Increased yesterday's total by half a mile, running 2.5 miles barefoot today. Like yesterday, I did the run on grassy soccer fields, which is in my opinion the best surface to run on when starting out barefoot.
Though the shoes will come on at some point, I think doing a lot of barefoot runs is great at this juncture. For one, I can reacclimate to running barefoot and just running in general at the same time, as I come back from injury. Killing two birds with one stone, as the cliche goes. Perhaps three birds, when you consider how barefoot running increases foot strength.
I'm also a bit apprehensive to run on trails or roads at this point. With trails, I have a fear of stepping on a rock or root and tweaking my foot again. But perhaps that's irrational, as if the foot is handling these shorter barefoot runs fine, I should be okay with standard trail shoes on the trails. But still, the fear lingers. As for the fear of running on roads... well roads just suck.
Ran 2.5 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Grassy fields.
Very flat.
Upper 70s, partly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, sleeveless shirt.
9 comments:
Jamie, I hate to be negative, but try it first with shoes!!! I know barefoot is all the rage right now according to RW, but be sensible!
I hear ya Laurel, but the risk is extremely minimal running on well manicured and very flat athletic fields. No rocks, no roots, no hills... it's actually very pleasant. I think it'll be good for helping build up some foot muscles.
Everyone has their opinion on barefoot, and mine is that grass may let you strike too hard, whereas a harder surface may force you to tread even more lightly. 9 minute pace barefoot would be fast for me.
Barefoot may seem all the rage to some but to those of us who have switched are wondering why we stuck with shoes for so long!
Coming off the stress fracture you may want to tread more carefully and stick to the fields...
But I think that the best place to run barefoot when you are reacclimating/learning is on a flat, smooth, hard road. It forces you to either stop or learn to run correctly.
Up until about a month or so before Pinelands that was where all my barefooting was done and I think it paid off.
Either way, glad to hear things are progressing!
Erik came back from a Barefoot seminar in Boston with Chris McDougall and Leiberman back in April, they were saying that starting barefoot on the road is a good thing for the same reason that Blaine mentioned. If you're doing it wrong it will hurt, and you'll either stop, or start doing it right. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJCnCPzYMkE&feature=player_embedded
Good points and makes sense. I'm just a bit nervous at this point about hitting roads, even with shoes. After a few weeks and I've eased into things a bit more and confidence hopefully builds, I'll start to experiment a bit more (and do so carefully).
Starting slow and short is definitely in your best interest. I'll have some books on barefoot running to give away on the blog in the near future; if you don't win one I can lend you my copy if you want. I'll hopefully have them by the end of the week.
Hi Jamie. I'm recovering from a metatarsal SF too. I'm probably about a month away from my first attempt at running. I'm planning a similar regimen, starting barefoot, VERY slowly. No VFFs, no shoes, will walk for weeks or months if I have to. I'm going to give it one more shot, following all the "rules". If it doesn't go well, I'll probably be back to conventional shoes.....
I'll be following your return with great interest. Hope it continues to go well!
Bob, best of luck. Saw on your blog you were hurt. Hope it all works out.
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