First steps

I've had barefoot and minimal shoe running in the back of my mind for some time. Perhaps my biggest flaw as a runner is that I like to read about running more than I like to run, so any crazy idea out there on the web will eventually get into my head.

Some time last year I heard about Vibram's FiveFingers shoe. I was running a road race last fall as part of a relay team, and just ahead of me was a man wearing what looked like a pair. I caught up to him and quizzed him a little about it. He told me he loved them, and wouldn't go back to typical shoes. He'd had plantar fasciitis in the past, and was convinced that his FiveFingers had cured it, while also allowing him to run longer and faster. He now runs ultra-marathons.

This really piqued my interest, but still I didn't get a pair, or seriously consider barefoot running.

Something, I don't know what, finally clicked last week. It's still cold and snowy here, but I didn't want to wait. I took off my shoes and hopped on a treadmill. I was cautious, and only ran for 10 minutes at a slow pace.

It's definitely a different feeling.  I've been a mid-foot striker, so it wasn't exactly a dramatic change to my stride, but I could feel my feet, ankles, and calves working in ways they hadn't before. I would imagine a heel-striker might have a hard time adjusting. On a whim, I tried a heel strike or two, and boy, does being barefoot discourage that! Youch!

I was a little stiff & sore later, but just the kind where you know you've had a good workout -- no real pain, and no sign that I'd gone overboard. Google barefoot running, and you'll find all kinds of advice to start slowly. A lot of folks will go so far as to tell you to not even run for a few weeks; just walk a lot barefoot. That's probably good advice that I'm ignoring!

But since my stride isn't changing all that much, I'm pushing it just a little faster. I've now run five days straight. I did 10 minutes the first three days, and 15 the next two. Maybe it's not as cautious as some would advise, but I feel I'm taking it slowly enough. I'm trying my best to really listen closely to what my legs are telling me, and so far they're OK with it.

The third day I happened to be out of town and found myself in a shoe store. They didn't have FiveFingers, but they knew of a store in the same shopping mall that did. I hightailed it over there, tried some on, and bought them. I gave them a spin on the treadmill at the hotel where I was staying. I think they'll take some getting used to, but running in them shares many of the same traits as barefoot running. They're essentially just a thin rubber sole, and just enough shoe to keep that sole attached to your foot.

I probably won't be using them much until the snow is gone. For now, I'm happy with barefoot treadmill running.

So, there's how it's started for me: four days barefoot, one day with minimal shoes, and sixty slow minutes.