Home› General Training Discussions

Barefoot Running Review...

Comments

  • morpheusmorpheus
    wow, that's crazy Patrick. describes my experience to the T.



    re: Recognize that running barefoot may be a skill and that people acquire skills at different rates (or not at all)

    The evidence so far suggests that barefoot running produces some potentially beneficial changes, mostly related to how running form and kinetics are altered without shoes. However, it also points to a potentially large group of people who, when running barefoot, may have increased risk of injury, especially early on - these are the people who continue to heel-strike when barefoot, and who may "force" a forefoot landing, leading to huge strain on the calf muscle and Achilles tendons.


    I spent a year trying to get this. without a running coach looking over my shoulder. bad idea looking back on it.

    then, a couple of weeks ago, easing into the off season, on a simple zone 1 fall afternoon jog, barefoot, one simple misstep and POW, my left calf locked up again, 4th time in a year.

    once it started feeling better, I headed to the local run experts and let them put me in some 'neutral +' Saucony's after some gait analysis. Maybe it'll help, maybe it won't, bottom line is that I don't have to be in the cool barefoot gang if it means that I'm always limping thru 20 min runs.

    this is not to say that barefoot running is wrong, or, not the running salvation, just not for me. I may, once I get my running legs back, use barefoot stuff with strides warming up and cooling down, but that'll be it.

    thanks for posting the article, showed me that I'm not the outlier that I thought I might be.
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander

    I was on TV not too long ago about this very thing: www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-natural-r...3195.story

    I'll be starting again in my pre-JOS "run block" with my VFFs, def more gradual tho.

Sign In or Register to comment.