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.

The Race is on

I've entered a couple of races...

Cardiff 10k in September 2013, and then the Cardiff Half Marathon in October.  I was thinking of doing some races this year (or next) to raise some money in memory of my Mum, and with a bit of gentle persuasion from my other half, I've taken the plunge and paid the entrance fees (or rather, he has!!).

The question now is what to wear on my feet when I run.  I'm quite keen to run the 10k at least in Classics or Vivos.  A week ago I would have said Vivos, but this week I've done quite a lot of miles in the Classics and I've really enjoyed wearing them.  I don't think I'm ready to run barefoot yet (and I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to face the crowds without at least something on my feet), but September's still a way off and I'll hold off making a decision until nearer the day.

Training for the time being will be in minimalist shoes on the whole, though I did wear trainers for a run today as I had a little top of foot pain at the site of my old stress fracture, and I erred on the side of caution and stuck to the more solid support of a trainer.

I'm quite convinced now though that my ankles seem to suffer a lot more in the joints when I wear trainers, as on Friday I did 7 miles in Classics and bare feet, and felt no discomfort or stiffness in my ankles at all.  Today I can already feel that they have done some miles, even though I didn't go as far.  I also found my socks rubbed my soles (just as much as any rubbing from the pavement on bare feet, if not more) and my feet did feel really hot at times.

All good stuff though, and I'm feeling really positive about supporting the hospice that looked after my mum (and my family) back in February.

My JustGiving Page.

Not quite a 2 miler!

Last Sunday would have been my mum's 70th birthday.  We had a family get together planned to mark the event, but early in the morning I decided to get out for a run.  The weather was beautiful, and whilst I had only planned to go a couple of miles, I felt good, my Vivos felt comfortable and the dog was running well too, so I decided to head for a slightly longer route which took me away from the main road and up into the countryside. 

When I got to the lanes, I took off my Vivos and ran barefoot.  Instead of thinking about sad things, I relished the feel of the road on my feet, and the peace of running without the slap, slap of trainers, and things felt good.  I did just over a mile in bare feet, then put the Vivos back on to reach a total of 3.5 miles in all.

Yesterday I took the same route, this time setting off in my VFF classics, which I haven't worn for a while.  They felt incredibly comfortable, and I enjoyed the greater degree of feedback from the pavements, even in comparison to the Vivos.  I took them off earlier in this run, and my feet felt so comfortable that I didn't put them back on all the way home, clocking up a total of 3.52 miles, with 1.99 in bare feet.  In fact, I reckon I could do that whole circuit barefoot, just with a slight caveat that there tends to be a lot of broken glass along the main road on the second half a mile out (which I can avoid on the return journey).

What I really enjoyed from this second run was a surprise moment:  we overtook an old lady walking along the road, my husband and the dog first, and then me, silently padding past.  As we ran past, I felt incredibly light footed, as if everything had fallen into place and I could run forever.  It was really quite an exhilarating moment.  I hope that if I can continue to improve my distances in bare feet I will get that feeling more and more.

My feet were not at all sore when I got home.  The soles were warm and tingly (and remained so for most of the day), but as usual, I was amazed to look at them and see no visible signs of wear and tear, even though in places I knew I had stepped on some sharp stones.  My next run?  Well, I'm going to have to hit that 2 miles in bare feet, and then I'll be almost at the point I was before Christmas when everything else in my life went a bit pear shaped.

Further and further

I've managed to up my distance the past few days.

Yesterday, we ran through a local village, along a long and windy country lane.  I started in my TrekSports, and once we were on the lane, I took them off and ran barefoot.  My first experience of squishing in mud was encountered (rather nice), and we stopped to chat to a couple and their dogs, who acted like running barefoot was perfectly normal, and they didn't even acknowledge the shoes in my hand.

After 1.4 miles I rather relunctantly put my shoes back on for the main road, but I rather think I could have gone a bit further.  My feet had felt very comfortable without shoes.

Towards the end of the 6.5 mile run, I took them off once again, making a grand total of 1.95 miles in bare feet - a further to date.


Today we did a rainy 3 miler.  Again I started in my TrekSports, but they really rubbed in the rain, so taking them off was less of a risk than leaving them on.  In fact, it was a pleasure to remove them just under a mile before we got back, even though the ground was wet - something I usually find harder to run on.

Good progress then - it certainly helps having a supportive partner to encourage me to take off my shoes and not worry about what everyone thinks.

A lot going on

Well I've certainly made up for a poor start to the running week.  On Friday I went for my longest run for ages, wearing my Vibram TrekSports.  I did around 4 miles in them and they felt amazingly comfortable. I haven't worn these since February, and what I really noticed was that the soles are way thicker than my Classics.  I added 0.3 miles in bare feet at the end for good measure.  I think I'll be wearing these quite a lot in the colder weather.

Yesterday (Saturday) I dropped my son at his gymnastics class and got chatting to a fellow runner.  I told him I've been running almost exclusively barefoot or minimalist for some time, and he made my day by asking "Doesn't it hurt?" and "What if you step on dog poo?".  No-one has blatantly asked me these classic questions yet, so it made me chuckle.  When I got home, I tried my new Vivobarefoot Evo's for 0.8 miles, which I found really comfortable - just a slight bit of rubbing on the left big toe, but I think these will make a great substitute when barefoot's not an option, or for days when I'm keen to keep a low profile and look 'normal'!

Shortly after I had taken off my Evos off to run the last half mile barefoot, I was stopped by a passing driver who wanted directions.  I wondered if he wished he hadn't stopped me when he spotted my bare feet and shoes in hand, but to his credit he did not flinch or waver from his train of thought once.  To my own credit, I also did not flinch or look embarrased, but gave him clear directions to his destination and padded off.

Today (Sunday) I've run just over a mile without any footwear.  The weather is getting colder, and I thought it would be interesting to see how my feet fared on the cold pavement.  Air temperature just under 8 degrees Celcius, and the pavements were noticeably warmer on the sunny side of the road, but my feet coped admirably and have suffered no ill effects.  I did notice that the ground seemed more gravelly and ouchy today - I'm not sure if that was the cold or the fact that we've had lots of rain...

My OH graciously agreed to accompany me on this run, forfeiting his own pace to match my slower one, and I was very grateful for his company when a bus pulled up and offloaded it's passengers just as we ran past.  Pity there weren't any trees to hug I guess!

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)!

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!

Mid run barefooting

I departed from my usual route today and ran a 3.5 miles circuit through some country lanes in my VFF Classics.

Where I ran today - Image from Google

Just over a mile in, I took my Classics off, and ran barefoot.  This was a challenge because I'm used to the fairly well kept, smooth pavements around our housing estate.  This road was old, crumbly, gritty and dirty - a typical unkempt country lane.  It felt great though, my feet have definitely toughened up, and the gritty stones didn't bother me at all.  In fact, I think I had more discomfort from rogue stones when I was wearing the Classics.

Narrow lanes - Image from Google

Quite a few vehicles passed me when I got into the village area, including a work van which had to pull in to allow a bus to get through.  Both occupants were clearly discussing why on earth I might be standing there (letting the vehicles pass as it was very narrow) in bare feet, holding a weird looking pair of shoes with toe pockets.  They looked very confused!

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

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 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!

Day 3

After my wholly successful first day in my FiveFingers, I was surprised to wake up on Day 2 and find that my lower legs were really quite sore - just muscle soreness, not sore in a wrong way - but sore nonetheless.  I was rather pleased I had resisted the urge to go further.  So after a rest day, I've just gone out again and done probably just under a mile.

On this run I really noticed my lower calves getting a good work out.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say they feel like my arms do when I try to do a few press ups - a serious build up of lactic.  I've given them a good stretch now so hopefully they won't feel too bad later.

But it's interesting.  I've run 13 miles and not felt it in my calves, and these shoes are making them sore after less than a mile.  I'm definitely finding some new muscles!  I particulary loved the way my feet warmed up today after a couple of minutes.  My feet were freezing at the start, but after a quarter of a mile or so, they felt lovely and toasty, and it's nice to be able to wiggle my toes whilst I'm running.

My running style is naturally very different too.  I'm padding along like a big cat, running wholly on the balls of my feet and then springing off my toes - there seems to be a greater degree of forward propulsion.  This might be braking effect of heel striking that I remember reading about.  And I haven't been using my Garmin, so I may have been going much, much slower than usual, but it seems as if it's much less effort.  There's not a drop of sweat on me (TMI??? - sorry!).

So, second day in my fives and I'm still very enthusiastic.  Off for my jacket spud now!

My new Vibram FiveFingers

I've been running for about 4 years now, having completed a number of 10k races and two half marathons, my PB being 1:58:20 in October 2011.


For many of those years, I've hankered after a pair of Vibram FiveFingers.  Why?  It's a good question.  I've read many articles about barefoot running and footwear and I've seen the pros and the cons of this type of footwear.  Maybe it's the big kid in me that things it would be good to run without trainers, or perhaps it's because I've taken to heart the views that barefoot running (or at least running with minimalist footwear) can lessen the chance of injury and lead to better posture.  Most likely it's the fact that for the first year and a half I suffered with chronic shin splits, and I started thinking 'there must be a better way'.

Whatever the reason, last week, after months of looking at different websites, blogs and pictures, I finally ordered myself a pair of Treksports, size 38.

When they arrived, I could barely bring myself to open the box in case they didn't fit, or I didn't like them.  When I tried them on, they seemed quite tight, but everything I'd read said they should be a snug fit, and that they'd give a bit after a few days use.  In particular, I found the big toe seemed to pinch quite a bit and press down on my nail, which felt a little uncomfortable.  I also struggled to get my little toes in their pockets, because I have hammer toes, and my little toes squish round and press on the next toe in.

As suggested in all the stuff I'd read, I only wore my 'fives' round the house to start with.  I did brave the outdoors and wore them to the local shop to buy some bread (just a short car trip away) - I was worried that someone would notice them, and then a bit peeved when nobody did!  Today, a week after getting them, I went for a short run.  

Day 1

On the day of my first ever run in VFFs I felt quite apprehensive, partly because I didn't want to have to explain my rather odd footwear to anyone, and partly because I really didn't know how I'd get on with them (and it's a lot of money to take a chance on!).  I ran about 3/4 mile in total, just down to our nearest main road and back. I'd read that VFFs encourage you to run on the balls of your feet, and I did wonder whether this would be the case for me too.  Without any effort at all, I found myself doing just that, running in a considerably more forefoot running style - I don't think my heels touched the ground at all.  Whilst I could feel the ground - stones and lumps - they didn't dig into my feet at all.

As my short run progressed, I could feel the balls of my feet really warming up, and I also really noticed my lower calves and ankles were getting much more of a work out.  But it felt great, really much more natural than I'd anticipated.  As I returned home, I took a slight detour down a cul-de-sac because I didn't want the run to end, but then I erred on the side of caution and went home.  I was really tempted to go straight back out again, but told myself I needed to be good and not overdo Day 1 with my fives.