Since the creation of mankind, people have run barefoot. Our bodies were designed to run. Have you ever actually watched a young child run? Not only are they having fun, but pay attention to their style: mid-foot strike, foot landing beneath their body. THAT is how we are supposed to run.
Over the last maybe 50 years (I am guessing here), shoe companies decided we need cushioning and arch support and this and that. And I agree there are people that do, in fact, need that support. However, the vast majority do not. Not only do conventional shoes affect your stride, but they also weaken the muscles in your feet and can damage your knees, hips, and http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifback.
I have no desire to go out and run completely barefoot. But I totally agree with the concept. Minimalist shoes are a good alternative. My husband even recently jumped on my bandwagon on minimalism and bought a pair of New Balance minimalist shoes. He loves them! And like me, he is now running pain free - no more pain in his knees and hips from running.
Minimalism/Barefoot is NOT something you should immediately go out and do. Like I said, your foot muscles are weak from conventional shoes and you must strengthen them. There are http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifexercises you can do that will help. As far as running, take it slow. For me, using the Couch to 5k program worked well for my transition. It built up my running distance gradually over a period of time.
Will there be pain involved? Yes, you are building muscle. Your feet and calves will ache and burn. Take care of yourself, stretch well, and listen to your body and you will be fine. (Stealing an example from my favorite minimalist website):
Neo: "Why do my eyes hurt?"
Morpheous: "Because you've never used them before."
Showing posts with label barefoot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barefoot. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Successful run today!
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3 minutes, Walk 90 seconds, Jog 5 minutes, Walk 2-1/2 minutes, Jog 3 minutes, Walk 90 seconds, Jog 5 minutes
In the past, when I have done the Couch to 5k program, week 4 has always been a struggle for me. Really struggled. But I have a lot more confidence this time around and besides, I know I have done it before. So I wasn't nervous at all.
My feet felt really good this morning, so I decided to get it over with since I have a full day tomorrow and won't have time to run. I really concentrated on my form and I probably looked like a complete dork to all of my neighbors. Elbows tucked in and bent at 90 degrees or less, knife-edge hands in loose fists, thumb on top. I am aiming for my foot to strike near my center of gravity, which meant lifting my knees higher as I ran and also a shorter stride.
I didn't feel clumsy or awkward (not physically anyway). The shorter stride will take some getting used to. I think it will take a little time to find that perfect spot for my foot to land. My footfalls seemed louder than usual to me, but I think that will quiet down as I improve my form.
Overall, it was a good run. I didn't struggle AT ALL with this run! WOOHOO! I didn't get out of breath at all. It felt great! My total distance was 2 miles, so I think my speed was good, or at least decent. For me anyway.
My feet are sore this afternoon, but not the tops. I am sore around the arches. Which is a good thing, it means I am building up my feet muscles. Break tomorrow and back on the road on Friday!
In the past, when I have done the Couch to 5k program, week 4 has always been a struggle for me. Really struggled. But I have a lot more confidence this time around and besides, I know I have done it before. So I wasn't nervous at all.
My feet felt really good this morning, so I decided to get it over with since I have a full day tomorrow and won't have time to run. I really concentrated on my form and I probably looked like a complete dork to all of my neighbors. Elbows tucked in and bent at 90 degrees or less, knife-edge hands in loose fists, thumb on top. I am aiming for my foot to strike near my center of gravity, which meant lifting my knees higher as I ran and also a shorter stride.
I didn't feel clumsy or awkward (not physically anyway). The shorter stride will take some getting used to. I think it will take a little time to find that perfect spot for my foot to land. My footfalls seemed louder than usual to me, but I think that will quiet down as I improve my form.
Overall, it was a good run. I didn't struggle AT ALL with this run! WOOHOO! I didn't get out of breath at all. It felt great! My total distance was 2 miles, so I think my speed was good, or at least decent. For me anyway.
My feet are sore this afternoon, but not the tops. I am sore around the arches. Which is a good thing, it means I am building up my feet muscles. Break tomorrow and back on the road on Friday!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Week 3 (week of Sept. 4)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds. Jog for 3 minutes, walk for three minutes.
After my first run, I was injured. The top of my right foot was killing me. I was not expecting this, I hadn't read anything about it. I opted to take 5 days off to see if it would get better. I iced and took motrin religiously. I loosened my laces in case that was the problem. I read everything I could online about this kind of pain and the same things kept coming up: tendinitis and stress fracture of the metatarsal. Now, I have fractured a metatarsal, so I wahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs 99.9% sure that wasn't it. Not sure I believed the tendinitis either. It sucked though, I could hardly walk.
After the 5 days, I did my second run of the week. I was feeling slightly better and had a fabulous run. I let go and really sprinted for one of the 3 minute runs. It felt so good. But the next day, my left foot started hurting too (my right foot was no worse though). So gimpy me has been limping like crazy, hoarding ice packs and eating a diet of anti-inflammatory pain-killers.
I finally found a barefoot running blog that explained my top of the foot pain. Basically, the tight calves I had the previous week caused my feet muscles a lot of strain. If I would have stretched properly and a lot more than usual, I may have avoided this. Bummer.
So I am taking a full week off to recover. My right foot feels like it is on the mend and I don't think my left foot will get quite as bad. So instead of running, I am concentrating on strength and flexibility. I did a yoga/pilates dvd this morning and I have no doubt I will be feeling that more than my feet tomorrow!
I plan to run on Saturday and since I only did 2 runs of Week 3, I plan on doing 2 more before I move on to Week 4. That one always seems to be the hardest for me.
After my first run, I was injured. The top of my right foot was killing me. I was not expecting this, I hadn't read anything about it. I opted to take 5 days off to see if it would get better. I iced and took motrin religiously. I loosened my laces in case that was the problem. I read everything I could online about this kind of pain and the same things kept coming up: tendinitis and stress fracture of the metatarsal. Now, I have fractured a metatarsal, so I wahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs 99.9% sure that wasn't it. Not sure I believed the tendinitis either. It sucked though, I could hardly walk.
After the 5 days, I did my second run of the week. I was feeling slightly better and had a fabulous run. I let go and really sprinted for one of the 3 minute runs. It felt so good. But the next day, my left foot started hurting too (my right foot was no worse though). So gimpy me has been limping like crazy, hoarding ice packs and eating a diet of anti-inflammatory pain-killers.
I finally found a barefoot running blog that explained my top of the foot pain. Basically, the tight calves I had the previous week caused my feet muscles a lot of strain. If I would have stretched properly and a lot more than usual, I may have avoided this. Bummer.
So I am taking a full week off to recover. My right foot feels like it is on the mend and I don't think my left foot will get quite as bad. So instead of running, I am concentrating on strength and flexibility. I did a yoga/pilates dvd this morning and I have no doubt I will be feeling that more than my feet tomorrow!
I plan to run on Saturday and since I only did 2 runs of Week 3, I plan on doing 2 more before I move on to Week 4. That one always seems to be the hardest for me.
Week 2 (week of Aug. 28)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
I LOVE these shoes! I love how light I feel. My feet are 100% comfortable. They don't seem to swell as much or seem as confined. I can wiggle my toes while running! My form is a lot better and my speed is definitely increasing from my improved form.
This week, I was feeling it in my calves. Feel the burn, as they say. My second run of this week, I decided to push it. I texted my pastor (also a runner) to find out if he was going out that day. He was. So I invited myself to tag along on his run and went 2 miles. I did stop to stretch a few times (my calves were screaming for mercy) but I made it the whole 2 miles! I was sore after that though. I finished out Week 2 of the program with some sore, tight calves.
I also want to add that my confidence in my running is at an all-time high. I actually feel good about it. I can see myself setting some high goals once I am fully transitioned. I look forward to running now and enjoy it completely.
I truly feel like a real runner.
I LOVE these shoes! I love how light I feel. My feet are 100% comfortable. They don't seem to swell as much or seem as confined. I can wiggle my toes while running! My form is a lot better and my speed is definitely increasing from my improved form.
This week, I was feeling it in my calves. Feel the burn, as they say. My second run of this week, I decided to push it. I texted my pastor (also a runner) to find out if he was going out that day. He was. So I invited myself to tag along on his run and went 2 miles. I did stop to stretch a few times (my calves were screaming for mercy) but I made it the whole 2 miles! I was sore after that though. I finished out Week 2 of the program with some sore, tight calves.
I also want to add that my confidence in my running is at an all-time high. I actually feel good about it. I can see myself setting some high goals once I am fully transitioned. I look forward to running now and enjoy it completely.
I truly feel like a real runner.
Week 1 (week of Aug. 21)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
It seems as though using the Couch to 5k program to transition was a good idea. Having done the program before, I know what to expect and week one went well.
I did have some achy-ness in the bottoms of my feet around my arch. I completely expected this, after all, those muscles are very week from wearing conventional shoes. What I didn't expect was the feeling of having stood on concrete for 24 hours straight. My feet just hurt, especially around my feels. I assume it was from the lack of cushioning in my shoe. These issues mostly cleared up by Week 2.
It seems as though using the Couch to 5k program to transition was a good idea. Having done the program before, I know what to expect and week one went well.
I did have some achy-ness in the bottoms of my feet around my arch. I completely expected this, after all, those muscles are very week from wearing conventional shoes. What I didn't expect was the feeling of having stood on concrete for 24 hours straight. My feet just hurt, especially around my feels. I assume it was from the lack of cushioning in my shoe. These issues mostly cleared up by Week 2.
Monday, September 12, 2011
My running history...
I have almost none. As a kid, I played softball for 9 years until I fractured my foot. Then I did nothing. Got married, had 3 kids. Still nothing. Finally, nearly two years ago, I begged my husband to get a treadmill. I need to lose the generous amount of weight I had somehow gained doing nothing. He reluctantly agreed and we both started the Couch to 5k program.
There were many struggles. And some shin splints thrown in there for good measure. And Shaun and I finally made it to our first 5k in August of 2010. I didn't run it straight through, though I did finish! I ran my second 5k a few weeks later (again, did a little walking too). Then I slacked off. I started up again over the winter and ran my third 5k this past August.
I admit, I have really struggled with running. Not just physically, but mentally too. From shin splints and general shin pain to mental barriers I just couldn't get through. I had never felt good running. It always seemed as though I was just blundering through, in a constant state of struggle.
Then I discovered barefoot running. I was very intrigued. So I kept reading and researching. The more I discovered, the more it made sense to me. I felt this was my answer. So a few weeks ago, I bought a pair of Merrell Pace Gloves.
I decided to use the Couch to 5k program to transition. Three weeks into it and I have never felt better! My form is better, I have more speed, I feel lighter on my feet. Although I have had some aches and pains and strained muscles, I feel GOOD running for the first time in almost two years.
There were many struggles. And some shin splints thrown in there for good measure. And Shaun and I finally made it to our first 5k in August of 2010. I didn't run it straight through, though I did finish! I ran my second 5k a few weeks later (again, did a little walking too). Then I slacked off. I started up again over the winter and ran my third 5k this past August.
I admit, I have really struggled with running. Not just physically, but mentally too. From shin splints and general shin pain to mental barriers I just couldn't get through. I had never felt good running. It always seemed as though I was just blundering through, in a constant state of struggle.
Then I discovered barefoot running. I was very intrigued. So I kept reading and researching. The more I discovered, the more it made sense to me. I felt this was my answer. So a few weeks ago, I bought a pair of Merrell Pace Gloves.
I decided to use the Couch to 5k program to transition. Three weeks into it and I have never felt better! My form is better, I have more speed, I feel lighter on my feet. Although I have had some aches and pains and strained muscles, I feel GOOD running for the first time in almost two years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)