Wanting to try minimalist running

Trebin

Barefooters
Apr 27, 2011
10
0
0
#1
My name is Mark and I have been running for almost a year now and I still get shin splints and I am just wanting to make the transition after reading the book Born to Run a couple months ago. I have been researching this style of running and I am just nervous that I am going to hurt myself. Right now I run 2 miles every morning at 6 AM before work and I take Saturdays off. I do run a trail on Sundays but I wouldnt say it was rough terrain, mainly sand w/ flattened gravel and some rocks here and there.

I am 6'5" and down to 260 lbs and I currently run about a 10 min mile with some shin splints around the 1.5 - 2.0 mile mark. I did get a pair of new balance 759's last week and they just felt strange and rubbed my feet. They were flatter and had less of a heel then my other nike air pegasus shoes and I did not get a shin splint (I did slow down, that may have helped). I returned them today and plan on getting a minimalist pair of shoes and will work on the transition. I am looking for some suggestions on a good intro to minimalist shoes for someone my size.
 
#2
How about trying barefoot

How about trying barefoot first, Trebin? You can learn a whole lot more about how to run safely from your own two feet than any artificial means, then only incorporate the footwear when you absolutely need it.

Welcome! Glad you're here. :)
 
#3
I am not sure where I would

I am not sure where I would really try the barefoot running. You are not allowed to at work on the treadmill which is where I run in the morning. I just never thought of skipping shoes all together (I am not sure I am even comfortable trying that).
 
#4
Where else can you run other

Where else can you run other than work? You will want to find a hard, flat surface, a place where there is little if any debris, like a sidewalk. Just give it a good 1/4 mile try, then judge. Bring a pair of socks. If you just can't take it, put the socks on. If you have to, and I mean really have to, put something on your feet, a pair of plain old socks is the absolute best minimalist footwear. Just give this a try, and let me know what you think. It really isn't as bad as you think. I hate pain, so if I thought it was painful, I sure wouldn't be doing it, and I've been at if for over 2-1/2 years now (barefoot that is).
 
#5
it really is the best way to

it really is the best way to learn proper form :) side walks and roads are easy on the feet at first...if you are little "touched" like me though, you find the knarlest stuff to run on and when you are used to that, roads are easy LOL...but if it's treadmill that you like, I have nothing for you....I can't stand them :-D.



And, oh, yeah....Welcome :-D
 
#6
Ok I will see what I can do.

Ok I will see what I can do. The other reason I get nervous is I went to roadrunner sports last year and ran on the treadmill barefoot and ended up with 2 fractures in my right foot. I should have mentioned it first. Do you think it is safe to try barefoot?



I dont really like treadmills but w/ the family and grad school I have to run when I can and that is really the only place to go for me right now. Once I finish school I may have some more options but running around the parking lot at work is too rough and has way too much debris (its a military base).
 
#7
Welcome!Go slow and short at

Welcome!

Go slow and short at first, like 13 minute miles and only 400m and you should be ok. Build up slowly. Your a big dude and your feet are weak from years of not using them they way they should be.
 
#11
About the stress fractures,

About the stress fractures, there's no way to tell if you already had them in the works from wearing shoes or not. It is very possible that you were on the verge of stress fractures anyway, since a lot of shod runners get stress fractures. Apparently, there is a weakness in your bones, that barefoot running exposed (you were bare foot, right; not in something like Vibram FiveFingers?) and perhaps you should be making sure to take plenty of calcium and vitamin D, natural or otherwise.

Do try to run barefoot in the parking lot though. Just run from one end to the other and back again. Try it bare first, and if you say no way, then put on the socks and try it again, either right away or the next day, but give it a good try first. You owe it to yourself to run safely and healthy, and shoes will prevent you from relearning how to run properly. It's quite likely that by going from the traditional running shoes to minimalist running shoes you could develop injuries or more stress fractures. Barefoot running minimizes this because our skin, our own two feet, limits us from running too far or too fast, as long as we listen to them, something you cannot do with shoes on your feet.

With that said, if you still find you cannot run barefoot for whatever reason, don't give up on the Barefoot Runners Society. We still have a lot of people and resources to help you try to make the safest possible transition to minimalist footwear.
 
#12
Thanks for all the support. I

Thanks for all the support. I will do my best to give it a shot on Friday. Tomorrow is my long day, work until 4 class until 10. Last term of grad school so I can make it through. I will try and go barefoot here at the apt complex, I can walk a short stretch and make sure there are no rocks etc.
 
#13
it's always helpful to spend

it's always helpful to spend as much time as is possible for you barefoot....not just running...but walking, around the house, in the yard...whatever you feel comfy with ;-) It will aide in the rehabilitation of your feet
 
#14
Barefoot TJ wrote:It's quite

Barefoot TJ said:
It's quite likely that by going from the traditional running shoes to minimalist running shoes you could develop injuries or more stress fractures. Barefoot running minimizes this because our skin, our own two feet, limits us from running too far or too fast, as long as we listen to them, something you cannot do with shoes on your feet.
Click to expand...

+1 to this! If your skin is telling you to stop for the day, let yourself be done. If you wake up in the morning and your muscles are telling you that you need a day to recover, take the day. It's a slow process in the beginning, but it's worth it!
 
#15
I rarely wear shoes unless I

I rarely wear shoes unless I am outside. I hate socks so I dont wear them unless I have on my shoes. I will put more focus on going barefoot though. Thanks for all the help. Now I am going to start doing some reading to get prepped for tomorrow's trial.
 
#16
Oh one thing I didn't see

Oh one thing I didn't see anyone else mention: don't run every day when you're starting out. Go every other day at most, and if you're sore don't be afraid to take the day off. You may experience some calf soreness which is totally natural but eventually it'll subside a bit and you'll be good to go.

Kudos on the weight loss! I was at about 265 his time last year and am now down to about 205, so I know how it is. Good luck and don't be afraid to rest! Ride the bike or something if you have to. :)
 
#17
I will definitely be riding

I will definitely be riding the bike. I am currently in a body transformatoin challenge for weightllifting. I really enjoy weightlifting so I dont run a whole lot as I dont want to kill my muscle building. If the weather ever gets nice here in Ohio I am going to ride. I figure I can walk fast or what not in the mornings if I cant run.
 
#18
I got in about 300 or so

I got in about 300 or so meters while out w/ my family yesterday. The bottom of my feet are defintely sensitive. I felt a lot of rubbing by the ball of my foot. I am going to try again tomorrow.
 
#19
People put a lot of emphasis

People put a lot of emphasis on barefooting first for a reason, Trebin. I'm really glad you're listening and giving it a try. Why? Because I suffered from serious shin splints in running shoes and jumped into a pair of minimalist shoes (Vibram FiveFingers) after hearing the benefits of barefoot running. Only I didn't want to go barefoot, so I just ran in the Vibrams instead. HUGE mistake on my part. I was flirting with stress fractures for a couple of months because I just couldn't fine tune my form enough with footwear on.

After switching to running barefoot, all the soreness went away because I couldn't over do it anymore. My form also improved dramatically. I learned to run softly. If I had done that to begin with, I wouldn't have been so frustrated running in the Vibrams. I think it's great you want to use minimalist shoes, but I also encourage you to keep up with the barefooting first for a couple of months. By then, you're feet will be ready for the workload in whatever minimalist shoe you decide on. Happy running!
 
#20
Good advice, Blue.Trebin,

Good advice, Blue.

Trebin, next time you run barefoot, concentrate on "lifting" your feet and not pushing off. This will limit the sensitivity and lessen friction. One baby step at a time, and we'll get you through this. Report back, and let us know how your next barefoot run goes.
 
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