Barefoot running
Anyone has any experience with barefoot (or minimalist) running?
I'm currently looking into it (and plan to have my first bf run today)... What caought my interest was that it may be a good way out of injuries and it may even make me run faster...
Anyone tried this?
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I tried this about 4 years ago and stuck with it for almost 10 months. I was running in drop zero shoes though not bare foot. I started out at 5 min and was up to almost 4 miles. Developed some pretty severe Achilles tendinitis which then made my calf's tight and then tore my right plantar fascia. So I did not fair well.
I returned to running in Asics and orthotics and no trouble with the above since. However if not careful I get itb often.
In small doses its great for improving form, but I might look to the nature of your injuries to see if they can be corrected through other means. ITBS? Check gluteus. Achilles? Work the calf. And so on. Not always the culprit, but many times it is.
I think there are a lot of benefits, and I think a lot of people can he aided by toying around with it or at least incorporating a 3-5 mile run once/week to keep form fresh - but it should be approached fairly conservatively. Although asphalt is not nearly as hard as concrete, keep in mind the folks in Born to Run were running on dirt
The problem is not shoes, per se, but over engineered shoes. Before abandoningshoes altogether, consider trying shoes which lack the following
That said, I have done running drills often on a (natural grass) football/soccer field. I race in 4 oz 3 mm high heels "flats" and train in 4 mm 7 oz Saucony Kinvaras, which have little support, and have no injury issues.
I' m reminded of skiing. In the mid 90s, when "shaped" skis first came out, I decided not to adopt them unless and until I saw the pros use them in slalom races. Same thing here...when pro triathletes are racing Ironman barefoot, then I might consider it. Until then, I view it as a fetish.
Lots of good information at the Science of Sport blog on the minimalist shoes.
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/01/running-technique.html
Hey Bo!
I switched to minimalist shoes for the same reasons you're considering barefoot running - the more I read about "over-engineered" shoes, the more I felt they were detrimental to proper knee/hip/spine alignment. I gradually switched from Newtons to NB Minimus, and the end result was a fractured sesamoid bone in the ball of my foot. Granted, I have very high arches, and the lack of arch support in a minimalist shoe was a huge factor in the amount of stress I was placing on the ball of my foot and the sesamoid bone (I've since learned that the arch support helps off-load the first metatarsal and disperses the contact stress more evenly across the foot - so, very important for someone with high arches!). My podiatrist - not just any podiatrist - he is THE podiatrist (Meb Keflegzighi's doc and US Track Team doc at the Olympics) - says he's seen a HUGE rise in injuries, especially Achilles injuries, since the minimalist/barefoot trend became popular.
That said, I do have a pair of Altra Intuitions (fully cushioned, zero drop, wide forefoot for toe splay) that I occassionally wear with my custom insoles for short runs: http://tinyurl.com/7wl4yet
Have you considered a good core/pelvic stability program as an alternative to barefoot/minimalist running to prevent injury? It's definitely been a better solution for me!
Just like others have mentioned, I made the switch very slowly. Like, it took me three years. No joke. We're fortunate to have a great coach at the local tri club who also offers coached track workouts during the summer months. For two summers, I worked on improving body position, cadence (using my regular shoes) and running with a forefoot strike. The rest of the year I would work on form and technique in those same shoes. The third year, I slowly eased into NB Minimus shoes. Never doing my long runs for the first 4-6 months (I can't remember exactly now) in the zero drop shoes until I felt my calf could handle it. Now, I run in Mizuno minimalist shoes because they offer slightly more cushioning. The reason for this is because with the NB, there was so little between my foot and the road that stepping on too sharp of a stone would hurt. So I went with something that offered my foot a little more protection. I believe my current shoe is still a zero drop.
Not sure this will be helpful but I wanted to share my experience with you so you could make an informed decision.
Transition to ANY minimalist/barefoot/zero heel drop shoes SLOWLY!!! Since I'd say 99% of the population doesn't have the long calf muscles you need to support the minimal heel (and/or heel drop) these type of shoes have, the injury rate is very high with stress fractures and tendinitis (mostly Achilles). When I first switched to vibrams, I absolutely shredded my calf muscles and could barely walk (much less run) for two weeks, after only a two mile run.
Don't assume that switching to a barefoot/minimalist shoe will prevent you from heel striking, it just decreases your contact time, as it actually can hurt you to hit the pavement with such force. With that said, don't try to "prance" around on your forefoot either, that's a quick path to shredded calves and/or tendinitis.
This year I switched to the Altra's that Jess mentions above, and am having good luck with them so far. I'm a big dood (6'1" at 210lbs at present).
Basically, it just calls for a slow, very purposeful and progressive transition. Tread lightly (pun intended).
Here's a timely article in the Running section of Competitor mag/online:
running.competitor.com/2013/01/trai...shoe_64030