Barefoot Running

My new obsession? Learning to run barefoot. I spent about an hour last night watching videos on youtube about how to run barefoot. The "traditional" running shoe is actually terrible for posture, feet, knees, you name it. The heel hits the ground first when running in sneakers. However, since humans have spent millions of years running barefoot, maybe there's something to it! I have a pair of vibram 5 fingers, although I'm not sure the style I have fits me properly. My new pair is waiting for me on Cape Cod, so I put on my old pair and went to the gym.

"How to Run Barefoot" has some great videos on Youtube about getting into barefoot running. Another great video is The Barefoot Professor. This video shows the proper form, which is to land mid-foot. It's hard to imagine doing that, but I checked my form in the mirror at the gym and I seemed to be doing exactly that. My heels didn't hurt at the end of running, although both achilles tendons seem a little tight - I wonder if that's from where the vibram hits.

The C25K program increased to 1.5 minutes running, with 2 minutes walking in between for six cycles. So the running only increased one minute total, but that's good because barefoot running needs to eased into in order to build callouses on the feet. I mostly go barefoot at home anyway, but I'm obviously putting more pressure on my feet when running. Another great tip I gleaned from the videos is to pick up my knees when I run barefoot - so you run almost upright while picking up your knees, rather than leaning into the run.

My father has told me many times that when he ran track back in the 50s, he was taught to land on his midsole and use the heel to push forward after. I honestly couldn't figure that out, because of sneaker cushioning, but now that I've seen barefoot running and tried it myself, I finally get it. You were right again, Dad.