Testing the Theory: Shod vs. Barefoot Speed

Testing the Theory: Shod vs. Barefoot Speed
Barefoot Terry

A few people have noted in various blogs and articles that runners who decide to go barefoot sacrifice speed. I set out to test the theory. Here’s what happened.

Five years ago, I started racing. In my first race, the 2006 Cowtown Half Marathon (now the Urban Cow) in Sacramento, California, I set a 1:50:05 (8:23/mi) personal best. I was 33 years old at the time – and shod.

Over the next two years, I ran three more half marathons and three full marathons. Only once did I come close to beating that PR – missing it by only 53 seconds in a 2007 race. At that time, I aspired to achieve a 1:30 half marathon and a sub 4-hour marathon.

After my third shod marathon finish, a 5:00:52 (my marathon PR 4:58:19), at a cold and rainy 2008 Surf City Marathon, I was starting to doubt whether I could hit the 4:00 mark or ever break my 1:50 half marathon time. The rainy Surf City Marathon left my feet badly blistered. That race was my last in shoes.

Not long after the Surf City Marathon, I came down with a horrible chest cold that left me with a pulled intercostal muscle. It resulted in a “break” from running that lasted nearly two years.

Fast forward to New Years 2010 – when I discovered barefoot running.

Like many newbies, I did far too much too soon. I encountered the dreaded “top of foot pain” (TOFP) and my feet blistered regularly. The TOFP came from running too many miles and the blisters from inexperience (i.e., poor form) and “pushing off” for speed. Like many newbies, I read blogs and other postings of people sacrificing speed for proper barefoot technique. But I didn’t totally buy into it.

Many runners touted that barefooting was about enjoying the run, not about speed and competition. I wondered, Couldn’t there be a middle ground?

In my first barefoot race, a 5K, I finished in a respectable 26:42 (8:35/mi). I had planned to do a half marathon that day, but TOFP kept me humble. Later that summer I did my first barefoot trail run, a 10K in 1:35 (15:17/mi). It was my first experience on a trail run…and it kicked my butt.

Late in the year and the following spring I did my first barefoot half marathons with times of 2:06:17 (9:38/mi) and 2:20:01 (10:41/mi). While my times were not fantastic, I found that my body felt immensely better following these races than it ever had when I’d run shod.

I started to wonder if I was just getting older and slower. It had been five years since my first half marathon and personal record. Maybe I had peaked right at the start? At this point, I tried to resign to the fact that I might never beat my half marathon PR and to focus on enjoying my many barefoot runs.

Around this time, a new thought had entered my mind – how far could I run barefoot? I set my sights on a 50K ultra marathon.

In August 2011, I ran the Skyline 50K in Castro Valley, California. I completed the entire course barefoot.

Following that race, I was still haunted by thoughts of speed and that half marathon PR. I’d run an ultra – now could I beat my time?

During the weeks following the 50K race, I was training two ladies to run their first half marathon that coming October. Almost all of the miles I did while training were done at a 12-minute/mile pace.

I had very little time to do extra speed work that I would need to guarantee a shot at beating my record. On the few occasions I had to run on my own, I managed to do sub-8 minute and 8-minute/mile paces for short distances (up to 3 miles). I wasn’t convinced that it was going to be enough. All I had to go on was the knowledge I could hold the right pace for short distances, time on my feet, and the positive image of accomplishing my goal.

On October 23, 2011, I wished my trainees and my mom good luck on their half marathon and took off running.

Mile after mile, my Garmin chirped lap times of 8:00 to 8:20 per mile.

I was slowly building a small cushion of seconds with each passing mile. As I reached the halfway point, I began to wonder if I could continue this grueling pace. By mile nine, there was a war going on in my mind between thoughts of success and thoughts of doubt. I wasn’t sure if I could handle another finish just seconds beyond that elusive PR.

Then, as I reached mile 11, I looked at my watch and saw that I had roughly 20 minutes to cover the remaining two miles. I knew I could hold sub-10 minute miles – I just had to hold it together for a short while longer.

With a quarter mile left, I broke into a dead sprint and rounded the final corner in time to see the clock click just beyond 1:49:00. My mind flooded with exhilaration as I crossed the finish line with an official time of 1:49:22 (by my watch 1:49:07) – nearly a minute faster than my previous shod PR.

I’d proven – at least in my own mind – that running barefoot does not mean sacrificing speed. It just took time, training, perseverance and a belief in my abilities.

digitalclock_19.jpg


Next stop – a four-hour marathon finish.

~ Barefoot Terry
 
Well done Terry,
I don't think I will beat my earlier race times as they are too long in the past when I was less than half my age but I have still run a kilometre in 4.5 minutes a couple of years ago. I couldn't keep that up over a longer distance as I didn't train with enough dedication. A back injury put my running into a holding pattern for a year ( I thought it was a ankle problem but it was in fact a referred pain). I'm coming back again now but I need to add a bit of speed work to get me back onto a higher level.
Good to hear that you are on an upward trajectory.

Neil
 
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Nice.
Since that half marathon in 2011 did you notice any further improvement in your times?

I run at roughly the same pace as you do, with PRs at 25:46 on 5K, 54:10 on 10K, 2:03:31 on half marathon and 4:42:40 on marathon.
But I can hardly compare my shod/unshod times as I ran both marathons shod, all 3 half marathons barefoot and 5K only once.
On 10K however, I did run 1'30" faster barefoot than shod, which led me to the same conclusion that running barefoot has no negative effect on the speed. At least for people on the slow side like us. I suppose that those who run sub-3h marathons need to protect their soles from friction a bit more than we do.
 
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Oh god, the 4 hour marathon. How I know it's siren's call.

In my pursuit of the 4 hour marathon I put shoes back on. Minimal shoes, but shoes nonetheless. I thought I needed them to be able to make it at speed, and maybe I did. BUT, despite making my goal (3:58:23) I wish I had just kept chugging along in my bare feet. After the marathon I had shin splints, hamstring issues and an aching back. I ended up struggling and then taking 3 months completely off.

Now I'm back in my bare feet for good, albeit slower and and at much shorter distances. I find myself having to re-learn to run properly. I wish I had been smart and listened to my body, but now I will. I may go that fast again, I may not, but at least I will be happy and injury free!

Good luck to you on your goal!
 
I am much faster now barefoot than I ever was shod. I have beaten all my previous PRs including those set in high school.
 
Oh god, the 4 hour marathon. How I know it's siren's call.

In my pursuit of the 4 hour marathon I put shoes back on. Minimal shoes, but shoes nonetheless. I thought I needed them to be able to make it at speed, and maybe I did. BUT, despite making my goal (3:58:23) I wish I had just kept chugging along in my bare feet. After the marathon I had shin splints, hamstring issues and an aching back. I ended up struggling and then taking 3 months completely off.

Now I'm back in my bare feet for good, albeit slower and and at much shorter distances. I find myself having to re-learn to run properly. I wish I had been smart and listened to my body, but now I will. I may go that fast again, I may not, but at least I will be happy and injury free!

Good luck to you on your goal!
Welcome, Callous Joe! I see you are one of our first members, and this was your first post! It's nice to have you back. Please stick around, won't you? :barefoot:
 
My PRs improved too! When I wore shoes, I felt like I was clomping along.
 
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Yep!

It's hard to say with any certainty what I could do shod now, as I've trained now for 3+ yrs barefoot. If I put shoes on could I go even faster now? Maybe, but I would rather have more fun barefoot, and with cooler and less sweaty/stinky feet! Exception being rough trails. I've noticed while hiking rough trails my speed slows to a crawl barefoot. But I don't have any locally so it's not something that's part of my normal routine.

As an adult all my PR's are barefoot in 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon and full. But 1/2 and full marathons I have only done barefoot so have no comparison, and I have only done a single 10k shod. I broke the 20 minute barrier, actually a bit under 19:30 as I recall, in the 5k 2 years ago, but still a far cry from my high school times in the 17's. But after my decade lapse, I doubt I'll even break high school 5k times. But I am very happy with the speeds barefoot.

When it comes to paved roads, I don't think barefoot is a limiting factor for those properly acclimated.
 
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Just last night I beat my shod mile time of 6:43
running barefoot one mile I had 5:46.84 on the stopwatch. This was after 2+ weeks of not running much and still recovering from a nasty cold, to top it all off I had been eating junk food all day.
I think that I could get under 5:30 after training more after that, I am going to move on to 2 miles in 12 minutes then an 18 minute 5k. I think that unless you are rapidly changing directions barefoot is faster.
Nice work on the long distance maybe someday I will try running farther...
 
Nice report!
I am faster now than I ever was with shoes...amazingly without even trying.