The Official Running thread!

[thicknavyrain]

Found a new thread of interest. Not much to contribute at the moment but I need to add this to my vanity list.

I run every other day, about 5K, and on one of the weekend days I run 8-9 miles. In theory I'm training for a half-marathon but I'm not increasing my distance much. I think I need to go buy a product or two so I can carry water while I run. When it's hot I don't feel like running too terribly far without having water with me (and the wife isn't willing to ride her bike with me to be my mule).

I went from mostly doing 5k runs and then attempted a 10 miles run...it wasn't too bad. Then after another 10 a couple of weeks later, I attempted a half marathon and I was surprised at my own being able to do it. Now I'm back to doing 5ks but hopefully will get a 3/4 marathon done in the summer...

[Zapheod]

Speaking to carrying water while running.. I went with:

http://www.amazon.com/Amphipod-RunLite-Size-Small-Waist/dp/B002PAALEI/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1277308103&sr=8-25

The water containers are very easy to get in and out, plus you can pull some off if you only want to carry 2. It made a world of difference when I was training for my marathon and kept me from getting dehydrated on the long push days. I use it now for almost all my runs because there is no downside to having water readily available.

[SurgicalSteel]

What do you guys who do trail running do with stuff like your phone, keys, etc when you're running? Leaving them in my car isn't really an option. This seems like a pretty good solution, what with the little pocket that would be perfect for a key, a phone and a granola bar, but I was wondering if anybody had any other thoughts. Thanks.

[michaelyw]

This isn't the exact product I have (they stopped making it, I think) but it's the same idea:
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/NTN136/

Mine's big enough to carry keys, "lip stuff", id, and my cell phone (in a ziplock to keep it sweat-free).


Lately I've been getting depressed seeing other people out running. I hurt myself two weeks ago and my calf is still healing.

[trebor]

Ran 6km today around our beautiful lake (dried up paddock ) for our school lap of the lake competition, came 19th, 27 something mins, very happy with the result!

p.s woo! no longer the slowest member of my family to have ran the lake......now it's my 12 year old cousin....that's right...I'm celebrating beating a 12 yr old.

P.P.S, A girl in our school CAN RUN! 14 yrs old, ran 21.10 for 6km, smashed the old female record and she's got 3 more years of school left! WTF?

[Bright Shadows]

Bluh. Ran a 5K today after a few weeks of being out of track and instead changing back to longer distances on my own. I wasn't expecting a drop from my PR or anything, but more than a minute gain stings. 24:03.


Good job on the 6K, trebor.

[clumsy_culhane]

Yayyy! I've been having shin problems (shin splints) for last 6 months or so, and after getting a new physio, and doing what he says, I'm finally running without pain The last month I've been running mostly on grass or gravel, but I did 10.7km yesterday, mostly on asphalt, and today no pain from the shins Time was alright too, 47 or so mins.

[Patman]

I ran my first marathon last Sunday in 3 hours 24 minutes, my 21.1 km splits were coincidently identical. My entry was quite a spur of the moment thing as it's winter here and miserable, I've been lucky to get out for one or two runs a week. My running preparation could have been much better but on the flip side it was my first race that I've entered without any niggling injuries which is completely awesome. I've been keeping fit with a lot of BJJ and hot yoga.

I can still feel the race quite nicely, especially in my calves. I've been walking down stairs backwards (protip.)
Any way I'm quite excited by it and I'll certainly be doing more, I have to catch up with DuckShirt

[trebor]

I ran my first marathon last Sunday in 3 hours 24 minutes, my 21.1 km splits were coincidently identical. My entry was quite a spur of the moment thing as it's winter here and miserable, I've been lucky to get out for one or two runs a week. My running preparation could have been much better but on the flip side it was my first race that I've entered without any niggling injuries which is completely awesome. I've been keeping fit with a lot of BJJ and hot yoga.

I can still feel the race quite nicely, especially in my calves. I've been walking down stairs backwards (protip.)
Any way I'm quite excited by it and I'll certainly be doing more, I have to catch up with DuckShirt

Awesome job man! One thing I want to do in my life is enter a marathon and complete it! Such an acomplisment to do. I've never had the oppurtunity to do one though that fits in with everything else (don't wanna be wrecked for days after while trying to do other sports you see...) Well done again, to keep your splits even too is great!

P.S. Did you hit the wall? or did you keep constant?

[Patman]

Thanks Trebor
I'll feel much better about my next marathon where I plan to go all out. Envisage sick guts and crutches next time I finish

P.S. Did you hit the wall? or did you keep constant?

The second half was certainly tougher but no "wall". I had the powerade every stop(and walked while I drunk as to not swallow any air), and consumed 4 leppenz gels. The gels are unbelievable, the perfect sports food.

[femtometer]

I'm in the Army. Running fast is part of my job's requirements. For the life of me, I cannot run fast. I work out five days a week, usually running about three of those. The runs end up being 2-5 miles each on a fairly even plain. I can keep up a jog the entire time, it's just always very slow, around an eleven minute mile.

The problem is, I have to run a 19:36 two mile. I cannot get it. Seriously. I've been trying for over a year and I just can't get it. I wake up early and run bleachers. I'll go after class and run up and down this steep hill down the road. I run distances to try to work on endurance. Two miles just kills me. I want it so badly and I just feel like I can't physically run any faster.

About a half hour ago I ran my two miles in 20:24 so right now I'm feeling all shitty and the like. Any tips? I really don't think it's my gait, I've made vast improvements on that since I joined last March.

[michaelyw]

I'm in the Army. Running fast is part of my job's requirements. For the life of me, I cannot run fast.

You're running longer distances than you "need" to, so shorten them. Run one mile as fast as you can. Do fartleks. Do wind sprints.

It sounds silly, but the way to get faster is to run fast. Your training regimen sounds like you're just running further/longer at the same pace.

edit: I need to learn how to reread my posts before hitting Submit.

[duckshirt]

Envisage sick guts and crutches next time I finish .

Wow, a 3:24 where you actually controlled your pace is a sure sign of fast races to come. Especially on 2 days/week of training, you must have had more in you if that didn't totally wreck your body... good luck next race!

Also, for people who live in Europe, I just wanted to remind you that you easy when it comes to weather . I have been totally caught off guard by how hot and muggy it is in Michigan since returning a couple weeks ago.... And it was so cold when I left.... [okay, /whining]

[Patman]

Envisage sick guts and crutches next time I finish .

Wow, a 3:24 where you actually controlled your pace is a sure sign of fast races to come. Especially on 2 days/week of training, you must have had more in you if that didn't totally wreck your body... good luck next race!

Cheers Ducky! Like I said, I've been keeping up the BJJ and Hot Yoga. Not running specific training but still good for cardio. The stretching obviously excellent for the legs.

Also, for people who live in Europe, I just wanted to remind you that you easy when it comes to weather . I have been totally caught off guard by how hot and muggy it is in Michigan since returning a couple weeks ago.... And it was so cold when I left....

I love heat but summers in Aotearoa are much drier I guess. How does the mugginess affect you? Any events coming up your way?

[fooliam]

I was a 200/400 runner in highschool and college. But training for those kinda sucks, so I mostly just run 3 or so miles a day (working back up to 5-6 miles a day).

[fooliam]

I'm in the Army. Running fast is part of my job's requirements. For the life of me, I cannot run fast. I work out five days a week, usually running about three of those. The runs end up being 2-5 miles each on a fairly even plain. I can keep up a jog the entire time, it's just always very slow, around an eleven minute mile.

The problem is, I have to run a 19:36 two mile. I cannot get it. Seriously. I've been trying for over a year and I just can't get it. I wake up early and run bleachers. I'll go after class and run up and down this steep hill down the road. I run distances to try to work on endurance. Two miles just kills me. I want it so badly and I just feel like I can't physically run any faster.

About a half hour ago I ran my two miles in 20:24 so right now I'm feeling all shitty and the like. Any tips? I really don't think it's my gait, I've made vast improvements on that since I joined last March.

Don't just go out and run long distances. do some interval work, and some fartleks.

For your interval work: warm up with a 1 mile run. Then run 5x800m (800m ~ 1/2 mile), with 4 minutes rest in between each 800m. Run those 800m intervals in roughly 5 minutes to start with. Cool down with another 1 mile run. So your workout will look lilke this: 1 mile run, 1/2 mile @ 5 minutes, 4 minute rest, 1/2 mile @ 5 minutes, 4 minute rest, etc, until you get those five 1/2 mile runs done, then another mile cool down, then stretching. After you do that whole workout, if its too easy, start by speeding up the time of the 1/2 mile segments while maintaining the rest. This will do a lot for your ability to run fast over a distance.

The second workout you can do are fartleks. These are a lot like intervals, except you don't stop running. GO out at about 12min/mile pace. Every two minutes, increase your speed to about 80% of your max sprint for around 30 seconds. Then run at 12min/mile pace for two minutes, then 80% max sprint for 30 seconds. Do this for the entire duration of your 3-5 mile run. It's gonna be a hard workout, but it'll also be very effective at increasing your speed.

[Bright Shadows]

I really don't think it's my gait, I've made vast improvements on that since I joined last March.

It might be your gait. No, seriously. Explanation is spoilered so my post isn't as obnoxiously long.

Spoiler:

If you need a 19:36 two mile, and you've been running a year doing hills and endurance and the betweens, it probably isn't physically beyond you. Since it feels like it, you might be losing efficiency somewhere. That might be from your steps.

Try to examine how you run. Make sure you're getting your knees up and bending, your ankles are pushing you off, and that your arms move at the shoulder. Move your arms via the shoulder as far as you can sustainably.

I know it sounds like silly advice, but examination like this really helped me drop time when I was running track. I wasn't getting my knees high enough, amongst other things, and it slowed me down a lot. When I fixed my stride, my 100m time dropped around a full second. Note that I had been running for 3 years and no one had noticed my stride was off. People can't see easily what muscles you're using to propel yourself; that's why you need to be the one examining your steps. You can feel the difference.

If you've done a self-check on your stride already, my bad. It's just something that helped me a lot. If you haven't but feel your strides are okay, well, I'd still encourage you to try it.

ALSO (yes there's more):
If you have time, as in 'month or more', there is an effective but recovery requiring workout I run every now and then that you might try. Again, spoilers are for obnoxious length reducing.

Spoiler:

Just go run your normal run as fast or slow as you want, but do some of it on your toes, as in 'the ball of my foot is the only thing touching the ground'.

*Don't run a long way at once on your toes. If you have a watch or something during runs, use it, and avoid going longer than 2 minutes at a time. Follow the toe running with four to five times as long of a jog at your normal pace. This is sort of like a fartlek.

*If you feel your lower legs getting tight at all, either stick to regular running from there, stretch and see how it goes, or stop. If it continues, stop. That's the first sign of reaching your fast-recovery limit. You want to brush that limit, not cross it.

*Rest the day after. Don't run, or just do an easy mile.

*Cooldown running is very, very important. Unless you have to stop due to leg tightness. Then, cooldown walking will have to do, but do it right regardless.

Ideally, this helps build ankle and lower leg strength quickly, but you can't over-do it or that quick building will get stopped when you can't walk straight for a few days. (That literally happened to me when I tried a full workout on my toes and didn't cool down properly. Took 3 weeks for the ache to leave.

[fooliam]

I really don't think it's my gait, I've made vast improvements on that since I joined last March.

It might be your gait. No, seriously. Explanation is spoilered so my post isn't as obnoxiously long.

Spoiler:

If you need a 19:36 two mile, and you've been running a year doing hills and endurance and the betweens, it probably isn't physically beyond you. Since it feels like it, you might be losing efficiency somewhere. That might be from your steps.

Try to examine how you run. Make sure you're getting your knees up and bending, your ankles are pushing you off, and that your arms move at the shoulder. Move your arms via the shoulder as far as you can sustainably.

I know it sounds like silly advice, but examination like this really helped me drop time when I was running track. I wasn't getting my knees high enough, amongst other things, and it slowed me down a lot. When I fixed my stride, my 100m time dropped around a full second. Note that I had been running for 3 years and no one had noticed my stride was off. People can't see easily what muscles you're using to propel yourself; that's why you need to be the one examining your steps. You can feel the difference.

If you've done a self-check on your stride already, my bad. It's just something that helped me a lot. If you haven't but feel your strides are okay, well, I'd still encourage you to try it.

ALSO (yes there's more):
If you have time, as in 'month or more', there is an effective but recovery requiring workout I run every now and then that you might try. Again, spoilers are for obnoxious length reducing.

Spoiler:

Just go run your normal run as fast or slow as you want, but do some of it on your toes, as in 'the ball of my foot is the only thing touching the ground'.

*Don't run a long way at once on your toes. If you have a watch or something during runs, use it, and avoid going longer than 2 minutes at a time. Follow the toe running with four to five times as long of a jog at your normal pace. This is sort of like a fartlek.

*If you feel your lower legs getting tight at all, either stick to regular running from there, stretch and see how it goes, or stop. If it continues, stop. That's the first sign of reaching your fast-recovery limit. You want to brush that limit, not cross it.

*Rest the day after. Don't run, or just do an easy mile.

*Cooldown running is very, very important. Unless you have to stop due to leg tightness. Then, cooldown walking will have to do, but do it right regardless.

Ideally, this helps build ankle and lower leg strength quickly, but you can't over-do it or that quick building will get stopped when you can't walk straight for a few days. (That literally happened to me when I tried a full workout on my toes and didn't cool down properly. Took 3 weeks for the ache to leave.

The mechanics you're talking about are helpful, but the mechanics necessary for sprinting are considerably different than the mechanics of distance running, so while that advice would be good if he were trying to cover a short distance quickly, it might not help that much.

[femtometer]

I'm in the Army. Running fast is part of my job's requirements. For the life of me, I cannot run fast.

You're running longer distances than you "need" to, so shorter them. Run one mile as fast as you can. Do fartleks. Do wind sprints.

It sounds silly, but he way to get faster is to run fast. Your training regimen sounds like you're just running further/longer at the same pace.

Sorry for the late reply, but that is actually quite brilliant advice.

I've started incorporating more sprints and speed drills into my workouts as much as I can, although most of our exercise is determined by higher powers. I have a friend who's gonna be getting me to do quarter mile "sprints", and working up the distance with the goal being an 8:00 mile.

I've sorta done that fartlek thing (I gotta look up the etymology of that word...) on the treadmill before, I'd like to work on that as well. I just keep making myself go faster and faster until I'm in a full on sprint and I can't breathe anymore and then I take a walking break. Rinse and repeat about four or five times.

About the gait analysis: I've really loosened up my upper body over the past year. I used to run all bunched up but I've mostly eliminated that. I've been told that I run in a straight line, like I'm running on a tight rope, but I really don't know how I can change that.

[Bright Shadows]

If that tightrope running is particularly pronounced:
Stretches may help if you're running like that because of your muscles' conditioning, but less so with habit. Hip and groin stretches, I'd think, would be the ones to focus on.
Running in strange ways seems to be my advice a lot I guess, but it is a useful tool for altering habitual steps. Try running with your legs specifically apart for a bit.

Don't sweat it if your feet are more than like 2-3 inches apart on landing.

[fooliam]

I'm in the Army. Running fast is part of my job's requirements. For the life of me, I cannot run fast.

You're running longer distances than you "need" to, so shorter them. Run one mile as fast as you can. Do fartleks. Do wind sprints.

It sounds silly, but he way to get faster is to run fast. Your training regimen sounds like you're just running further/longer at the same pace.

Sorry for the late reply, but that is actually quite brilliant advice.

I've started incorporating more sprints and speed drills into my workouts as much as I can, although most of our exercise is determined by higher powers. I have a friend who's gonna be getting me to do quarter mile "sprints", and working up the distance with the goal being an 8:00 mile.

I've sorta done that fartlek thing (I gotta look up the etymology of that word...) on the treadmill before, I'd like to work on that as well. I just keep making myself go faster and faster until I'm in a full on sprint and I can't breathe anymore and then I take a walking break. Rinse and repeat about four or five times.

About the gait analysis: I've really loosened up my upper body over the past year. I used to run all bunched up but I've mostly eliminated that. I've been told that I run in a straight line, like I'm running on a tight rope, but I really don't know how I can change that.

Running increasingly faster for as long as you can than walking isn't really the same idea as a fartlek. You're probably fatiguing yourself too quickly to get any real result from doing that. Instead, pick an easy pace. Run that for 5 minutes. Then run at a pace ~20% harder than that pace for 2 minutes. Rinse and repeat for the duration of your run. As you get in better shape, increase the fast pace duration to 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off.

[duckshirt]

Also, for people who live in Europe, I just wanted to remind you that you easy when it comes to weather . I have been totally caught off guard by how hot and muggy it is in Michigan since returning a couple weeks ago.... And it was so cold when I left....

I love heat but summers in Aotearoa are much drier I guess. How does the mugginess affect you? Any events coming up your way?

Well, it always has slowed me down... I think it's something I can work on but for some reason I just always run much faster in the 40-degree races late in the fall. Since the marathon this spring, I did a 10k a month later, a half-marathon in Germany a month ago, a 5k the day I got back in the US, and a 4.5 mile on the 4th of July. None of them were very fast, due to the heat, and I still feel out of shape, but I'm working on it, I guess... Next race might be a week from Saturday, but I won't be ready for anything major for a while. I'm also trying to bike a little more seriously.

[Midnight]

Do good shoes really help? cause I've been running 5 or so miles a week with a pair of monstrously beat-up vans that are over a year old. Conservatively I'd say I've RUN 50+ miles on them, and walked literally hundreds more.

I'm not really caring about it though, and I prefer to run barefoot anyways, cause human evolution is designed to run sans shoes. Furthermore, I realize that shoes aren't a magic bullet, but would I notice a vast difference in comfort (or even a small difference in speed/efficiency/comfort/whatever)?

[Dave_Wise]

Good shoes really do help. I did some damage to my foot, went out and got a decent pair for 50 quid, and it was like therapy for my feet! Felt soooo good.

I've been doing 400 metre repeats. My time is currently 1:30. How best do I bring it down, guys?

[Midnight]

what kind did you get? is it really worth it to get super expensive shoes compared to middle-of-the-road ones? do they last longer? work better?

[Gears]

More expensive doesn't equal better. Find some that work for you. Mine cost $40 and they've done me well. Might consider buying inserts for added support if you need it.

[fooliam]

Do good shoes really help? cause I've been running 5 or so miles a week with a pair of monstrously beat-up vans that are over a year old. Conservatively I'd say I've RUN 50+ miles on them, and walked literally hundreds more.

I'm not really caring about it though, and I prefer to run barefoot anyways, cause human evolution is designed to run sans shoes. Furthermore, I realize that shoes aren't a magic bullet, but would I notice a vast difference in comfort (or even a small difference in speed/efficiency/comfort/whatever)?

Good shoes might improve your mechanics, which could improve your energy efficiency and thus speed/duration. You also probably setting yourself up for injury, if you aren't already injuring yourself, by running in beat up old shoes. These might be acute injuries like blisters and sprains, or more over-use oriented injuries like joint injuries.

[femtometer]

19:56 this morning, so I'm damn close to passing. That's only two and a half seconds per lap that I need to cut off. I know I can do it, and so does everyone I run with. I just gotta get there.

[Bright Shadows]

I've been doing 400 metre repeats. My time is currently 1:30. How best do I bring it down, guys?

Some stuff to try:
Fartleks (try and make your dash a minute instead of 30 seconds)
Hills (long hills)
500m dashes (These are for your mental gain as much as anything but aren't lacking as a good physical preparation for 400s)
High Knee / Butt Kicker form drills (Yes, form again. It is even more important for short distances.)
Miles (Run a mile, not all out but so you would have a hard time talking, jog slowly for a few minutes, repeat)
50m dashes (90% a 50m dash, jog for 100m, repeat; at 5 50m dashes take a rest)
Ladders (50m - 100m - 200m - 400m -200m - 100m - 50m)

Note that I am talking out of what I've done that seemed to work, not what necessarily what works extraordinarily well for most people.

[michaelyw]

Yesterday I ran 9 miles.
The day before, I ran 5 miles.

Today I registered for my first half marathon (September 19th).

[nathan321]

As a student of running, I'd like to share some analysis. (I read all 10 preceding pages.)

Barefoot running is most popularized by ultra runners, who are jogging. Jogging is mechanically distinct from running--when you run, you need more padding than when you jog. If you're running on a non-soft surface, shoes are generally necessary to provide padding. Barefoot running is an effective supplement to build stabilizer muscles and/or alter one's gait. It should be approached with tedious caution, because it is relatively injurious. "Born To Run" was a great read, but the book should be considered biased.

If you're running for health the safest approach is to limit any increases in difficulty (speed or distance) to 5%. 5% applies to individual efforts and weekly performance. Once every month, a week of relaxed efforts allows for recovery. Running is ruthlessly efficient at burning calories and as cardio is especially helpful for brain functioning. Injuries are best avoided by thinking in terms of general/specific pain. If pain is occurring in one specific area, this is the main indicator of potential injury. Many running injuries are incepted over the long term, so specificity of discomfort can tell you if there's some detail that needs attention, ie. knees aching=need to build supporting muscles. When in doubt, stop running and challenge areas of your body that don't hurt.

Optimal gait varies. I imagine femtometer (the marine) might improve the 2-mile by shortening stride length, avoiding heel-strike, and increasing turnover rate, focusing on posture to preserve momentum.

[gayagone]

How many of you have swallowed a bug while running? If you open your mouth for a deep exhale, some unwitting bug goes right to the back of your throat and there's nothing to it but to swallow, cough, and keep running. Strange how none of my friends face this problem.

[michaelyw]

My half-marathon training continues! Last Sunday was my first 13 mile run (the only one before the race) and I completed it in under 2 hours. With a little luck and proper training over the next two weeks I might get my race time down to 1:45, or close to it.

The downside of all this training is that I'm tired all the time. My rest days are incredibly valuable and I recently had to take an unscheduled rest day because I did a bunch of hoeing, raking, and digging on my original rest day. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. My back. My arms. My legs. My hands. Everything hurt. Some of it was from the 13 mile run and some was from the yardwork.

Tonight I'm doing 4 x 1 mile repeats. Including warm-up and cool down, that will be 7.5 miles. Ugh.

[Spambot5546]

So here's my story:

I took up running when i was 18. When i was 21 i sprained an ankle pretty hard, presumeably because i was running several miles a day anywhere from 4-7 days a week. Ever since, my fitness level has been a sine wave of hitting the track, getting my run times down, and then hurting my ankle and being unable to run for at least a few weeks. I would love to break this cycle.

1) I need to lose weight. During those times i can't run i tend to still eat like i do. I've gained about 30 lbs over the last four years (i'm up over 200 now, which for a 71" male is too much) and i'm sure that's adding to the impact on my poor ankles. I'm thinking just do a salad-only diet for a few months, lose weight unhealthily fast, then take up running without all the impact on my joints!

2) What's the word on this "barefoot running" thing? I've skimmed over the thread, and like the rest of the internet the opinions seem to be very mixed. This site decries it as dangerous, but doesn't seem to use any science. With the exception of one medical article linked earlier the only evidence it helps seems to be new-agey bullshit about humans having evolved to run that way which, while true, doesn't mean that shoes aren't better. We're evolved to eat raw meat, too, after all. I'd just go for one of them shoes (A guy at the track today mentioned the "Nike Frees", but i don't want to spend $75 on something i may only use once.

3) Are there joint exercises that can make the ankle more able to withstand impact?

[michaelyw]

Half-Marathon Results!
Chiptime - 01:48:42 (pace of 08:18)
10 mile split - 01:21:57

That last 5K hurt like a bastard since I tried to finish it too fast. I thought that part of the course was downhill or flat; no such luck.
There was an extra hill which forced me to slow way down.

I hurt for days afterward but still plan to do another one. That was fun!

[Izawwlgood]

Well done!

Anyone whose interested in the Boston area, I'll be running the Kerouac 5k in Lowell at noon on Sunday!

[Izawwlgood]

And new challenge!
http://shawneepeakchallenge.com/?page_id=7

[Meteorswarm]

2) What's the word on this "barefoot running" thing? I've skimmed over the thread, and like the rest of the internet the opinions seem to be very mixed. This site decries it as dangerous, but doesn't seem to use any science. With the exception of one medical article linked earlier the only evidence it helps seems to be new-agey bullshit about humans having evolved to run that way which, while true, doesn't mean that shoes aren't better. We're evolved to eat raw meat, too, after all. I'd just go for one of them shoes (A guy at the track today mentioned the "Nike Frees", but i don't want to spend $75 on something i may only use once.

So the theory I subscribe to behind barefoot running is based largely on some studies* comparing how "typical" western runners with people who've never worn shoes. The main difference they noted was that people who learned to run in shoes - particularly, shoes with big, cushy heels - land first on their heel, while the lifelong barefooters land first towards the balls of their feet. They also noted that the impact from a barefooter, even while barefoot, was lower than that of a shoe-wearer, despite the big, cushy heels.

I started running on my forefoot even in my traditional, very stiff shoes, which felt better, although the first few weeks were death on my calves. Anecdotally, I think that I reduce the stress on my midsection which was causing abdominal stitches. Later, I bought some Nike Frees, which were more flexible and had shallower heels, although that was part of my normal shoe replacement cycle. They're also just generally comfortable shoes, my only gripe is that they don't keep water out very well.

I've also gone barefoot a few times over safe areas, it feels great, but really wears down my feet, and I don't feel comfortable going barefoot in most places. I'll probably buy some vibram shoes soon.

*I can find the link for you if you care, they were done at Harvard if that matters.

[MasterCylinder15]

I really enjoy "barefoot" running, using those bare-footing shoes. You can't go straight into running half-marathons in them if you aren't used to them. I used to run a lot, after getting them I worked up to what I was doing after a few weeks. The first week I would only run a mile or so very slowly. They weren't so bad on my calves because I try to run on the balls of my feet anyway. The biggest problem I got was rawness and blisters from less padding. I really like them now because I used to have knee pain from ACL surgery, but training to run on the balls of my feet made it so I don't really have pain anymore.

Also, training wise, I have found a very good way to get faster for shorter distances (like 1-3 miles). Interval training seems to do well for me to stay in shape. Running for 2 minutes slowly, 8-10 minute pace, then switch to 2 minutes faster, about 6-5 minute pace or faster. Doing that for about 2 miles really has increased how I do on military fitness tests.

[Meteorswarm]

I really enjoy "barefoot" running, using those bare-footing shoes. You can't go straight into running half-marathons in them if you aren't used to them. I used to run a lot, after getting them I worked up to what I was doing after a few weeks. The first week I would only run a mile or so very slowly. They weren't so bad on my calves because I try to run on the balls of my feet anyway. The biggest problem I got was rawness and blisters from less padding. I really like them now because I used to have knee pain from ACL surgery, but training to run on the balls of my feet made it so I don't really have pain anymore.

Also, training wise, I have found a very good way to get faster for shorter distances (like 1-3 miles). Interval training seems to do well for me to stay in shape. Running for 2 minutes slowly, 8-10 minute pace, then switch to 2 minutes faster, about 6-5 minute pace or faster. Doing that for about 2 miles really has increased how I do on military fitness tests.

Yeah, changing running style dramatically always takes adjustment. Just changing to forefoot running (without new shoes at the time) put a lot of stress on my calf muscles, which had to get much stronger.

I really like my Nike Frees - they're super comfortable, and they work well for my style of running. I mostly wear them as just normal sneakers - they were the first shoes I didn't want to take off immediately.