Hey all,



Just curious to know what others think.  I'm a 42-year-old shoe addict.  I have

been enamored by barefoot running for about ten years now but feel like I can

only now finally begin my attempt with it in earnest.  I recently read BORN TO

RUN and even bought a pair of VFF's.  But I have yet to really begin my barefoot

adventure.  (Oh, and my wife doesn't know I bought the VFF's...and it might be

better if she doesn't for now...shhhh)



Briefly: I live out in the country.  I am surrounded by farmland, with paved and

dirt/gravel roads criss-crossing it.  I'd love to have some advice on how to

begin working up to jogging barefoot.  I have NO GRASS anywhere near me.  All

wild vegetation around me is tough, weedy, clumps and the rest is domestic

agricultural.  Also, i live at the end of a long, dirt/gravel road.  I wear

sandals when i think of it, and my feet love that.  There is very little

automobile traffic out here as it is at the end of a peninsula.  I have tried

going for short walks on all these surfaces and most hurt like hell.  Even small

pebbles under me hurt so bad I wince like mad.  Just walking the driveway is an

immense journey.  Any suggestions?  Do I just keep making short trips until it

gets more tolerable?  DOES IT get more tolerable?  I assume it does, but wow...



I've read through some of the "beginner's" info at sites like

runningbarefoot.org, but I notice that I have no grass anywhere near me and the

nearest park is at least 6-8 miles away.  Should I just walk the driveway every

day until it feels OK?  Once I want to try running, does one suggest the

dirt/gravel or paved roads?  Also, we have some two-tracks in the woods behind

us.  How long, generally speaking, does the process take?  Do your feet really

communicate everything you need to know?



Any other general advice is appreciated as well.  Don't worry, I'll let the VFF

cat out of the bag soon enough...(I just could not resist them after trying them

on--sad fact is, I had JUST bought a pair of Merrell hikers...).  Any articles,

books or anything else is appreciated.



Thank you so much!



Stuart



PS.  I'm currently 40 pounds overweight.  But I have run off and on in my life

and ran two marathons in high school.

Stuart,



First of all, just think of the extra 40 pounds as "training" weight. As you

work it off, you will be that much stronger, faster, and lighter on your feet.



Pretend that you are an infant, just discovering your bare feet, and how to use

them (probably not that far from the truth).



Be curious, play, experiment, and listen to what your feet teach you. Learn to

relax, and notice that no matter how rough the surface, if should feel much

better when relaxed, rather than tense (wincing). Think of the guy that lays on

a bed of nails. It only works because the weight is distributed across many,

many nails. Same with our feet. Relax, so that the entire sole is supporting

your weight across as much surface as possible.



NEVER, NEVER JOG! Jogging became a synonym for running, because of that jarring,

jolting... jogging sensation caused as a result of not being able to immediately

feel how hard we land with each step.



Once you take off your shoes, you'll soon find that jogging is not comfortable,

and you will want to experiment, play, and discover how to walk/stand/run more

gently and comfortably.



Do not look for grass to run on, running barefoot only on grass has much of the

same problems as running in cushy shoes, reduced feedback, more stress on the

weak feet, and the temptation to run too much, before learning HOW to run more

gently. And if you run too much, without learning HOW to run gently, then you

are reinforcing habits of bad running technique.



Do not avoid any surface, just start with a baby step at a time, and be curious,

experiment, and let your feet relax, and become one with the surface.



Forget everything you thought you knew about running, and start running barefoot

as if (because it really is) a completely new activity. Start with baby steps,

relax, relax, relax, and build very gradually as you learn, learn, learn...



and have fun,

-barefoot ken bob



--- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart" <bythedeepwaters@...> wrote:

>

> Hey all,

>

> Just curious to know what others think.  I'm a 42-year-old shoe addict.  I

have been enamored by barefoot running for about ten years now but feel like I

can only now finally begin my attempt with it in earnest.  I recently read BORN

TO RUN and even bought a pair of VFF's.  But I have yet to really begin my

barefoot adventure.  (Oh, and my wife doesn't know I bought the VFF's...and it

might be better if she doesn't for now...shhhh)

>

> Briefly: I live out in the country.  I am surrounded by farmland, with paved

and dirt/gravel roads criss-crossing it.  I'd love to have some advice on how to

begin working up to jogging barefoot.  I have NO GRASS anywhere near me.  All

wild vegetation around me is tough, weedy, clumps and the rest is domestic

agricultural.  Also, i live at the end of a long, dirt/gravel road.  I wear

sandals when i think of it, and my feet love that.  There is very little

automobile traffic out here as it is at the end of a peninsula.  I have tried

going for short walks on all these surfaces and most hurt like hell.  Even small

pebbles under me hurt so bad I wince like mad.  Just walking the driveway is an

immense journey.  Any suggestions?  Do I just keep making short trips until it

gets more tolerable?  DOES IT get more tolerable?  I assume it does, but wow...

>

> I've read through some of the "beginner's" info at sites like

runningbarefoot.org, but I notice that I have no grass anywhere near me and the

nearest park is at least 6-8 miles away.  Should I just walk the driveway every

day until it feels OK?  Once I want to try running, does one suggest the

dirt/gravel or paved roads?  Also, we have some two-tracks in the woods behind

us.  How long, generally speaking, does the process take?  Do your feet really

communicate everything you need to know?

>

> Any other general advice is appreciated as well.  Don't worry, I'll let the

VFF cat out of the bag soon enough...(I just could not resist them after trying

them on--sad fact is, I had JUST bought a pair of Merrell hikers...).  Any

articles, books or anything else is appreciated.

>

> Thank you so much!

>

> Stuart

>

> PS.  I'm currently 40 pounds overweight.  But I have run off and on in my life

and ran two marathons in high school.

>

Thank you all.  This helps immensely.



Incidentally, went for a long walk last night.  Decided to take off my Tevas

right after starting and walked over three miles barefoot on dirt/gravel road,

ending with a dunk in West Grand Traverse Bay.  Amazing!  Only issues were

painful rubbing later under my left foot and my second toe on left foot trying

to "un-hammertoe" itself.



I forgot to mention that I have hammer toes on three middle toes of each foot

and have had pain in right knee, left hip and lower back after running the past

couple of months with shoes.  Hope to reverse or end some of this.  Anyone else

note changes in hammer toes after barefoot walking/running?



And yes, I will try to moderate myself... :)  Sandals in the truck and by the

front door today, just in case.



BORN TO RUN was one of th greatest books I have read in a looooong time.  I

laughed a lot, felt vindicated, was fascinated, and cried a bit too.



Thanks and be well!



Stuart

Stuart,



Wow, that really is close to my home town of Grawn (about 15 miles south from

West Grand Traverse Bay...



Maybe we'll see you sometime on one of my summer visits home.



Have fun,

-barefoot ken bob



--- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart" <bythedeepwaters@...> wrote:

>...walked over three miles barefoot on dirt/gravel road, ending with a dunk in

West Grand Traverse Bay...

When I was reading this I thought about you, Ken and wondered if that was MI.



Now I know it is.



P



--- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Ken Bob Saxton" <KenBob@...> wrote:

>

> Stuart,

>

> Wow, that really is close to my home town of Grawn (about 15 miles south from

West Grand Traverse Bay...

>

> Maybe we'll see you sometime on one of my summer visits home.

>

> Have fun,

> -barefoot ken bob

>

> --- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart" <bythedeepwaters@> wrote:

> >...walked over three miles barefoot on dirt/gravel road, ending with a dunk

in West Grand Traverse Bay...

>

Welcome, Stuart!

So glad you have joined us.



My humble advice -- start walking barefoot and make it a regular event. Only go

as far as you feel is safe ('comfortable' may be another thing altogether!)



You will notice a few things: At first you will think you are torturing your

poor feet. Your feet may burn for hours after a walk or a run. As you keep it

up, however, you will experience something weird and wonderful. Your feet will

say "Ahhhhhh!" when they hit the trail and it will feel like a good

massage/scratching an itch.



Feet get hyper-sensitive when they are constantly encased in shoes. They are

searching for stimulation. Its like being in a dark cave for hours and then

coming outside. Your eyes hurt at first, but you are glad to be able to see.

Your feet will get to where they are glad to feel again.



If walking on a gravel road is just too much to take, I suggest you do something

like jump roping on a cement or paved driveway. If you have tilled soft farm

dirt available, that is a joy to walk and run in and will help toughen your

feet. Look for gopher holes!



Ryan





--- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart" <bythedeepwaters@...> wrote:

>

> Hey all,

>

> Just curious to know what others think.  I'm a 42-year-old shoe addict.  I

have been enamored by barefoot running for about ten years now but feel like I

can only now finally begin my attempt with it in earnest.  I recently read BORN

TO RUN and even bought a pair of VFF's.  But I have yet to really begin my

barefoot adventure.  (Oh, and my wife doesn't know I bought the VFF's...and it

might be better if she doesn't for now...shhhh)

>

> Briefly: I live out in the country.  I am surrounded by farmland, with paved

and dirt/gravel roads criss-crossing it.  I'd love to have some advice on how to

begin working up to jogging barefoot.  I have NO GRASS anywhere near me.  All

wild vegetation around me is tough, weedy, clumps and the rest is domestic

agricultural.  Also, i live at the end of a long, dirt/gravel road.  I wear

sandals when i think of it, and my feet love that.  There is very little

automobile traffic out here as it is at the end of a peninsula.  I have tried

going for short walks on all these surfaces and most hurt like hell.  Even small

pebbles under me hurt so bad I wince like mad.  Just walking the driveway is an

immense journey.  Any suggestions?  Do I just keep making short trips until it

gets more tolerable?  DOES IT get more tolerable?  I assume it does, but wow...

>

> I've read through some of the "beginner's" info at sites like

runningbarefoot.org, but I notice that I have no grass anywhere near me and the

nearest park is at least 6-8 miles away.  Should I just walk the driveway every

day until it feels OK?  Once I want to try running, does one suggest the

dirt/gravel or paved roads?  Also, we have some two-tracks in the woods behind

us.  How long, generally speaking, does the process take?  Do your feet really

communicate everything you need to know?

>

> Any other general advice is appreciated as well.  Don't worry, I'll let the

VFF cat out of the bag soon enough...(I just could not resist them after trying

them on--sad fact is, I had JUST bought a pair of Merrell hikers...).  Any

articles, books or anything else is appreciated.

>

> Thank you so much!

>

> Stuart

>

> PS.  I'm currently 40 pounds overweight.  But I have run off and on in my life

and ran two marathons in high school.

>

Stuart



I too am newish to BF running and love it!  I live in the UP so if you ever take

a trip further north stop by for a run- I have yet to find another BFer.  From

my experience this barefooting is a cruel thing to get started in- I love it so

much and now dread the 10 hrs everyday I need shoes for work.  I am building up

to greater distance and do my long runs in "barefoot shoes" that I am really not

liking but I need the distance training.  I will then do my recovery runs and

all others barefoot and am finding thatmy form with ditching the shoes is all

the recovery I need.  I went from a 4 mile recovery run that was tough to now

with no shoes doing 8 miles for recovery and only stopping because I do not want

to overdo it.





--- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan - Barefoot in Vancouver"

<ardydub@...> wrote:

>

> Welcome, Stuart!

> So glad you have joined us.

>

> My humble advice -- start walking barefoot and make it a regular event. Only

go as far as you feel is safe ('comfortable' may be another thing altogether!)

>

> You will notice a few things: At first you will think you are torturing your

poor feet. Your feet may burn for hours after a walk or a run. As you keep it

up, however, you will experience something weird and wonderful. Your feet will

say "Ahhhhhh!" when they hit the trail and it will feel like a good

massage/scratching an itch.

>

> Feet get hyper-sensitive when they are constantly encased in shoes. They are

searching for stimulation. Its like being in a dark cave for hours and then

coming outside. Your eyes hurt at first, but you are glad to be able to see.

Your feet will get to where they are glad to feel again.

>

> If walking on a gravel road is just too much to take, I suggest you do

something like jump roping on a cement or paved driveway. If you have tilled

soft farm dirt available, that is a joy to walk and run in and will help toughen

your feet. Look for gopher holes!

>

> Ryan

>

>

> --- In RunningBarefoot@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart" <bythedeepwaters@> wrote:

> >

> > Hey all,

> >

> > Just curious to know what others think.  I'm a 42-year-old shoe addict.  I

have been enamored by barefoot running for about ten years now but feel like I

can only now finally begin my attempt with it in earnest.  I recently read BORN

TO RUN and even bought a pair of VFF's.  But I have yet to really begin my

barefoot adventure.  (Oh, and my wife doesn't know I bought the VFF's...and it

might be better if she doesn't for now...shhhh)

> >

> > Briefly: I live out in the country.  I am surrounded by farmland, with paved

and dirt/gravel roads criss-crossing it.  I'd love to have some advice on how to

begin working up to jogging barefoot.  I have NO GRASS anywhere near me.  All

wild vegetation around me is tough, weedy, clumps and the rest is domestic

agricultural.  Also, i live at the end of a long, dirt/gravel road.  I wear

sandals when i think of it, and my feet love that.  There is very little

automobile traffic out here as it is at the end of a peninsula.  I have tried

going for short walks on all these surfaces and most hurt like hell.  Even small

pebbles under me hurt so bad I wince like mad.  Just walking the driveway is an

immense journey.  Any suggestions?  Do I just keep making short trips until it

gets more tolerable?  DOES IT get more tolerable?  I assume it does, but wow...

> >

> > I've read through some of the "beginner's" info at sites like

runningbarefoot.org, but I notice that I have no grass anywhere near me and the

nearest park is at least 6-8 miles away.  Should I just walk the driveway every

day until it feels OK?  Once I want to try running, does one suggest the

dirt/gravel or paved roads?  Also, we have some two-tracks in the woods behind

us.  How long, generally speaking, does the process take?  Do your feet really

communicate everything you need to know?

> >

> > Any other general advice is appreciated as well.  Don't worry, I'll let the

VFF cat out of the bag soon enough...(I just could not resist them after trying

them on--sad fact is, I had JUST bought a pair of Merrell hikers...).  Any

articles, books or anything else is appreciated.

> >

> > Thank you so much!

> >

> > Stuart

> >

> > PS.  I'm currently 40 pounds overweight.  But I have run off and on in my

life and ran two marathons in high school.

> >

>