Running Barefoot

Comment from Barefoot Ken Bob
Time 2009 November 22 Sun at 7:05 pm

Start first, with just standing barefoot, and flexing your feet, then gradually, start walking. If you feel pains, it’s time to stop, and rest, or try changing the way you are moving.
more info:
http://runningbarefoot.org/?page_id=9#plantar-facsiitis

and
http://runningbarefoot.org/?page_id=455

Comment from Barefoot Patrick
Time 2009 November 22 Sun at 9:57 pm

There is no set guideline, you really have to feel things out and see how your feet are doing. When I started actually running barefoot, I had to go less than a quarter mile at a time and keep working on technique before going further.

Barefoot Ken Bob gave you some really good links to read up on, I’ll address your question about sand though. If you are trying to learn to run barefoot on normal surfaces then running on sand will not get you there. If you just want to run barefoot on sand alone, then that’s fine, but your feet may act up and you won’t learn to improve your technique at all because sand is so forgiving.

If you want to learn to run barefoot properly, you will need to start on something fairly rough, this way you can pay attention to the problems your feet are having and change your form to a gentler style.

Having soft, comfortable things to run on like shoes, sand and grass lets us cheat and pound the ground extremely hard without realizing it.

Comment from buckethead
Time 2009 November 23 Mon at 2:24 pm

The “Trigger Point Therapy Workbook” has been phenomenal for me over the years.

http://www.triggerpointbook.com/plantarf.htm

Comment from invisibleshoe.com
Time 2009 November 24 Tue at 2:45 pm

I didn’t have plantar facsiitis, but I did have some serious posterior tibialis issues that went into my foot.

Running barefoot on the bike path made a BIG difference for me within about 2 weeks (I agree with BP… running on softer surfaces leads to bad form).

No promises for you, obviously, but I just wanted to share my experience.

Comment from Linda S
Time 2009 November 25 Wed at 7:35 am

I have read most of the links. Thanks. I will run on sand for a bit… which is the only time my feet don’t hurt. I have been practicing on our wood floor. It always hurts. I have a 17 pound little baby named Iris. I carry her all day and that hurts but I can’t stop of course because she is too sweet. I have had prolotherapy, cortisone, accupuncture, chiro, rolfing, physical therapy, orthodics, and now wear the MBT shoes. Nothing helped at all except icing and heating my feet and stretching them with a ball. I have lost ALL the weight and am now only 125 pounds so that’s not it either. PF gives me a headache all the time!

Anyways… thanks and I’ll give it a try.