A Barefoot Breakthrough?

I've been running for a few weeks now roughly 3 times a week, around 3 k in the morning in my new Vibrams. It’s still early days but right off the bat, no shin splints, which is what I was hoping for, so far it’s looking like the option for me. That’s not to say I’m running pain free, I’ve found that these shoes are not a magic wand that waves the pain away, on the contrary. The first few days I was like bambi taking his first steps afraid of every twig and stone and even now my ankles feel a bit tender during my run from the hard road surface.

Still my confidence has grown and my feet are starting to get used to the shoes so the pace has picking up.

Granted the distance has been low and the pace steady but I figured this is the way to go until I feel totally comfortable in the new shoes.

That was until this morning and I discovered a whole new side to ‘barefoot running’, well to me anyway. There are people out there who may read this and say ‘well, yea duh. That’s what your supposed to do.’ But I didn’t figure it out until this morning, and that thing is running on your toes, and not only that but switching gears with different feet positions that either give your ankles a rest or your calves a rest mid run.

Before this morning I guess I did run on the toes a little but that was more to dodge broken paving slabs or hop up and down kerbs. But this morning I ran on flat, road until my calves were asking for a bit of a rest. So I switched my feet to running more flat, until the ankles were wanting their turn at a rest and so it went on.

So what benefit did this new running style bring to me?

The most important one of all. I got the enjoyment of running back. You know the feeling, where your out of breath and the adrenaline has kicked in.

For so long it’s been a morning grind on the streets before work, like running through treacle. The shoes helped a lot but I didn’t know that I was only using part of their potential. I wanted to get back the feeling I had when I used to run in the gym. The music on, your heart pounding through your chest as you try and hang on for the last 30 seconds after you’ve cranked up the intensity another couple of notches.

But out on the streets, especially in the dark mornings, I shied away from music in my ears fearing unheard traffic. And I thought that was it, that’s why the enjoyment had gone, because I couldn't fully let go and just run without being aware of traffic and kerbs and slippery manholes. But this morning it was a taste of what it used to be like and I didn’t need the music and now I just want to get out again, well after my legs have had a good rest that is….. After all it’s not like the shoes are a magic wand.