Platypus' Beginners Guide to Running
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Yeah, i'm sure it will, then i just need to be sensible about building up slowly once it's better to avoid destroying it again. Especially as the trails in Spain are very much filled with sharp rocks which i imagine isn't as nice as nice soft wet mud in the UK!
The other concern is not supposed to walk barefoot, but in Spain i imagine it's going to be tricky to keep remembering to put something on to cushion the foot!
The other concern is not supposed to walk barefoot, but in Spain i imagine it's going to be tricky to keep remembering to put something on to cushion the foot!
Physio has suggested i can try and run and see how it goes.
It's an odd one as it doesn't really "feel" much different, it's not really ever been painful just "not right". Be interesting to see how much i struggle on even an easy run!
It's an odd one as it doesn't really "feel" much different, it's not really ever been painful just "not right". Be interesting to see how much i struggle on even an easy run!
3 runs down now. Still not completely better, although it is starting to feel a little better on reflection. It's taking more for the issue to occur and i've walked around the house barefoot a bit before noticing it and then remembering to put my slippers on.
Diagnosis ended up as a plantar plate tear, i'm debating an MRI for confirmation as i can claim back the costs via Healthshield, but unsure if it's worth it anymore.
Main issue is trying to not overdo things i think, which shouldn't be too hard as fitness feels like it's in the gutter!
Diagnosis ended up as a plantar plate tear, i'm debating an MRI for confirmation as i can claim back the costs via Healthshield, but unsure if it's worth it anymore.
Main issue is trying to not overdo things i think, which shouldn't be too hard as fitness feels like it's in the gutter!
Does anyone make use of barefoot trainers/running shoes?
I typically average 20-50 miles as week depending on what I'm training for etc and have always found during higher mileage weeks the arches of my feet do feel pretty sore. I do some basic flexibility and strength work on a weekly basis and always feel like I have a general weakness around my Achilles and arches of my feet. There's of course a huge amount of marketing fluff around barefoot shoes (especially brands like Vivo Barefoot) but from what I can decipher it seems like even walking in barefoot shoes on a semi-regular basis can lead to a fairly consistent strengthening of the feet and associated muscles.
I don't think I'd ever consider running in barefoot shoes, I do a lot of trail running and the idea of landing incorrectly on a rock in a pair of wafer thin shoes doesn't feel me with confidence but I feel like walking should maybe be enough? Has anyone had any similar experiences, either positive or negative with barefoot shoes?
Cheers
I typically average 20-50 miles as week depending on what I'm training for etc and have always found during higher mileage weeks the arches of my feet do feel pretty sore. I do some basic flexibility and strength work on a weekly basis and always feel like I have a general weakness around my Achilles and arches of my feet. There's of course a huge amount of marketing fluff around barefoot shoes (especially brands like Vivo Barefoot) but from what I can decipher it seems like even walking in barefoot shoes on a semi-regular basis can lead to a fairly consistent strengthening of the feet and associated muscles.
I don't think I'd ever consider running in barefoot shoes, I do a lot of trail running and the idea of landing incorrectly on a rock in a pair of wafer thin shoes doesn't feel me with confidence but I feel like walking should maybe be enough? Has anyone had any similar experiences, either positive or negative with barefoot shoes?
Cheers
I'll step in here.
If i was you i'd first try out some Altras, something like the Lone Peak. They're zero drop so work the achilles a lot more, whilst still providing a decent amount of cushioning. See how you get on with them. The one thing i'd probably mention though is that if you have achilles issues then it's likely to expose them and could cause issues. Probably start off just using them for short runs to start the adjustment.
I then got some Vivo barefoot shoes. I initially had their canvas espadrille style shoe for general walking around and really liked them and had no issues. I then was going on holiday and picked up a couple pairs with running in mind. I got the Geo Knit and the Primus FG Trail.
I ran at home in the Geo Knit for a couple 3 mile runs and whilst hard, i didn't experience any issues. Went away on holiday and a few of those short runs turned into longer 10 mile runs. Again didn't notice any issues at the time, however when i got back and did an ultra i got a plantar plate tear which has sidelined me for a while.
I can't say the 2 things are correlated, but it's a possibility. The main factors though are more likely the 10 mile runs in the Geo Knit when i wasn't fully adapted, and also running down some very steep hills (think Castles on a hill down to a beach), in them whilst weighing 100kg. That's a lot of pounding with no cushion when you're not adapted.
The Primus FG's are brilliant. Felt excellent when on and a decent amount of comfort.
www.vivobarefoot.com
I ran in them on some horrific terrain that you'd likely never experience here in the UK and they coped perfectly fine. Think very dry, rocky paths with super sharp rocks
In summary, I'm still recovering from the above injury, but it's not put my off barefoot shoes. I like the feel of them, and next time i'll likely spend more time doing short easy runs in them rather than getting carried away. Vivobarefoot also offer 100 days trials and i had no issues returning the Primus FG i had (whilst i loved them i knew my injury meant i was unlikely to wear them much for a while and having a £140 pair of trainers in a box didn't appeal when i needed some cushioning again!)
It's tricky to get balanced opinions though, Youtube is full of people who either look like hippies with incredible flexibility raving about them, or podiatrists saying they're the devil!
If i was you i'd first try out some Altras, something like the Lone Peak. They're zero drop so work the achilles a lot more, whilst still providing a decent amount of cushioning. See how you get on with them. The one thing i'd probably mention though is that if you have achilles issues then it's likely to expose them and could cause issues. Probably start off just using them for short runs to start the adjustment.
I then got some Vivo barefoot shoes. I initially had their canvas espadrille style shoe for general walking around and really liked them and had no issues. I then was going on holiday and picked up a couple pairs with running in mind. I got the Geo Knit and the Primus FG Trail.
I ran at home in the Geo Knit for a couple 3 mile runs and whilst hard, i didn't experience any issues. Went away on holiday and a few of those short runs turned into longer 10 mile runs. Again didn't notice any issues at the time, however when i got back and did an ultra i got a plantar plate tear which has sidelined me for a while.
I can't say the 2 things are correlated, but it's a possibility. The main factors though are more likely the 10 mile runs in the Geo Knit when i wasn't fully adapted, and also running down some very steep hills (think Castles on a hill down to a beach), in them whilst weighing 100kg. That's a lot of pounding with no cushion when you're not adapted.
The Primus FG's are brilliant. Felt excellent when on and a decent amount of comfort.
Primus Trail Knit FG Mens
FEEL NATURAL IN NATURE Foot shaped (not shoe shaped), to let your feet do their natural thing WIDE to allow for natural stability THIN to enable you to feel more FLEXIBLE to enable natural movement. (Re)new and improved- remade with recycled materials that have reduced this impact this footwear...
www.vivobarefoot.com
I ran in them on some horrific terrain that you'd likely never experience here in the UK and they coped perfectly fine. Think very dry, rocky paths with super sharp rocks
In summary, I'm still recovering from the above injury, but it's not put my off barefoot shoes. I like the feel of them, and next time i'll likely spend more time doing short easy runs in them rather than getting carried away. Vivobarefoot also offer 100 days trials and i had no issues returning the Primus FG i had (whilst i loved them i knew my injury meant i was unlikely to wear them much for a while and having a £140 pair of trainers in a box didn't appeal when i needed some cushioning again!)
It's tricky to get balanced opinions though, Youtube is full of people who either look like hippies with incredible flexibility raving about them, or podiatrists saying they're the devil!
Amazing thank you so much Martyn that is extremely helpful. Do you only run in barefoot shoes now? What about non-running shoes, are you trotting around town in Vibram Five Fingers
As mentioned, i'm still recovering from the above injury so i'm currently in cushioned shoes as i find there's a lot of pressure on the injured area when wearing nothing, i assume barefoot shoes would be similar. It's slowly getting there though and i'll likely build back to barefoot shoes for walking around.
For running i'm not too sure. I like the Altras as they have the same foot shaped shape so that gives the benefits of letting feet spread out whilst still offering comfort. I also do quite a bit of high mileage stuff, and the thought of running 50 miles barefoot at 100kg doesn't fill me with joy!
I'll likely just work on a rotation, some heavily cushioned shoes like a Hoka, some Altras of varying cushioning and then some Vivos for really short runs once a week just to try and keep that foot flexibility/strength.
For running i'm not too sure. I like the Altras as they have the same foot shaped shape so that gives the benefits of letting feet spread out whilst still offering comfort. I also do quite a bit of high mileage stuff, and the thought of running 50 miles barefoot at 100kg doesn't fill me with joy!
I'll likely just work on a rotation, some heavily cushioned shoes like a Hoka, some Altras of varying cushioning and then some Vivos for really short runs once a week just to try and keep that foot flexibility/strength.
I ran a lot in barefoot shoes when I was younger - never went full on Fivefingers, but wore Inov8's very lightweight shoes, New Balance Minimus, and Vivobarefoot. I loved it, and as someone who always had pretty weak arches the effect on my feet was massive - they're still much stronger than they were. Until last month I still ran on trails in my Inov8 Parkclaws, which are super thin (for trail shoes) and it's amazing how your feet deal with rocks when you can feel them properly - I never injured myself in them. I've finally "upgraded" the cushioning to some Altra Lone Peaks, but largely because I'm currently marathon training and need to give my legs a bit more of a break.
Ultimately, I've stopped running in quite so minimal shoes - my ankles were starting to feel a bit beaten up after doing it for 10 years - but find Altras a happy medium. I use the Lone Peaks for off road stuff, and alternate some Altra Riveras for short road runs with some Hokas for longer road runs. I absolutely love the Altras, but in my old age my achilles don't deal well with them for anything over about 15km.
In short, I'd definitely recommend a pair of Altras, they're fantastic. If you really want to get into it, grab some Vivos for walking around in and anything up to 5k, and in my experience this will hugely strengthen your feet although of course YMMV.
Amazing, thanks so much manic. I picked up some Vivos this week and will just be using them for general walking around to see how I get on with them before building up to attempting some running.
Just as a point to the above about foot strength, it feels like i've lost a huge amount since my injury, i'm putting this mainly down to wearing trainers in the house. Before this, i would always walk around the house barefoot, including standing at my desk (on a cushioned mat)
Since i was told to maximise support and cushioning i've been wearing some Hoka Recovery trainers in the house as slippers, and then Hoka trainers when going out anywhere, so never being barefoot, except for very limited occasions.
Over time, i've found my feet are getting progressively more tired/achey, that kind of "I've been on my feet all day" kind of feeling. This wasn't something i ever had when i walked barefoot/wore barefoot shoes.
Since i was told to maximise support and cushioning i've been wearing some Hoka Recovery trainers in the house as slippers, and then Hoka trainers when going out anywhere, so never being barefoot, except for very limited occasions.
Over time, i've found my feet are getting progressively more tired/achey, that kind of "I've been on my feet all day" kind of feeling. This wasn't something i ever had when i walked barefoot/wore barefoot shoes.
As a further update, had an MRI on Monday. It's confirmed as Intermetatarsal Bursitis. Annoying as it seems there's not an "injury to heal" kind of thing, it's just a case of unknowns as to how it'll go. Current plan is to try and avoid as much weight bearing stuff, so avoiding even short runs and also looking to sit down more during work rather than standing for 80% of the time.
The podiatrist has suggested a cortisone injection, i've put in a request to the GP, but given we're going away on Wednesday i'm not holding out too much hope. They have been great so far though and i can't rate them highly enough, so definitely not your standard GP practice.
The podiatrist has suggested a cortisone injection, i've put in a request to the GP, but given we're going away on Wednesday i'm not holding out too much hope. They have been great so far though and i can't rate them highly enough, so definitely not your standard GP practice.
Sporadic runner is sporadic poster shocker!
I hope you get your issue sorted soon, Martynt74. Very jell of those trails you posted! Although not (quite) stopping me from running, I'm getting fed up of ankle pain that is there all the time, even when not running. I really need to see someone about it. I tried some Altras but my Achilles heel and calf couldn't cope with it!
I injured my calf quite bad, first week of January and have haven't done much running, mostly stuck riding on Zwift. Somehow, I managed to smash my HM PB by about 5 minutes last weekend after entering last minute. I think that is partly down to some carbon doping, with the Endorphin Pro 3 (feel fast!) but mainly it's seems to be from cutting out Dairy (I love milk!
). I'm not sure why, but my heart rate is lower and I feel far less out of breath for the same effort.
I have a 26 mile trail race this weekend and haven't run or been on Zwift since Sunday! Also, entered the Manchester Marathon, which I'm bricking it, as I've not done anything big like that.
I hope you get your issue sorted soon, Martynt74. Very jell of those trails you posted! Although not (quite) stopping me from running, I'm getting fed up of ankle pain that is there all the time, even when not running. I really need to see someone about it. I tried some Altras but my Achilles heel and calf couldn't cope with it!
I injured my calf quite bad, first week of January and have haven't done much running, mostly stuck riding on Zwift. Somehow, I managed to smash my HM PB by about 5 minutes last weekend after entering last minute. I think that is partly down to some carbon doping, with the Endorphin Pro 3 (feel fast!) but mainly it's seems to be from cutting out Dairy (I love milk!
). I'm not sure why, but my heart rate is lower and I feel far less out of breath for the same effort.I have a 26 mile trail race this weekend and haven't run or been on Zwift since Sunday! Also, entered the Manchester Marathon, which I'm bricking it, as I've not done anything big like that.
Sporadic runner is sporadic poster shocker!
I hope you get your issue sorted soon, Martynt74. Very jell of those trails you posted! Although not (quite) stopping me from running, I'm getting fed up of ankle pain that is there all the time, even when not running. I really need to see someone about it. I tried some Altras but my Achilles heel and calf couldn't cope with it!
I injured my calf quite bad, first week of January and have haven't done much running, mostly stuck riding on Zwift. Somehow, I managed to smash my HM PB by about 5 minutes last weekend after entering last minute. I think that is partly down to some carbon doping, with the Endorphin Pro 3 (feel fast!) but mainly it's seems to be from cutting out Dairy (I love milk!
I have a 26 mile trail race this weekend and haven't run or been on Zwift since Sunday! Also, entered the Manchester Marathon, which I'm bricking it, as I've not done anything big like that.
I won't lie, it's really getting to me now. I'd expected a month or so at most, but it's now getting on for 5! Not sure whether using a standing desk has impacted recovery so going to try and minimise that for a little while, and go big on icing which i'd not really been doing. I've been booked for a cortisone injection on Monday which seems to have good results. The worry is it just masks the pain rather than the cause, and so i start running and make it worse but aren't aware of it.
Especially with the trails over there, it's going to be hard to resist!
That's interesting about dairy, not something i've heard before, and whilst i'm unlikely to follow your lead, it's good it's helped you.
if you have a 26 mile trail race, then Manchester will be a breeze! I remember a hill over a bridge around 15 miles and thinking it was tough, feels like a joke now since i've ran in proper hilly terrain!
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I can add a totally unscientific recommendation for Turmeric as well. Started taking it and the knee pain went away about 3 days later. Of course this could be totally unrelated, but I will probably keep taking the tablets just in case.
I starting taking some when you last recommended it, but no miracle cure. I will be invoicing you for the cost.