Author Archives: Barefoot Megan

Right now, I’m a poseur.  I don’t actually run barefoot.  My first marathon is in two weeks and as you’ll see below, I don’t know where I am in the shoe world-minimalist, full heeled normal shoe, vff, what?  Once that is done I plan to transition to full on bare footedness so until then, here’s some info on me:

Name: Megan

Age: 26

Years running: Consistently: 1.5.  Off and on: since I was 14 and did cross country in high school.  Back then I only ran a couple months in the summer and cross country season.  Long story short I was a slow and steady person, the type my coach hated.  It made me hate running a while but once I got out and did it just for me, I learned to like it again.

Typical weekly mileage: 25-35 (at the end of marathon training now)

Terrain: road, and the occasional grass

Non running barefoot experience: In the summer I am in flip flops 99.9% of the time.  Around the house it’s socks or bare feet, nothing more.  At work I have to wear steel toe boots about 9-10 hours a day (someone needs to invent barefoot steel toes).

Pre-existing injuries: About 8 years ago I was running on a trail and took a step that ended up being lower than I expected.  It really messed my hip up and for the next couple months I couldn’t run more than 3 miles without it hurting.  Since I started running again I’ve been pretty lucky though and haven’t had anything pop up.

Usual footwear: Either steel toes, flip flops, or running shoes.  Running shoes lately are water shoes that’re almost toast or VFFs.  I got some Puma K Streets for my marathon in a couple weeks (yeah I know it’s stupid to switch this close but I don’t think I’m up to 26 minimalist miles yet)

Foot strike: I think I’m a heel striker.

Why I’m running barefoot: Part of it is the common sense I see in it.  As one guy at work said, “Well we aren’t born with shoes on”.  And people in other countries go without them and you don’t see them wheeling around in wheel chairs or limping in pain.  The other thing is, I hate having “stuff”.  Anything I can do to get less stuff is fine with me.  In this case, it’s less shoes I have around the house.  Plus it’s cheaper.

Expertise: Absolutely none relevant to the running world.  I’m a mechanical engineer at a casting plant so…I can tell you how to make something from molten aluminum and sand.

I’m still alive…barely.  Sunday husband and I ran in the Go St. Louis full.  Despite living out in the boonies and running hills all the time I bonked. But we finished!! So I’m taking the week easy and plan to do a couple miles barefoot Friday or Saturday.  Right now, it feels like every time I take a step someone has pliers and is ripping my toe nails off (I’m even more scared that they’re going to fall off-I’ve never lost a nail from running but there’s always a first).  This grosses me out, but makes me look forward to my first real barefoot run even more.  I feel ok, but at work it’s starting to show I’m worn out.  I’m nodding off in meetings, can not stay focused for the life of me (partially because some of these meetings are boring.  The kind that could be done in 10 minutes, but take over an hour just because either people don’t know what’s going on or like to hear themselves talk)

So before the race, I had a huge problem finding something to run in.  I ordered some K-street pumas and they were super tight in the toes.  I went to a couple shoes stores and just broke down and got some Nike Eclipse NM shoes.  They flex a lot more than normal shoes which is nice, but no where barefoot.  The real kick in the face on these were that in one store they were $30 on clearance but none in my size.  We went across the street and by miracle they had the same shoes…for $60.  Not wanting to drag the husband around shoe shopping anymore, I said forget it let’s get these and go.  I felt like such a smuck but really, compared to most the shoes out there ($120???) these were still a steal.  Next day I went for a 6 miler in them and every step I took felt like someone was zapping me in the arch of my right foot.  Over the week the pain went away thankfully.  At the race, I didn’t see anyone in Vibrams but husband said he saw a couple which was surprising but cool.

In closing, I lose my barefoot virginity in a few days and will post about it on the internet.

I’m way behind on this thing.  After the marathon, I took a couple weeks off/easy just to recover.  Two weeks after the race, we had a local 5K that I ran in VFFs.  Since the race I’ve run in my VFF’s all the time except for a couple runs where the ball of my foot started to hurt, which switched to my Frees for those runs.  My plan is to spend the next 19 weeks training for another marathon-Lewis and Clark.  I’m hoping to do it all in VFFs or water shoes (finely crushed gravel is the last 13 miles).  VFFs are already getting a hole in them, and dang it they just don’t feel as comfortable anymore.  Plus the smell…oh my gosh.  I left them in the locker room (I run at lunch when I can) after running and at the end of the day went to get my stuff.  I walk over to pick them up and start wondering what the heck is that smell?  Throw my shoes in my gym bag and get to the car only to realize holy cow it’s my shoes.  It really wasn’t a problem until I wore them during a slight rain a few weeks ago.  Ever since then they’ve smelled like a wet dog.  Soaking in vinegar helped but there’s still a little foot stench to them.

Total weekly miles: 19

Running sessions: 5

Total barefoot miles: 1

BF sessions: 3 (lose the shoes the last .25-.5 miles)

Surface: asphalt

Runs in minimalist shoes: all

Weather: 85-90 with 70% humidity

Feet condition: right foot is perfectly fine.  Left…I’m getting a nice sized blister on the edge of my second toe.  I keep focusing on how I push off and notice that my left foot kind of twists every step.  They’re definitely getting more rough though.

Overall I’ve noticed my right foot feels great barefoot.  My left one I just can’t figure out.  I’ve tried ignoring it and letting nature take its course, I’ve tried slowing down, speeding up, focusing entirely on lifting…still working on this one.  I’m still in the early phases so maybe it’ll get better with time.  The only comments I got this week was from couple AM’s at work.  “So I saw you running in like, some little slipper things.  Those weren’t real running shoes.  Doesn’t that hurt your foot?” My answer was something along the lines of well, no they actually feel pretty good.

Total weekly miles: 33

Running sessions: 5

Total barefoot miles: 2-getting myself to stop towards the end and take my shoes off is tough.  I’m at the point I just want the run over with and adding another couple minutes to it due to slowness and dodging cars/rocks isn’t appealing.

BF sessions: 3

Surface: asphalt

Runs in minimalist shoes: all

Weather: 85-90 with 90% humidity

Feet condition: Less blisters but left foot still weird.

Yesterday on my long run, I stepped on a little 1″ wide plastic loop (the kind used to bundle things).  It got caught in between my right foot toes and as I went to take a step, my left foot caught in it.  I hit the ground and just rolled to my side to try and soften the blow.  I managed to scrape my palms pretty good and there’s a 5″ gash down my right leg from sliding on the gravel.  To top all this off, it was on the busiest street in town in front of some church/cheerleader girls holding signs for car washes.  As I ran by them they were laughing and one just goes “Oh that’s so terrible”.  It was one of those moments where you know they’re talking about you but can’t do anything about it.  Vibrams hole is getting bigger and I’m liking them less and less every day.