Welcome, mswagner78!!

I experienced the same thing you are when I first started out running
BF. I believe it came from consciously trying to "run on the toes"
without changing the rest of the running form. In my case, I ended up
doing a type of "goose-step" - still extending my feet out in front of
me, in the old way of running, but thinking I should land on the balls
of my feet, I was forcing my feet into an unnatural, pointing position
with each step. Too complicated! Too painful!

The hardest thing for me was learning how to re-vamp my whole running
form. I had to retrain my brain more than my body.

Similar to all the hints you find on Ken-Bob's running site, my advice
to new barefoot runners is this:

Run in place. "Grab" that form with your mind: Feet touching beneath
you, knees bent, whole-foot contact, faster cadence.

To move forward, keep 'running in place' but just lean into it by
letting your body weight shift forward, barely. You can practice
moving forward and slowing to no forward progress -- all by where your
body weight is relative to your hips. You will be successful when you
can convince your brain to NOT shift into "running mode" and to just
keep running in place.

Running barefoot is just running in place -- mile after mile!

Ryan
Vancouver, WA


--- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "mswagner78" <mswagner78@...>
wrote:
>
> Just joined the board today. I ran a half marathon in 07 with shoes
> and ruined my ITB. I almost gave up on running because it just kept
> hurting, but then I found out about barefooting and thought I would
> give it a try. I started running in 5 fingers (I know, not quite
> barefoot) back in March of 2008 and I'm currently building for my
> first full marathon. I know many of you are true barefooters, but
> since I have felt the sting of rejection from the shod crowd for my
> independently moving toes, I was hoping I could hang out here.
>
> I do have a couple questions,
>
> I have had some pain between my second and third metatarsal on top of
> my foot about an inch behind my toes. Anyone have any ideas for
> stretches or other conditioning to help with this?
>
> I'm planning to run the ING GA marathon in March, anyone else going?
>