This writer recently received a couple of E-mails from a friend, runner Laura Bailiff, who, amongst other things, extolled her exuberance and experience of recently beginning to run "barefoot." Her messages were so interesting which i thought you want to hear what she has to say about them. First, though, here are a few explanations why some runners took to running sans athletic shoes:
Research indicates that wearing shoes takes more energy and that typically it's possible to run 3% faster running barefoot compared to 12-ounce shoes, for example.
One study demonstrated that barefoot runners use 4% less oxygen.
In January a Harvard scientist published an article that concluded that running without shoes could be less impactful. Further research is required to determine whether this could lead to fewer injuries.
Landing around the forefront from the foot (barefoot running style), instead of the heel, is the natural way humans should run.
Running barefoot is FUN!
Now, here's what my friend Laura needed to say regarding the subject.
"All goes well with me and I continue to run just about every day. I have done four ultra's now but have pretty much settled into the marathon distance. I will do an ultra or two per year but it just takes a lot training some time and keeps me away from home too much. With one daughter soon to obtain married and another a little way behind (twins), I like staying closer to home. I have been doing alot of barefoot running lately...actually not completely barefoot but in my Vibram Five Fingers. I recently did the Maui Oceanfront Marathon inside them and I am loving the barefoot feeling...plus my times have improved when running barefoot. It's so much faster and I often hear this from other runners who are using the shoes. The surprising thing is, I have had no foot or knee problems with any kind and I feel better than ever before running more natural. Before trying this, I did alot of research and I really believe barefooting is actually better. It is the way we were designed to run. I did not wish to go completely barefoot as there is a definite problem with glass, nails, and other road hazards, but the Vibrams do protect the feet. Obviously you still have to be aware of your running surface watching the ground...something we ought to be doing anyhow. Here is a pic soon after finishing The Maui Oceanfront Marathon last month."
"Two weeks later I took another place age bracket 55-59 in the Death Valley Trail marathon., although I did that one in regular running shoes. One thing about the Vibrams is that you simply do have the rocks underfoot, so they are not good for technical trail or gravel. I'll be doing the USMC at Pendleton in April and the OC Marathon in May within the barefooters. They do take some getting used to along with a gradual buildup in them, as you are using new muscles to run this way."
"As I said, Used to do quite a bit of research on these crazy shoes before choosing them, since they are expensive. They run about $75-$100. vibram.com includes a very good website, although a bit hard to travel through. I additionally searched online for people's opinions that had run inside them for longer distances. I am virtually always barefoot anyhow so my feet are rather tough to begin with, to ensure that could make a positive change regarding how quickly I adapted to running within the Vibrams. They suggest a gradual build-up on the mileage in them and that's so not me...and so i just use them and went out and did seven miles in them the very first day. Funny you need to mention Chi-running as some of the articles I read, mentioned this.
I started doing the work just as an enjoyable alternative and now I rarely run in regular shoes unless I absolutely have to. They are especially great in grass and even feel great when they get wet. No blister issues at all when they are wet and that i can't say that about regular shoes. After i have gotten them especially dirty or muddy, I simply put them on in to the shower to obtain them clean. They're also machine washable and you just hang these to dry. I've not had them of sufficient length to determine how long they hold up compared to my Aasics...time will tell. I run within the Sprints i own the slip on's without a strap. Both of them are great and you can run in almost any of them. Be mindful."
Laura
There isn't much that i can add. One thing: Abebe Bikila didn't run that Olympic marathon barefoot as a planned strategy. It turns out when he got to the Games, the running shoes which were readily available for him didn't fit right and weren't to his liking, so he decided to run barefoot like he did back in his home country.
If you're considering running barefoot, do your research like Laura did because you can stress the achilles and calf muscles should you choose too much too soon or don't adjust your running technique adequately.