Barefoot Running

[Terry]

What do you think about the benifits / risks of barefoot running in your training? Is it usefull or only for "kooks" and "extemists". What about racing? Have you ever raced barefoot?

I agree that barefoot running can be beneficial, but it should be added carefully and in very small incremental doses.

The next time you go out for an easy run, first warm up with shoes for a mile or two. Then try a 100-200 yards barefoot. It is best if the surface is soft and sharp-object free. The absolute best place is on a golf course.

While you are running shoe-free, concentrate on proper form. You should notice that in order to comfortably run barefoot, you will begin to run "softer" and with less impact. By carrying over this "softer" style into your regular running, you should cause yourself less foot-strike and hence less impact to you leg and shin.

Barefoot running is "strong medicine" and it should be incorporated gradually and carefully. It will take several months before the soles of your feet toughen up and your feet muscles are strong enough to go a couple of barefoot miles.

[Rory]

we sometimes cool down barefoot

[sean]

the thunder club president was seen running the entire CAPHER race barefoot.

best place for barefoot running is scona field: finish off some strides and find your toes home to a used condom, dog excrement and a roach clip

[sean]

^^^ sorry for the above post. it is not message board material. it was late at night and my two greatest adversaries, scona and dogs, could be tackled in one post.

[Rory]

hey what do you guys think of the nike frees? I know ROpedawg and CC have had them im curious to hear some feedback

[carverscalves]

I love them. They are the most comfortable shoes I own. But then that is also a problem, the key to the Frees is to build up the amount of time you wear them. they are so darn comfortable I just do want to take off and ended up totally over wearing. Leading to sore, tried feet and many hours of tennis ball therapy! They are really only good for warm ups and cool downs, they lack grip for anything remotely fast. Plus the trails have to rock free too because the shoes are so flexible they pick up thousands of little stones on a run too.

So overall, I would give them a B+.

[Rory]

im thinking about gettin the trail version

[Manyfingers]

haaa those shoes are overrated.....

[sean]

good call Ian. some barefoot strides are nice but you can buy the equivalent of the Nike Frees at the walmart discount bin three for 5 bucks

[ropedawg]

I like em. Like Jason said they're really comfortable. I found that they really helped with the plantar faciitis that I had going on last summer. When I wore them around the bottom of my foot didn't hurt but when I stopped it seemed to tighten back up again.

[roberto]

lets see - you can't workout in them, you can't run on trails with them, you can't use them for anything longer than a ten minute run, they have absolutely no cushioning or support, oh and they cost a ridiculous amount of money.
sounds like a walmart shoe to me - except for the pricetag

[ropedawg]

i did a bunch of 45 min runs in them over the summer and i had no problem with em

[lauzon]

I just picked up the 4.0's. these are the best shoes you can buy. I can see why sean doesnt like them because they hurt your feet if you run heel toe, and im pretty sure he's never ran faster than a 32 second 200 in his life. Just playing Sean, your really fast...sort of. Its a great way to teach yourself to land midfoot, might be a bit strenuous on the calves at first, but it goes away in a week. I've started warmups cool downs and strides with them and can't wait to start full workouts. Just dont be wearing them all the time unless you want your feet to fall apart into a million pieces, i agree there isnt alot of cushioning.

[Terry]

Barefoot Ted highly recommends the Vibram Fivefingers
www.vibramfivefingers.com

These are the coolest look pair of treads that I've ever seen.

From the company: Thanks for your note and your interest in Vibram FiveFingers.A quick history of FiveFingersT: The product was the brainchild ofindustrial designer Robert Fliri who proposed the idea to Marco Bramani,grandson of Vibram founder Vitale Bramani. Vitale Bramani invented thefirst rubber soles ever used on mountaineering boots in Italy back in 1936.As an avid sailor, Marco Bramani was immediately intrigued by the idea offootwear that felt more like a glove and worked like a second skin. Whilesailing, Bramani found his FiveFingers gave him the balance, agility andcontrol he enjoyed while sailing barefoot. The rubber soles provided betterslip resistance and protected his toes from the rigging on deck. During product testing, the Vibram Product Tester Team found many other usesfor the FiveFingers such as sea kayaking, fitness training, and even somelight bouldering on rocks or in climbing gyms.Though never designed with running in mind, we are receiving quite a bit ofinterest from "barefoot runners" and runners who are seeking an alternativeto cushioned, pronation control running footwear. My boss is a formercompetitive runner (14:24 5K, 24:12 5M, 30:02 10K), He understands therationale and reasoning behind this point of view. He is currently usingthe product 1-1.5 hours several days a week at the gym while lifting andusing the stair-master. He has found that exercising in this product hashelped strengthen the muscles in his feet and lower legs, leading toimproved balance, agility and power. Please check out the link below for more on barefoot running:www.BarefootTed.com

[Terry]

Check out the photos of Barefoot Ted running in the Vibram Fivefingers.

www.barefootted.com/

He's running Boston in them and ran a 3:30:57 marathon in them at the LA Marathon.

Of course this guy is nuts......