Some Thoughts on Pain for New Barefoot Runners
1) Switching to running barefoot causes a lot more changes that just on the surface of the sole of the foot. There are lots of interconnected bones, tendons, and ligaments throughout the foot. When you switch to BF, these are suddenly called into play after being mostly dormant and atrophied from being in restrictive shoes for years. Like Ken says, try wearing a cast on your arm for 12 months and then see how strong your arm is when you take it out.
So your pains could be the inside structures of your foot adjusting to the new uses demanded of them. At first, your foot is likely to respond with some cramping and pain - trying to resist the changes. This is why you want to start BF running slowly and build up gradually - let those bones strengthen and those tendons stretch.
2) Also, shoes have a tendency to deform the shape and structure of the foot components. These need to readjust and move to new positions, sometimes, which can be painful. (Ever wear braces on your teeth?) My feet have gotten wider and flatter (laterally) and my arches have increased (axially). Yes, bones can move and tendons can adjust their length, but they complain in the process. If you push the changes too hard or too fast, you can end up with stress fractures, so be careful and don't over-do it!
3) There is correct BF form and incorrect BF form. Bad form causes more pain and problems than correct form does. After running with a certain form in shoes for years, your form does not magically change just because you kick off the shoes. The pain in your feet might be the result of some lingering elements of bad form. Study the basics of proper BF form and practice them. Sometimes its harder to re-train the brain than it is to re-train the feet and legs! My own challenge has been to remember to place my feet *beneath* my center -- not out in front, and to keep my knees *bent*.
Early on, I noticed that I kept drifting back to my poor form ways. To overcome that, I had to toss out any idea of running fast or far at first. I would start a run by literally just running in place, freezing in my brain that feeling of BOF placement beneath my body, bent knees, etc. -- then gradually leaning into it to get forward movement. As long as I could keep that same feeling as running in place, I kept on going. But as soon as I noticed I was putting my feet too far out in front, I would stop, and begin the process all over - running in place, etc. This way I was not practicing running with bad form; I was forcing myself to run with better form by interrupting the bad stuff.
Lately, I remember to place my feet beneath my body by telling myself that I need to step within my shadow at high noon. It might not be high noon and I might not have a shadow, but I know where it would be and where I should place my feet. Even when running faster, and my legs are lifting backwards higher and my knees are driving forward with more intensity, I still place my feet beneath my body. That is the 'happy zone.'
Still running and loving it!! -- Ryan
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Foot Placement
The question has come up in the past about the best foot placement to follow. I sometimes feel that I am running with my feet placed on parallel lines (like the left side on my diagram below), but sometimes I wonder if they should be placed on one center line, like the right side. Sometimes I do run along one line, like when I'm running on top of a curb or on a painted fog line. I'll have to experiment and see what difference it makes.
The question has come up in the past about the best foot placement to follow. I sometimes feel that I am running with my feet placed on parallel lines (like the left side on my diagram below), but sometimes I wonder if they should be placed on one center line, like the right side. Sometimes I do run along one line, like when I'm running on top of a curb or on a painted fog line. I'll have to experiment and see what difference it makes.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Huarache Sandals
A fellow-barefoot runner has run with the Tuharamara (sp?) Indians down in Mexico and discovered their ultra-simple sandals they make. He copied their style and explains how to make your own sandals on his website, http://www.barefootted.com/.
I think he posted somewhere about the straps wearing out on the sides where they go through the soles, so I came up with some little tabs on my design for the straps to go through in such a way they never come in contact with the ground.
The side tabs are positioned just in front of the ankle bones. I made my tabs a little wider than necessary. I may move the hole closer to the bottom of the sandal and keep the tabs smalled - but then, I might not. I figure if they are a little longer, they will bend easier. So maybe I'll just leave them the way they are.
Ryan
A fellow-barefoot runner has run with the Tuharamara (sp?) Indians down in Mexico and discovered their ultra-simple sandals they make. He copied their style and explains how to make your own sandals on his website, http://www.barefootted.com/.
I think he posted somewhere about the straps wearing out on the sides where they go through the soles, so I came up with some little tabs on my design for the straps to go through in such a way they never come in contact with the ground.
The side tabs are positioned just in front of the ankle bones. I made my tabs a little wider than necessary. I may move the hole closer to the bottom of the sandal and keep the tabs smalled - but then, I might not. I figure if they are a little longer, they will bend easier. So maybe I'll just leave them the way they are.
Ryan
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
More on Barefoot Running Form
I found some photos of runners which show very well the correct running form I mentioned in my earlier post. Here they are. A picture is worth . . .
Ryan
Pictures (Top to Bottom)
1. Ken Bob Saxton
2. Rick Roeber
3. Ted McDonald (in Vibram 5-Fingers)
4. Brett Williams
5. Zola Budd
I found some photos of runners which show very well the correct running form I mentioned in my earlier post. Here they are. A picture is worth . . .
Ryan
Pictures (Top to Bottom)
1. Ken Bob Saxton
2. Rick Roeber
3. Ted McDonald (in Vibram 5-Fingers)
4. Brett Williams
5. Zola Budd
Monday, July 02, 2007
More Thoughts on Running Form
A new barefoot runner posted in http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RunningBarefoot that he sustained a stress fracture in his foot because he was trying to land on the balls of his feet without changing the rest of his form. Ouch! This is why it is so essential to change the whole running form, not just how your feet contact the ground! Here is what I wrote in response to his post:
Hello and congratulations!
You have been very effectively "taught" by your foot how NOT to run!
Barefoot running education may be free, but not without costs, sometimes.
I also suffered a stress fracture in my left foot almost identical to yours - I was doing the same (wrong) thing by trying to land "ball" first without changing the rest of my running form. This happened to me just about 7 or 8 months into my barefoot running career. I was 50 years old at the time and, like you, had to "un-learn" many years of wrong running form.
My advice, now, to you is this: Let the foot heal completely, expect 8 to 10 weeks for this. Don't push it at all during this time!
After your foot has completely healed, start back to using it very slowly. The most important thing is to NOT repeat the process that got you injured in the first place!
Yes, you can learn to run barefoot correctly. The hardest thing for me was (and is) to release from my MIND my old running form and force my new running form in its place.
When you are completely healed, I suggest you try this:
Run in place, barefoot, for some period of time before actually moving forward. The reason -- you cannot land wrong on your feet while running in place. In fact, I challenge anyone who wants to try it, to really try landing heel-first while running in place! Good luck!
While running in place, don't push off with your forefeet. Think about lifting your entire foreleg by lifting your thigh and knee straight up. Notice that your shins stay at a nearly vertical angle each time you put your foot down. Experiment with bending your knees. What happens when you bend your knees MORE than you think is necessary? Notice how easy and natural it is to land forefoot? Notice the nice stretch in your Achilles?
Implant in your mind the feel of this running form. Close your eyes and imagine you are running miles upon miles over hills and highways while using only this form. You are trying to re-train your brain to forget your old form and to accept a different form of running.
When you are ready to actually start going forward, don't change a thing about your foot and leg action. The only thing you need to change is where your hips are in relation to your shins. While running in place, your hips and torso are pretty much directly above your (nearly vertical) shins. To move forward, let your hips and torso be a little more in front of your shins. Keep knees bent. You're moving forward! Yay!
Good running form feels a little precarious at first, as if you are balancing on the edge of a forward fall. This is because your body's center of gravity IS balanced on the forward edge of your comfort zone. If you hold that feeling while running, you will have many hours and miles of smooth, effortless running in store.
As soon as you feel your form start to change (your brain is getting in the way) STOP. The problem is, IF you let your brain convince you to move more into a 'protective spot' -- that is, relaxing your form so your torso is comfortably and 'safely' in the middle of your strides -- you will no longer be running easy and your feet will take a beating for sure! You WANT to be at the leading edge of your forward stride. So correct your brain: Run in place a little bit, and start to press your hips and torso ahead of your shins again. Allow yourself to LOVE that precarious position.
I think of the difference between running in the correct zone and the incorrect zone in terms of triangles. Imagine your hip is the top point of a triangle (looking from the side), your forward foot is the front point and your rearward foot is the back point.
Poor form wants to balance your top point in the middle of the front and back points - a 'solid' 'safe' position, but terrible for your feet. In this 'solid' position, your front foot blocks your forward movement and you have to pull and push your body weight forward with your legs to get your center over the spot where your front foot first slammed down.
Correct barefoot form tips the triangle forward so the top point is over the front point and the rear point is somewhere up in the air. It feels precarious. But its very easy to lightly place your foot directly beneath your torso and you keep moving forward without any push-off. With your knee bent, your 'front' foot is naturally and effortlessly placed BHB without forcing it.
So, to run barefoot easily and safely for your feet, joints and muscles, learn to run inside of that forward, precarious balance position.
A new barefoot runner posted in http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/RunningBarefoot that he sustained a stress fracture in his foot because he was trying to land on the balls of his feet without changing the rest of his form. Ouch! This is why it is so essential to change the whole running form, not just how your feet contact the ground! Here is what I wrote in response to his post:
Hello and congratulations!
You have been very effectively "taught" by your foot how NOT to run!
Barefoot running education may be free, but not without costs, sometimes.
I also suffered a stress fracture in my left foot almost identical to yours - I was doing the same (wrong) thing by trying to land "ball" first without changing the rest of my running form. This happened to me just about 7 or 8 months into my barefoot running career. I was 50 years old at the time and, like you, had to "un-learn" many years of wrong running form.
My advice, now, to you is this: Let the foot heal completely, expect 8 to 10 weeks for this. Don't push it at all during this time!
After your foot has completely healed, start back to using it very slowly. The most important thing is to NOT repeat the process that got you injured in the first place!
Yes, you can learn to run barefoot correctly. The hardest thing for me was (and is) to release from my MIND my old running form and force my new running form in its place.
When you are completely healed, I suggest you try this:
Run in place, barefoot, for some period of time before actually moving forward. The reason -- you cannot land wrong on your feet while running in place. In fact, I challenge anyone who wants to try it, to really try landing heel-first while running in place! Good luck!
While running in place, don't push off with your forefeet. Think about lifting your entire foreleg by lifting your thigh and knee straight up. Notice that your shins stay at a nearly vertical angle each time you put your foot down. Experiment with bending your knees. What happens when you bend your knees MORE than you think is necessary? Notice how easy and natural it is to land forefoot? Notice the nice stretch in your Achilles?
Implant in your mind the feel of this running form. Close your eyes and imagine you are running miles upon miles over hills and highways while using only this form. You are trying to re-train your brain to forget your old form and to accept a different form of running.
When you are ready to actually start going forward, don't change a thing about your foot and leg action. The only thing you need to change is where your hips are in relation to your shins. While running in place, your hips and torso are pretty much directly above your (nearly vertical) shins. To move forward, let your hips and torso be a little more in front of your shins. Keep knees bent. You're moving forward! Yay!
Good running form feels a little precarious at first, as if you are balancing on the edge of a forward fall. This is because your body's center of gravity IS balanced on the forward edge of your comfort zone. If you hold that feeling while running, you will have many hours and miles of smooth, effortless running in store.
As soon as you feel your form start to change (your brain is getting in the way) STOP. The problem is, IF you let your brain convince you to move more into a 'protective spot' -- that is, relaxing your form so your torso is comfortably and 'safely' in the middle of your strides -- you will no longer be running easy and your feet will take a beating for sure! You WANT to be at the leading edge of your forward stride. So correct your brain: Run in place a little bit, and start to press your hips and torso ahead of your shins again. Allow yourself to LOVE that precarious position.
I think of the difference between running in the correct zone and the incorrect zone in terms of triangles. Imagine your hip is the top point of a triangle (looking from the side), your forward foot is the front point and your rearward foot is the back point.
Poor form wants to balance your top point in the middle of the front and back points - a 'solid' 'safe' position, but terrible for your feet. In this 'solid' position, your front foot blocks your forward movement and you have to pull and push your body weight forward with your legs to get your center over the spot where your front foot first slammed down.
Correct barefoot form tips the triangle forward so the top point is over the front point and the rear point is somewhere up in the air. It feels precarious. But its very easy to lightly place your foot directly beneath your torso and you keep moving forward without any push-off. With your knee bent, your 'front' foot is naturally and effortlessly placed BHB without forcing it.So, to run barefoot easily and safely for your feet, joints and muscles, learn to run inside of that forward, precarious balance position.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
What A Difference Form Makes
After doing a lot of moaning and groaning about how sore my feet have been the past couple of weeks, today I 'went back to basics' and really focused on maintaining my form. What a difference using good form makes!
I completed a 9.1 mile course without any problems at all - in fact, I felt like I could have just kept running forever. Where before I felt bruising and hypersensitivity, today I felt warmth and a happy tingling in my feet. I seemed to just glide over rough spots, and I was unaware of the passage of time.
So, even though I probably sounded like a "moaning Susan" when talking about my runs the past couple of weeks, today's run more than made up for all of the sorry, pitiful runs I had recently.
The main difference was that I really made sure I was putting my feet down beneath me, not even a little bit out in front, and keeping my stride close to the center line. I experimented with taking short steps, high steps, low steps, high back leg lifts, etc. and none of it seemed to make much difference. The key was "center down" foot placement. I noticed that doing a high rear leg lift along with a higher knee lift in front, while still doing a center-down foot placement, made my forward speed pick up quite a bit.
It was a fantastic run for me. The wind blew, the rain came down hard at times, the sun came out and dried up all the water, it hailed, it blew some more, and we ended with a hard downpour and thunder. What a rush!
At the end of the run my feet not only felt more than fine, they tingled like they were ready to get out and go again!
Big NW Smiles
Ryan
After doing a lot of moaning and groaning about how sore my feet have been the past couple of weeks, today I 'went back to basics' and really focused on maintaining my form. What a difference using good form makes!
I completed a 9.1 mile course without any problems at all - in fact, I felt like I could have just kept running forever. Where before I felt bruising and hypersensitivity, today I felt warmth and a happy tingling in my feet. I seemed to just glide over rough spots, and I was unaware of the passage of time.
So, even though I probably sounded like a "moaning Susan" when talking about my runs the past couple of weeks, today's run more than made up for all of the sorry, pitiful runs I had recently.
The main difference was that I really made sure I was putting my feet down beneath me, not even a little bit out in front, and keeping my stride close to the center line. I experimented with taking short steps, high steps, low steps, high back leg lifts, etc. and none of it seemed to make much difference. The key was "center down" foot placement. I noticed that doing a high rear leg lift along with a higher knee lift in front, while still doing a center-down foot placement, made my forward speed pick up quite a bit.
It was a fantastic run for me. The wind blew, the rain came down hard at times, the sun came out and dried up all the water, it hailed, it blew some more, and we ended with a hard downpour and thunder. What a rush!
At the end of the run my feet not only felt more than fine, they tingled like they were ready to get out and go again!
Big NW Smiles
Ryan
Friday, February 16, 2007
Still Learning
Running barefoot has been such a challenge to me! But a very enjoyable and rewarding one.
I've been thinking about why my feet still suffer from abrasions while running. Something in my form is still not right. I've narrowed it down to two things: 1) I'm still trying to place my feet too far in front of my body; 2) I am allowing my trailing foot to remain on the ground too long.
I just checked out Nicholas Romanov's POSE running site and learned that he recommends a quick lift of the trailing foot, getting it off the ground immediately! I have definitely been letting mine trail behind me too much, probably causing a "pulling-forward" scuff. I have also felt that I allow my legs to go too straight, probably connected with leaving my feet against the ground too long. If I keep my knee bent and pull my foot upwards immediately after each step, I should (hopefully) be able to eliminate the abrasions I have been suffering.
My heel pads and the pads over the outside edge of my feet have built up very nicely and are quite strong. But I cannot seem to develop similar pads over the balls of my feet because of the abrasion problems. I hope by employing faster foot lifting to reduce abrasions and then build up more padding on the balls of my feet.
Happily running
Ryan
Running barefoot has been such a challenge to me! But a very enjoyable and rewarding one.
I've been thinking about why my feet still suffer from abrasions while running. Something in my form is still not right. I've narrowed it down to two things: 1) I'm still trying to place my feet too far in front of my body; 2) I am allowing my trailing foot to remain on the ground too long.
I just checked out Nicholas Romanov's POSE running site and learned that he recommends a quick lift of the trailing foot, getting it off the ground immediately! I have definitely been letting mine trail behind me too much, probably causing a "pulling-forward" scuff. I have also felt that I allow my legs to go too straight, probably connected with leaving my feet against the ground too long. If I keep my knee bent and pull my foot upwards immediately after each step, I should (hopefully) be able to eliminate the abrasions I have been suffering.
My heel pads and the pads over the outside edge of my feet have built up very nicely and are quite strong. But I cannot seem to develop similar pads over the balls of my feet because of the abrasion problems. I hope by employing faster foot lifting to reduce abrasions and then build up more padding on the balls of my feet.
Happily running
Ryan
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Still Running
I am still running, although at reduced distances than in the past. I've been letting my left toe heal up. I ran 29.5 miles total a couple of weeks ago, then I only ran 19.5 miles last week. Last week my second run was 13 miles, a new PR for distance!! I felt very achy throughout much of the run, probably because it was pretty cold and windy out and I did not wear long pants. I'm sure my form was not up to par which probably contributed.
This week I have gone out two times, but only 4 miles each run. I'm thinking about doing a longer run today, 12 miles maybe? Its cool out, kind of rainy (drizzly is a better term) and some winds, so I'll have to gauge my running accordingly.
Happy trails!
Ryan
I am still running, although at reduced distances than in the past. I've been letting my left toe heal up. I ran 29.5 miles total a couple of weeks ago, then I only ran 19.5 miles last week. Last week my second run was 13 miles, a new PR for distance!! I felt very achy throughout much of the run, probably because it was pretty cold and windy out and I did not wear long pants. I'm sure my form was not up to par which probably contributed.
This week I have gone out two times, but only 4 miles each run. I'm thinking about doing a longer run today, 12 miles maybe? Its cool out, kind of rainy (drizzly is a better term) and some winds, so I'll have to gauge my running accordingly.
Happy trails!
Ryan
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Reporting In
Funny how I feel the need to "report in" to my blog here. I feel like I'm writing only to myself, but still, just in case...
I went on a long cold run in December and got hit with snow and sleet on the way back, making my feet numb from the cold. That's to be expected, nothing much to worry about. However, I must have stepped on a little baddy and got something in my left big toe. I thought I had just bruised it or gotten a regular blister. So I waited an appropriate length of time for it to heal, kept it bandaged, etc. Only it wasn't healing very well.
Okay, I thought, it must have been deeper than I thought. Give it more time, etc. More time went by and still it remained very sore and tender. It affected the way I walked and I had to severely reduce my running, although I did venture out a couple of time with the toe bandaged up nicely. During one run it actually felt pretty good, but later on I noticed what appeared to be a deep blister that had broken open. So I removed the dead skin around the edges and saw a little piece of glass sitting in there. Ahah! The culprit!
I removed the piece of glass easily and thought it would heal up quickly now. Only it was still very sore and tender despite all the Neosporin and bandaging. One night I lay in bed and it was throbbing. That told me one thing -- infection and pressure. Sure enough, it had partially healed over the top but was still festering inside. Once again I opened it all up, removed the dead skin, and this time got serious about clearing this thing up. I drenched it with tincture of Iodine, bracing for the sting which never came. For the next week, I kept on changing the bandaids and respotting it with Iodine. Finally, it is starting to feel better! I feel like it is healing properly.
On Monday this week I went out for a 4 mile run, but I felt so good it ended up being 7.5 miles! Skipped Tuesday and went out again yesterday (Wednesday) for a longer run of 10 miles. I felt the effects of not running much these past 3 or 4 weeks! Stiffness , muscle fatigue and harder to keep in my proper running form.
Today, Thursday, I'm considering if I want to run again. The ambitious part of me says, Yes! Keep pushing yourself to gain more strength and endurance, gain back what you have lost. The lazy part of me says, No! You must rest after yesterday's run. Maybe I'll compromise and only run a short 4 miler (ha-ha, like I did last time?)
I am going to see if I can be ready to run a marathon on April 14th in SLC. I'll have to get my miles up and my form down to be ready for that!!
That just inspired a cute saying, "To get your miles UP you must get your form DOWN!"
Ryan
Funny how I feel the need to "report in" to my blog here. I feel like I'm writing only to myself, but still, just in case...
I went on a long cold run in December and got hit with snow and sleet on the way back, making my feet numb from the cold. That's to be expected, nothing much to worry about. However, I must have stepped on a little baddy and got something in my left big toe. I thought I had just bruised it or gotten a regular blister. So I waited an appropriate length of time for it to heal, kept it bandaged, etc. Only it wasn't healing very well.
Okay, I thought, it must have been deeper than I thought. Give it more time, etc. More time went by and still it remained very sore and tender. It affected the way I walked and I had to severely reduce my running, although I did venture out a couple of time with the toe bandaged up nicely. During one run it actually felt pretty good, but later on I noticed what appeared to be a deep blister that had broken open. So I removed the dead skin around the edges and saw a little piece of glass sitting in there. Ahah! The culprit!
I removed the piece of glass easily and thought it would heal up quickly now. Only it was still very sore and tender despite all the Neosporin and bandaging. One night I lay in bed and it was throbbing. That told me one thing -- infection and pressure. Sure enough, it had partially healed over the top but was still festering inside. Once again I opened it all up, removed the dead skin, and this time got serious about clearing this thing up. I drenched it with tincture of Iodine, bracing for the sting which never came. For the next week, I kept on changing the bandaids and respotting it with Iodine. Finally, it is starting to feel better! I feel like it is healing properly.
On Monday this week I went out for a 4 mile run, but I felt so good it ended up being 7.5 miles! Skipped Tuesday and went out again yesterday (Wednesday) for a longer run of 10 miles. I felt the effects of not running much these past 3 or 4 weeks! Stiffness , muscle fatigue and harder to keep in my proper running form.
Today, Thursday, I'm considering if I want to run again. The ambitious part of me says, Yes! Keep pushing yourself to gain more strength and endurance, gain back what you have lost. The lazy part of me says, No! You must rest after yesterday's run. Maybe I'll compromise and only run a short 4 miler (ha-ha, like I did last time?)
I am going to see if I can be ready to run a marathon on April 14th in SLC. I'll have to get my miles up and my form down to be ready for that!!
That just inspired a cute saying, "To get your miles UP you must get your form DOWN!"
Ryan
Monday, January 01, 2007
Review of my Barefoot Running Career
I began running barefoot in August 2004 as recovery from a very painful and debilitating bout of plantar faciitis. My running developed from a "zero" level and progressed very slowly. I was up to running a couple of miles at a time by March, 2005 when I got a stress fracture in my left foot. So I had to take about 10 weeks off for that to heal. It left me with some toes on my left foot that are no longer straight. I picked up my running again in June, 2005 and have been steadily building since then.
I've had to overcome my brain which kept on imposing its own idea of how running should be. This has taken a long time to overcome. So my running in 2005 was very spotty, lots of foot abrasions, setbacks, and disappointments. My longest runs were about 4 to 5 miles with the need to rest and heal after nearly every one. Despite the difficulties, I have actually enjoyed running barefoot very, very much! I have felt my deeper foot structures strengthening and developing along the way.
In 2006 I was determined to figure it out - to get it right! So I re-examined my running form and really concentrated on practicing pure correctness, so my body could overpower my brain. It has been working. I have focused on key form habits that I needed to develop and each time my running has improved. By the end of 2006 I have finally been able to run with very little to no foot abrasions at all, which means I have been able to start pushing my distances up. This has allowed me to develop my cardio-vascular conditioning as well as strengthen my running muscles -- thighs, calves, hips, back, etc.
My running development took one small downturn one month ago with a piece of glass in a toe that developed a very deep blister around it and then got infected (because I kept running on it). So I finally got to the bottom of it, got the glass out, and have been healing. I have run very little for the past couple of weeks because of it.
This last week I only ran 6 miles, a test run which went very well. But I still felt I should rest and recover some more so I have been taking it easy!
My goal in 2007 is to build steadily upon my current levels, develop more cardio-vascular and muscle strength, then to run more races, including 1/2 marathons and marathons! I want to travel and run with other barefooters, too.
Looking forward to 2007 - a very good year!
Ryan
I began running barefoot in August 2004 as recovery from a very painful and debilitating bout of plantar faciitis. My running developed from a "zero" level and progressed very slowly. I was up to running a couple of miles at a time by March, 2005 when I got a stress fracture in my left foot. So I had to take about 10 weeks off for that to heal. It left me with some toes on my left foot that are no longer straight. I picked up my running again in June, 2005 and have been steadily building since then.
I've had to overcome my brain which kept on imposing its own idea of how running should be. This has taken a long time to overcome. So my running in 2005 was very spotty, lots of foot abrasions, setbacks, and disappointments. My longest runs were about 4 to 5 miles with the need to rest and heal after nearly every one. Despite the difficulties, I have actually enjoyed running barefoot very, very much! I have felt my deeper foot structures strengthening and developing along the way.
In 2006 I was determined to figure it out - to get it right! So I re-examined my running form and really concentrated on practicing pure correctness, so my body could overpower my brain. It has been working. I have focused on key form habits that I needed to develop and each time my running has improved. By the end of 2006 I have finally been able to run with very little to no foot abrasions at all, which means I have been able to start pushing my distances up. This has allowed me to develop my cardio-vascular conditioning as well as strengthen my running muscles -- thighs, calves, hips, back, etc.
My running development took one small downturn one month ago with a piece of glass in a toe that developed a very deep blister around it and then got infected (because I kept running on it). So I finally got to the bottom of it, got the glass out, and have been healing. I have run very little for the past couple of weeks because of it.
This last week I only ran 6 miles, a test run which went very well. But I still felt I should rest and recover some more so I have been taking it easy!
My goal in 2007 is to build steadily upon my current levels, develop more cardio-vascular and muscle strength, then to run more races, including 1/2 marathons and marathons! I want to travel and run with other barefooters, too.
Looking forward to 2007 - a very good year!
Ryan
Friday, December 22, 2006
Waiting to Heal
After that one cold morning run where I got blood blisters in each toe, my right toe healed up just fine, but my left toe continued to bother me. I ran with it bandaged up a few more times, putting in 8 miles on Dec 13th and 10 miles on Dec 15th. The blister on my left toe then got infected and had to be opened up to drain it out. That's when I discovered a little piece of glass in it! Now that I know what was bothering it so much I think it will heal now. I have been nursing the open wound left over with hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin. Today, the 22nd, is just about one week since I had to cut it open, and although its a little sore still, I have been itching to get out and go running again!
I got me some super-strong bandaids to wrap around it so I think I will venture out today for a run. Its not raining today so at least I will be dry! This might be a good day to go down and run on the Portland waterfront. Its been several months since I did that. I'm sure they all miss me!
Ryan
After that one cold morning run where I got blood blisters in each toe, my right toe healed up just fine, but my left toe continued to bother me. I ran with it bandaged up a few more times, putting in 8 miles on Dec 13th and 10 miles on Dec 15th. The blister on my left toe then got infected and had to be opened up to drain it out. That's when I discovered a little piece of glass in it! Now that I know what was bothering it so much I think it will heal now. I have been nursing the open wound left over with hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin. Today, the 22nd, is just about one week since I had to cut it open, and although its a little sore still, I have been itching to get out and go running again!
I got me some super-strong bandaids to wrap around it so I think I will venture out today for a run. Its not raining today so at least I will be dry! This might be a good day to go down and run on the Portland waterfront. Its been several months since I did that. I'm sure they all miss me!
Ryan
Monday, December 04, 2006
Weekly Total Report
My total for last week was 29 miles.
Monday I ran in sleet and slush and got a couple of blood blisters on each big toe. My left toe has been the sorest. So I rested them a few days.
I went out Friday for a five mile run. My course took me through one section that was littered with lots of gravel all across the sidewalks, so I wore my new Vibram 5Fs for the last part.
Yesterday I went out for a 12 mile run. I ended up wearing my Vibram 5Fs again because of lots of gravel again in certain sections.
Vibrams aren't the same as running BF, but they do allow me to keep going at a faster pace through rough territory. I've noticed that while wearing them I tend to hit the ground harder with my feet. After wearing them through one section I took them off to continue going barefoot. I enjoyed the barefoot experience much more than I did wearing the Vibrams.
I noticed that my running pace has been very slow, around 10 minute miles. I prefer trying to keep it around 8:00 minutes or less. I don't know if its caution or me adjusting to the longer distances I've been trying to run. Or maybe old age. I just turned 53 years old a couple of weeks ago!
I went to a church Christmas party last night, "A Night in Bethlehem" dressed up in period garb. I decided to go barefoot. I told a few people that I had just come back from running 12 miles, an hour before the party. They each wanted to see the bottom of my feet! One couple had to touch them to see if I had tough callouses or not. They were surprised to see fairly normal skin, though a bit dirty. That "comes with the territory!"
Ryan
My total for last week was 29 miles.
Monday I ran in sleet and slush and got a couple of blood blisters on each big toe. My left toe has been the sorest. So I rested them a few days.
I went out Friday for a five mile run. My course took me through one section that was littered with lots of gravel all across the sidewalks, so I wore my new Vibram 5Fs for the last part.
Yesterday I went out for a 12 mile run. I ended up wearing my Vibram 5Fs again because of lots of gravel again in certain sections.
Vibrams aren't the same as running BF, but they do allow me to keep going at a faster pace through rough territory. I've noticed that while wearing them I tend to hit the ground harder with my feet. After wearing them through one section I took them off to continue going barefoot. I enjoyed the barefoot experience much more than I did wearing the Vibrams.
I noticed that my running pace has been very slow, around 10 minute miles. I prefer trying to keep it around 8:00 minutes or less. I don't know if its caution or me adjusting to the longer distances I've been trying to run. Or maybe old age. I just turned 53 years old a couple of weeks ago!
I went to a church Christmas party last night, "A Night in Bethlehem" dressed up in period garb. I decided to go barefoot. I told a few people that I had just come back from running 12 miles, an hour before the party. They each wanted to see the bottom of my feet! One couple had to touch them to see if I had tough callouses or not. They were surprised to see fairly normal skin, though a bit dirty. That "comes with the territory!"
Ryan
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Observations About Cold Weather Running
I went out yesterday for a 12 mile run. It was 39 degrees when I started, not bad, my feet warmed up naturally and felt nice, even while I was running through some soggy, swampy wet grass in a park at about mile 6. Then on the way back I could feel the temperature dropped quickly, and about mile 9 it started to snow/sleet and the street got covered with slush. That's when my feet started getting numb. I thought No Problem! I'll just keep running with good form and my feel will just take care of themselves! Right?
After my run I noticed that each of my big toes had blood blisters on them, my left one is also very sore to the touch. Why would they be sore? The rest of my feet were in pretty good condition, even though I was a little worried about possibly having too much skin wear on the balls of my feet. But only my big toes seemed to have any problems.
The Role of Toes in Running
I believe that our toes help act as proprioreceptors, helping us feel the lay of the land, etc. When our feet are warm enough, the toes aren't needed as much and we can just pull them up out of the way. When our feet become numb from the cold then we instinctively start using our toes to help feel for the ground, for balance, etc. because the feet aren't feeling enough feedback. That's my theory, anyway. When the feet cannot feel the ground, the toes kick in to try to help out.
I noticed that evening and today that my feet (as well as the rest of my body) are very warm and comfortable. This supports my old theory that the feet act as thermostats for the body and help it to regulate the over-all body temperature.
Ryan
I went out yesterday for a 12 mile run. It was 39 degrees when I started, not bad, my feet warmed up naturally and felt nice, even while I was running through some soggy, swampy wet grass in a park at about mile 6. Then on the way back I could feel the temperature dropped quickly, and about mile 9 it started to snow/sleet and the street got covered with slush. That's when my feet started getting numb. I thought No Problem! I'll just keep running with good form and my feel will just take care of themselves! Right?
After my run I noticed that each of my big toes had blood blisters on them, my left one is also very sore to the touch. Why would they be sore? The rest of my feet were in pretty good condition, even though I was a little worried about possibly having too much skin wear on the balls of my feet. But only my big toes seemed to have any problems.
The Role of Toes in Running
I believe that our toes help act as proprioreceptors, helping us feel the lay of the land, etc. When our feet are warm enough, the toes aren't needed as much and we can just pull them up out of the way. When our feet become numb from the cold then we instinctively start using our toes to help feel for the ground, for balance, etc. because the feet aren't feeling enough feedback. That's my theory, anyway. When the feet cannot feel the ground, the toes kick in to try to help out.
I noticed that evening and today that my feet (as well as the rest of my body) are very warm and comfortable. This supports my old theory that the feet act as thermostats for the body and help it to regulate the over-all body temperature.
Ryan
Monday, November 27, 2006
Last Week's Total
Last week I only got two runs in. We've had some pretty bad wind and rain storms which didn't inspire me to get out and run much! On Monday I ran 12 miles and on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I ran 10.2 miles. I was disappointed on Friday's run because I thought the course I was following would pan out to be closer to 12 miles. Oh well. Time to replot my course and make it longer!
I got some Vibram 5-Fingers for my birthday and have tried them a couple of times. They will be a nice alternative for really cold days or really rough surfaces I might encounter. I now wear a hip pouch with my 5-Fingers and a water bottle in it when I run.
I'm looking forward to some good running this week - cold or not. I've decided I can't wait for winter to end, so I'm just going to jump into it and keep running anyway!
Happy trails!
Ryan
Last week I only got two runs in. We've had some pretty bad wind and rain storms which didn't inspire me to get out and run much! On Monday I ran 12 miles and on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I ran 10.2 miles. I was disappointed on Friday's run because I thought the course I was following would pan out to be closer to 12 miles. Oh well. Time to replot my course and make it longer!
I got some Vibram 5-Fingers for my birthday and have tried them a couple of times. They will be a nice alternative for really cold days or really rough surfaces I might encounter. I now wear a hip pouch with my 5-Fingers and a water bottle in it when I run.I'm looking forward to some good running this week - cold or not. I've decided I can't wait for winter to end, so I'm just going to jump into it and keep running anyway!
Happy trails!
Ryan
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
New Course & New Personal Best Distance
I plotted out a new course last Monday using mapmyrun.com and then went out and ran it. It was a 12 miler from my work. The first and last two miles were all on nice smooth cement sidewalk. I was afraid the course might have a lot of gravel and glass since it follows an industrial use road. But it was actually fairly clear. I did most of my running on the white lane marker line (we call that the "fog-line"). The last section before the turnaround point is 1/2 mile up and back on beach sand, which was kind of nice! I even did some running in the water just for fun. The area is near a bird refuge, so there were a lot of birds flying overhead. I think they were trumpeter swans by their very distinctive sound. This run matches my furthest single distance I've run so far!
Someone asked me about my recent success in increasing my running distances & frequency. Here's what I answered:
Most recently, I have focused on keeping my feet more beneath my torso and keeping my knees bent. It was such a hard to shake, in-grained belief that I had to put my feet out in front of me to run.
I have been thinking about the angle of my shins with each step. I try to keep the angle of my shins relative to the ground as close to 90 degrees or less (when my legs go behind me) and try to never let them go more than 90 degrees (meaning I'm putting them out in front of me too much.) This has helped me a lot.
Closely associated with this exercise is knowing that I need to keep my knees bent more than I thought necessary. This forces me to automatically place my weight more towards the fore-foot, so I don't really have to think about BHB (ball-heel-ball) action.
These two things, angle of my shins and knees bent, have helped me to stop sliding and twisting of my feet against the ground, which was causing me to have skin erasure.
One other thing I have been working on is increasing my "swivel-hip" action with each step. This also seems to help align my foot as it is placed on the ground and helps eliminate friction to the skin on my feet.
So, those have been the secrets to my slight rise in success lately. I'm always working on improving things, though. As I slowly increase my distances I am also increasing my over-all conditioning. So form and conditioning go hand-in-hand, or foot-in-foot. I can't improve conditioning with bad form which limits my ability to run.
I plotted out a new course last Monday using mapmyrun.com and then went out and ran it. It was a 12 miler from my work. The first and last two miles were all on nice smooth cement sidewalk. I was afraid the course might have a lot of gravel and glass since it follows an industrial use road. But it was actually fairly clear. I did most of my running on the white lane marker line (we call that the "fog-line"). The last section before the turnaround point is 1/2 mile up and back on beach sand, which was kind of nice! I even did some running in the water just for fun. The area is near a bird refuge, so there were a lot of birds flying overhead. I think they were trumpeter swans by their very distinctive sound. This run matches my furthest single distance I've run so far!
Someone asked me about my recent success in increasing my running distances & frequency. Here's what I answered:
Most recently, I have focused on keeping my feet more beneath my torso and keeping my knees bent. It was such a hard to shake, in-grained belief that I had to put my feet out in front of me to run.
I have been thinking about the angle of my shins with each step. I try to keep the angle of my shins relative to the ground as close to 90 degrees or less (when my legs go behind me) and try to never let them go more than 90 degrees (meaning I'm putting them out in front of me too much.) This has helped me a lot.
Closely associated with this exercise is knowing that I need to keep my knees bent more than I thought necessary. This forces me to automatically place my weight more towards the fore-foot, so I don't really have to think about BHB (ball-heel-ball) action.These two things, angle of my shins and knees bent, have helped me to stop sliding and twisting of my feet against the ground, which was causing me to have skin erasure.
One other thing I have been working on is increasing my "swivel-hip" action with each step. This also seems to help align my foot as it is placed on the ground and helps eliminate friction to the skin on my feet.
So, those have been the secrets to my slight rise in success lately. I'm always working on improving things, though. As I slowly increase my distances I am also increasing my over-all conditioning. So form and conditioning go hand-in-hand, or foot-in-foot. I can't improve conditioning with bad form which limits my ability to run.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Personal Weekly Best Last Week
Last week I went out running four times and logged a total of 36 miles. That is the most barefoot miles I've run in any one week since I started running barefoot back in August, 2004! I am slowly convincing my brain to just let my body do what it should do and not try to impose its old running rules any more. I ran: Monday - 10 miles, Tuesday - 6.5 miles, Thursday - 10 miles, and Friday - 10 miles. I took Saturday off, but did find time to mow my lawn barefoot before the next rain storm moved in.
I have been playing with employing more hip rotation during my running. I believe it helps to reduce foot wear somehow. Its a pretty different way of running. I lead more with my hip of my leading leg, so I have more "swivel hips" type action. I'll keep playing with it to see if it something worth keeping up.
On one of my runs I opened up and did some faster speeds for a couple of miles. I noticed that at faster speeds, my feet kick up higher behind me, but they also place down more gently beneath me. I felt like faster speeds make the rough sections of road actually easier to negotiate! This might explain why Ken Bob Saxton says he always speeds up through rough sections to get through them faster - maybe it also makes them more gentle on the feet!
This week I probably won't match what I did last week. We have a beautiful Fall day today, sunshine, but then its going to be a lot of rain the rest of the week. It would be cool if I could find a 5K or a 10K on Thursday morning to run in.
Ryan
Last week I went out running four times and logged a total of 36 miles. That is the most barefoot miles I've run in any one week since I started running barefoot back in August, 2004! I am slowly convincing my brain to just let my body do what it should do and not try to impose its old running rules any more. I ran: Monday - 10 miles, Tuesday - 6.5 miles, Thursday - 10 miles, and Friday - 10 miles. I took Saturday off, but did find time to mow my lawn barefoot before the next rain storm moved in.
I have been playing with employing more hip rotation during my running. I believe it helps to reduce foot wear somehow. Its a pretty different way of running. I lead more with my hip of my leading leg, so I have more "swivel hips" type action. I'll keep playing with it to see if it something worth keeping up.
On one of my runs I opened up and did some faster speeds for a couple of miles. I noticed that at faster speeds, my feet kick up higher behind me, but they also place down more gently beneath me. I felt like faster speeds make the rough sections of road actually easier to negotiate! This might explain why Ken Bob Saxton says he always speeds up through rough sections to get through them faster - maybe it also makes them more gentle on the feet!
This week I probably won't match what I did last week. We have a beautiful Fall day today, sunshine, but then its going to be a lot of rain the rest of the week. It would be cool if I could find a 5K or a 10K on Thursday morning to run in.
Ryan
Monday, October 30, 2006
Healing Run
Today I decided to challenge myself, after several painful, disappointing runs last week. I was determined to have a successful run. I chose to follow my tried and proven running route so I wouldn’t have any surprises. It was a crisp Fall day, lots of leaves on the ground, temperature about 52 degrees, sun shining brightly.
I ran 10.3 miles today, really trying to keep my form true and correct. It paid off. I had a very nice run, felt like I was “in the groove” the whole way. I concentrated on pulling my feet up a little higher than usual, just to make sure I was not pushing off in any way. I also concentrated on placing them straight down beneath me. I felt like I was really working my thighs, in a good way, by keeping my legs bent in an "S" curve, strengthening them and my hamstrings.
I successfully negotiated some “corrugated” cement sidewalks. I ran into several sections of ouchies in several places where little acorn-like seeds were scattered on the sidewalk. I just tried to step through them as carefully as I could -- mostly successful! My feet did not scream at me like they did last week. The best part is that I returned completely fired up and energized. A picture perfect day and a most satisfying run!
Call me happy.
Ryan
Today I decided to challenge myself, after several painful, disappointing runs last week. I was determined to have a successful run. I chose to follow my tried and proven running route so I wouldn’t have any surprises. It was a crisp Fall day, lots of leaves on the ground, temperature about 52 degrees, sun shining brightly.
I ran 10.3 miles today, really trying to keep my form true and correct. It paid off. I had a very nice run, felt like I was “in the groove” the whole way. I concentrated on pulling my feet up a little higher than usual, just to make sure I was not pushing off in any way. I also concentrated on placing them straight down beneath me. I felt like I was really working my thighs, in a good way, by keeping my legs bent in an "S" curve, strengthening them and my hamstrings.
I successfully negotiated some “corrugated” cement sidewalks. I ran into several sections of ouchies in several places where little acorn-like seeds were scattered on the sidewalk. I just tried to step through them as carefully as I could -- mostly successful! My feet did not scream at me like they did last week. The best part is that I returned completely fired up and energized. A picture perfect day and a most satisfying run!
Call me happy.
Ryan
Goodbye Garden
Last night we had our first frost. And it did freeze well in my backyard. I still had a lot of lettuce that I was planning on picking. Oh well, its all frozen now! Just the same, I'll wait until later today to see if any of it survived enough for one last picking of lettuce. I pulled out my pepper plant, some tomato plants, and some other things. I'm waiting to see if I still have raspberries that are pickable. Once I'm done picking them I plan on cutting that monstrous bush back to more tame dimensions. I'm worried that all of those overripe berries that have dropped off will grow into a jungle next year! I'm going to be busy hacking out extra shoots that grow in the wrong places. I have a number of carrots still in the ground. They last all winter if you mulch well over the top of them. I don't think they suffered any last night. I also have a lot of onions. They are the sweet variety, so they won't winter-over in the ground. They never grew very large, some are maybe 2 inches in diameter, most are smaller. So tonight I'll pull them up and see what shape they are in and figure out how to use them up quickly. Maybe I can dry them.?
So my lush garden is quickly being scaled back to the dry dirt, waiting for next year's new crops. I love the growbox method of gardening. Once its set up, its the absolute easiest to care for!
Happy barefoot gardener,
Ryan
Last night we had our first frost. And it did freeze well in my backyard. I still had a lot of lettuce that I was planning on picking. Oh well, its all frozen now! Just the same, I'll wait until later today to see if any of it survived enough for one last picking of lettuce. I pulled out my pepper plant, some tomato plants, and some other things. I'm waiting to see if I still have raspberries that are pickable. Once I'm done picking them I plan on cutting that monstrous bush back to more tame dimensions. I'm worried that all of those overripe berries that have dropped off will grow into a jungle next year! I'm going to be busy hacking out extra shoots that grow in the wrong places. I have a number of carrots still in the ground. They last all winter if you mulch well over the top of them. I don't think they suffered any last night. I also have a lot of onions. They are the sweet variety, so they won't winter-over in the ground. They never grew very large, some are maybe 2 inches in diameter, most are smaller. So tonight I'll pull them up and see what shape they are in and figure out how to use them up quickly. Maybe I can dry them.?
So my lush garden is quickly being scaled back to the dry dirt, waiting for next year's new crops. I love the growbox method of gardening. Once its set up, its the absolute easiest to care for!
Happy barefoot gardener,
Ryan
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