Barefoot running

[kopite]

Hey people,

i`ve been running for a couple of years now and have done a half marathon and am currently training for a full marathon.

The last week or so I have been getting shin splints though and after reading it would seem that my trainers could be on the way out.

I also read some people saying that barefoot running is a good way to stop getting splints as it improves your running technique.

Does anyone Barefoot run here? What are your experiences?

[AlexGTR]

Would like to know if that helps as i get shin splints from walking!!!! Althought i wouldnt really like to walk barefoot in my area.

Although i am 15+ stone, bodybuild and only 5ft 8" so that doesnt help things either!

[fuddam]

Running literally barefoot is not so much the issue as is running with good form. There can be a whole bunch of causes for your shin splints, but if you both want a quick breakdown of the logic, read BORN TO RUN by Chris McDougall. Engrossing read. Cheap on kindle.

FWIW, shin splints usually arise from restricted ankle articulation, eg running in boots.

In a nutshell, learn to run lightly, to land on your mid to forefoot, using shoes with very little pitch (angle from horizontal to heel bed) and very little spongy padding, and you're on your way. Cheaper is often better.

And go off-road for better strengthening of your foot, with less stress-related injuries likely to occur.

[b0redom]

Might also be worth looking into getting gait analysis done when you get your new shoes. I had overpronation problems which I didn't know about and having had new trainers to correct that it's way more comfortable.

[kopite]

I tend to run heel to to toe which I really need to sort out.

i`ve heard about that book and will pick up a copy

My running shoes are brooke trance 10`s so a pretty good pair. they are a yer and a half old now and I think ive done nearly 300 miles in them so nearly time for an update. i was kinda curious wether it would be worth going the minimal route as a way to improve my form although reading about barefoot running seems to be a very contentious subject in running circles atm

I`m going to join a running club soon so hopefully that will help with my form as well

Cheers

[kopite]

Might also be worth looking into getting gait analysis done when you get your new shoes. I had overpronation problems which I didn't know about and having had new trainers to correct that it's way more comfortable.

I got gait analysis done when I got my last pair but Its possible that my gait has changed over the past couple of years

[fuddam]

I tend to run heel to to toe which I really need to sort out.

agreed - it's a killer on the joints.

My running shoes are brooke trance 10`s so a pretty good pair. they are a yer and a half old now and I think ive done nearly 300 miles in them so nearly time for an update.

Not necessarily...they might be just about perfect now. What you want to eliminate is the cushioning that most shoes provide, since it (ironically) leads to worse impact. THAT logic is a change in modern shoe design.

i was kinda curious wether it would be worth going the minimal route as a way to improve my form although reading about barefoot running seems to be a very contentious subject in running circles atm

The barefoot part is contentious, which for me is irrelevant. The good form is not. Hard to argue against the science of how mid/forefoot impact benefits the body.

[fuddam]

I got gait analysis done when I got my last pair but Its possible that my gait has changed over the past couple of years

Gait analysis is interesting but the idea of getting shoes to force your feet to 'behave' is bollocks, to be frank. That's why this whole barefoot thing is interesting - letting the feet do what they're meant to do (for thousands of years) versus the recent (30-40yrs) of trying to get the feet to 'behave' which has led to more and more injuries.



For example, feet are DESIGNED to pronate. Eliminating pronation leads to knee injuries. Orthotics can reduce pain in one area, but should only be viewed as a short term measure while one recovers correct form. And FWIW, when trail running, all of that goes completely out the window - gait, pronation issues, excessive impact, etc. Much healthier.

[kopite]

I`m gonna spend the next couple of weeks trying to run mid foot then

Seem how that goes before I think about new shoes.

I might try some trail running over the summer months as all my running atm is on roads

[snedger]

I've been using Terra Plana/Vivo Barefoot, shoes; trainers; walking boots for the last 4 years - which enable virtual barefoot walking/running.

When I first started I had no idea that I should modify how my feet contact the ground.
I discovered that in barefoot mode, still walking heel to toe bruises the feet and jars the whole body - I remember getting a terrible headache after walking for 10 hours in Lille in Terra Plana Aqua shoes.
I Googled to see if there was a better way and sure enough there was.
If you Google fox walking you'll get the idea.
Trouble is, for me, if I try and walk where the front part of my foot hits the ground first, then my speed is greatly reduced and so I cannot really walk at speed for fitness.
And from time to time I seem to lose the knack - so I don't go "barefoot" all the time.
Another issue is that the soles are really thin. I did a 4.5 mile walk, in "barefoot" boots, up to the Devil's Dyke (near Brighton) on Sunday and much of the path is littered with flint - same or worse as treading on an electric plug or Lego - but, you do get used to it - and walking on grass is so delightfully delicious.
Grip is not brilliant either - not suitable for muddy conditions, or on a flat smooth surface - I nearly broke my neck at the Giant's Causeway a couple of years ago!
There are some recent shoes with better grip - I nearly went to get some last Sunday - there is a Terra Plana shop in Brighton that always has big discounts - but I made some good bus connections after my walk and the beer was too refreshing.
I was on a seminar called Living Biotensegrity and the lecturer noticed that I was using the fox walking technique and she suggested arching the foot for better speed - arching the foot also means that I can walk on the stony beaches at Brighton/Worthing true-barefoot and mostly not in pain.
This is pure conicidence - I just noticed that there another Living Biotensgrity seminar in London on the 26th May (lecturer Dr. Danielle-Claude Martin - organised by Gunther Bisges).

[fuddam]

You're doing something very wrong if landing on your forefoot = slowing down. If anything, you should go faster, for many, many reasons. Do you run with your body tilting slightly forward, from the ankle (not the waist)?

IF you're simply talking about walking, then heel strike is normal, and fine.

[Million]

Fuddam, could you quote some sources for the statements you've made?

[snedger]

You're doing something very wrong if landing on your forefoot = slowing down. If anything, you should go faster, for many, many reasons. Do you run with your body tilting slightly forward, from the ankle (not the waist)?

IF you're simply talking about walking, then heel strike is normal, and fine.

Was only talking about walking and in my experience heel strike is not fine - corroborated by loads of internet published opinions.

[jasonchris]

I do a lot of barefoot running, but it's all on the beach. It did take me a while to get good form, but I like it much better.

[fuddam]

Fuddam, could you quote some sources for the statements you've made?

http://www.newtonrunning.co.uk/run-b...ning-form.html

http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Research.html?L=26

Of course, BORN TO RUN by Chris McDougall

The difference between running and walking, of course, is that that running is a falling-forward of the body, whereas walking is not. To land on the forefoot with running is therefore natural (to stop your face hitting the pavement). To land on the forefoot with walking is not natural. You can force it, but since the body experiences no major impact during the motion, forefoot-landing is of no major benefit.

[Malton]

If you have developed feet that allow you to run barefoot all the time, there is no real harm to doing so. There is a slight risk of stepping on something and it going into your foot but you can be careful.