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Month: February 2011

Correct barefoot running form – avoiding top of the foot pain and tendinitis

First let me tell you my story with barefoot running. I attempted to migrate to minimalist shoes twice and failed. The first time I was a victim of the too much too soon. I didn’t limit my mileage and started off running 5-6 miles. As a result, I had pain on the top of my foot. I don’t know if it was a mild stress fracture or just tendinitis. It’s not like I’m unaccustomed to running in minamalist shoes! I have been using racing flat for several years, why was this transition so difficult for me??? I have run two marathons and done plenty of trail running, I’m a strong runner. Right?!? WRONG. I was in so much pain that I actually put the five finger shoes away and was unsure if they would ever see the light of day. The issue was my form but I’m getting to that.

The second time was after I purchased a pair of the Mizuno Wave Universe 3s.

This is an incredible shoe, it’s actually lighter than the vibram KSO. My thought was that it was the perfect blend of a racing flat and a minimalist shoe. Since they were like a racing flat only lighter I shouldn’t need to worry about hurting myself, right? WRONG AGAIN!! These shoes have a very low heel and I still didn’t adjust my form to absorb the shock. Just like the first time, I was struck with pain. It was the same location, on the top of my left foot, right below the toes. I couldn’t believe it, what was I doing wrong?

The Answer!
This video opened my eyes to some of the issues.

Practice these exercises and take note of your form. If you have access to a treadmill, try completely removing your shoes, and go for a brief run. I was still pushing off with my forefoot, and I wasn’t lifting my knees. Another common mistake of runners new to barefoot is trying to run on the forefoot only. It’s a combination of both forefoot and mid-foot that helps absorb the impact. You need to LIFT YOUR KNEES, not push off your forefoot. This was the big mistake I was making. You need to bend your knees, but not too much. Like he says in the video it’s 50% elasticity and 50% muscle action. The combination of poor posture and too long of a stride also wasn’t helping my cause. You need to increase the amount of steps you take as you transition. This was also very different than traditional shod running. With this new information in mind, I’m now working on the problems that caused injuries. My hope is that, with this next season of running, I’ll increase my efficiency and prevent injury all while enjoying my fun minimalist shoes. That’s what I hope at least… I’m still dealing with some calf soreness as I change my form, but I’m taking it slow this time.

Post in the comments your experience with barefoot running. Let me know anything you’ve done to help the transition.

The cold weather sucks!

This has been a pretty crappy winter. It seems like just after the snow clears we get hit again with a few more inches. This has made it extremely difficult this year getting into a training routine. I really don’t know what I would do with myself if I had nice weather 365 days a year. Yes, I know I can run outside in the snow/cold which I did for the first time a few weeks ago. It’s fun but I never really feel fully comfortable, I never seem to warm up enough to enjoy it.

I’ve been hitting th treadmill with two different workouts in addition to just doing a longer 5-6 mile run. I’ve been doing two different types of intervals.

1) Warm up for 5 minutes. Run for 2 minutes at an elevation of 2, then every 2 minutes increase by 2.
2:00 – 2

2:00 – 4

2:00 – 6         at 5k race pace. Rest for a few minutes then repeat.

2) Warm up for 5 minutes. Sprint 30 seconds at fastest pace you can handle. Recovery pace for 1 minute. Repeat 8 times.

These seem to work well along with some of the P90X workout routines. Let me know what treadmill workouts you prefer in the winter. Post in the comments below.