Ditch your trainers
To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes - “People have been running barefoot for millions of years and it has only been since 1972 that people have been wearing shoes with thick, synthetic heels”
I've had a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Sprints since late 2007, and am going to post a bit of info of what it was like to adjust to them.I'm assuming you're familiar with the theory behind barefoot running -- if not, here's a quick rundown. The 'conventional' running action with padded shoes involves extending your leg, striking the ground with your heel first and trusting the padding to absorb and distribute shock. As there's little-to-no padding on barefoot running shoes, trying to land on your heel hurts; you quickly adapt to landing gently on/around the ball of your foot, assuming a much more relaxed posture. The mechanics behind this are (purportedly) more natural: as you touch the ground your legs are much less tense and the shock tends to flow into your leg muscles in a much less jarring motion that's kinder on the knees and shins.
Barefoot running with the feet-gloves that are the fivefingers definitely bought something fresh into my running routine, and I've not looked back since. They feel pretty liberating, and the best way I can describe the feeling is a childlike sense of running around and playing on grass without shoes. You feel the ground you're running on -- from dirt tracks to pavements to paths to fields. There's a connection there.I've also not had any running injuries that hampered me with previous sets of trainers: no more shin-splints, sore knees or ankles. At the start of getting used to barefoot running, I had very sore calves for a while, but that quickly passed as I paid more attention to my running style, and took things a bit more easy.Anyway, I'm not going to evangelise further on barefoot running or Vibram shoes, instead I'm going to give some tips for those starting out barefoot running:- Relax, relax, relax.
- Don't push off from the ground, rather, concentrate on lifting your thighs and moving with your hamstrings.
- Don't aim to balance on the balls of your feet. You're not running on tip-toes, and that's going to put insane strain on your calves. Instead, get the general area of the top half of your foot to land first; almost flat-footed is fine.
- Aim to tap the ground with your feet about 2-3 times a second, as if your feet are going in a circular motion, and passing by the ground. It's like you're incidentally propelling yourself along with gentle touches to the ground.
- Keep hips relatively low, legs relaxed, leaning slightly forward. If your calves start to hurt, then relax more.
- You will get sore calves as your feet and leg muscles get used to the new style of running. Stick with it, and don't overdo it.
Here are some interesting related articles:
As for UK stockists, well, there isn't a single official one. Instead, you have a few importers out there such as Barefoot Junkie and Naked Ape. I got mine from barefootjunkie back when they were about £80, but with the pound being so weak they're currently up to £98 which is nothing short of extortionate! Probably cheaper to get a US-stocked pair on ebay and get them shipped.
