Running Barefoot

I got my first pair of Vibram FiveFingers three years ago and have bought two more pair since then, so you know I'm a fan of minimalist shoes. When I first got my VFFs and started running in them, I did too much too fast. One time, after a 5-mile run in my VFFs, I wore high heels all night at a banquet. It was too much for my feet and I got a stress fracture that really flared up a week later. I went to a podiatrist and he told me to stop running in my VFFs. So I did and continued to only use them for crossfit and other sports. Now I'm increasing my running volume training for the Indy 500 Mini Marathon and I'm finding that my knee injuries are coming back and I'm just not liking running in my normal running shoes. They feel stiff the and upper hurts the top of my foot (I have a high instep). Actually, I switched from my Brooks to my Nike FlyKnits because the upper is thin and doesn't hurt my foot. I'll run the half in my Nikes.

Now I'm considering going back to running in my VFFs and doing it right this time. The Vibram FiveFingers website has tips on running "barefoot" and even a training schedule (below).

I've already completed the first two steps because I've been wearing my VFFs and New Balance Minimus for crossfit (and other things) for a while now. Therefore, I'm ready to move in to running and increasing my VFF running distance by 10% each week. I decided to start with 2 miles last week, and I made a schedule increasing this run by 10% per week (below).

It's a huge coincidence that this schedule ends at 26.2 miles on the week of October 7th because the Chicago Marathon is October 13! So, if I follow this schedule, I could be ready to run the marathon in my VFFs. This would be really great and I'm willing to try it.

For more information about why barefoot/minimalist running is good for you, check out Podiatrist Dr. Nick Campitelli's Running Blog.

Do you run or workout in minimalist shoes?