hi everybody.
i'm from a little town in tuscany, italy. i enjoy running, which i started in 2002, and cycling, which i started in 2007, but usually don't participate in competitions because i don't like fast races. my dream is to run ultras but, so far, i've only been able to run two half marathons back in 2007, the best of the two in 1h42m. i usually hit the road 3-4 times and cycle 2-3 times a week.
i started barefoot walking at home a month ago and running with a pair of vibram fivefingers (spyridon mr) at the beginning of june. i decided to do it after reading "born to run". i guess many have been influenced by that book. anyway, my problem with running was (is?) plantar fasciitis (like for mcdougall) and nothing seems to work: not resting, not using special insoles, not special stretching techniques. p.f. always pops up if i try to run more than 15k at once or if my weekly mileage exceeds 50k or so. this is the main reason i was never able to go beyond a half marathon.
i am approaching my transition to minimalistic running gradually. i started running 2k, then 4k, then 6k two times, then 8k three times. i did my first 10k yesterday. so far so good, apart from some stiff calf muscles, which disappears quickly, and a little ailment between big toe and long toe of my left foot, especially at the end of downhill runs.
i believe (i hope!) my gait is correct. i don't heelstrike. when my stride is short my mid foot strikes first, when it's long or faster my forefoot strikes first. when i run uphill my forefoot is always first, when i run downhill i slightly bend forward so as so impede heelstriking, but i don't know if this is the right technique.
any advice is welcome. cheers
i'm from a little town in tuscany, italy. i enjoy running, which i started in 2002, and cycling, which i started in 2007, but usually don't participate in competitions because i don't like fast races. my dream is to run ultras but, so far, i've only been able to run two half marathons back in 2007, the best of the two in 1h42m. i usually hit the road 3-4 times and cycle 2-3 times a week.
i started barefoot walking at home a month ago and running with a pair of vibram fivefingers (spyridon mr) at the beginning of june. i decided to do it after reading "born to run". i guess many have been influenced by that book. anyway, my problem with running was (is?) plantar fasciitis (like for mcdougall) and nothing seems to work: not resting, not using special insoles, not special stretching techniques. p.f. always pops up if i try to run more than 15k at once or if my weekly mileage exceeds 50k or so. this is the main reason i was never able to go beyond a half marathon.
i am approaching my transition to minimalistic running gradually. i started running 2k, then 4k, then 6k two times, then 8k three times. i did my first 10k yesterday. so far so good, apart from some stiff calf muscles, which disappears quickly, and a little ailment between big toe and long toe of my left foot, especially at the end of downhill runs.
i believe (i hope!) my gait is correct. i don't heelstrike. when my stride is short my mid foot strikes first, when it's long or faster my forefoot strikes first. when i run uphill my forefoot is always first, when i run downhill i slightly bend forward so as so impede heelstriking, but i don't know if this is the right technique.
any advice is welcome. cheers