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.
Hands up, I admit it, I ignored the warnings and was far too ambitious.
I thought I would run half my normal distance around The Downs but felt fine, so carried on for more than three miles. Around two miles in I could feel padding on my left foot that shouldn’t be there – a certain fluidity on the pad beneath the toes. It was the beginnings of a very big blister and soon was accompanied
Total weekly miles: 9
Total BF miles: 9
Barefoot Sessions: 3
Terrain: Trails and asphalt, a little bit of the gravel madness.
Weather: Rainy and cool week.
Condition of Feet: Morton’s Toe patches are flaring up again, even with the BF orthotic I have been using. Some aching also in the 4th and 5th metties.
Comments: First comment: ‘Det er tuft å springe barfot!’ ‘It is tough to
A 2 week spell with only 6 runs and just 2 short barefoot runs.
Resting after the relay and trying to recover in time for the Redcar Half Marathon just a week later. A reasonable run at Redcar reverting to running in Inov-8 Roclites. Lately I have been running in Asics Cumulus to lift the heel a little and protect the Achilles. Two days later and I cycled 15 miles to our local all-weather track
Weekly Summary – Week 1
Total distance about 25 miles, over 4 runs, mainly off-road, hard grass, stone paths, trails, some pavements, mainly sunny and dry
2 miles barefoot, 1 run, grass, gritty paths (hardest surface to run on), pavement and cobbles, sunny and dry, sore pads but no blisters
3 miles in Vivo Barefoot minimal shoes, 1 run on pavements, tender pads
The day after my first barefoot
Total weekly miles: 11
Running sessions: 4
Total barefoot miles: 1 Took my shoes off with a little over a mile to go. It was 86 and 430pm. The ground was so hot I had to put them back on before getting home they burned so bad. Even the shade was hot. Bit of a disappointment but oh well.
BF sessions: 1
Surface: asphalt, grass, gravel
Runs in minimalist shoes: all
Foot is feeling remarkably better, though I can tell when I’ve pushed my limits and have been on it for too long. I’ve been letting my foot breath out of my ace bandage hard sole footwear, giving the muscles a good massage, stretch and a little light muscle workout (toe curling and uncurling, toe spreading). Hoping for a solid recovery and am ever so anxious to get back out there for