photo credit: jiaren on flickr

I decided to hit barefooting hard this summer and am doing most runs barefoot, and then some in FiveFingers. I haven’t worn “real” shoes since I crossed the finish line at Zumbro, and I’m having a blast! I have had a few blisters here and there when I took the pace up too fast, but for the most part no problems whatsoever.

I had my real test last week when I carefully packed my running supplies to run home from my son’s lacrosse game in Coon Rapids – hydration pack, S! Caps, food, TP, map, etc. – and then left it all at home when we left in a hurry. I was so bummed when I realized this at the game! But then I got to thinking… I had put my running shorts on under my clothes for an easy change afterwards, and I had worn my Garmin. I had a phone, wallet, and sandals – did I really need anything more? No! So I kissed wifey goodbye and hit the pavement barefoot for 18 miles home. I carried my sandals to put on for buying aid in stores and chowed my way home. The pace was slow and my feet were pretty tender when I got home, but it was an exciting experience to go that far barefoot. No blisters, cuts, etc. No sore muscles, joints, etc. I had been waiting to clear 30 miles before signing up for Sawtooth, but after that run, I’m all in!

My summer is also filed with cross training and I love it. A lot of people say there really is no cross training for running, but I believe otherwise. I think anything balance oriented is great cross training. I have been hitting the wakeboard (no crashes this year), and doing a bit of yoga.

I also picked up an Indo Board and am loving it. It’s way more interesting to me than the bosu ever was, and it looks cooler! Its been hard to get the hang of it but I’m up to doing 15 uninterrupted full squats now. Next up – hanging 10!

However I was reminded yet again that running minimal is not without its risks.  My achilles was a bit sore at the beginning of a training run last week and rather than going shorter or easier, I went all out for a 7 miler – bad call.  Stretching your Achilles Tendon gradually and safely is probably the most important change that happens when you start running minimal or barefoot.  You have to carefully increase distance and pace, as is often preached in marathon training.  The difference is that you are much more impacted by the changes.  Anyhow, I’m still resting a few days and my AT is feeling better and better so I will be back at it in no time.

I still like my New Balance 790s and will be wearing those some of the time.  I will likely still race in these at Superior.  But Feelmax, huaraches, and Vibram FiveFingers are the staple diet for me.

Another amusing change that happens when you run minimal is that your feet get bigger.  It’s a combination of letting them get more stretched, building muscles, and increases the pads on the soles (soles are not tougher from barefooting, just thicker).  I’m glad I ordered a larger pair of 790s awhile back, because my toes are bumping the front of my current pair where I used to have room.  As your toes spread, FiveFingers also get much easier to put on.  Many people say they initially had to struggle into them, but after a year or more they are able to slip into them standing up.

I love it – I might have to drive some screws into my Pegasus.  Like Matt, I would probably scratch the tar out of the wood floors I so carefully sanded and finished at some point.

I’m also imagining some double-layer huaraches with some kind of small, flathead spikes going down through the bottom layer for the winter-traction-barefoot-experience.  Might experiment a bit.