:D Barefoot Running

[bfluc]

Terry,

You should use the digest option, it would leave you with only 2 or 3 emails per day.

Sign In, click on My Groups (upper right), click on Manage my memberships, in the Subscription type drop-list select Digest Email, and click on Save group settings.

Voilà! you're life is gonna be more minimalist!

[Terry the Tortoise]

Thanks for that!
All this modern technology!

[bfluc]

What do we barefooters say?

Less is more!!!

[Clash City Rocker]

Great little barefoot section over Erringden Moor this morning on a run up to Stoodley. Just about a half mile burst before my feet got too cold. Also had No 1 son with me who went for it as well despite being dubious. 15 secs in and he was whooping "WOW i'm running on my toes"
Done it twice now and both times I have run much faster when the shoes come off

[cockermouth?]

Hmmm

Been taking it east this week after the relays sunday but a question on my mind is this, how easy is it to change from heel striking to forefront or mid striking?

I have realised that my knee pain seems to be related to heel striking. Both knees hurt on the inner leg side. This pain stops if I change to forefront striking or run barefoot (which amounts to the same thing). Thing is my foot hurts after a road session of forefoot running.

I guess it's a matter of time? if I keep doing the barefoot my feet will strengthen and I'll manage to run more on the forefoot.

At the moment I am running barefoot once a week usually a few laps of the park at the end of a road session. Or today I did two laps of kendal race course (lovely running btw). Doesn't feel fast though but generally no or less knee pain compared to all other running either fell or road.

So, anyone changed running style successfully? I think I've read that trying to do so usually results in injury, is that right?

cheers

[Clash City Rocker]

Hmmm

Been taking it east this week after the relays sunday but a question on my mind is this, how easy is it to change from heel striking to forefront or mid striking?

I have realised that my knee pain seems to be related to heel striking. Both knees hurt on the inner leg side. This pain stops if I change to forefront striking or run barefoot (which amounts to the same thing). Thing is my foot hurts after a road session of forefoot running.

I guess it's a matter of time? if I keep doing the barefoot my feet will strengthen and I'll manage to run more on the forefoot.

At the moment I am running barefoot once a week usually a few laps of the park at the end of a road session. Or today I did two laps of kendal race course (lovely running btw). Doesn't feel fast though but generally no or less knee pain compared to all other running either fell or road.

So, anyone changed running style successfully? I think I've read that trying to do so usually results in injury, is that right?

cheers

I wouldnt pretend to know as I am sure there are lots of biomechanical explanations or other baffling reasons but to me it just seems to happen, when I take of my shoes I just run better on my toes and am sure its going to be just a matter of time to strengthen up to run further. I stand to be corrected.

[Pilgrim]

I wouldnt pretend to know as I am sure there are lots of biomechanical explanations or other baffling reasons but to me it just seems to happen, when I take of my shoes I just run better on my toes and am sure its going to be just a matter of time to strengthen up to run further. I stand to be corrected.

I agree completely.

[Terry the Tortoise]

The most important thing is to be patient and take your time!
You have to remember that most of the muscles, ligaments and tendons in your feet and lower limbs have been mostly dormant due to wearing shods.
Some people are naturally a forefoot/midfoot striker, so the transition should be easier. If like me, you are or were a heel striker (and used orthotics!), then you have to be a lot more patient. For a heel striker, you are changing completely the way you run so need to give more time for your body to adjust. Yes, you will naturally change to forefoot/midfoot when barefooting (your heel bone would shatter if you continued landing on it barefoot) but your body isn’t used to running that way. You may find that you become a bit excited and try and run a fast 10 mile on road to early, DON’T! That will lead to a stress fracture in your foot (barefoot running wasn’t the cause, it was my own fault for trying to change to quickly and not giving my body time to adjust).
Just be patient and build up the mileage SLOWLY and take more rest days between barefooting (to let your feet and legs repair). Then before you know it, something happens and it becomes “natural” to run this way and you find you can’t wear heavy trainers anymore and you think everyone else who lands of their heels is crazy!

I beat my course 10K (x-country) last week by over 1 minute, so it works for me!

Good luck and enjoy

[AJF]

Then before you know it, something happens and it becomes “natural” to run this way and you find you can’t wear heavy trainers anymore and you think everyone else who lands of their heels is crazy!

So true!! Needed to dump my most recent purchase which were the most padded shoes I have owned in the belief that padding = cushioning = lack of impact.

Took a while in regular shoes before I felt that I should change shoes as eventually the heel starts interfering with the way you are running and you need to go to something flatter.

Now running in Inov8 220's on the road and it is just automatic to run on mid foot. Need to concentrate to actually heel strike like I used to have to concentrate on mid foot striking and it just feels wrong.

Calf muscles are still taking a bit of a battering so need to be careful not to overdo it.

Not got rid of my foot problems yet though, although hasn't made them worse.

[bfluc]

Like Terry wrote

The most important thing is to be patient

The most important thing is to be patient and take your time!
[...]
Good luck and enjoy