New Shoes

Well, after researching these bad boys, and after talking to some people I know that use them, I decided to give the Vibram FiveFinger Shoe a try. The Model I purchased was the KSO, along with some Injinji Toe socks (to reduce any possible friction rubs). The idea behind this odd looking shoe is the "barefoot running" movement. Naturally, we land on the ball of the foot when we run. However with padded running shoes, most people tend to heel strike. Heel striking produces a lot of stress that travels up through the heel to the shins through the knees up to the hips and lower back. Non of these body parts are designed to absorb shock. Many people muse this is where frequent joint injuries come from (there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support this, but then again there's none to deny it either). Having had my fair share of issues with my knees in the last years, the promise of a pain free and more enjoyable run (and running career) sounds good to me! There is nothing to lose!

My coach Jeremy also is a believer in the running barefoot model, however he runs with minimalist running flats (same concept as the fivefingers, but in a shoe form. No padding to encourage natural movement. I would eventually like to switch to that also, because it is very much easier to use during triathlon transition. For now the fivefingers are being used as a tool to bridge the gab from padded running shoe to flat). After discussion with him, I started incoorporating my new shoe into my workouts. The idea is to start with short distances, like 1/2 mile at first, to not over stress the achillies and the calf muscles. These are not used to the stresses of barefoot running but build up relatively quickly. I am up to a mile and 1/4 in the fivefingers before switching to my running shoes for the remainder. The key is to focus on transfereing the proper running technique of forefooot landing to the traditional shoe also.

I don't know if its a purely psychological effect, or a truly physical happening, but when I switch from the fivefinger to the mizuno shoe I feel different and more uncomfortable within minutes. It's not a acute pain I feel, but my knees and hips feel different. Like I said, that might all be in my head. But I like it! I hope to be 100% in barefoot style shoes by the time outdoor running starts and I would LOVE to compete in my races this year in this style footwear. We will see if the proper mileage can be added in safely to achieve that.

Other than running, swimming and biking are also going well. I will post an update on my current average weeks workouts next time.