After deciding to run barefoot, I did a little bit of research on the internet on how best to approach it. I ordered Barefoot Ken Bob’s book, “Barefoot Running Step by Step” and started searching the internet for more information. All the advice I found (from Barefoot Ken Bob’s website, Jason Robillard’s Barefoot Running University, the US Runner’s World barefoot running forums, plus Graham’s own website) suggested that the best way to transition was to start small. So I added a half-mile barefoot run on the end of my usual 4 to 5 mile route. I felt a bit of a dope running along holding my trainers in my hands, but running barefoot felt really good. My foot strike changed immediately to a forefoot landing and it just felt a lot more effortless. I stopped after half a mile and put my trainers back on for the rest of the run home. My feet felt good, I’d run on quite rough pavement, so they felt like they’d had a vigorous massage! There’s no other way to explain it really.
A couple of days later, Ken Bob’s book arrived. I devoured it, especially the form guide, then I went out for another run to try and put the lessons into practice. I ran pretty much the same route as before, a 4 to 5 miler, with about a half mile of barefooting at the end. I think this was a mistake. I was concentrating on changing my form to what Ken Bob recommended, while wearing my trainers. All the advice states that you shouldn’t do too much barefoot at the start, but nothing about lowering your mileage in trainers when you’re trying to change your form. The day after this run, I had pretty severe top of foot pain (TOFP) and couldn’t run for a few days. The barefoot run itself was only half a mile, so I think the pain came from forcing myself (in my thick-heeled trainers) to forefoot strike over the 4 or so miles preceding it. The cushioning in my trainers obviously wasn’t thick enough to protect me from such a rapid and complete change in form compared to my usual heel-strike and my feet, unaccustomed to the pounding on the fore-foot, paid the price.
This was about 3 weeks ago now. I went out for 1 more completely barefoot run about a week after my TOFP developed, but decided to take more time off to rest after the pain flared up. Once the pain went, I spent a week following some foot strengthening exercises reccommeded by Barefoot Ken Bob and Jason Robillard (barefoot running on the spot, picking things up off the floor with my toes, walking outside barefoot, etc.) preparing to return to running. This is now my first week back, starting (as I should have!) completely barefoot with very short runs! Wish me luck!
Another great example to illustrate how easy it is to do ‘too much, too soon’ when starting out running barefoot.