Running Press

News and articles from Running Training Plan

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Week 16

  • Total weekly miles

 7.8 miles.

  • Number of running sessions

3.

  • Total weekly barefoot mile

0 miles.

  • Number of barefoot running sessions

0.

  • Running terrain

Mostly flat, one steep hill, on a mixture of pavement and grass.

  • Ground surface of barefoot runs

N.A.

  • Runs in minimalist shoes, e.g. Five Fingers.

RunAmocs on all 3 runs.

  • Weather for barefoot runs (rain on road?)

Not barefoot, but I had some problems this week in my RunAmocs.  I’ve got the “street” soles on mine, which is basically a smooth piece of rubber with no grip or tread.  When it’s dry, or when I’m running on pavement or road, it’s fine.  However, read more

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Marathon training: long run nutrition

The long run, such a vital part of marathon training. It is the one training session that prepares us most effectively for the challenges that we’ll face on race day. Most coaches will say that the long run is the most important training session for marathon preparation.

But, how do we prepare for the long run?
Obviously, we want want to complete it. So, just like marathon we are training read more

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Yasso 800s for marathon: a valid session?

There’s nothing radical in this session, it was defined back in 2001 by Amby Burfoot of Runners World. So why are we looking at it here? Well, it certainly has its merits, but there is also a degree of misunderstanding, possibly leading to false expectations in the marathon — and we know where that can lead.
Amby liked it because of its simplicity and seemingly its accuracy; this is read more

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Great advice about barefoot running

There is plenty of ‘advice’, about barefoot running now. Whilst it is easy to find, it is very hard to sort out the good from the bad, and hence, what is a sensible approach to barefoot running. A very large portion of the directives fail in one vital aspect: the fact that we are all different.

Our survey is clearly telling us that there is a huge variation in the success or otherwise read more

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Week 15

  • Total weekly miles

 6.9 miles.

  • Number of running sessions

3.

  • Total weekly barefoot mile

0 miles.

  • Number of barefoot running sessions

0.

  • Running terrain

Mostly flat, one steep hill, on a mixture of pavement and grass.

  • Ground surface of barefoot runs

N.A.

  • Runs in minimalist shoes, e.g. Five Fingers.

RunAmocs on all 3 runs.  Again, just too cold to go barefoot.  I kind of doubt I’ll be able to go barefoot again till Spring now.

  • Weather for barefoot runs (rain on road?)

N.A.

  • Condition of skin on feet — hotspots, blisters

Good.  No side-effects of wearing my RunAmocs so far. 

  • Interesting/amusing comments received during the week: e.g. ‘You’ve got no shoes on!’

Nothing.  Like I said last week, with my RunAmocs, I have something on my feet, whether they look like trainers read more

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Barefoot Running Survey – some interesting figures emerging

Firstly, a very big thank you to everyone who has completed the survey so far.
With over one hundred respondents recorded so far, we have the beginnings of some very useful data.

Here’s a taste:

  • 75% barefoot runners are male
  • Average age is 35
  • 65% of the barefoot miles run are on the road
  • nearly half of barefooters are running in the 8.30-10.00 min/mile speed band
  • most prevalent pre-existing injuries (before running barefoot), are to the knee
  • 60% of barefoot runners have had to cut back or moderate their barefoot running
  • 30% of barefoot runners say that barefoot running has caused injury (calf pain and top of foot pain being most prevalent)
  • 40% of barefoot runners say they now run faster, with 17% saying they have slowed
  • 86% of existing orthotic users say that they no longer use them since running barefoot or in minimalist shoes

There is plenty more data, and all of the above will have to be put into context by the other answers that have been given.

Have you tried running barefoot or in minimalist shoes?
If you have, and read more