:D Barefoot Running

[cockermouth?]

thanks for those replies. I get the message, it takes time, be patient!

cheers

[PabloG]

Okay, this feels like something that someone else would write but here goes nothing. Stumbled across the forum and this thread for the first time ever on Saturday. Got weirdly excited about it and decided to whip out a pair of old runners that I had to stop running in because they were too lightweight - Brooks offroad something or others. Walked about town on Saturday in them. Legs a bit shocked. Short strol in teh country in them on Sunday and realised I landed properly on my leg foot but heel strike with my right. Sounds mental but it's true. Noticed just how much my hips had to work compared to normal.

Today I went for my first run in about 6 years in the Brooks runners with the insoles out - can't believe I'd put those Sorbathane yokes in before!!! Red, spongy devils work. Did a half hour run and finished off with 2 laps of a muddy footbal pitch in my bare feet. Fan-bleedin-tastic

My right hip feels used but not sore. I hardly feel the need to stretch. My calves, ankles, achilles, knees, hips and back aren't aching!!! It's mental. I've been to physios on and off for 10 years. Gave up running for a couple of years. Got back to it in recent years when a good physio set me right about weak glutes and hips. But oddly until now, no matter how much I ran, the glutes and hips would ony strengthen with specific exercises rather than through running.

Changed to Inov8's a few months back and kept up my heel striking technique. Got a massive cramp in my calf and back to the physio. Turns out my calves were weak as water. Did loads of exercises on them and felt good. Did bit of running and felt good. Stopped doing physios exercises but kept running but when I went back to do a few exercises the calves felt like they'd as good lost all the strength again.

So, after reading this thread it all sort of fell in to place!!! My calves weren't doing much and neither were my ankles and hips. Probaby also explains all my knee, hamstring, ITB hassles too.

Obviously it's early days and the arch of my right foot feels a tiny bit used but I'm hooked

Now, to get a lighter pair of runners and maybe even attempt to run on the roads for the first time in about a decade

Happy days

P

[Twister]

Nice

[Terry the Tortoise]

I've managed to get hold of the new FiveFinger TREKS from the US for under £100. The Treks won't be available in UK until next year and they will be priced at around £160-£200, so it will still be cheaper to buy this way.

First thing you need to do is register with shopUSA. How this works, is that they provide you with a delivery address in the US. You order something and have it dispatched to this address. They will then forward it on to you for a fee (which they don't take until they dispatch). The best bit is, that although you pay a fee, its far far less then paying all the duty etc you normally would have to.

Then email Anne Fekete ([email protected]) at GSS Gear. They provide gear for military and government agencies, but you won't find the Treks on their website. All you need to do is email Anne and she will help you with the order from there. She's very helpful and provides great customer service. If you mention my name (Terry Conway), it should help with the process.

You should receive your new TREKS around 10 days after payment

I paid $145 in TOTAL, which works out at around £90! I can't promise you it will be that cheap for everyone, GSS Gear gave me an amazing discount due to who I work for. Any questions, PM me.

[Twister]

Could all the trek owners give a bit of feed back over the next months. If I wasn't poor I'd buy some myself! I think I'm going to wait until next year and see what inov 8 come up with, until then I've got the KSO's to keep me going.

[batmonkey]

Could all the trek owners give a bit of feed back over the next months. If I wasn't poor I'd buy some myself! I think I'm going to wait until next year and see what inov 8 come up with, until then I've got the KSO's to keep me going.

A couple of us have posted our impressions in the FiveFingers thread.

I also posted a cheap alternate (US-based) supplier in this message.

I'll be wearing my Treks for the Wrekin Wrecker later this month, though, like you, I'm excited to see what Inov-8 is working on.

[gordonsalive]

Hi all

Thanks for all the posts on here on this topic - really useful stuff. I thought I'd add my tuppence worth in case its useful. I changed my running style about 5 weeks ago from heel striking to forefoot, although Ive not invested in any different footware yet. Ive since read 'born to run' and am hooked on this way of doing it.

What I found is, apart from stuff like it taking my calves a while to get used to it, that I am WAY quicker downhill, am much more footsure on rough terrain and havent yet turned an ankle. This is I think partly down to increased control of the foot but also if you heel strike you cant really see what is under your forefoot when it comes down.

Also, because Im not so reliant on the studs on my heels being in good nick Ive been able to ressurect a couple of old pairs of shoes and they're working great.

Legs also feel much fresher after runs and way fewer niggles and aches. I just ran back from Tameside to Glossop this evening over the moors in the dark and feel like I dont even need to stretch. Most odd.

I do however suspect that I mince quite badly with this style. There's always a downside.

Cheers

[Derby Tup]

Gone a bit quiet on the barefoot front! Everyone back in their Inov-8s and Walshes now?

[batmonkey]

Gone a bit quiet on the barefoot front! Everyone back in their Inov-8s and Walshes now?

Nope. That silence is the sound of 2 bare feet running. ;-)

[Inov-8 Insider]

Gone a bit quiet on the barefoot front! Everyone back in their Inov-8s and Walshes now?

Still barefooting a couple of times a week, this is more of a foot strengthening exercise rather than "normal" training.
When I want to run the fells or off-road out comes the X-Talons or Roclite 285's minus the footbeds.

The new X-Talon 190 will be an even lower 1 arrow shoe with no differential but still with the exceptional grip.

Then there will be "The Ultimate Fellshoe" for those who are looking for that barefoot experience but with grip.

Most folk will need some "underfoot protection" what we want to do is offer varying degrees from next to none upto our 4 arrow.