barefoot/forefoot running?

zig

Hi,
I decided recently to start barefoot running, firstly it is supposed to greatly improve your running technique because your foot naturally lands in the correct way, secondly it feels good for some reason, thirdly I think it may be a more efficient way of running, and so you can get an extra 5% out of the run. Tbh, this info really is just stuff ive read online

I did 40 mins today , but it was all in grass so I dont know if that had much of an effect, i noticed two things afterwards though,
1. I didnt have the urge to stretch or warm down as much, not sure why, but i did it anyway just in case obviously.
2. My calves are kind of sore, not in an injury way , they just feel a bit like they are after a weights session or something, i dont usually get this particular feeling even after very tough runs.

Just wondering has anyone made the transition and what things should i look out for? Is the calf feeling normal? i hope to start doing it on hard ground/pavement soon but i need a find a good surface. Apparently you build up callusses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callus, just wondering how long does that take? Because at the moment once my feet even so much as tip small pebbles etc they are in pain.

I gotta say though, it felt good , not sure why.

Transform

might want to look into getting a pair of vibrams for the hard surfaces as you would be nuts to do it on normal paths etc

d'Oracle

zig wrote: »

2. My calves are kind of sore, not in an injury way , they just feel a bit like they are after a weights session or something, i dont usually get this particular feeling even after very tough runs.

.

Basically when you run barefoot or forefoot (Or POSE or Chi Running or Evolution running etc) your heel is going through a different and longer range of motion.
This is new for your calves, and new exercises usually make you sore.

zig

cheers lads, yea I wasnt expecting the calf thing, just goes to show how different my style of running was prior to this.
Not going to over do it for now, maybe just keep doing it as a novelty run for a while to build up the muscle and get used to it.

Thanks Transform, gonna have a look at the vibrams now

Lantus

I'm suffering calf pain but it's decreasing with every run. I only run on concrete and roads and agree you'd be mad to run barefoot on these surfaces. They are strooned in gravel and pebbles, glass, ****, spit and probably worse. The stones are made bad because concrete doesn't give unlike grass where a stone would sink in.

I love the feel of my five fingers and can't wait to up the mileage a bit.

Cured my shin splits though.

leopardus

I would make sure that you build it up very slowly. My calves absolutely killed me after switching to Vibrams; I couldn't run more than 500m (on hard path) to begin with; even after a number of weeks barefoot running on grass and sand.

Foam rolling seemed to really help me loosening them out. I also used a kong (hard rubber dog toy; haven't found anything that works as well) on tight/sore spots, including my feet. Calves quickly adapted to the new gait.

I found that my foot is doing an awfull lot more work and am more aware that increasing speed/mileage or inclines to a run needs to be done slowly). My feet have gotten much stronger and have even changed shape in the year I've been running in vibrams; toes are much more 'splayed'. My preference would be for barefoot running, but it isn't always practical (especially during the winter), so I find the Vibrams work well for me.

cmyk

Also do a search in the athletics/triathlon forum, quite a few discussions about it there too.