Minimalism rules to live by (guest post).

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Is Minimalist Running for You?

If you are into running at all, youā€™d have to be living under a rock to not know that barefoot running is a huge trend right now. For some itā€™s a scary prospect. For others, itā€™s the only way to go.

Iā€™m not going to get into the debate, although I will say Iā€™m a believer in the virtues of barefoot running. That said, barefoot running can be a slippery slope if you donā€™t do it correctly. I should knowā€”Iā€™m currently nursing stress reactions in both feet. But once Iā€™m healed and back to some normal mileage in my shoes, Iā€™ll be letting my skin hit the pavement again.

Because I have a vested interest in this both as a coach and a runner, Iā€™ve done lots of research into how to go about safely using barefoot running to enhance your running. Hereā€™s what Iā€™ve learned:

 

  • Go slowlyā€”and by slowly, I mean really slowly. You canā€™t just ditch your shoes and become a barefoot runner. You need to ease into this experiment because youā€™ll be using different muscles than youā€™re used to.
  • Strengthen your feet firstā€”that means simply walking around barefoot as much as possible to get your feet ready. When you canā€™t be barefoot, try a minimalist shoe, like the Merrell Pace Glove, Kigo, Vibrams, etc.
  • Try completely barefootā€”itā€™s the best way to learn. Your feet send your brain important messages that help you self-correct on form.
  • Start out barefoot, run a short distance, then stick your shoes on. This will train your body for proper form that will carry over to your shod runs.
  • Relax! Donā€™t over think your form. By simply ā€œgoing with it,ā€ your body will serve as your guide.

If you follow these simple rules, learning to run with better form will be yours. But be prepared for it to take a whileā€”as much as a year. With patience, however, your hard work will pay off!

 

Amanda Loudin is a runner, writer, running coach, and mom well familiar with the trials of juggling it all. She has been running and competing in triathlons for 14 years now and still considers herself an evolving student of endurance sports. She loves to interact with other fitness fanatics on her blog, MissZippy1.Ā 

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Comments

  1. Well, as Carla knows, I have major feet issues & walking on carper hurts me! I have found running shoes that allow me to run & exercise but before I found them, I was on my way to having to almost stop. I was changing my gait with running & walking due to the pain so thankful I found my Hoka shoes & they let me run & exercise. Barefoot running will not be in my future for sure. I will say this – I wonder if long term it may lead to probs like I have… the breakdown of the feet due to no cushioning. I don’t know enough about it but just something to think about… plus the strain on the joints….

    Glad you are enjoying it – to each their own! šŸ˜‰

  2. Because of you MissZ I have started to run a little further out on my out and back runs and then taking my shoes off and walking all the way back to the car when the run is over to strengthen my feet.

    I have also gotten rid of the bigger sneakers even on longer runs and have been running in my Brooks T6 regardless of the distance because I plan on getting into Newtons eventually but also because having such a minimal shoe puts me closer to barefoot.

    Will I jump into the barefoot realm? I don’t know but I will never say never.

  3. Great points. I can’t stress enough the “go slow” part. I found that in addition to needing to take it slow as far as distance goes, I also needed to really focus on my form to the point that even when I was running, I was going really slowly. I’ve been working on this for over a year and am FINALLY feeling like my form is becoming automatic.

  4. Excellent guest post, MissZ!

    You have inspired many to consider the barefoot route. I’m sorry that you learned the hard way how important it is to transition slowly, but I do believe it WILL turn out for the best in the end. Look how much you have learned – and shared with others – in the process!

  5. I really really want to master barefoot running. I’m convinced it’s better. And yet… it’s really painful. I know I just need to do it more. Thank you for the tips!

  6. Another good thing to try is hiking barefoot. I’ve found that to be a good way to augment my feet conditioning. The biggest hurdle is breaking the stigma that being barefoot is somehow bad for you. Nice post Miss Zippy!

  7. Thanks for all the great comments. As to the Hoka shoes and the concern that we need all that cushioning, I would respond that shoes like that take us so far away from the ground and serve to weaken the feet. Many injuries start with a weak foundation. Simply spending more time barefoot, not even running, is good for the body. Give it a try!

  8. Amanda is a great source of running experince. It seems like there is very little she hasn’t experinced herself. She is open to trying new things which many of us find difficult to do.
    Her advice to go barefoot slowly and allow your body to relearn what it knew as a child is spot on! Although we might have learned to walk and run quickly as a baby, it takes a while to undo all the years of incorrect form after wearing shoes!

  9. misszippy, you misunderstood me. I never said all people need the Hoka shoes or cushioning for that matter. What I said is that they are the only shoe I have found that allows me to work out now that I have no fat pads on the front of my feet – all gone – I guess due to so many years of exercising and just the way my feet are. No, I absolutely can’t walk barefoot very far & working on that will not help my problem unfortunately. Only an appt. in the doc office will help my prob but too much money right now.

    For me, I had joint issues, especially the hip when my feet went bad & I still tried to run & work out but once I got the Hokas, & I used them for a while, I am back to feeling good again.

    So, just like you think barefoot is good – it is not for all & when people have certain problems, all the barefoot walking or just sitting is not going to solve it… I am barefoot at home all the time but that has not helped at all. Actually, I went barefoot a lot as a kid – in fact a lot of the time as I grew up back east & in smaller towns.

    My issues right now requires medical help & the Hoka shoes have been my savior.. otherwise I would not be working out. Honestly, I love them & like everyelseg esle, to each their own.

    As I said in my original comment, I am glad you enjoy the barefoot running but it is not for all… many love it & can do it. It is just not something I can or want to do based on what has happened to my feet.

    Like anything else, plenty of people saying the Hoka shoes have made all the difference in the world for them & then on your side, barefoot running advbocates say it is the greatest thing for them.

    To each their own.

  10. i sometimes run in my vibrams, but not as often/regularly as i should! it would be interesting to see a study of how playing barefoot as a kid effects your bones later in life – i’ve been lucky to have healthy feet thus far (and hopefully it stays that way!) but grew up running around barefoot on hot pavement in the summer (this is south carolina, redneck country!). i wonder if that helped give me a base…

  12. A suggestion for making that transition easier – look for a biofeedback insole like Barefoot Science that will come in contact with the central region of the foot’s plantar aspect. Proper development also comes from the proprioception and biofeedback that we can truly only realize with direct foot-ground contact – anything between the sole of the foot and the ground and the ground is a sensory insular and does not afford ideal biofeedback. Look for an insole that engages the footā€™s center of mass. This is also the bodyā€™ line of action through the foot and also the location that ensures true tri-planar (3D) motion of the foot ā€“ coincidently is also a very nerve engorged region. Progressive stimulation about the key point can help make the transition faster and safer: Summary ā€“ glad to see people moving towards a more ideal foot-shoe environment and glad to see someone taking the time to through some education to those who are simply jumping on the barefoot bandwagon.

  13. Been in the “business” of running since 1971 and still at it thanks to shoes and orthotics. Could I have run mountains in the monkey feet when I was in my 20s. Sure probably. But time takes it’s toll-it’s not for everyone. Most people I see wearing these things should not be running PERIOD until they lose about 20 pounds. Can’t wait to see where this goes in the next five to ten years. It’s not “new”-the Tarahumara came to my hometown in the 70s to “show us how to run”. They shuffled along in our 15K here and didn’t get many follower from the people that were there to really RUN and RACE! Just wishi I was a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon ’cause I would be rolling in dough right now!

Trackbacks

  1. […] And all of those injuries so many runners are constantly battling?Ā  It’s because the one thing we hoped would make running easier – heavily cushioned shoes – leads us to run in a way that is counter to the way we’ve evolved to run.Ā  McDougall makes the argument that we were better off when we ran in minimal shoes, or even better, with no shoes at all. […]

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