Confidence is growing

It's been an interesting week.  My half marathon training plan says I should have done a tempo run, long run and easy run.  I did the long run (7 miles) in Vibram FiveFinger Classics.  No major problems there, average pace of 10.10 minute miles.  

On Friday, I should have done a 5 mile tempo run, but things conspired against my OH and myself, and we ended up doing a 2 and a half mile easy run, which I did mostly in Merrells, with the last half mile or so bare foot.

On Saturday, I did the park run with my daughter.  I wanted to run with her as she is trying to beat the 30 minute barrier, and I was very proud that she did the race in 28 minutes and 43 seconds, 2 seconds faster than me as she sneakily threw in a sprint finish which caught me unaware!

On Sunday it looked like a scorcher of a day, so my OH and myself went out for an early-ish run.  He was suffering from a little over indulgence the night before, so we only wanted to get a few miles in, and with no target pace.  I decided therefore to set out in bare feet.  I carried my Classics in case I needed to put shoes on at some point, but I was really pleased that I managed to run my furthest distance to date - 3.5 miles - all in bare feet.  The picture above is of my feet at the end of the run - a little red in places, but with no damage at all.  Our average pace was 10.40 minutes per mile, but we weren't looking to run particularly fast.

So I had a great week of running.  This morning (Monday) I walked the dog in the woods at the back of our house.  I've often looked at the ground in the woods thinking it would probably be quite dangerous to run through bare foot, as it is covered with bark, twigs, dirt and all sorts of unknown bits and pieces.  Today, being such a warm and beautiful day, I walked up there in flip flops.  As no-one was around, I took them off for a moment, and ran a few steps - just to see how bad the ground would be to step on bare-footed.  It wasn't as bad as I'd expected.  A little further into the woods, I took them off again, picked them up, and ran, very slowly and gently, through 50 metres or so of woodland.  Just as with the pavements, I found it much less difficult to run on than it looked.  Yes, I took care not to step on any large twigs and branches, but the ground was actually much softer than I expected.  I find this with pavements and roads too - when I'm in trainers, I look down and think "That's too rough or stony to run on", but when I take off my shoes, it's never as bad as I had thought.

I've started to contemplate running the 10k in September in bare feet as my confidence grows.  I wonder what the race organisers would think about that....

Longest run to date

Today I've run 10.35 miles :)

I couldn't decide what footwear to put on before this planned long run.  Options were Vibram Classics - so far the footwear that's seen my longest run of 7 miles or so; Vivobarefoot - I didn't fancy these for a long run, because they are ever so slightly too short on the toe (my fault for being a cheapskate and buying the only remaining size in an Amazon special); or Merrel Pace Glove - super comfy when I tried them out the other day, but I've only done 2 miles in them, and the last thing I wanted was to have to cut the run short over a blister.

The other option of course was regular trainers, and I admit I was tempted with these from a safety point of view - I know I can run 13 miles in trainers, because I've done it before.  I reminded myself that my goal is to run the 10k and possibly half marathon in minimalist footwear though, and that trainers don't guarantee blister-free running (I've got the photos to prove it), so I finally plumped for the Classics.

When I ran 3.5 miles on Wednesday I had a bit of Top of Foot Pain (TOFP), and I was concerned that this might be an issue for a long run.  However, I recall Barefoot Ken saying that pain can help you refine your form, so I decided to view any pain as being welcome, so long as I could then adjust my form to prevent the pain.  Before I set off I did some Asian Squats - something I've been trying to do once a day to built foot strength and stretch my achilles / calves etc.  I also did some tiptoe exercises - I could feel the TOFP when I stood on tiptoe, so I adjusted the angle of my foot slightly and this avoided the pain.

Once running, I adopted the same foot angle as when I had practiced standing on tiptoe before setting off.  I tend to run very straight footed (if not actually turning my toes in towards each other just a little). This seems to put extra pressure on my 2nd and 3rd metatarsals.  By turning my foot out ever so slightly (ie so my feet would make a very slight v shape if I stopped and put them together - like a ballet stance) the pressure was taken from the middle toes and moved more squarely to the ball of my foot.  This seemed to do the trick and the pain was non-existent when I used this technique - just coming back if my form changed.

I took my shoes off 2.5 miles into the run, and did 1.4 miles in bare feet, and then put the shoes back on for a while, removing them again just over 7 miles in.  I did a total of 2.93 miles in bare feet (the longest I've done so far), and 7.42 miles in Classics, making a total of 10.35.  Towards the end of the run, my knees felt quite stiff, but the pain was not a 'bad' pain which concerned me, just a bit of muscle fatigue I think.  What was reassuring was that both knees were equally sore, which made me think that I must have been running nicely aligned (something which I'm sure I never used to do).

I'm very pleased with today's efforts.  I finished off with a cold bath for my knees, and my feet are a little sore on the soles, but nothing that a good night's sleep won't sort out.  If I continue to progress as well as this, I should be able to complete the half in Classics / barefoot.  Happy days.

Bit of a lull?

The last few weeks have felt like a bit of a lull.  The weather is getting colder and wetter, and for some reason I've been feeling more self conscious - not the nervous excitement I started out with, more of just wanting to get on with it quietly on my own away from public comments and stares.  Not that I blame anyone, I would surely have stared and passed comment a year ago if I had seen someone mad enough to run in bare feet.

Anyway, on Friday, my OH persuaded me to go for a run with him, so I put on my VFF Classics and we did just over 3 miles together.  I pushed the pace to keep up with him in his trainers, so ended up with a respectable 5.8mph - not bad considering I haven't broken the 10 min mile pace on more than one occasion.

Today is Sunday, so I got up and out early (ish) to avoid too many people, and did a nice 1.3miles in bare feet - my further BF run to date.  Temperature was around 11 degrees C.  I kept it slow as I knew I wanted to increase my longest distance, so only 12 min miles, but I can report no aches and pains or sore feet of any kind, so I'm more than happy.

On the VFF note - what I did notice was that whilst my thighs burned whilst I was running (I've not done 3 miles for some time), I had no post run soreness, even the following day, so I'm convinced my step was light and my form was good. 

My OH has asked me to run a 10k with him in mid November, and I'm now toying with the idea of doing it in my Fives....  Just a thought at present, but it's been ages since I've worn trainers for running now!

Back to the Classics

I was starting to get a bit twitchy from not running anything more than about half a mile, so this morning - a beautiful hot sunny day - I decided to get back in my VFF Classics and go a little bit further.

I ran 1.9 miles in these, and then 0.3 miles in bare feet at the end.

What I noticed was that since I've been running exclusively in bare feet for a few weeks, my VFF technique seemed better - shorter steps, faster cadence, and better foot position.  It was lovely to go a bit further, but towards the end I really wanted to take them off and 'free my feet' (sorry, sounding very hippy there!), so I did.  Interestingly, whilst I thought my VFF technique was pretty good, I instantly noticed that my heels were going doing more in bare feet - ie a ball of foot touch quickly followed by a pretty much flat foot, with toes and heels down together.  I also noticed my stride shorten instinctively.

I think not wearing VFFs for a few weeks has been good for developing my form, but I can certainly still go further (and feel way less self conscious) in them than in bare feet (at the moment)!

Back from our hols

I've had over two weeks off running because I've been living it up in Florida.  Plenty of walking in flip flops or bare feet (in the water parks), and a couple of days in VFF Classics, so my feet felt like they'd had a great workout every day and I was confident that they'd feel strong on my first run back.

I ran just under two miles in my Classics - pretty slowly as I had my son in tow, but as expected, my feet felt great.  None of the twinges of my stress fracture were present, and I loved my final 0.3 miles in bare feet at the end.  Great to be running again.

The following day I did a four mile run in my trainers.  This certainly felt like hard work - whether because of the break from running, or because I've only been wearing very light shoes for two weeks, or because I'd had a short run the day before, I cannot say.  The following day, my thighs and calves were all very achey, and I really noticed the hip pain which I suffer from, which I've not had for the two weeks off running, nor had it returned on my VFFs run.

Today I've been for a two mile run in Classics, followed by 0.3 miles barefoot.  Much nicer than trainers, and I averaged around 9.40 min miles which is by far the fastest I've gone in minimalist footwear.

I'm thinking of signing up for the September 10k, and wonder whether I should go for a fast time (52 mins or so) in trainers, or whether to just go for any time, but in my Classics....  Decisions, decisions...

I Spy FiveFingers

I haven't posted for a few weeks because I've been on holiday, enjoying some sun and heat and the hustle and bustle of Florida's many theme parks.

Whilst I was away, I spent a lot of time in very busy places, sometimes in queues (for those hairy scary rides), sometimes in cafes or restaurants, or just cooling down with an ice cold drink.  I used the opportunity to entertain myself with a few games of "I Spy Vibram FiveFingers".  Surprisingly, I didn't see that many - of all the tens of thousands of people I must have seen, I would say I only spotted a dozen or so people in VFFs.  I also noticed a slightly greater number of people wearing Fila toe shoes - with one split for the big toe and a separate pocket for the remaining four.  Interestingly, a Google search for Fila Toe Shoes reveals that Fila actually make five toed shoes also - very similar to VFFs but at a much reduced price - something for me to research at a later date.

But I digress...  by far the most popular footwear at the theme parks were trainers (not surprisingly) and the rather strange (at least to me) practice of flip flops and woolly black socks. I think this is an American trait, and may be perfectly normal to some, but in 36 degrees and blazing sun, I can't think of anything worse than woolly socks.

I did dare to wear my Classics on two days in the parks - once at Universal's Islands of Adventures, where we spotted a couple of girls curiously pointing to my feet and whispering whilst queueing for the new Harry Potter ride, and on another day when we went on an Airboat ride (very practical for that) followed by a wander around Downtown Disney, where a lad said "I like your shoes, Mom" as he passed me on some stairs.

I had thought that not running for a couple of weeks would cause the skin on my soles to soften a little, but I need not have worried... a number of days in water parks where we wore nothing on our feet all day, and only wearing a pair of Birkenstocks (or my Classics) the rest of the time meant my feet had an excellent workout (and we must have walked miles each day) and were raring to go on my return to the UK.

A little bit more

Today I ran the same route as last Friday - a 3.5 mile circular route through the lanes of a nearby village.

I set off in Classics.  The road was very gritty and muddy after all the rain we've had, with little rivers of water flowing here and there.  Once my feet were warmed up, the cool puddles felt lovely seeping through my VFFs.

A little earlier than last week I took off my Classics.  My pace slowed, but my soles again felt strong and there was no discomfort from the grit on the roads. I enjoyed listening to the quiet 'slap, slap' of my feet on the wet tarmac.

As the route progressed, the tarmac got rougher, though less covered in debris, and gradually the soles of my feet began to notice the sharpness of the surface.  Not that it was painful - I just became aware that I was starting to feel it.

So I pressed the lap button on my Garmin, and saw that I'd done 0.8 miles in bare feet.  My furthest to date.  No scratches, bruises or other untoward ailments.  I put on my Classics and continued home.

Last night I looked at my feet and they seem to be filling out.  I've always had very shallow feet, with bony toes where you can easily see the metatarsals stretching out along the top of my foot.  Now they seem more solid.  At the joints of the second and third toes to the main part of my foot (ie the base of the toe), the flesh is fuller and more muscly looking - this is where my stress fracture occurred, and I think the strength is now building from the training I'm doing.  There is definitely more flesh under these two joints on the base of my feet.  It amazes me how our bodies can change with practise and repetition.  We are lucky beings indeed!

Feeling confident

Yesterday I went for a 5 mile run in my trainers (I can't go that far yet in bare feet or FiveFingers). We averaged around 10 min miles, so a fairly leisurely pace. At the end I took off my trainers and did the last 0.3 miles in bare feet. I was able to almost maintain the same pace.

Today I've been for just over 2 miles in my Classics. Again, for the last 0.3 miles I took them off and ran barefoot. Overall, I managed an average pace of 10.06 min/miles. This is considerably faster than I was doing only a few weeks ago. I'm discovering that whilst I like my Classics (and there's no way I could go as far completely barefoot yet), I feel much more comfortable when my feet are bare. They don't feel restricted in any way (even my FiveFingers are a little restricting), and I feel more confident that I can avoid injury when my feet are bare. It's like they are communicating with me as I run, and this feedback is definitely more muffled even when I've just got FiveFingers on.

On another note, I have had a little Top Of Foot Pain this week on my right foot (hence the five day break from running). This is still apparent, albeit it very minimal. Interestingly, I notice that when I get back, there is almost always a bit of redness on my second and third toe joints (highlighted on the pic - excuse the terrible nail varnish, I really must take it off!).

I think this is a throw back from my stress fracture. It's not on my left foot. I guess there must still be a bit of weakness there, so I do need to be careful.

It's been a busy weekend for my feet...

It started on Friday, when I went for my longest ever run in Vibram FiveFinger Classics - 3.85 miles.  I'd only intended to do just over three, but we took the slightly longer route instead.  Feet felt great - no rubbing or sore spots, and more importantly, they felt strong.  All good stuff.

On Friday evening I went to a friend's 40th birthday party.  At the dinner table, I enjoyed a conversation with a neighbour who had been approached by someone who was 'concerned about Clare'.  Turns out she has seen me running barefoot and is very concerned about me stepping on something sharp.  I then had a brief discussion with my dinner companions (also fellow runners) about the virtues of barefoot running, which was nice because I'm still a little bit self conscious about doing it, if I'm honest.

Well, just in case you didn't believe me!

Later in the evening (with an excellent set by Mr Gareth Gates himself - not that I'm name dropping, you understand!), I danced for a bit in my very high heels, and then abandoned decorum and kicked them off, as did many of the other revellers.  I particularly enjoyed a bit of jumping around to the Killers (harder work on the calves than barefoot running, I can assure you), and I smiled smugly to myself when a friend complained of blisters.  Been there, done that, my soles are made of stronger stuff ;)

Saturday was a day of chilling.

Today, I did a couple of miles in my Classics, followed by 0.3 miles barefoot as usual, and then took my son to a gymnastics competition.  Unusually, I was sitting at the front, just 5 feet or so (if you'll pardon the pun) from the tumble run.  From this excellent position I was able to study the form of tumblers and vaulters aged 7 and 8.  I noticed some interesting things.  Firstly, that when walking or jogging around, the children instinctively raise their toes before the balls of their feet contact the ground (something I mentioned in my last blog post when I fell over).  Secondly, when the tumblers did their routines, which included cartwheels, handsprings, forward rolls, tuck and star jumps, it was really noticeable that they constantly wiggled their toes, using them all the time to minutely adjust their balance.  I even took a video (which if I get time I'll try and post) where it is easy to see just how much toe movement goes on in the simplest of activities (not that I'd call a cartwheel simple - I can't do them for toffee!).

I used to find my feet horrible - awkward shaped toes, peely skin, yucky nails.  Now I feel rather proud of my feet and all they can do.  Clever little things :D

Pavements and Body Parts

I was given a reminder today of the fact that moving body parts don't like stationary pavements.  About a quarter of a mile into my longest run in FiveFingers to date, I fell over.  It was a slow motion moment, where the big toe of my right foot didn't pick up enough, stubbed into the ground with the rubber sticking firmly to the tarmac, and the momentum of my body flung me forward in a sort of awkward 'fall to press up' move.  Sadly, it was my knee that continued it's forward motion, leaving me with a nice scrape (which will look lovely with my 'on the knee' evening dress that I'll be wearing tonight!).

As I recovered and ran on, bravely, as if I'd meant to do a quick press up en route, I pondered some barefoot running theory that I've learned over the past months.  Firstly, that included watching a video explaining about how your foot should meet the ground and perfectly equal your forward motion, so that the impact and the contact is as gentle as possible.  Secondly, I recall reading (Ken Bob, I'm sure) about how it helps to flex the toes upwards as your foot falls to the ground, thus spreading the toes and balls of the feet before your body weight forces them to spread.  This can help avoid friction.  This would have certainly helped avoid stubbing my toe, too.

No real damage done, thankfully (just my pride!).  It's the first time I've ever fallen over, shod or otherwise.  It would surely have hurt an awful lot more had I not had my FiveFingers on, but the question is this - would I have fallen at all if I hadn't been wearing them as there would have been no rubber toe to stub.

A good run though, and by far my farthest in Classics to date - 3.85 miles.

Why do I run barefoot?

A recent entry on the Runners Forum asked those who have posted on the thread on barefoot and minimalist running to say what motivated them to start. I found myself pondering this question in the middle of the night.  Rather than clog up the forum with a long and probably rather boring essay on my thinkings, I thought I'd write it here.

I've been running for about six years.  For the first two years, I suffered terribly with shin splits.  In hindsight I think this was due to bad form - big heel striker and far too much overstriding (I thought this was how you were supposed to run).  At that time, I read a lot about barefoot running, because I was looking for anything that might help with my problems.

Gradually, my form improved - painfully slowly, and I built up strength in my shins and calf muscles which also helped.  For the last couple of years I've had no shin splint problems.  Along the way I've picked up various minor injuries - thigh strain, dodgy knee, sore ankle - and I've been for physio and rested, then picked up again.  Trainers have been good to me on the whole.

But always in the back of my mind I've had a fascination with the idea of barefoot running.  I really can't explain why.  I wanted a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, but couldn't justify the expense.  I hoped I might get some for my 40th, but I didn't.  Last summer I read Born to Run, and by October, I'd persuaded myself that several years of Googling Vibram FiveFingers needed to end:  I needed to have a pair of my own.  I got them for my 41st birthday.

I built up really carefully, starting out with a quarter of a mile, then half a mile, and so on, until over a four week period I'd built up to just over 3 miles.  Then one wintry day at the end of November, I set out for a 3.5 mile run, but my feet were freezing.  I expected the top of foot pain I experienced to disappear after my feet had warmed up, but a mile in it just kept getting worse, and after half a mile of walking and gentle jogging, I knew I had done some damage.  Turns out I'd got a stress fracture in the second metatarsal of my right foot.  Ouch :(

I duly rested, and watched my other half go out running every other day.  As I couldn't run, I read about running instead, and in particular I did more research on barefoot running.  I couldn't understand how I'd got a stress fracture when I'd been so careful.  I read Ken Bob Saxton's Step by Step guide to barefoot running, which was one of the first books I downloaded to my Christmas Kindle. I conversed with a fellow forum runner who had had an almost identical experience on switching to FiveFingers.  It began to make sense.  Whilst I had built up my distance slowly, the FiveFingers were tricking me into thinking I could run further than my feet were ready for.  The only way to truly build up distance would be to run completely barefoot.

Late in January, when I decided it was time to try a very short run for the first time in almost six weeks, I wore my trainers.  I felt that I needed the support, and I was incredibly nervous about injuring myself again.  You'd think that my experience with VFFs would have put me off barefoot or minimalist running for life, but it only served to make me more determined.  Perhaps determined is too stubborn a sounding word - it was more about being curious.  After a couple of weeks in trainers, I ran a short distance in my FiveFingers and it was ok.  Shortly after that, I took my first, very self conscious steps outdoors in bare feet.  That's where this blog really begins.

I now run barefoot at the end of every shod run I do, and I also bought a pair of FiveFinger Classics which are thinner than the TrekSports to enable me to increase my distance on rougher surfaces.  Do I think barefoot running is the holy grail to avoiding injuries?  No, definitely not.  It hasn't made me faster, and I cannot run as far as I can (and still do) in trainers.  But I have started to love the freedom I feel when my feet are in direct contact with the ground, I've built up my confidence in being seen barefoot in public, and my feet feel stronger.  In short, I think it's added a bit of spice to my running, and brought me a fresh challenge.  It is for those reasons that I will continue to run barefoot for the foreseeable future.

"I've found a new bit of my foot"

This is what I said to my daugher a few nights ago.  She looked at me as if I was behaving slightly more oddly than usual.

Credit: http://vanessaruns.com/2011/07/05

What I mean is that since I've been running barefoot, I've noticed a new bit of my foot developing and toughening up.

I already have tougher skin around the balls of my feet, the outer edge and the heel - it's not calloused, just a bit thicker and stronger than other areas (see the grey lines on the pic). Since I've been barefoot running, I've noticed that a new area is beginning to toughen up - the area inside the dark circles.  It's as though being barefoot now allows this area to contact the ground, because my feet can spread out much more than when they're inside shoes.

After a longer run in FiveFingers (around the 2 mile mark), and then a short stretch of barefoot (0.3 miles), I began to notice last week that I'd developed a sore spot in this area, not quite a blister, but nearly.  So I've been very sensible, exercised restraint, and that area is now thickening up - not just the skin, but in fleshiness too, as if my feet are learning to develop in areas that they've never needed to before.

It's interesting looking at my feet and seeing how they are changing.  It's subtle, but definitely happening.

Today I ran a mile and a half, the last 0.6 miles in bare feet.  The skin is now happy and not at all sore.  Progess :)

Top of Foot Pain (TOFP)

Went for a rather sweaty 1.75 miles today in my FiveFinger Classics.  Was going really well, but noticed a pain beginning in the top of my right foot at just over a mile in.  Alarm bells started ringing because of my old stress fracture, so whilst I kept running, I concentrated on whether the pain was getting worse or not.

At 1.45 miles, I planned to take off my Classics and run the remaining 0.3 miles barefoot (as usual).  I was curious to see if the pain got worse without the shoes, but was surprised to find completely the opposite.  No pain at all.

The pavements were lovely and warm, and I didn't feel at all self conscious today, and because the TOFP went away when I took the shoes off, it felt easier running barefoot than in shoes!  No aches and pains now.  Just can't wait to up the distance really!

Lush

I don't say 'lush' very often.  For me, 'lush' is something inexplicably 'nice', a bit indulgent, a bit special.

Yesterday I went for a run.  I was a bit short on time (roast dinner waiting!) so I ditched the 3-miler shod run I had planned in favour of a one-miler in my new FiveFinger Classics (which I've been wearing in over the past week walking around).

The Classics are thinner than the TrekSports, so I needed to get even closer to a barefoot technique than I had in the TrekSports.  It's still not the same as running completely barefoot though.  So, after two thirds of a mile (and once back away from the main road and in the safety of my side roads), I pulled off the Classics (much quicker than taking off trainers) and ran the last third of a mile in bare feet.

It was a sunny day, the pavement was warm under my feet, and the ground felt great.  Slightly scratchy, warmth from the earth, and the quiet 'pad, pad' of my feet.  My feet felt strong, my soles felt tough, but sensitive, the pavement seemed less scratchy than on previous runs.  It was liberating and fun.  As I ran through my front door, all I could say was 'lush', because that's exactly what it was.

I woke up this morning in a really good mood.  I'm definitely making progress, and I'm almost craving the feel of the ground on my feet. I think I'm turning a bit hippie!  Can't wait to go a bit further.  I might even be brave enough to hit the main road soon!

Starting again

Yesterday I went out for 3.5 mile run - in my trainers.  I tried to employ barefoot techniques - keeping a rough cadence of 180bpm, light on my feet, 1-2-3 footfall (ball, heel, toes, in quick succession), concentrating on lift, not landing.  It was great to get out for a proper run again, and I really enjoyed it.

When I got home, I took off my trainers and ran up and down the side of the house a few times.  My bare feet felt fine (though it is only a smooth surface).  Then I realised that the neighbours opposite would have a great view of the side of the house, so I went inside.

Today, I put on my FiveFingers and did just under a mile.  I was extremely careful, being vigilant for any signs of TOFP (top of foot pain).  There was none, just a slight stretching of my achilles.  I tried to remember all of the barefoot running hints & tips as above.  I tried to run silently and effortlessly.  It seemed to work reasonably well.

I did notice that I had no calf pain which I had definitely experienced in my previous FiveFinger outings.  I think this is because I make sure the whole of my foot touched the ground, and I didn't focus on staying on my toes like I had done pre-injury.

On my return home, I once again took off my fives and ran up and down the side of the house completely barefoot.  I was relaxed, gentle footed and it felt good.  My neighbour's blinds were shut so I felt a little less silly.  I think this is the way forward for me for the time being.

I've only gone and blown it

Well, the pain in my right foot got worse.  On Thursday I could barely walk - any sort of flexing of the toes on my right foot was incredibly painful.

This morning I've been to A&E and been told I have a stress fracture on my second metarsal.  It doesn't show on the x-ray - apparently they don't until several days later.  I've got to go back for another x-ray on the 22nd Dec to see the extent of the damage.  Walking is definitely easier today, but there is a slight swelling on the top of my foot, along with a little redness (not much mind you - I don't think you could tell unless you were looking).  What matters is that it hurts to walk, so running is obviously out of the question.

At least I don't have to wear a cast (which would be exceedingly difficult to manage with three children), so I'm grateful for that.

What have I learnt?  During my transition to Fivefingers I have listened carefully to my muscles.  I started with less than a mile in distance, and built up over the course of four weeks to just under 3 miles.  I only ran a couple of times a week to give my calves a chance to rest.  What I didn't realise is that apparently it takes bones longer to strengthen than it does for muscles, so whilst I was doing the right thing as far as retraining my muscles, I failed to take my poor toe bones into account.  They've been protected by rubber and fabric for as long as I've been running, and have never had to flex and react like they do in my fives.

I guess the most annoying thing is that there was no real warning that this was going to happen - unlike muscles and joints which feel over tired and achey or they twinge when the damage is starting, this happened over the space of half a mile, and I will always be fearful of it happening again.

I feel a bit silly, and like I've let myself down.  I was cautious, but obviously not enough.  I will definitely go back to my Fivefingers once my bones have healed (and perhaps, just perhaps, the doctor is wrong and it's just a strain), but I will be very, very careful in the future to build up very slowly.

I'll be back... 

One step back

As runners, I think we all except that it's often a case of two steps forward, one step back.  Well, today I had my first step back since getting my Fivefingers.

Last Sunday I did just under 3 miles - my longest run so far in my fives. My calves really felt like that were burning by the end, but there were no lasting ill effects.

Today is Wednesday, and I set off for a 3-miler. It was quite cold, though not freezing.  I did notice initially that the bones in my feet felt 'cold' and in need of warming up and easing in. After a mile they felt ok, though still a little stiff.

As the second mile crept on, I developed a definite pain in my right foot. It felt like it was on the sole of my foot, behind my 2nd and 3rd toes. It hurt every time I pushed off on my toes. I ended up walking much of the mile and a half back - something I almost never do on a run.

On my return, I've had a good prod around, and the pain seems to be coming from the bone (metatarsal?) belonging to my second toe: it hurts if I press it. I'm guessing this is a result of running much more on the forefront of my foot.

So, a sad day for fives, and I'll need to do a few shorter runs again now before I take those next two steps forward.... But I will take them, so keep watching!

Beginning to change

Just been for a three mile run in my regular trainers.  I felt it pretty much straight away in my shins.  Don't get me wrong... I'm not suggesting for one minute that I'm already converted to my fives, but I can definitely feel a change taking place.

What I'm noticing is that my footfall seems really heavy - it's as though my heel is digging into the road with every step, much like when you land heavily on your foot in a pothole.  And on several occasions I found the aching in my shins so annoying that I deliberately transferred to a forefront technique just to give them a rest, something that I would have felt totally unnatural just a few weeks ago.

It's not that my fivefingers are fixing my running, it's like they are reminding me of how I could - or even should - be running.  I could probably tape a pebble to the base of my heel for a similar reminder to stay off my heels, but it's much cooler to wear fivefingers.

I'm still not fully convinced that my running is going to change beyond all recognition... There's a cynic deep inside me, even though I've wanted these 'shoes' for ages, but I'm loving the fact that my hunches seem to be right so far, and the pain free running? Well, I doubt running will ever be that, but if it's part way there, then it'll do for me.

Little by little

Yesterday, I did 2 miles in my fives.  Nothing from my calves at all until 1.3 miles - which is significantly better than last time I ran.  I could feel the hardness of the road on the balls of my feet, but I wouldn't say it was uncomfortable.

I did rather make myself laugh though when I inadvertently ran across a patch of grass (it was very dark, and I thought it was a continuation of the pavement).  It was quite a shock to feel the squidgy softness of the ground after that hard tarmac.  At first, I thought 'yuck', but then I realised that being able to feel the ground under my feet is half the reason I bought the shoes in the first place!  I just think it'll take a while to get used to it, and out of the habit of avoiding the muddy patches.

Calves a little sore today, but not as bad as I'd feared, and not a single other ache or pain from any of my joints - hips, knees or ankles - which is lovely.

Slowly does it

Today I ran 1.5 miles in my fives.  I think I'm falling in love.  My legs felt great - no heaviness, no aching bones, no creaks and grinds.  There is still just a muscle fatigue ache in my left lower calf, which I'm sure is just a result of using a new muscle - hence the shorter distances.

But, my running is lighter, more propulsive, springier and easier.  I only did 10 min miles, but felt no real physical effort other than that dull ache in my calf.  I'm so curious to see how I feel on a longer distance that I can barely wait to try it, but I'm determined not to cause myself an injury and jump in too quick.

I've also got to a point where I feel that I could confidently wear my fivefingers out and about without feeling like a weirdo, because I can genuinely say now that I think they're amazing.  I've even thought about getting a pair to wear like slippers in the house.  Sad?  Quite possibly!