Back in conventional shoes for today

Over my lunch hour I took a short run in conventional running shoes, a pair of Brooks Trance. I really don't expect ever to convert completely to just barefoot and minimal shoes. The Trance is a lot of shoe, and I imagine I've purchased my last pair of those. I have about 5 or 6 pair of them, and while I've had good results, I just don't know if I'll ever need that much shoe again.

Peter Larson at Runblogger has an approach to shoes that's a little different from most runners I know. Lots of runners will wear one or two different models for training, and maybe own a pair of racing flats for short races. Peter's a little different. He really likes shoes. I mean really. Anyway, he considers himself a minimalist when it comes to shoes, but he hasn't much interest in running barefoot, and isn't trying to switch over completely to, say, Vibram FiveFingers. He does run in FiveFingers from time to time, and once ran barefoot, with not much success. His approach to minimalism is to use a variety of shoes, and use for any given run the minimum shoes that he thinks appropriate. For him, FiveFingers aren't a goal, but a tool to help him train his legs in a different manner than he can in a conventional shoe.

Mind you, his idea of a "heavy" shoe is pretty light.

I can see myself eventually taking up this way of doing things myself.

Check out his blog. He's a much better writer and blogger (and runner) than I am.

The science of barefoot running

Well, apparently there isn't all that much science saying that barefoot running prevents injuries. Some researchers at the Harvard Skeletal Biology Lab have a web site devoted to barefoot running and in particular how it affects foot strike. They are careful not to make any claims that aren't backed up by evidence. Though they seem to be barefoot enthusiasts, they say

Please note that we present no data or opinions on how people should run, whether shoes cause some injuries, or whether barefoot running causes other kinds of injuries. We believe there is a strong need for controlled, prospective studies on these problems.

Their site is an interesting read. Check it out, and if you're thinking of taking the barefoot plunge yourself, they have training tips.

Moleskin

After two days off, my feet were showing no sign at all of hot spots, and I wasn't really worried about getting blisters. Just as an experiment, though, I thought I'd try some Dr. Scholl's Moleskin Plus I happened to have around. I wanted to see if it would work if I should ever need it in the future.

I cut two pieces about 5 x 3 cm (2 x 1.25 in) and applied one on the ball of each foot, centered about at the base of the second toe. This was where I felt a potential blister coming on a few days ago.  I ran on the treadmill -- the snow here is melting apace, but we've got a ways to go, so it's a big sloppy mess wherever you look.

It felt OK. I could feel the moleskin, but it wasn't unpleasant at all, and it wasn't slippery. After 12 minutes, one of the pieces partially un-stuck and folded over at the base of my toes. It felt too weird, so I stopped briefly and took it off. The other stayed on for the rest of my run, which was only 15 minutes total. When I stopped I found it had moved a little towards my toes.

I think the experiment mostly failed. This is not in any way a criticism of the product, as I was using it in a way that it's clearly not designed to be used. I've used it in the past when I had a new pair of shoes that rubbed a bit at the back of the heel until broken in, and it worked wonderfully.

But on bare feet, while running, it just doesn't stick well enough. I imagine that outdoors it would probably be even worse, since there likely would be dirt and moisture involved.

Blister watch, day 2

I still had a bit of a hot spot on my foot, and didn't run this morning. I may try tonight. Many of the usual strategies for avoiding blisters -- make sure your footwear fits properly; wear moisture-wicking socks; slap on some Vaseline; duct tape (!) -- just aren't applicable to barefoot running. The accepted wisdom seems to be "too much, too soon" will trigger blisters. So, run slower or less distance or both until the skin on your feet has adapted.

I have some Dr. Scholl's Moleskin Plus that I'm thinking about trying, but I wonder if it would just fall off after a few steps, or else make my foot slip.

Possible blister

At the end of my run this morning, I felt what could be the beginning of a blister on the ball of my right foot, near the base of my big and second toes. Apparently this is not uncommon; in the Runner's World Barefoot Running forum, for example, you can find many examples.

There's no actual blister yet, though. I'll see how it feels and looks tomorrow, and perhaps take the day off.

Now, hold on just a minute!

It's far from proven to everyone's satisfaction that barefoot running is superior to shod running. Here's a podiatrist that seems willing to consider it, but also expresses healthy skepticism. 200,000 years of anatomically modern human behavior is not necessarily prescriptive.

[W]e must be careful assuming biological history trumps all. After all, This is the way we’ve always done it, and so we should is as weak an argument as This is the way we are currently doing it, and so we should continue. 

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.

Introduction

Barefoot and minimal-shoe running have garnered more and more attention in recent years. It's certainly nothing new; fifty years ago Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic Marathon running barefoot. Zola Budd, infamous for her collision with Mary Decker in the 3000 at the 1984 Olympics, routinely ran barefoot. And, of course, for many tens of thousands of years all humans ran without shoes.

Lately it seems more people are taking a back-to-nature approach to running. Some say that modern running shoes, especially those with thick heel cushioning, encourage poor running mechanics, which leads to injuries.

The general idea is that the natural way for humans to run is to land softly on the forefoot. Heavy heel-striking, made possible by cushioned shoes, jars the body and causes harm.

I've just started exploring these ideas myself, and will here record what I find.

About me

I'm 46 years old as of this writing. I ran, rather slowly, track and cross country in high school, but didn't run again for nearly 20 years. Although I've been overweight to one degree or another over my last 10 years of renewed running, and have been wearing typical modern shoes the whole time, I've not had serious problems with injury. I believe I have fairly good stride mechanics -- I am a mid-foot striker. This mostly came naturally, though over the years I've read various advice here and there about proper running form. I imagine some of that has crept into my stride.

About 1 year ago I had tendonitis in my right foot, which idled me for several weeks. Although I recovered, I have not returned to my former mileage, and my weight has crept up. I find myself running less and less, and weighing more and more.

Earlier this year I decided to train for a half marathon. I've run 4 races of that distance or greater, but not for a few years. I don't want a repeat of last year. I might be taking a big chance here, but I think barefoot running will strengthen my feet and ankles, which may help me avoid tendonitis.

Later this year, I hope to be more fit, less fat, and happily running either barefoot or with something like the Vibram FiveFingers, which is a minimal shoe with just about the least amount of cushioning possible.