51–60 of 63 posts
1. Google "POSE Running". The site has lots of information and drills for changing your form to accommodate a mid-foot strike.
2. Consider transitioning by using racing flats instead of immediately going to barefoot/Vibrams. Or get both and run in the flats but do all your walking around in the Vibrams. This will allow you to gradually strengthen your feet, ankles, and calves.
3. Start on grass with short distances, focusing on form.
About two months ago, one of my shoelaces broke. I was still three miles from home, and walking wouldn't get me back there in time. So I took off my shoes and socks, and continued my run. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after twenty strides or so my feet started to figure out the proper technique. After half a mile, I was able to really start running, and boy it felt great! (I made it home in time without any pro…
Hmm.. can aqua socks take that kind of treatment? (You are talking about the kind for divers? I also have them for kayaking. And I've always been very careful with walking on stones, etc.) Do you mean the kind of new "shoes" they discuss in the article? I feel like listening to a chef discussing wine and then ask about the color of his shirt. :-)
To whomever wants to run barefoot: good luck. Try it out for a few months and post about how it went. It seems like there are a lot of articles lauding barefoot running but not a lot of barefoot runners - at least in the US. To me, switching from my Asics to bare feet is asking for trouble after years of heel first running. The switch would require months if not years of slow and steady adjustment, which I don't thin…
HTH
If you're interested in doing this: 1. Google "POSE Running". The site has lots of information and drills for changing your form to accommodate a mid-foot strike. 2. Consider transitioning by using racing flats instead of immediately going to barefoot/Vibrams. Or get both and run in the flats but do all your walking around in the Vibrams. This will allow you to gradually strengthen your feet, ankles, and calves. 3. S…
Also I've noticed walking around the house barefoot for a day or two will make my knees hurt.
It seems a little suspicious that these articles and books about barefoot running were published at the same time Nike and a few other shoe companies come out with shoes meant to emulate barefoot running. The first thing I thought of when I read this article was "The Suit is Back!" In any case, track and field athletes have always, and still do, wear paper-thin shoes with spikes.
To be fair, you'll never see middle/long-distance athletes wearing flats outside of the later peak/taper window (and this is just to reintroduce your body to featherweight shoes so you don't freak out when you change your shoes morning of). And those spikes & flats are ultra light for performance reasons; they're not made to promote proper form. The Frees are definitely nice, but your feet will hate you after you're…
Anton Krupika, who has absolutely dominated ultra-running events over the past few years nearly always wears minimalist shoes, if any at all.
In fact, he ran one of the toughest and most competitive trail races in the world in 10 ounce racing shoes a couple of years ago... and won by over 3 hours! It was the Leadville 100, a 100 mile trail run on hilly terrain at an elevation averaging over 10,000 feet:
http://coachjoeenglish.wordpress.com/2007/08/19/races-leadvi...
http://correrxmuntanya.blogspot.com/2007/10/athlete-spotligh...
I've had Five Finger Sprints for about a year now, and have been heavily evangelising them to my friends. Running barefoot really does feel liberating, especially going off-road through parks, fields and trails. It's like being a kid again and definitely bought the fun back into running for me. It took me about a month of a few runs per week (20-30 mins) to adjust -- so not long at all. One of the mistakes I made at…
Those are great tips! As a 2+ year fan of the FiveFingers I don't think I could have put it better myself, although I would add that you should always maintain good posture as well (shoulders back, head up, back in neutral alignment, hips in line with shoulders).
How thick are the soles? If I step on a nail or broken glass, will it penetrate the sole?
To whomever wants to run barefoot: good luck. Try it out for a few months and post about how it went. It seems like there are a lot of articles lauding barefoot running but not a lot of barefoot runners - at least in the US. To me, switching from my Asics to bare feet is asking for trouble after years of heel first running. The switch would require months if not years of slow and steady adjustment, which I don't thin…
Again, go ahead and run 20 miles a week without any shoes on. Let me know how it goes. Unless you're running in circles in a park or on a track, you'll have problems. As much as our feet were meant to be bare, they weren't meant to hit concrete.
I have not tried barefoot running yet (maybe at the beach for a start). But you seem to assume that running shoes have an advantage on hard surfaces, remember that there is no evidence to support this. I am sure it is more demanding for the skin under the feet if you run complete barefoot tough.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's certainly less stressful on my wrists for me. I can now move the pointer all over the screen but just wriggling two fingers over a range of about an inch. My wrist and arm are always in a resting position when trackballing, and left clicking with my thumb feels easier than with my forefinger.
Could you play Quake with it? (I am using Dvorak already.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Those are great tips! As a 2+ year fan of the FiveFingers I don't think I could have put it better myself, although I would add that you should always maintain good posture as well (shoulders back, head up, back in neutral alignment, hips in line with shoulders).
Since you guys have been using these for so long, maybe you could answer this question for me. How thick are the soles? If I step on a nail or broken glass, will it penetrate the sole?
Edit: Here is the link http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/05/07/vibram-five-...