News and articles from Running Training Plan
Between July 2009 and April 2013 we ran a project here that welcomed runners to document their experiences of running barefoot.
Twenty six people participated, some wrote only an intro and maybe a post or two, others contributed more detailed reports. One in particular, Soul Man, wrote 74 entries on his journey into running barefoot.
There is no doubt the Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run, created a huge interest in barefoot running and a major shake-up within the running community, from beginners, to coaches, to shoe manufacturers. Whilst much of the hype has now diminished, the legacy has been a re-evaluation of what it means to run naturally. These posts in this section provide a glimpse into the lives of just a few runners who tried it.
6/6-12/6
Total weekly miles: 14.9
Number of running sessions: 3
Total weekly barefoot miles: 14.9
Number of barefoot running sessions: 3
Running terrain: road (my regular trail) and grass
Ground surface of barefoot runs: mainly road
Runs in minimalist shoes: vibram five-fingers kso
Condition of skin on feet: nothing special
Interesting/amusing comments
Here’s another one of those interesting stories to encourage frustrated plantar fasciitis sufferers; there are treatments that are not aligned with conventional ideas.
Stumbled across your barefoot experiment via the Runner’s World forum. Great stuff!
Anyway, I have a good neutral running style and I’m a forefoot striker…
I picked up Plantar
30/5-5/6
Total weekly miles: 17.5
Number of running sessions: 4
Total weekly barefoot miles: 17.5
Number of barefoot running sessions: 4
Running terrain: road (my regular trail) and grass
Ground surface of barefoot runs: mainly road
Runs in minimalist shoes: vibram five-fingers kso
Condition of skin on feet: nothing special
Interesting/amusing comments
23/5-29/5
Total weekly miles: 19.8
Number of running sessions: 4
Total weekly barefoot miles: 19.8
Number of barefoot running sessions: 4
Running terrain: road (my regular trail) and grass
Ground surface of barefoot runs: mainly road
Runs in minimalist shoes: vibram five-fingers kso
Condition of skin on feet: nothing special
Interesting/amusing comments
16/5-22/5
Total weekly miles: 19.8
Number of running sessions: 4
Total weekly barefoot miles: 19.8
Number of barefoot running sessions: 4
Running terrain: road (my regular trail) and grass
Ground surface of barefoot runs: mainly road
Runs in minimalist shoes: vibram five-fingers kso
Condition of skin on feet: nothing special
Interesting/amusing comments
9/5-15/5
Total weekly miles: 12
Number of running sessions: 3
Total weekly barefoot miles: 12
Number of barefoot running sessions: 3
Running terrain: road (my regular trail) and grass
Ground surface of barefoot runs: mainly road
Runs in minimalist shoes: vibram five-fingers kso
Condition of skin on feet: nothing special
Interesting/amusing comments