Barefoot Running tips PLEASE!!

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  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
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    That's a cute dog!
  • PitBullMom_Liz
    PitBullMom_Liz Posts: 339 Member
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    Thanks! She's my girl. :-)
  • hcyndy
    hcyndy Posts: 51
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    :smile: ok dont laugh at me but why are you running barefoot? Does it help with training or something? just curious...
  • Gumbie7
    Gumbie7 Posts: 45 Member
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    I started running in my vibrams because I was feeling really sore in my normal work out shoes. I got them orignally for the work outs i was doing (Zumba, Insanity etc) because my feet slide everywhere in the shoes going side to side. Also my feet would cramp up really badly and my calves. It was horrible! I think the reason it all changed for me was because I gained 60lbs in under a year. After I got diagnosed with asthma my whole body changed, but my eating stayed the same. Hence the mass weight gain. Now moving around feels different with all the weight, and it's really hard on my feet and calves when I work out. Sooo....I switched to Vibram shoes, and two weeks later so much better! Instantly I wasn't cramping up as much and eventually the whole work out felt different, and in my opinion much better. So I guess it's preferance. I want to try running like this because I had the same issues before with my feet and shins running in runner shoes. Now running in the Vibrams forces me not to slam my feet down, and to focus on my running style. Hope that helps:)
  • emtron500
    emtron500 Posts: 102 Member
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    Run on the front pads of your feet and NOT on the back part.
    This is really hard. I've been trying to do this (even in my stabilising joggers) and I feel kind of ridiculous. I'm going to stick with it, but am I the only one who finds this tricky?

    Yeah it feels silly at first, but you get used to it. I read somewhere to imagine your child has run out into the street and you have to run down the gravelly driveway in your bare feet to rescue him, and it clicks you back into proper stance if you're struggling with it.
  • toysbigkid
    toysbigkid Posts: 545 Member
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    this is very interesting....bumping
  • super_soprano13
    super_soprano13 Posts: 7
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    I bought myself a pair of Vibram Komodosports (whichever ones have the laces, I'm not sure if that's the LS or not tbh) for a graduation/early birthday present and I've found that wearing them everyday gets you started well. I haven't started running in them yet, but I'm starting c25k monday in them. I wore them all last week doing VBC at my church chasing after 68 k-5th graders and being on my feet from 9-5, mostly standing because I was helping with music. I've found that my toes have spread, the bunion on my right big toe that had been getting worse for the last few years was going away, my ankles are stronger, and the bunions on both my little toes are going away. Also, my toes are straightening out. I did ballet from k-7th grade and spent all of high school doing musicals, and I've been overweight my whole life, so I pretty much LIVED in first position, as well as in flip flops whenever I wasn't in dance shoes or dress shoes. (part of being a floridian) Now I pretty much wear toms and my vibrams unless I have to wear dress shoes for something, and then I bring the shoes with me and only put them on for as long as I have to. Seems to be working out well for me. I'd say don't just run, probably your ankles and outer leg muscles need some attention as well if you're anything like me. Mine were desperately underdeveloped, which caused my whole posture to be out of alignment. Stand on one foot (using something for balance) barefoot or in vibrams for 60 seconds. Your ankle may wobble a bit, just make sure your knee is facing straight ahead, not locked, directly under your hip, ankle should be directly under your knee, foot straight forward. shake that one out and repeat. Also, squats and lunges. Make sure to concentrate on how your knees, ankles and feet are aligned with your hips. You're essentially retraining the muscles that have been overcompensated for to do the crap they should be doing. It's called "body mapping". If you've heard of Alexander Technique (which is very popular in the music world, and oddly related to the pilates world...and modern dance, where they point feet straight forward and not out) it's all about making sure things go where they are naturally designed to go. You may find that your habits want to prevail, because it feels weird, but it will be this odd war, your body wants to do what it should do once it has felt it. (does that make any sense at all?) Basically, don't forget to work the macro muscles in your legs, and the tiny little micro muscles in your ankles outside of your runs and walks. And streeeetch.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I always run barefoot on the treadmill (like real barefoot, not in shoes that approximate it) unless I'm doing higher speed pacing work (I'm faster in shoes and wear shoes outside).

    All the suggestions to ease into it and whatnot only apply if you are a heel striker (90%+ of runners are, especially recreational runners). If you are already a midfoot or toe striker you'll have to get used to the feel of it and will probably be slower, but that is about it.

    Barefoot/really minimal is cool on treamills and trails/grass, but I cannot see how one could run that way on pavement, at least how you could run fast. Obviously barefoot is our natural running gait, but pavement is not a natural running surface. On pavement I need cushion under me. Though I can't stand normal high heeled running shoes (I wear Saucony Kinvaras on pavement, they don't have a big poofy heel).

    It is so much easier if you run barefoot when you learn to run. Stop those bad habits (cough, heel striking) before they even start. Not to mention countless people injure themselves because they are wearing the wrong or bad shoes. This isn't an issue if you aren't wearing shoes.
  • PitBullMom_Liz
    PitBullMom_Liz Posts: 339 Member
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    but I cannot see how one could run that way on pavement, at least how you could run fast.

    Actually it's a lot comfier than you'd think! I'm a Vibram girl, not quite barefoot, but I find that when I run on pavement it forces me to remember to be light on my feet, and focus on lifting my feet as opposed to pounding the ground. I find it more painful to walk than jog on pavement, actually. :-)
  • kgb6days
    kgb6days Posts: 880 Member
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    I started running in a good set of running shoes and struggled with shin splints and knee pain. Switched over to Vibrams and those problems went away. The advise I received from other runners wearing them is to start wearing them around the house to just walk in. Then begin running in them short distances and build up. I was already running 3 miles at a time, so would run about a mile in them, then switch over to regular shoes. Did this for about a week, then just went VFFs. Never looked back. It corrected my heel striking almost instantly, as it HURTS to heel strike in them. Love love love my VFFs. In every big run I've ever done (i.e. Peachtree Road Race) there have been people running actually barefoot, but that's not for me. almost barefoot (VFFs) are enough. Try it out and enjoy. There are barefoot running forums as well.
  • SunnyFitt
    SunnyFitt Posts: 34 Member
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    Interesting thread! A question: I have, and have always had, a very loose ankle and I easily flip and hirt myself. Is it then good or bad for me to try out these barefoot-shoes?

    Also - I have had to quit running for a while because of an inflammation in my hip due to my running style (one hip seems to be much stronger than the other causing this). I have been working out in the gym instead. I would like to start easing into running again since I really miss it. Do you think these shoes might be good for fighting my hip problem?
  • LessJos
    LessJos Posts: 113 Member
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    check out http://beginningbarefoot.com
    Dawsy is the man!
  • LessJos
    LessJos Posts: 113 Member
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    Interesting thread! A question: I have, and have always had, a very loose ankle and I easily flip and hirt myself. Is it then good or bad for me to try out these barefoot-shoes?

    Also - I have had to quit running for a while because of an inflammation in my hip due to my running style (one hip seems to be much stronger than the other causing this). I have been working out in the gym instead. I would like to start easing into running again since I really miss it. Do you think these shoes might be good for fighting my hip problem?

    I broke my ankle once really badly and am scared of rolling and hurting my ankles ever since. That's one reason why I love my Vibram Five Fingers so much. There is no sole with an edge! And you can feel then uneven ground underneath your feet. I read a comment once saying "with the VFF it feels like I can see with my feet" That totally describes what it feels like!

    I don't know about your hip problem but why don't you try it? Make sure you EASE into running with VFF though. You might be fine walking around with them but running will definitely get you sore in the beginning.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
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    but I cannot see how one could run that way on pavement, at least how you could run fast.

    Actually it's a lot comfier than you'd think! I'm a Vibram girl, not quite barefoot, but I find that when I run on pavement it forces me to remember to be light on my feet, and focus on lifting my feet as opposed to pounding the ground. I find it more painful to walk than jog on pavement, actually. :-)

    I haven't had any trouble with the Vibrams on the pavement, either. It still hurts if I step on a rock or something, but I can't feel the texture of the tarmac. Before getting them, I tried to run totally barefoot on pavement and that was a terrible idea. At least, it was bad to go from always wearing shoes to that. If you walk around all the time barefoot (including on pavement) then it would probably work out. As it was, the roughness of the street really hurt my feet. I only managed a very slow mile and then I got terribly ill (weakened my resistance?). The Vibrams have been great in that regard, but I'm not sure they're made for my type of foot (very wide). I'm not getting blisters anymore, but I'm still happy to take them off. Also, mine aren't waterproof at all so if you run through a puddle or mud you're going to feel that. I'm about to strap them on for an easy 5 miles.
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
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    but I cannot see how one could run that way on pavement, at least how you could run fast.

    I actually lost less speed than I expected (maybe :30 per mile). Now that I'm training for a marathon, though, I'm doing most of my runs very slow and the Vibrams are helping to keep me in check.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    but I cannot see how one could run that way on pavement, at least how you could run fast.

    I actually lost less speed than I expected (maybe :30 per mile). Now that I'm training for a marathon, though, I'm doing most of my runs very slow and the Vibrams are helping to keep me in check.

    Right, simply running on pavement I see no issues with, but as you move faster the forces in your feet increase, especially running downrill. Going downhill really fast can be rough on the legs even with shoes on. Same applies any time you'd break into a sprint or near sprint. The amount of force you apply (or have to apply in the case of going downhill) to the pavement is directly related to how fast you are going

    Obviously if you aren't trying to run fast this isn't an issue at all. When not on pavement though you have that little extra softness that shoes give you on pavement that allow you to speed up a good bit.

    Running on pavement isn't all that different than kicking a brick wall. Obviously getting the form right to really minimize the foces in your leg is ideal, but the fact remains that you are more or less spending a half hour, hour, or more essentially kicking a brick wall. You can kick real soft (run slow) and do it without shoes, but if you want to kick it hard, shoes help.
  • super_soprano13
    super_soprano13 Posts: 7
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    I have lax joints in general (I can press my thumb completely flush to the wrist right underneath) my ankles would constantly roll, my knees locked, hips would pop out of joint like crazy. I thought it was fixed with a good pair of running shoes and a pair of nice orthotics. It did help start me on the right path. I no longer tripped over flat ground in flat shoes, I could walk in heels without falling over or hurting myself, but I was still limping, I was still in pain and I was still having problems. So I started wearing toms classics daily to teach. It didn't do much for my limp, but I could stand all day and my legs didn't get tired. My knees didn't lock while conducting. I could demonstrate proper singing posture for the kids. That's part of my weight loss journey is to improve myself as a singer. See, the way I figure, my posture will improve if I'm not carrying around all this extra stuff on my body. My breathing will improve if my posture improves. My tone improves if my breathing improves. My vocal model being better means my choirs get better. And my vocal control improving means I can use a lighter head voice to demonstrate and not scare the living day lights out of younger kids. High school kids LOVE to hear you sing like you sing. Elementary and middle schoolers are still suffering with that "only talented people sing" thing that we beat into people in the US (god it's awful. Singing and dancing are two of the first things kids just...do for the hell of it. Then we beat it out of them. We just steal their creativity. Just like we teach them not to run. And we wonder why we have anger, violence, obesity and depression issues in most of the countries in the world) so yeah. Anyways, back to the subject at hand, with the vibrams, sure at first I felt a little wary, but I realized the stabilizer muscles were relearning their job, and that's the point! :) It'll take a little time, but I promise you, be patient, go slow, read everything you can about it and it will help. We start off barefoot. We should stay that way (or as close as we can.) I stick to toms and vibrams as much as I can. The toms stretch so much that it's like not wearing shoes.
  • awheewall
    awheewall Posts: 3
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    You should try doing the 100-Up exercise. This will teach you the correct form. It's not just about removing the padded trainers, although that's how everyone starts. Check out my blog to see the various mistakes I've made along the way to becoming a barefoot runner. http://barefoot.wheewall.com/archive
  • mirandamayhem
    mirandamayhem Posts: 772
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    I'm a big girl, very early in on my running journey, but I did a 5k race for life the other day. I didn't run it all, only about half of it (which for me is miraculous at the moment), but I was wearing vivo barefoot shoes, and I've got to say it was the most comfortable run. While I saw and heard other people tripping over when the surface would change, I could feel far more, and never felt close to tripping up. I broke my ankle exactly a year ago, in fact today i would have been having x-rays. My ankle is weak, and I notice if I work it the wrong way, but even after the run on sunday, it was fine.
    So I'm a barefoot convert. Just need to get out there and learn how to run a full 5k for starters! xx
  • DrJamesStoxenDC
    DrJamesStoxenDC Posts: 11
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    Dr James Stoxen DC, President, Team Doctors The Barefoot Running Doctor

    Doctors don't seem to know how to restore but many know how to put more braces like motion control shoes, orthotics, arch inserts, canes, walkers, wheelchairs until you are bedridden.

    If you want to be a barefoot runner, the key is to strengthen the muscles that resist the impacts which I call the landing muscles, the spring suspension system muscles or the pronation supination cuff muscles

    Here are my last three articles you might find helpful:

    How Does The Body Spring Back Safely From Impacts Of Running and Walking?

    http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/06/13/video-tutorial-12-is-running-bad-for-knees-how-the-body-springs-back-safely-from-impacts-of-running/

    Self-Tests & Exercises To Reduce Over Pronation and Over Supination From Impacts During Walking and Running

    http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/06/18/video-tutorial-28-the-impact-absorbing-landing-muscles-of-the-human-spring-mechanism-testing-and-training-the-spring-suspension-muscles/

    Video Tutorial #174 Barefoot Running? What If I Step On Something?
    http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/04/30/video-tutorial-174-what-if-i-step-on-something-part-1/

    Stress Fracture Of the Second Metatarsal – Self Help Tips to Treatment and Prevention from The Barefoot Running Doctor
    http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/05/25/stress-fracture-mid-shaft2nd-metatarsal-is-it-healed/

    Cracking Achy Knee Pain or Chondromalacia Patella – Treatment and Prevention Tips from The Barefoot Running Doctor
    http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/05/25/cracking-achy-knee-pain-or-chondromalacia-patella-treatment-and-prevention-tips-from-the-barefoot-running-doctor/

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