- 2 mile run (medium downhill grade) in Vibrams @ 8:15 avg pace
- turned around, walked to rest my feet, then jogged the last mile @ 10:36
- corework
My thoughts on barefoot running:
Hmm...today was my 2nd true run with the Vibrams and I am surprised at how much I enjoy running in them. It's different than I anticipated, but in a good way. I thought it would take longer to get used to, but it feels very natural and liberating. In trying to explain it to James, I said "it's like driving a stickshift versus an automatic...there's so much more control and I feel much more steady. It's also like driving a racecar versus a Hummer...I can hug the road like nothing else!" (he's always talking about tires that can grip the road and hug the turns!) I've had to run in thick shoes with orthodics for so long, but when I'm in my Vibrams, my feet get to feel every part of the terrain and my body automatically knows how to react...it's kind of wild and hard to explain. The biofeedback is pretty strong, but it took me a little while to pick up on it because it's so automatic and it just feels like running. The differences are very slight, but the more I thought about it while running, the more I felt the differences and the more I loved it. During the last part of my run, I was noticing my back felt different and then I realized that my core feels constantly engaged without me even trying (as well as my legs) and everything feels aligned perfectly...it feels good! My feet land differently as well. In shoes they just land on the outer mid/forefoot which I think causes a lot of problems for me (not to mention my shoes are already worn down on the outer edges and they are less than a 100 miles!), but without shoes I use all of my midfoot and all of my toes, so there's more control and balance invovled. It's actually less jarring to my body than running in shoes which seems counter-intuitive, but I guess you really do land softer without even trying to. The body just takes over and it's fun!
I don't know what other runners experience, but I don't really have to think about how to run barefoot and it doesn't hurt...even going over rocks. I can feel everything I step on, but the Vibrams have just enough protection that it doesn't hurt at all. That said, I do have a few blisters already because my skin isn't tough enough to withstand the increased friction. My calves are also very tight, so I have been rolling them extra long and I'll be suckering James into using the Marathon Stick on my calves tonight when we watch TV before bedtime. =0) My achilles feels great though! It's almost like the increased tug and pull from the lack of heel lift actually strengthens it and stretches it. But I know that can become too much of a good thing, so I'll just keep being careful while I wait for my skin and my calves to catch up.
Hmm...very interesting indeed!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/92210501 | 