The Barefoot Running Book - Jason Robillard [32]
This sharpens your ability to move your feet to the clear areas based on your mental map. It also sharpens your ability to adjust your body weight when you do step on something.
Concept—Increasing Speed and/or Distance
Learning the art and science of barefoot running is an exercise in patience. While the basic form required to run injury-free is fairly intuitive, mastering the form takes time—something that can be disheartening to the new barefoot runner. Let’s say a conventional runner is accustomed to running a certain weekly mileage or regularly runs at a fast pace. This is not possible when learning to run barefoot.
When transitioning, some may opt to continue their shod running. While this can be a good pacifying strategy for the inner competitor, new barefoot runners will eventually cross a threshold where running in their old shoes will be uncomfortable at best; injurious at worst. Often at this critical time a new barefoot runner will question their decision to run without shoes. They may have been an accomplished runner but now can only muster short, slow distances barefoot.
The progression of speed and distance is very slow when beginning barefoot running. Finding a form that works well for you can be difficult requiring considerable time and patience. Once found, the buildup of mileage is slow as your body acclimates to the new style of running. Bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments need time to adapt from the time they were imprisoned in the foot coffins (thanks again for that analogy, Barefoot Ted). Run too far or too fast and you will likely develop soft-tissue injuries, such as the dreaded “top of the foot” pain or worse, you may develop a stress fracture.
It is critically important to go slow while learning and adapting. It is necessary to exercise patience to learn and adapt. This period can range from annoying to frustrating to downright depressing. It will feel as if you will never regain your old speed or distance. Don’t worry, there IS light at the end of the tunnel!
Once you find a form that works for you AND you allow your feet, ankles, legs, and the rest of your body to adapt to the feeling of losing the shoes, you will be free to increase both distance and pace. You still need to exercise caution and follow reasonable guidelines, but the rate of improvement is NOT linear. At some point you will find yourself running longer and/or faster, finally running more weekly mileage because you are less prone to injury—without the anchors tied to your feet.
If you were a runner prior to starting this journey, you WILL recapture your previous abilities. It just takes patience. Like the tortoise and the hare. The hare may get out of the blocks faster, but the tortoise always wins.
Issue—Puncture Wounds and Cuts
Puncture wounds and cuts are two of the inherent dangers of barefoot running. Though not as significant as some anti-barefoot running naysayers claim, the danger is real. I have been running barefoot for thousands of miles on all types of surfaces, in all weather conditions, at any time of day or night. In all that time, I have stepped on only approximately five thorns and one glass sliver.
This danger is easy to minimize. As I have discussed before, simply watch your path. Almost all potentially dangerous materials are easy to spot. In the event you do step on something, your body’s reaction will minimize the likelihood of driving the object into your foot.
Glass is a common fear. This is understandable… it’s sharp! In my experience, most glass found along roads or sidewalks is surprisingly dull. If the glass has been exposed to the environment or traffic, the sharp edges will almost immediately be ground to a harmless edge. Of course,