Barefoot Running - My Story
Discussion
I know quite a few people on here swear by bare foot running and it was probably a recommendation on here which made me buy some in the first place.
All I can say is go for it. I used to get huge shin splints, sore knees etc which effectively stopped me running past 20 minutes at a go. Sometimes I would be lucky and be able to run past it for half an hour but then be in pain for a day or two.
I've slowly been building up the running in Vibram 5 fingers for the past month or two - last week I ran a mixture of between 5Km and 8.5Km four times in the week and on Sunday I ran 13Km. These distances are much much farther than I have ever run before and not even a twinge from knees or shins. I did feel exhausted after Sunday but that was the idea!
I'm quite a big chap (6'5" and 20 stone - no goatee though) and have found no problem at all. I'm intrigued to see how far I can push this running thing now!
If anyone is considering it I say go for it.
All I can say is go for it. I used to get huge shin splints, sore knees etc which effectively stopped me running past 20 minutes at a go. Sometimes I would be lucky and be able to run past it for half an hour but then be in pain for a day or two.
I've slowly been building up the running in Vibram 5 fingers for the past month or two - last week I ran a mixture of between 5Km and 8.5Km four times in the week and on Sunday I ran 13Km. These distances are much much farther than I have ever run before and not even a twinge from knees or shins. I did feel exhausted after Sunday but that was the idea!
I'm quite a big chap (6'5" and 20 stone - no goatee though) and have found no problem at all. I'm intrigued to see how far I can push this running thing now!
If anyone is considering it I say go for it.
Du1point8 said:
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State/Province:Fujian
Postal Code:361000
Country:CN
Phone:+86.059228865169
Phone Ext.:
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I wouldn't trust it with my cash TBH
I'm a big pusher of barefoot running. Running barefoot automatically makes you run on your toes. Over-using the Tibialis Anterior is the usual cause of skin splints - it's the muscle that sits on your skin and lifts the foot up. If you run on your toes, this muscle is not overused and running on your toes is more efficient as your whole foot then acts as an energy recovery spring. Although this means it's not as good for calorie burning...
mattikake said:
I'm a big pusher of barefoot running. Running barefoot automatically makes you run on your toes. Over-using the Tibialis Anterior is the usual cause of skin splints - it's the muscle that sits on your skin and lifts the foot up. If you run on your toes, this muscle is not overused and running on your toes is more efficient as your whole foot then acts as an energy recovery spring. Although this means it's not as good for calorie burning...
Not running because you have shin splints, bad knees and sore hips is worse for cal burning!Tiggsy said:
Great to see another "big unit" using them! I started at 6ft6 and 21 stone and overnight my leg issues vanished! Now looking to be around 15/15.5 by summer at low teens BF%
Crikey! Good on you. I'm definitely feeling leaner for the running and if I can keep it up then should feel better than ever.
Managed a 8.5Km this morning! I dont see any reason why I can't get in to the habit of doing an hour run three times a week. Noticed my heart rate was much better when out on my bike too! Give it two or three months and there should be a big difference.
mattikake said:
I'm a big pusher of barefoot running. Running barefoot automatically makes you run on your toes. Over-using the Tibialis Anterior is the usual cause of skin splints - it's the muscle that sits on your skin and lifts the foot up. If you run on your toes, this muscle is not overused and running on your toes is more efficient as your whole foot then acts as an energy recovery spring. Although this means it's not as good for calorie burning...
However in my experience overusing the tibialis anterior is due to internal rotation of the femur and your knee tracking across the midline which in turn is due to poor pelvic stability.Personally I am all for barefoot running as a way to strengthen your feet but I think that it isn't the be all and end all of reducing lower limb overuse injuries.
I have said this before but I think as a half decent sprinter/runner who has a had lots of overuse injuries and also seen a lot of athletes I train with suffer from similar niggles and injuries unfortunately things are never so simple as just start barefoot running and your problems will dissapear.
What has solved my main problems which were chronic shin splints and ITB pain is a long standing routine of hip/core conditioning/flexibility, foam rolling the hell out of my calves and basically looking after your body and knowing when to have a rest day and when not to. I think that it's rare that just changing one thing will magically cure your problems and I think that barefoot running - perhaps outside the competitive running environment - has come to be seen as a wonder cure for nearly all running related injuries which is think is not quite true.
Edited to add: By the way I am not saying what you said is wrong and the post was more aimed at the topic in general not yourself personally or what you said
Edited by bales on Wednesday 6th June 15:41
bales said:
Edited to add: By the way I am not saying what you said is wrong and the post was more aimed at the topic in general not yourself personally or what you said
NP that's how I took it. Edited by bales on Wednesday 6th June 15:41
So I'm not saying barefoot running will cure everything everytime, but if you have Shin Splints, try it for the reasons I said.
ATEOTD, barefoot is how we are designed to run and therefore, running on our toes is how we're designed to run and so using your TA less is what's supposed to happen. These finger shoes look to be designed around the same naturalistic philosophy, so I don't think that's a scam.
Occam's Razor and all that.
No-one is suggesting minimalist/barefoot-style footwear is a scam. It's great to hear of people successfully switching to it. Amongst competitive athletes minimalist shoes are nothing new, most people who race seriously do so in spikes or racing flats, neither of which have any support or significant cushioning.
If someone is having lower-leg problems then I'd agree barefoot is worth a try, but I'd avoid thinking of it as a panacea for all running aches, pains and issues (as some of the more evangelical minimalists I've spoken with tend to suggest).
Personally, I mix my footwear depending on the terrain and purpose of the run. Sometimes I'll be in barefoot-style shoes, sometimes in shoes with more control/support/cushioning. This has kept me mostly (but not entirely) injury-free in 25 years of competitive running.
If someone is having lower-leg problems then I'd agree barefoot is worth a try, but I'd avoid thinking of it as a panacea for all running aches, pains and issues (as some of the more evangelical minimalists I've spoken with tend to suggest).
Personally, I mix my footwear depending on the terrain and purpose of the run. Sometimes I'll be in barefoot-style shoes, sometimes in shoes with more control/support/cushioning. This has kept me mostly (but not entirely) injury-free in 25 years of competitive running.
I run in minimalist shoes (NB minus road zero) and love them. It's funny how evangelical people get about it all. I took to them relatively easily but I spend a lot of time going around in bare feet and have done beach running in actual bare feet often. I just enjoy the sensation of running with less support on zero drop shoes.
I did a wet run in a triathlon in a muddy park in mine the other day. They had no grip whatsoever, I was slipping and skidding around like a dog on linoleum.
I might have to get some trail ones or those inov8 bare grip 200s for muddy races or cross country spikes. Who knows.
I did a wet run in a triathlon in a muddy park in mine the other day. They had no grip whatsoever, I was slipping and skidding around like a dog on linoleum.
I might have to get some trail ones or those inov8 bare grip 200s for muddy races or cross country spikes. Who knows.
0a said:
I might try these. How do they work on a mixture of surfaces (tarmac, grass, rough trails)?
Which ones?Vibram five fingers are the shoes with individual toe compartments, they look like monkey feet. There are plenty of more mainstream shoes with the same kind of flat sole that do the same thing sometimes better depending on your foot shape toe lengths etc.
If you want minimalist shoes most are defined by having very little support, a flat sole with zero drop (heel and toe hight the same) or very minimal drop. Some shoes like saucony kinvara are described as "minimal" but still have 4mm drop.
Minimal shoes will then be categorised as road or trail. The trail ones will have a beefier sole so you don't hurt your feet (as much) with stones. The road will have minimal grip and be OK on a dry bridle path but you'd certainly feet stones through them.
Du1point8 said:
yes it is! - if you get a few % off (i think wiggle had a sale on?) your doing ok!That said, i have a fake pair and i bought them knowing full well they were fake, but i paid £25 so wasnt expecting much. I was very surprised tbh, i compared them to a guys genuine pair in the gym and there was v little obvious difference. My sole was a little stiffer and his felt more "rubbery" but apart form that there wasnt much in it. Mine had all the same line and design textures.
I use mine most days in the gym. I have used for a bit of running too. I also walk upto 2m in them and I found they got rid of the small amount of plantar facia i had in my feet and strengthened everything up nicely.
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