My first Barefoot Run!

DG_Allen

Hey Everyone,

I met with Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton the author of Barefoot Running Step by Step today and I had some one-on-one instruction in barefoot running. We then went on a three mile run to see if I could survive the 5k race I'm running next Saturday. Guess what? I was fine. My feet feel a little tender but I think that's to be expected while I adjust to going barefoot. My legs felt great after - almost like I had just been on a walk around the block.

Here is a picture of Ken Bob and me after the run. No injuries!



Ken Bob is a great guy and just wants everyone to be able to enjoy easy pain free running. Learning to barefoot is a great way to get there. Please get is book even if you're running in shoes. He has great advice on running technique. Even if you only barefoot sometimes, your technique will improve and you'll have less pain.

http://barefootrunning.com/?product=barefoot-running-step-by-step-autographed

Papillon22

Wow! I've never heard of barefoot running. How interesting!

Sox90716

Glad you had a great run! Good luck on the 5k!

Bpothik13

Glad to hear that it went well! What does he say about those of us with nearly flat feet? Always thought I needed the support!?

spngebobmyhero

That is awesome! I use vibram 5 fingers and I think that is the closest I can get to barefoot since I live in a city! Glad you had fun

DG_Allen

If you have flat feet, working on barefoot technique can strengthen them and help build your arches. Most of us have been in shoes our whole lives so our feet are weak and we have bad arches etc.

Also, for people in cities, the sidewalks actually feel really good on your feet. It's very smooth. You have to learn how to let your legs abosrb the landing by bending your kneeds and then there's no shock.

I'm still learning and will get better over time. I did get a blister on my left 3rd toe. I need to figure out why that was getting so much friction. My soles are a little red but they are fine.

spngebobmyhero

Haha, not worried about the cement! There is glass everywhere! I wish it were cleaner

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I walk and jog in Vibram Five Fingers. I don't think I will every be able to go 100% barefoot as I can't even stand in the grass with bare feet, they are so tender.

Barefoot is the way we were intended to be though.

firemedicjoe26

That's great that the run went well, I would just like to caution you because there has been an increas in injury reported by pediatrist and orthopedics more specifically metatarsal hairline fractures because of barefoot running it is just doing too much too fast give your body time to adjust I would hate to see your training compromised by injury

xTwK

Barefoot running, hmmm, sounds pretty awesome actually. I would def try it but I'm one of those treadmill people who can't stand running outside. Plus I can't get myself to buy myself some of those vibram shoes since they look so ridiculous. I do squats wearing chuck taylors though so my feet are pretty strong already.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Barefoot running, hmmm, sounds pretty awesome actually. I would def try it but I'm one of those treadmill people who can't stand running outside. Plus I can't get myself to buy myself some of those vibram shoes since they look so ridiculous. I do squats wearing chuck taylors though so my feet are pretty strong already.

Don't knock the Vibrams until you try them and the OP actually ran barefoot.

Chuck Taylor's have the traditional sole that any oher shoe has so I highly doubt if they are strengthening you feet, ankles or calves.

BuckeyeLife

I have SUPER flat feet, my arch is almost ridic bad. I went to a local running place and explained to the gentleman that I wanted to get to minimalist shoes as really only wanted shoes on my feet to protect from things I would step on that could injure my foot. I have to use Dr Scholl's 420 series support for my work shoe because of my arch and it was causing plantar fasciitis. Between tennis and work and being over weight everyday my feet hurt like hell. The supports fixed issue immediately, months later I learned about minimalism. I wear my New Balance MR10 religiously. I hadn't had a chance to REALLY test out a long use of them until Saturday when girlfriend and I hit up Columbus Zoo(pretty nice sized place with hills and not really super smooth pathing). After 6 hours my legs starts to feel a bit of the strain of using these shoes, but my feet? Felt perfectly damn fine. I wore these shoes for a bit over a month any chance I could get to help build it back up. I now actually HATE my work shoes as I feel like they try to roll my ankles out on me, but I am not wearing expensive shoes in the shop, chemicals would tear it up in a few weeks. (Sadly) I did wear them again yesterday as I unloaded over 7 tons of machines from a semi with just a dolly and going up hill to the end of the truck. My feet today, feel great.

TL; DR
Horrible arch support guy here, needed insoles, now using minimalist shoes as much as possible, couldn't be happier.

Oh I also do my strength training in my NB shoes too. Huge difference there as well.

xTwK

Barefoot running, hmmm, sounds pretty awesome actually. I would def try it but I'm one of those treadmill people who can't stand running outside. Plus I can't get myself to buy myself some of those vibram shoes since they look so ridiculous. I do squats wearing chuck taylors though so my feet are pretty strong already.

Don't knock the Vibrams until you try them and the OP actually ran barefoot.

Chuck Taylor's have the traditional sole that any oher shoe has so I highly doubt if they are strengthening you feet, ankles or calves.

I didn't "knock" the vibrams, I said they look ridiculous, which they do...

Also, Chuck Taylor's have zero arch support, they're completely flat with hard soles (not soft supportive soles), so they're like working out barefoot, same concept as vibrams. Ask any hardcore bodybuilder about doing squats and what kind of shoes they wear and I'm sure that atleast half of them will swear by Chucks...

DG_Allen

Don't knock the Vibrams until you try them and the OP actually ran barefoot.

Chuck Taylor's have the traditional sole that any oher shoe has so I highly doubt if they are strengthening you feet, ankles or calves.

The VFFs are cool, but they do look "funny." I laugh everytime I see someone wearhing them. Those separated toes just look funny.

DG_Allen

I have SUPER flat feet, my arch is almost ridic bad. I went to a local running place and explained to the gentleman that I wanted to get to minimalist shoes as really only wanted shoes on my feet to protect from things I would step on that could injure my foot. I have to use Dr Scholl's 420 series support for my work shoe because of my arch and it was causing plantar fasciitis. Between tennis and work and being over weight everyday my feet hurt like hell. The supports fixed issue immediately, months later I learned about minimalism. I wear my New Balance MR10 religiously. I hadn't had a chance to REALLY test out a long use of them until Saturday when girlfriend and I hit up Columbus Zoo(pretty nice sized place with hills and not really super smooth pathing). After 6 hours my legs starts to feel a bit of the strain of using these shoes, but my feet? Felt perfectly damn fine. I wore these shoes for a bit over a month any chance I could get to help build it back up. I now actually HATE my work shoes as I feel like they try to roll my ankles out on me, but I am not wearing expensive shoes in the shop, chemicals would tear it up in a few weeks. (Sadly) I did wear them again yesterday as I unloaded over 7 tons of machines from a semi with just a dolly and going up hill to the end of the truck. My feet today, feel great.

TL; DR
Horrible arch support guy here, needed insoles, now using minimalist shoes as much as possible, couldn't be happier.

Oh I also do my strength training in my NB shoes too. Huge difference there as well.

This is a great story and I hear this all the time. I've yet to meet someone people who has a stress fracture but people always say the doctors see them.

That being said, I am taking it slowly. I'm doing mostly barefoot walking now and some short runs. I do my normal runs in my Merrell Barefoot Road Gloves which are great shoes! Just a little protection but I can still practice my barefoot running form in them. I focus on landing as softly and with as little sound as possible. I used to focus on pushing off to the back and now I am focused on lifting my feet instead of pushing and letting gravity carry me forward.

NoxDineen

Awesome, congrats! I live downtown and pass broken glass at least once a day, but I really want to at least swap to minimalist runners. So jealous of you running through grass!!

emnk5308

I'm lucky I've got the beach here.. I walk, try to jog too, barefoot It is nice! I hate. Hate. HATE. shoes.... I go with socks only on the treadmill... My feet always feel fine.

DG_Allen

Haha, not worried about the cement! There is glass everywhere! I wish it were cleaner

Oh, you live in that kind of city!! I have a lot of tree debris on the roads around me. Some of those small seeds and such can be painful.

Well be careful!

DG_Allen

I'm lucky I've got the beach here.. I walk, try to jog too, barefoot It is nice! I hate. Hate. HATE. shoes.... I go with socks only on the treadmill... My feet always feel fine.

That's cool. My wife is doing walks with me in socks right now. She doesn't like to get dirty.

Try some easy running on harder surfaces and see how it goes. Listen to your feet and try to run softly. Don't call it jogging, that's too much pounding on your joints.

DG_Allen

Awesome, congrats! I live downtown and pass broken glass at least once a day, but I really want to at least swap to minimalist runners. So jealous of you running through grass!!

Thanks! I was only on the grass a little actually. Most of it was paved trails in the park. Some of the pavement was pretty rough. We did some dirt trails too. Ken Bob calls grass "dessert" because it feels so soft after running on the pavement.

I HIGHLY recommend the minimal footwear. My Merrells are great.

More important than the footwear however is technique. You need to learn good running technique which most of us don't have since we've been wearing shoes our whole lives. Ken Bob's book is a great resource for running technique.

LilRedRooster

I've wanted to try out a barefoot run ever since I switched to minimalist running with Vibrams. How awesome for you!!

JoeD1968

first I've heard of this ,sounds awesome
In fact i just ordered super duper minimal extreme footwear from Nike,the box came today and it was empty...50 bucks!!:laugh:

tabinmaine

What a wonderful way to spend the day...with that man !!

I take my shoes off all of the time lately and run home in my sock feet, I love it ! Right down the middle of a country road !

wbgolden

If you're gonna learn to do it, I say learn from the best. He's like the Dalai Lama of natural running!

DG_Allen

I take my shoes off all of the time lately and run home in my sock feet, I love it ! Right down the middle of a country road !

This sounds awesome!

skinnylove00

bump for later...running barefoot is AMAZING i can only do it on grass though...NEED VIBRAMS

DG_Allen

If you're gonna learn to do it, I say learn from the best. He's like the Dalai Lama of natural running!

I KNOW. He does free workshops all the time. I was the only one who was there. People are missing out. I'm so lucky to live only about 30 miles away. He's in Huntington Beach, CA.

wbgolden

If you're gonna learn to do it, I say learn from the best. He's like the Dalai Lama of natural running!

I KNOW. He does free workshops all the time. I was the only one who was there. People in are missing out. I'm so lucky to live only about 30 miles away.

Wish I was closer. Barefoot Ted does workshops out my way (I won a pair of Luna's from him) but it ain't any kind of free, last I checked lol

ninerbuff

I've switched to running in Vibrams now too and it's worked on my calf development more (not that I need more calf work). My BB did register me burning more calories though on the same route as I do with running shoes.
I walk barefoot at home all the time and now with the Vibrams I can run that way almost too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

DG_Allen

If you're gonna learn to do it, I say learn from the best. He's like the Dalai Lama of natural running!

I KNOW. He does free workshops all the time. I was the only one who was there. People in are missing out. I'm so lucky to live only about 30 miles away.

Wish I was closer. Barefoot Ted does workshops out my way (I won a pair of Luna's from him) but it ain't any kind of free, last I checked lol

Well, I did buy an autographed copy of his book in print to augment my digital copy. 20 Bucks!

gogojodee

If you have flat feet, working on barefoot technique can strengthen them and help build your arches. Most of us have been in shoes our whole lives so our feet are weak and we have bad arches etc.

Also, for people in cities, the sidewalks actually feel really good on your feet. It's very smooth. You have to learn how to let your legs abosrb the landing by bending your kneeds and then there's no shock.

I'm still learning and will get better over time. I did get a blister on my left 3rd toe. I need to figure out why that was getting so much friction. My soles are a little red but they are fine.

Once you find out what works for that blister, let me know or post LOL. I just discovered one yesterday between my big toe and second toe. Gonna try some BodyGlide tonight

Congrats on your run! I've only run near my house like a block and it was funnnn! Hoping to get some Vibrams to help. I run trail most of the time.