Minimalist Running
Some of you know that I have recently been doing some reading and experimenting with Minimalist and Barefoot running. This all started when over a year ago I started having issues with my Achilles.
I think I overdid it a bit. I was really enjoying my weight training and put together a program for legs that was meant to be brutal. It involved squats, dead lifts, leg extensions and curls, one legged dead lifts and more. I was really trying to put the hurt on. I attribute this sequence of lifts to a bad case of plantar fasciitis. For those of you not in the know plantar fasciitis is a really painful issue with the arch of your foot. Basically the tendons get worn out and you have a difficult time walking, standing, lifting etc.
After doing no lower body weight training for several months and only swimming for cardio my plantar fasciitis was better. But I was easing back into the running with a new pair of shoes. This pair of shoes was spectacular (not). I had gone to a running store here locally and they had looked at my gait and decided that for the first time in my life I needed motion stabilizing shoes. Fantastic! So me and my fancy shoes started running again.
Now keep in mind I am a fit 215. I have not had a body fat percentage test done recently but I would put it at 15%ish. So while I am fit I am still way heavy for running. So typically I like to run on a treadmill and I’ll run for 5-10 minutes and then walk a few. And most of the time I am not going over 2-3 miles.
Well my fancy smancy shoes did not help. I still had issues with my Achilles. It was a pain on my heel and up into my calf. I stretched it. I worked it with a lacrosse ball (a trick I picked up form http://mobilitywod.com). I even got some lotion with anti-inflammatory and pain meds in it and used that 3-4 times a day. This helped tremendously but still did not fix it.
Enter barefoot running… A couple of weeks ago I had a Doctors visit for my annual. My Doctor listened to my issues and said that I should give barefoot running a shot. I have been exposed to this for awhile as I have been reading up on the Paleo Diet and Crossfit. Both of those communities are full of people practicing minimalist running. And I would be remiss to not mention Lisa Wess (a coworker at EllisLab) that is really big into the minimalist running.
So I tried it. The first time barefoot running I was literally barefoot. The difference between barefoot and minimalist is a matter of having something like a Vibram Five Finger or just being plain barefoot. That first run felt like I was naked. It was a weird sensation running with nothing on my foot. Quite exhilarating actually. So I ran about 2 miles at a 10 min mile pace that first time…. and paid for it dearly. I was so sore the next couple of days. It was ridiculous. But I knew I was on to something. I was hurting in muscles that I did not know existed.
So I took it easy the next couple of times out. And when my family traveled to Destin Florida I stopped at a store there that had Five Finger shoes. These things look funny. But man they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever worn.
I’ve been running barefoot for a couple of weeks now and I love it. I feel stronger. I run with better form. My issues in my ankles and Achilles are clearing up (not completely gone yet). So I am a believer.
For those of you that are readers I would suggest reading Born to Run. It is a very interesting read and the author discuses some of the tenants of Barefoot running. It is not a boring read either. It is a story about some very interesting characters, one of which just happens to really love running barefoot.
Anyway, I’ll make sure to update as I can. I would love to be able to write a post in another month or so that says I am running 3 miles a couple of times a week and experiencing no pain in my Achilles. That would be awesome.
