The Barefoot Running Book - Jason Robillard [19]
On the following page are two sample plans that use this concept. The first plan is designed for a novice runner or a runner that would not be well-suited to quickly adapt to barefoot running. See “Factors that Affect Speed of Transition.”
In this case the novice is a middle-age man I’ll call Timmy, who has recently decided to start running. While in high school Timmy was an athlete but has since lapsed into a sedentary lifestyle. He wears shoes everywhere, as he has since childhood. It will be important for Timmy to start slow and spend extra time acclimating his feet to this foreign world without shoes.
Stage One—Pre-Running—2–3 weeks
Stage Two—Starting to Run Barefoot—3–4 weeks
Stage Three —Intermediate Barefoot Running—4–5 weeks
Stage Four—Advanced Barefoot Running—After 9–12 weeks
Janice is an experienced marathon runner in her mid-twenties. She has qualified for the Boston Marathon multiple times. Janice routinely spends a lot of time walking around barefoot, whether it be at home or at the beach. Lately she has been training on trails in preparation for an ultra-marathon. Since Janice has a strong background in barefoot activities and is young, she will not require the conservative plan Timmy required. The following would be an appropriate schedule for an individual such as Janice.
Stage One—Pre-Running—One week (to learn form)
Stage Two—Starting to Run Barefoot—2–3 weeks
Stage Three—Intermediate B arefoot Running—3–4 weeks
Stage Four—Advanced Barefoot Running—After 6–8 weeks
Regardless of the pace you set for yourself, it is important to follow the guidelines of only increasing distance by 10% per week or pace by 15 seconds per mile per week. This will prevent overuse injuries.
Pre-running
Before you run, you walk.
Learning to run barefoot or in minimalist shoes will put unusual stress on your body. After wearing traditional shoes for years, your lower anatomy is weak and unprepared to handle the workload of functioning in a way in which it was designed.
It is like wearing a cast for weeks or months. The underlying muscles atrophy and weaken. Because of this developed weakness, it takes some time to strengthen your body in preparation of running in a different way.
Also, other physiological adaptations must occur. The soles of your feet must adapt to the new-found freedom of feeling the ground under foot. Your brain has to reacquaint itself with interpreting the information being sent from sensory neurons in your feet. You have to develop some degree of foot-eye coordination and the habit of scanning the terrain you are walking or running through.
All too often, wearing shoes gives us a false sense of security. Thick shoes allow us to completely ignore everything surrounding our feet. It takes time to reawaken that spatial awareness. New barefoot runners often ask how to avoid stepping on broken beer bottles, hypodermic needles, or feces. Easy! You watch where you are going! This introductory stage will help accomplish these feats.
You may be tempted to jump into the actual running. Some people may be able to do just that. In the “Factors that Affect Speed of Transition” section, I discussed some of the factors that may allow some individuals to advance at a faster rate. Even if you believe you already have the skills and abilities necessary to skip this stage, I would highly recommend you spend at least a week or two contemplating the concepts and practicing the drills. It will better prepare you to progress through the more advanced stages.
You will be ready to advance to the next stage once you reach the following goals:
• Walk in place for five minutes without pain either during or after the activity.