Running Drills for Barefoot Runners

Matt Meztgar posted this video over at his blog. The Tera Plana people first show how barefoot running changes your footplant in this video,but what I liked about the video is that it demonstrates that even barefoot runners have to improve their posture. Barefoot running doesn't do that on its own. Some unique and interesting drills are demonstrated that show how to correct faulty posture. Matt always has some interesting and thought provoking posts. He is currentlly starting to run barefoot on pavement. He thinks this is even better that running on soft surfaces as it helps you land correctly. He is taking me to task a bit for moving towards more substantial trainers in my running, but I have to see what is going on with my feet and what I can do to best correct them before I go back to trying barefoot running. The video is excellent though and the drills seem very interesting. I'll have to give them a try.

Learning the Skill of Barefoot Running from Terra Plana on Vimeo.

Shocking news: Trying out anti-minimalism

Long before Chris MacDougal wrote the "Born to Run" book, I was a minimalistic runner. I have always felt more comfortable in a lightweight pair of racing shoes than any trainer that I have tried. That has been true for my 35+ years of running. For quite a few years, I have been living out the philosophy of the "less shoe, the better." It seems to work for me. I always said that I like the lightweight shoes without all the doodads because they let my feet do what my feet want to do (which in reality is very strange things). So I have been running with lightweight racers (Asics HyperSpeeds) as my training shoes and Puma H Streets and K Streets as my racing and track shoes.

Despite the minimalistic shoes, my hips have remained imbalanced and unstable. However when I have tried training shoes, I have felt even worse. I have also forsaken traditional shoes and for over a year now, I have worn the Vivo Barefoot shoes at all other non-running times. They are extremely comfortable and also let my feet do "what they want to do." The problem that I have been thinking about is that even after all this minimalism, my hips are no better when running and my stability problems seem to be getting worse. A few weeks ago, I bought a more built up racing shoe, but it didn't seem to help my running and at times made it worse. It was more like running on a big sponge. I have improved my hips throught the Postural Restoration work this winter, but despite working on my hips and doing exercises all the time, once I start running things fall apart again. The previous three weeks have not been good. I get things balanced, go for a run and they fall apart for a couple of days, and if I try to run through it, things turn worse. I was back to having the problem where my whole left side was "stuck". Something was not right in my feet (I'd keep trying to mobilize the bones) and my hip. I was also back to the pressure under my kneecap that I get when things are out of alilgnment. My running was horrible as was my racing attempts. On Monday, I somehow got rid of the knee pressure and felt better alignment wise. I went up to race in Lowell Tuesday night for the 5K. I felt great despite for the 90 degree heat. When I started running though, I had no control of my legs and hips. Everything was going at wrong angles and it wasn't a fun run (results and I did win in my age-graded weight category). I went to the Gate City Striders workout the next evening in more 90 degree heat and did the 10 X 400m workout (81-86 secs). Again, my hips and alignment were throwing me all over the track and I was fighting my body to try to keep straight. Despite all the work I have been doing, I still can't run correctly! and there is nothing much left to find out there that I can try to improve things- or so I thought.

Then I saw Lori Thomson's newest video for running. I follow all her videos for runners, as she is a Postural Restoration therapist and  Postural Restoration work has improved my hips (no longer am I tight at the front of the hip) and if I don't run at all my hips feel better than in years, but I am a runner and I have to find the solution that keeps me running. The new video is called "Instability of the Feet in Runners" and it took me awhile to let the video sink in because of the "shoe" issue. First off, she talks about "calcaneal instability" or heel bone instability. Now this was interesting to me, because when I  got sent to a physical therapist this winter (who fortunately practiced "postural restoration") it was only because I asked my primary care doctor for a visit. I had pretty much given up on physical therapy due to previous attempts, but I wanted to ask a therapist about ankle mobility and issues with my heel not seeming to be lined up correctly. I was hoping I could just get a couple of questions answered and maybe learn a "trick" or two to fix things. I ended up getting 2 months of twice weekly Postural Restoration work with some traditional physical therapy techniques that helped my hips greatly, but with more running I seemed to be at an impasse. I was back to thinking the same question that plagued me for years, "Are my hips causing my problems or are my feet causing the problems?"


Instability of the Feet in Runners from Hruska Clinic on Vimeo.


In this video, Lori says that if your heel bone is unstable and not in the correct position for running, then your pelvis may not be in the correct position for running (she does say it can be the other way around too). She also then explains a major part of the postural restoration philosophy: most people have a forwardly rotated pelvis on the left side. That is me. My left shoulder and pelvis are way in front of my right pelvis and shoulder. She also shows how this affects the way the foot apporaches and lands on the ground.This also desribes  how my feet land and got me thinking that maybe this is why my stride is all over the place lately. My feet are landing at weird angles (and quite differently on both sides) and maybe as they hit the ground and try to roll, it send my legs in different directions and through different rotations.

Lori shows another exercise to learn how to shift into the left hip (my difficult move) and how to feel the bottom of the feet. This is all good stuff, but I wasn't willing to listen to the last part of the video, because this tells about how to choose a good running shoe. I thought I knew everything about shoes and minimalism was the way to go. Well, I thought it through and decided to give Lori's ideas a try. I printed out a list of PRI approved shoe options and headed over to Runner's Alley to see if they had any in stock and then to see how they might feel on my feet, but that was all. It was funny when I got there because there were a couple of other runners trying out Vibram 5 Fingers and Nike Free shoes as they were contemplating minimalism and there was I, a true minimalist believer, trying on what seemed to me to be boats!

I tried on about 5 pair of shoes. What I noticed in the brief moments in the shoes was how tight the heel counter was, how flat and solid the footboards were, and how I could get my big  toe down in all of the shoes (something I have been working on pre- postural restorartion and even during with my PT). They felt good for such beastly things. I think whenever I have tried training shoes in the past, I always gravitated towards more lightweight trainers that ended up being a bit soft and spongy with little foot control. This type of shoe often made my hips worse! I wasn't sure which one to try, so I ran just a bit on the treadmill with each pair. One pair left my left hip feeling unstable, one pair was a bit too tight in the heel, and one pair had my hip feeling real good on the treadmill. This was all so unscientific, but I decided to but the pair that left my hip feeling best. I bought real training shoes for the first time in years! I ended up with a pair of Brooks Defyance 3 shoes. I wasn't planning on running that day, as my left glute medius had been sore since the track workout the night before, but I felt good in the shoes and took them out for a run. It was interesting. Yes, they were big shoes, but they felt better than other trainers I had tried in the past. My feet felt very comfortable and I was getting a smooth transition from heel to toe (and I wasn't landing heel first as I thought would automatically happen). I ran Friday with not major problems again. The only thing is I am running slower than I normally would, but this could be because I am using different muscles. This morning I woke up and the first thing I thought was that I wanted to go for a morning run (I don't do morning runs- I hate morning runs- it usually takes all day to get my body to a place where I can even think about running) so off I went for a successfull morning run. I am still running slower, but my stride and the way my hips are hinging is feeling better. This is only three days in to my experiment, and it could be that I am feeling good for other reasons or the shoes may eventually throw my body off in other directions and create additional problems, but I am very intrigued with the results so far. I love my Vivo Barefoot shoes, but something else funny has happened. I wore the Brooks to school yesterday, because I liked the way my feet walked in them. I am also wearing them today. I feel much more stable wearing these things.  If this keeps up I will have to buy another pair: one for daily use and one for walking.

Does anyone know of a lost tribe of long distance running people that uses supportive running shoes to achieve thier mystical running abilities? If you do, let me know, because we may be able to turn the idea into a best-selling book. And I know that all my running friends who have laughed at my lightweiight running shoes through the years are probably getting a good chuckle from this post.

Here is a previous video where Lori explains PRI approved running shoe options.


Shoe Recommendations from Postural Restoration Institute on Vimeo.

Kickbikes in Time Magazine

It is always nice to be slightly ahead of the curve and for two weeks in a row Time magazine has published exercise related articles on two of my favorite things! Harriet Barovick has an article in this week's issue of Time Magazine called, "Kickbike and Enjoy It."

Kickbikes, also known as footbikes or kick scooters, are being embraced as a fast, fun, furious way to cross-train, run errands, commute and even rehabilitate injuries.

I have used my kickbike since 2002. You can read a bit more of my 127 mile ride as well as find other links to articles and videos on kickbiking here. It is great to see Kickbikes get a little more publicity. I love using mine. In fact, a neighbor wanted to borrow one of my bikes on Saturday. I told him to use the kickbike as he was going to be riding on the rail trail with his son. My kickbike hasn't returned. Maybe he liked it so much he is not going to return it all! I better check into that!

Here is an article from the June 2009 issue of Running Times magazine that highlights kickbikes.

I ride the Millenium Racer model. Kickbike America has an ongoing sale of City Cruiser and the Sport Classic models. Footbike USA also sells racing models that are similar to the Kickbike.

Time magazine even has a video showing how dog mushers use kickbikes! Maybe I need to get a few dogs, so I can try that too!



Last week Time magazine had an article on Terra Plana shoe founder, Galahad Clark, as the company is unveiling its Vivo Barefoot Evo running shoe. The article is called The Cobbler's Child by Coeli Carr. I will not be buying a pair of the Evo shoes as long as they are at $160 per pair, but I am interested in the concept (link here). The only shoes I do wear when I am not running are my Vivo Barefoot Dharmas and Lesothos. The are the most comfortable minimalistic shoes that you could imagine. Here are a couple of my posts on Vivo Barefoot shoes. (here and here)

Here is a video on the Vivo Evo running shoe.



It is nice to see that Time magazine is writing articles about things that I enjoy that the rest of the world does not quite get-yet! I wonder how well the Vivo Barefoot Evo shoe would work on a Kickbike, as kickbikers are always trying to find the perfect shoe for kicking.

Quick Peeks at the Vivo Barefoot Evo Running Shoe

I love the Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot Dharma shoes I bought last January. I have worn no other shoe since then, except for my running shoes when running and my Vibram Five-Fingers when mowing the lawn. They are so comfortable I don't even want to take them off. Vivo Barefoot shoes are built to give you that barefoot feeling when you are walking. They have no heel, they have ultra-thin cushioning, and they have a wide toe-box to let your toes spread out. Unfortunately they are not really made for running. In the Spring Vivo Barefoot promises to come out with a running version of thier shoes, called the Evo.

Here is a video of Christopher McDougall, the author of the book "Born To Run", who advocates barefoot runing. At then end of the video you can see the Vivo Barefoot Evo running shoe.


Here are some more prototype pictures from the Barefoot Runner blog.

This podcast on The Living Barefoot Show covers the history of Vivo Barefoot and Terra Plana, speaks about Vivo Barefoot shoes in general, and talks about the release of the new EVO running shoe to be released in the spring of 2010.

Here you can sign up to be contacted as soon as the Evo is being sold.

Recover Your Feet: The Vivo Barefoot Shoe

Last summer I came across a New York Magazine article called "You Walk Wrong: How We're Wrecking Out Feet With Every Step We Take" by Adam Sternbergh. I was intrigued by the article because it related to footwear and going minimalistic with your shoes. I have found that I run best in racing shoes or even shoes like the Puma H-Street, which looks like a track spike upper but has a low, thin, and soft sole to it. I like having a feel for the ground and letting my foot do its own thing as I run. If I wear trainers my feet tend to pronate more and I have a rougher time with my running.

This article talked about how shoes can be bad for you and that we should walk barefoot if we want to use the muscles in our feet properly and to keep them strong. While I know some runners advocate barefoot running it is not for me, although I will do my strides barefoot on grass if I am able to. However there are shoes that mimic barefoot walking. This article talks about a few of them including the Nike Free which I like to walk around in when I have a pair. It mentions the Masai Barefoot Technology (which I tried out at the Boston Marathon Expo), the Vibram Five-Fingers, and a shoe called the Vivo Barefoot.

Since the summer I heard a few more good reviews and recommendations of the Vivo Barefoot shoe and I though I would like to try them but there was only one store in the US selling them, and after the New Yorker article they sold out, plus they were very expensive at $160. So I put it on my list of things that would be fun to try out but that I would probably never get a chance to buy. Last month, after another recommendation I decided to look on eBay. I found a green pair in England for about $40 and decided to shop overseas. They came in about a week and a put them on with great expectations. Fortunately they fit. They were like wearing slippers. The Vivo's have a 3mm flexible kevlar bottom so they are thin and flexible. The toe box is wide so that your toes can spread out and they are very comfortable. It wasn't a shock to my feet to wear something so thin as I am used to walking around in the few pairs of H-Streets I have left (those things never wear out). They may look dorky- I don't know- I am fifty- I can be a bit weird. The kids at school thought they were cool though!

Here is an article "Feet Hurt? Stop Wearing Shoes" on NPR about Adam Sternbergh's article. It is funny to find out why high heels were first used. You can listen to more on NPR here

I wear them all the time except when running or shoveling snow and I will definitely buy more of these shoes. I haven't gone for a long walk in them yet, but it does give me a better walking stride and I feel my toes trying to do more work as I move around. I have been wearing them for about 3 weeks. I don't think so, but I do wonder if my hamstring problem is related to the shoe as I may have changed my balance as I walk. I think the hamstring is more related to my keeping that hip more flexible and free.



Or it could be that I I hurt the hamstring running in some trail shoes I was trying out. I have never used Trail Shoes before but I got a pair of GoLite Sundragons on sale for less than $30 and decided to try them out. They are so much bigger than what I am used to in a shoe. They had a comfortable "suspension" system for the foot and I like them. I ran in the for 5 miles and then the next day did the Feel Good Farms 7.2 K snowshoe race using them with my snowshoes. That is when my hamstring started hurting. It could be the sliding in the snow or the way the shoe positioned my feet. I am not sure what caused this problem and I guess I will never know.

I am just as thrilled with The Warrior's Diet. I wasn't hungry at school at all. I ate my fruit, nuts, and cheese. I had a great dinner again tonight. I feel wonderful and was barely hungry at all through the day (usually I am hungry most of the day. I was thirsty however and had to drink a lot of water. Sarah is following along with the diet. She is not so sure about The Warrior Diet, but is losing her sugar cravings on it. I told her if I called it the "Princess" Diet instead it just might be more apppealing to her!