Introduction

My name is Bev and I’m 42, (for a little while longer at least!)

I started running 8.5 years ago, but took a year or so out within that time to have my son. He has just turned 6, so I guess I have been running consistently for 5.5 years.

Currently I’m running about 40 miles per week. I’d like to do more, but life is a bit too busy for that at the moment. Most of my runs are on the road, but I do try to get off road at the weekend. Over the winter, I was running on the running track once a week.

Since my pregnancy, I have suffered with lower back problems which impact on my running. For the last 2 years I have been suffering with retrocalcaneal bursitis in my right foot and, more recently, my left. Some running shoes clearly aggravate the problem – others make it more bearable. Last summer, I introduced some barefoot running into my schedule in an attempt to combat these problems. I didn’t get very far, but tried to run the last mile of every other run in bare feet. What I did notice was that barefoot running eliminated the pain in my heel, (ever present when running in shoes!) If it wasn’t for my appetite for running fast, I might’ve done more, but barefoot running does slow me down.

Although I spend all of my time at home with bare feet, I haven’t managed much barefoot running over the (very long) winter! I managed a couple of laps of the running track on one or two occasions, but that’s all. Last week, however, I re-introduced barefoot running into my schedule.

Watch this space!