...once you go barefoot, you go from one pair of running shoes to a whole bunch of minimalist shoes spending way more money than you ever did before!! LOL! She actually has 2 pair of VFFs and just got a pair of New Balance trail shoes with a Vibram sole. I actually have 2 pair of VFFs, Invisible Shoe's huaraches, Patagonia Advocates and just got a pair of Altra Adams that I LOVE for work. The kids just got Zems. I'm till barefoot every chance I get!

-Jonny