I'll stick to shoes thanks
Pretty much exactly my take on barefoot running, except I often do a couple of laps of the local football pitch barefoot the morning after a race. I do tend to walk about barefooted most of the time though, and wear "barefoot" shoes as much as possible.Originally Posted by simgreen78
Whilst I can see it's possible we are evolved to run barefooted on soft ground, the idea of running barefoot on tarmac does not appeal.
Running barefoot on Tarmac is I find a really enjoyable sensation. I have built up to the point where I am now doing a couple of 3k runs a week on tarmac without shoes and I really enjoy them. Give it a go, you might surprise yourself! Just take it easy in terms of speed and distance or you may find yourself without much skin left on your feet!
Now I have joined the ranks of the shod with a pair of f lite 195s, do I need to change my vote in the poll or do they count as minimal footwear? I would say they provide no more support than VFF Dlow Treks.
James
Sun baked savannah is hardly soft
I'd choose hard dirt over concrete every time. If any material engineers can put some figures on the hardness of hard dirt vs concrete I'm willing to be educated.
I don't think the issue is hardness, if you are using your knees to absorb the inpact and are running with good form and a good footstrike then how hard the surface is does not matter. It is the texture of the surface that is important. New smooth tarmac and concrete are really easy to run on and you can get away with a bit more spped and a bit less form. Old worn tarmac with sharp stones sticking out of it is the most chalenging surface I have found so far. Your form has to be just so or you get bad blisters where your foot strikes and lifts off. I have still not summoned enough courage to try any rocky off road terrain yet.
James
Most challenging for me is old asphalt/tarmac country lanes with dirt, debris and old pebbles loose on the surface. This is where I tend to get sore feet or stone bruises. Dirt and trails are fine unless extremely gravelly, Tarmac and concrete ditto.
Hey Rob, You are making the trails sound like I should bite the bullet and just run one!
James
has anyone crocked themself doing this? Having always been a heavy heel striker (and 6'5" 90Kg) I started with deliberate forefoot running maybe 3 months ago (with a vague thought of going on to barefoot) mainly during intervals and shortish tempo runs. The change felt great in many ways and clearly improved my running style to external observers, quickly became natural and had a marked effect in speeding up my descending as I learned to land forefoot first and reduce contact time. Unfortunately I have developed an injury to the medial ligaments of my ankle making any dorsiflexion painful even on normal daily activity and I'm barely able to train. It's difficult to unlearn the new more natural feeling gait and I'm hoping my physio's sorting me out so i can continue to progress....but it's a right pain in the arse at the moment. Any other similar experiences? How did you get on?
cheers P
I tried for the first time after reading this thread about 3 weeks ago, nothing fancy, few strides on a grassy field. My calves went straight away and I had to hobble home with my tail between my legs! Love the idea behind it an have always been an advocate of travel light travel fast, just wonder if its not meant for guys our size?!
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