New BFR here!

[Run Just Run]

Hello everyone!!



This site seems awesome, glad to be a part of it now!



Today was day three of my BFR training. So far it's been interesting for sure, and I definitly think its something I will continue to do. I never really had an urge to run, and it didn't come till after I read "Born To Run." I know it probably sounds lame that a book really made me start running, but it did. Something in it struck a nerve in me, and made me want to go out there and do what my body was designed to do. Run. Another thing that inspired me we're my VFF's. I LOVE to hike, and these babies really allow you to feel the earth as it was intended. I also noticed it felt great/liberating to walk in my VFF's compared to my almost 200$ hiking boots I bought. No pain either, besides tissue damage that is expect when getting used to them. After seeing how great they are on the trail I wanted to see how they performed for what they were designed to do.

I never really was into running, and in fact disliked it once I began to get older. I can remember running laps around the track as a kid, and being great at it. But once I turned 16 or so I slowly began not enjoying running because of the discomfort. My knee always at the end of a run would feel "used" up, and just really had to force myself through the last bits of the run. Then I graduated and began my LAZY boring lifestyle. I am 5' 10' 145 lbs, and in relatively good shape, but still out of shape. Now, I want to change that and become a distance machine. Hopefully you guys can point me in the right direction.

Alright so, I will give you a re-cap on how its been going so far.



Day1: Went smooth, but kept it short as my feet definitly weren't ready to run bare for long. Five minutes on asphalt, and then did 5 min on my VFF KSO's. Had some stomach cramps, and still felt my knee getting a little annoyed. Resulted in nice and sore calves, as well as tender feet.

Day2: Another short day. Maybe ran a little more then 5 min in my barefeet, and walked another five barefoot. After that I turned around and ran the 10 in my VFF's. Resulted in just about same as Day1, but my calves definitly felt a little tighter.

Day3: Today I was able to run a little further. 10 min barefoot, and then 10 min VFF's. I noticed 5 min after running with the vibrams I began feeling a little pain in the top of my foot right under the toes. I was able to fix this by adjusting my stride which I found to be amazing!! Just by making a slight adjustment the pain went 100% away!! Knee annoyance was basically gone the whole time as well. It seemed once my calves began to fatigue, my knee started to suffer. Is that normal? Or is happening because of a form issue? Also, I don't know if I'm just out of shape, but HOLY COW my calves are feeling NICE! Is it normal for them to be this tired after just 10 min of running?

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks for your help in advance!!!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

It takes us a while to build

It takes us a while to build up to it (or down to it), running barefoot and/or minimal. If you're out of shape, yes, I would expect that what you are feeling is quite normal after just 5 and 10 minutes. Many new barefoot and minimalist runners talk about having tight calves during and after their runs. And you will find that when you learn to bend your knees even more, and you will, especially across certain terrains and downhills, your calves may feel even tighter. It's all normal and will subside the more you do this.

Welcome!

 

[Run Just Run]

Thanks for the quick

Thanks for the quick reply!!



I noticed myself using my knees more today actually. I think I have a tendency to slack off with my form, which results in my kind of "dragging" effect. When I pick my knees up I feel a more "circular" motion occur with my legs naturally. Makes the run look kind of goofy, but I'm still working on it!

 

[Run Just Run]

ALSO!!! If someone could

ALSO!!!



If someone could help me out with this I'd really appreciate it. About maybe 2 months ago I twisted my ankle while hiking which resulted in a pain about 2-3 in above the ankle on the outside of the leg. It feels like it isn't it hasn't gotten much better, and if it has its incrimental. I never lost full mobility, but I can't jump, or do any kind of hardcore excercise. It's funny cuz it really doesn't bother me during my run at all, but when I shift my weight to the outside of the ankle it hurts like hell...From what I've gathered it could be a high ankle sprain? But, they make it seem like its hard to walk/run when this injury occurs. I never really lost the ability to walk, but just have to be careful not to turn the ankle to the outside. Certain terrains that are really rocky are kind of annoying cuz I got to be SUPER careful. It just feels like I can trust it...Never had a ankle problem up until now, but now I know one thing...It sucks.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That's the way Ken Bob

That's the way Ken Bob recommends we run, as though we are cycling. I still find that I have a hard time maintaining that gait when I start to get tired or distracted in thought.

 

[migangelo]

it's late for me so i will

it's late for me so i will just tell you make sure you get a day of rest in between. you didn't specify if you did so i wanted to point that out.



Mike

 

[Run Just Run]

Thanks for the tip!  I've

Thanks for the tip! I've gone three days with no rest, and I gotta tell ya my calves are getting TIGHT lol. It makes me sad that I can't go out tomorrow, but what is a good indicator of when your calves are "overworked" and should be rested?



&btw, sorry for all the questions....big time newb

 

[Jonny00GT]

You're on fire!  I have the

You're on fire! I have the same issue! I use to hate running and couldn't wait to stop. Now, when I stop, I'm sad and can't wait to run again! Running IS fun...who knew?!! Why'd it take me till I'm 38 to find out?!!

Try Glucosamine with Condrioten under joint lubrication in the vitamine section of Walmart, Target or your local drug store. After about a week, your knees with love you! Also check your form...it's gonna be tough to break some of your heal toe habbits, like reaching out in front of you, which will make your knees, ankles, shins and calves tighten up and hurt. Strait up and down, feet landing under, lead with the knees and never let them lock out. Thinking of sitting back a little like at the edge of your seat, landing flat footed, but on the 4th foot knuckle first and not chasing your head helps me. Like Caballo Blanco says, start with easy, cause if that's all you get, that's not so bad! After a couple of weeks of thinking about it, your body will take over. ;o)

For your calves, try, and go with me on this, rolling them out with a rolling pin...feels so good! Calves and abs can be worked every day, but never stretch cold and ALWAYS stretch after you run. I also massage my own feet after a run...helps with the soreness. You're gonna be sore in all sorts of places on your feet...just gotta build up the muscles, arch, pad, etc. I've only been doing this for 2mo, so I'm not far ahead of you and this stuff is fresh on my mind. The hardest thing you're gonna do now is...NOT run! I know...it sux, but it's just till you get them feet broken in! Now, I go run a 30ish min 5K and then get a drink of water and run another with my wife and I'm running 6-7 times a week, sometimes twice a day and I'm 246lbs(but getting lighter each week)! If you do too much, you could injur something those evil running shoes made weak. Let it all get strong, then beat on em. I wear my VFFs everywhere, except when I'm not wearing any shoes at all. That seemed to help get stronger quicker.

If you want to get really modivated, rent or buy "Running the Sahara". Made me feel like I hadn't even scratched the surface of my potential and if I don't work up to at least a Marathon one day, I'm wasting my body! 3 guys run almost 4500 miles in 111 days in the freakin desert! Flat out amazing!



I'm still a Newb too...this is just some stuff that has helped me so far.



Best!

-Jonny

 

[Phil Hart]

RJR:Lots of good advice

RJR:

Lots of good advice here. The only amplification I might try to expand around "easy" is to simply relax your feet. Just let them dangle at the end of your legs, only slightly pulling your toes upward on each liftoff to prevent push-off/launching forward and to keep you from rolling over on top of one of your toes. I can tell you that really hurts.

When I finally had the "a-ha!" moment with my knees staying slightly bent, leaning slightly forward from my ankles (to allow gravity to provide my forward motion, with me just lifting and moving my feet forward under me to keep me from falling) and letting my feet dangle at the end of my legs, I could feel it was right instantly. That also gets rid of the calf soreness, which is usually either from trying to "catch" yourself on landing with your calf or from launching yourself forward as you used to do when heel-striking.

You're going to have some tenderness early on as you adapt your plantar (sole) skin as well as your minor foot muscles and connecting tissues that haven't had much use in years to BFR. Again, great advice to go every other day off of BF to allow your feet to heal any minor damage and to let them consolidate the gains you're making.

Be careful with VFF running early on. They'll make you feel invincible when you're actually still very vulnerable to injury. My left foot stress fracture 1 month in can hopefully serve as a warning to you to keep you out of the same hole. I love walking and especially trail hiking in my VFFs, but running BF just feels so much better and provides you with such better feedback. It's amazing how much dampening effect just 4mm of vibram sole creates. It also keeps you from feeling when your form is sloppy, which will tear your feet up, particularly when you take the VFFs off. Just a word of caution to the wiser than I was.

Enjoy, and ask lots of questions to get lots of good experience you can learn from and use.

Phil

 

[Jonny00GT]

Dangle...yeah...that makes

Dangle...yeah...that makes total sense! "Catching" is the perfect word too!

So glad I happend accross this site, where people speak a language that makes sense to me!!



-Jonny

 

[Run Just Run]

Woah, thanks for the great

Woah, thanks for the great advice! This forum rocks, not used to people actually replying so fast and with GREAT responses too!



But today I think I MIGHT take a day off, just because my calves feel super stiff. I've had my g.f massaging them, and it feels amazing lol!! I really am bummed about it though...weirdest thing ever! I never really cared about running like I said so to me this is strange. What I think is going on in a lot of people's minds once they start BFR is that its like being a kid again. I feel like I'm re-teaching myself how to us use my body, and to me theres nothing more interesting. I'm proving to myself that day by day I CAN get better at something as long as I sitck with it. Lately I've lost the desire to do a lot of things that I used to love. My motivation for just about everything has really diminished, but its funny because my journey started the same way as Mr. McDougall..."My feet always bother me...." And from there on out, I was buying shoe inserts, shoes, reading articels, and always trying to figure out why my feet hurt. Especially being that I'm only 24 years old. Now I discovered BFR(and just running in general), and it really has brought a lot of motivation back into my life. Maybe running now can help inspire the other things in my life that have been taking a back seat...



Anyways, sorry for the little autobiography lol. But what I would like to do is next time I run I'll record it with a video camera, and upload it to youtube or something and post it here. I would like to get some of you to see my stride and see what needs work the most. Its a pain in the arse trying to put it into words haha. But again thanks everyone!!