Running further

Well I've been keeping up with the short barefoot runs at the end of my other runs, and I can feel my soles getting stronger each time.  My feet are starting to look much nicer - instead of dry and picky skin after months of wearing fluffy socks, the pavements are working like a pumice stone and my feet are starting to become presentable!

After a 5k last weekend, I dropped my shoes (Vivos) at the house, and then did 0.6 miles in bare feet around the block.

Yesterday, we did just over 6 miles.  I wore my Vivos most of the time, but in the middle, I took them off and ran shoeless for just under a mile.  My feet felt great, really strong.  There were some very tough gravelly areas to get through, where the pavements had deteriorated badly.  These were made up of hard packed gravel with lots of loose stones, and I found these really hard going, but it made the 'normal' bits of pavement seem easy in comparison.  I put my shoes back on a bit earlier than I would have liked because of these sections.

One thing I notice is that when I run with shoes, I survey the ground to see if it would be good barefoot running, and my estimation of how difficult a particular bit of ground might be is often more cautious than the reality - i.e. I think it looks rough, but when I'm actually in bare feet on it, it's not as bad as I anticipated.  Pavements with small bits of strewn gravel are much less of a problem to run on that you might think, as my feet seem to curve around small stones.  The most difficult ground I've done so far is the hard packed gravel, as it can have some very sharp stones in and there is no respite.

A few weeks ago I did a bit of grass running, which I've never done before.  That was quite good fun too, but slower than I expected - it's actually quite demanding to run on uneven soft ground.

Anyway, I've really fallen for my Vivobarefoot shoes.  They are a tiny bit on the small side (my left big toe just clips the end of the shoe from time to time), but the toe box is really roomy, the sole is much the same as my Vibrams, and they are brilliantly light to wear.

Long time no barefoot

Well it's been a pretty poor start to the year.  We were plagued with illness over the festive season, with my other half ending up in A&E with the start of pneumonia, and we all had coughs, flu, sickness etc etc.  Then we had the freezing weather, and running was hazardous to say the least.  Lastly, my mum's cancer returned with a vengeance and after a month of racing back and forth across the Severn Bridge, she finally lost her battle on Valentine's Day.

So running has taken somewhat of a backseat, though I have managed a few soul searching runs with my husband and dog.  For these runs I have stuck to trainers, simply because concentrating on something else seemed too much to deal with.

But over the last week I've taken to my old habit of removing my trainers for the last 0.3 miles of each run, and I haven't been disappointed.  Yes, my feet have softened up a bit, and the ground seems super prickly, but I don't think my form has suffered, and I've not had any worrying aches or pains.

So yesterday, I took the plunge and wore my Vivos for a 4 mile run.  I was a little dubious about this, because I'm very conscious that I've not put in the work in bare feet for a while, and the last time I made that mistake (ie running too far in minimalist shoes without the barefoot groundwork before it) I ended up with a stress fracture.

However, the run was absolutely great.  My feet felt very light (after wearing heavy trainers), I felt like I'd retained my barefoot form despite not having run barefoot for well over two months, and I really enjoyed it.  I did suffer a small developing blister on the top of my foot from the shoes - just another good reason to go without!

Today I did another 2 miles with the dog and wearing my Vivos.  For the last 0.3 miles I took the shoes off and let the dog carry one for me.  The blister formed by the Vivos developed and now I've lost a bit of skin on the top of my foot, but my soles are doing well and I'm definitely back in the game.  I hope that my mum is watching me from somewhere xx.

Barefoot Fun

On Sunday I repeated the route I did a few days ago through the country lanes and then across the M4 roundabout. A 4.5 mile run with 2.2 miles in bare feet all in.

This time though, I felt a bit braver, and I didn't avoid the staring eyes of all those folks waiting in their cars for the lights to change, wondering why on earth this woman was crossing a roundabout in running gear but with shoes in hand instead of on her feet.  Instead, I looked at their faces.

It was a great laugh, and my husband and I were thoroughly amused to see so many double takes and wide eyes.  For once, instead of feeling conspicuous and self conscious, I just enjoyed the moment.  It was a great feeling, and brightened my day.  I hope it brightened the day for those who saw me, running barefoot and laughing.

Gravel, twigs, stones and floods

After a mile or so in my Vivos yesterday, I came across a flood, going across the whole of the country lane I was running down.  I was at the point of taking off my shoes near there anyway, so it seemed as good a point as any.

It felt quite liberating to splash through the water - though I was quite wary of the fact that I had no idea what was under there, so my tread was very light.  The water was probably a couple of inches deep in places, and it felt very cold.

The remainder of the lane was quite difficult to negotiate.  As there had been water running across it, it was covered in debris - small stones, gravel, twigs, leaves, mud and even small branches.  It meant I needed to slow down the pace (even more than usual), but it certainly helped me concentrate on form.  Once out of the lane, I ran along a tarmac road, which I always find tougher if it's wet, but I continued on to the main road.

I considered putting my shoes back on, but with a bit of encouragement from my other half to just keep going, I did exactly that.  It wasn't that my feet hurt, just a mental barrier of running barefoot along a trunk route from the M4 into town.

The M4 rounadabout was a challenge.  It was made more pedestrian friendly just before the Ryder Cup in 2010, with the addition of small, firm gravel walkways between the numerous sets of lights.  In the past, I would not have even attempted these sections bare foot, but the stationary onlooking traffic is a great motivator, so I padded along and crossed over the roundabout in 3 places, avoiding looking directly at any of the drivers and passengers.

All in all, 2.2 miles in bare feet.  A triumph for me, not just because of the challenges of the terrain, but also overcoming the mental barrier of running in such close proximity to busy traffic and the public glare.

And my feet...  well, here they are:  A little muddy round the edges, but not a single scrape or cut.  Aren't feet brilliant??

Frosty, frosty, frosty

I woke up to a sharp frost today.  'Shoes it is' I said to myself.

Last night though, I read an article in the Barefoot Running magazine I receive via email.  It was about running barefoot in cold weather.  A few days ago, I went out in my VFFs with very cold feet, and it hurt.  My old stress fracture site ached, and my ankle just didn't feel right.  This article quotes Barefoot Ken as saying 'numb feet are dumb feet' - and this certainly rings true.

So, I opted for my Vivo Barefoot shoes this morning and set off.  After almost two miles, my feet were really toasty warm, so I took a route high up along some pretty country lanes, and I took my shoes off.

I intended to run around a mile or so, and put my shoes back on before hitting the main road again, but my feet felt great, plenty warm enough, my soles felt tough and strong, and so I kept them off all the way home.

I had a few odd glances, and my first ever look of complete disgust from a woman gardening, wrapped up in coat, hat, gloves and wellies.  But I'm really pleased, because I've just clocked my longest barefoot run (2 miles) and on the coldest day of the year so far.  Happy days.

Shoes? You must be joking!

Last night I went out to a charity dinner/dance.  It was just down the road (0.3 miles to be precise) so naturally we walked.  Well, I say 'walked'.  It was more a case of stumbling awkwardly along clinging to my husband's arm with my toes crushed into the front of my very nice, very high, but very uncomfortable high heeled shoes.

It made me think how strange it is that people wonder why I would dare to run barefoot and risk a foot injury, when here were close to 50 women wearing shoes which were just as likely to cause pain and injury, worn for longer than any barefoot run I've done, and whilst dancing of all things!

During the evening I was introduced to another runner by a friend.  We got talking, and she asked me if I'd run the recent Cardiff half marathon.  I explained that I hadn't because I've been mainly running in bare feet.  She then exclaimed "Ahh - do you run through the lanes near me - I've seen you!!".  For a moment, I felt rather famous (or perhaps I should say infamous!).  We had a laugh about it, and I had the 'does it hurt' question, to which I replied "not nearly as much as wearing these shoes does!".

On the way home, I removed my shoes and walked barefoot along the pavements in the dark.  I was wearing tights, and as a testament to my new found form and delicate footfall, there is not a single run or ladder on the soles.

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.